Big Gun

"Big Gun" is a song by Australian rock band AC/DC. It was released as a single in 1993 and can be heard on the soundtrack to the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Last Action Hero, as well as during reruns of the Savage Nation talk show as bumper music. It was later released on the 2009 box set Backtracks. It became the band's first No. 1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart in 1993.

For the gun in the Doom series, see BFG (weapon).
"Big Gun"
Single by AC/DC
from the album Last Action Hero: Music from the Original Motion Picture
B-side"Back in Black" (live)
ReleasedMay 24, 1993[1]
Recorded1993
GenreHard rock, Heavy metal
Length4:24
LabelATCO
Songwriter(s)Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Brian Johnson
Producer(s)Rick Rubin
AC/DC singles chronology
"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"
(1992)		 "Big Gun"
(1993)		 "Hard as a Rock"
(1995)
Music video
"Big Gun" on YouTube

At the APRA Music Awards of 1995, the song won Most Performed Australian Work Overseas.[2]

AC/DC has played the song live only once during 1996 rehearsals but never at an official show.[3]

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard called it a "fresh recording", adding that producer Rick Rubin "gives the band's sound a dense, radio-friendly tone without sacrificing its guitar attack or Brian Johnson well-weathered howl. Album-rockers, be alert."[4]

Music video

The music video was released on May 24, 1993.[1] It was directed by David Mallet,[5] and begins with Schwarzenegger (as his film-within-a-film character, Jack Slater) breaking an entrance door to an AC/DC concert. As he walks around the crowd and the stage, observing each band member, Angus kicks his cap towards him. When Schwarzenegger puts on the cap, his clothes morph into Angus' trademark school uniform costume and signature Gibson SG. He then starts imitating Angus' on-stage antics throughout the video, including a scene in which Angus Young actually climbs up on Schwarzenegger's back and rides around the stage perched on his shoulders while continuing to play his guitar chords. The video also features a young Shavo Odadjian, the future bassist for the Armenian-American alternative metal band System of a Down.

The video was similar to the one for "You Could Be Mine" (released to promote Terminator 2: Judgment Day), where Schwarzenegger (as the T-800) interacted with Guns N' Roses.

The video was released on Family Jewels Disc 3, part of the 2009 box set Backtracks. It was not released on the original Family Jewels, because it contains scenes from the movie and therefore had licensing issues.

As well as its worldwide release on the Last Action Hero soundtrack, the song could be found on iTunes with the rest of the soundtrack, making it for a time the only song by AC/DC on iTunes. However, it was later removed from iTunes along with "Two Steps Behind" by Def Leppard. The song subsequently returned to iTunes along with AC/DC's entire catalogue, although it still is not available to purchase as a track on the Last Action Hero soundtrack; instead it can be purchased as a song from AC/DC's 2009 rarities boxset, Backtracks.

Charts

Track listing

CD maxi-single (US)
  1. "Big Gun" (Angus Young, Malcolm Young) – 4:25
  2. "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" (Live in Moscow) (Brian Johnson, Young, Young) – 6:42
  3. "Back in Black" (Live in Moscow) (Johnson, Young, Young) – 4:26

CD maxi-single (UK)
  1. "Big Gun" (Young, Young) – 4:25
  2. "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" (Live in Moscow) (Johnson, Young, Young) – 6:42
  3. "Shoot to Thrill" (Live at Donington) (Johnson, Young, Young) – 5:45

Personnel

This was the last song to feature drummer Chris Slade, before he left AC/DC a year later so that Phil Rudd could return to the band.

References
  1. Russell, Deborah (May 22, 1993). "Sony in Overdrive For 'Hero' Tie-Ins". Billboard. p. 122. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  2. "1995 APRA MUSIC AWARD WINNERS". APRA AMCOs. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  3. "AC/DC Concert History", ACDC Bootlegs
  4. Flick, Larry (May 29, 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 91. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  5. AC/DC – "Big gun", mvdbase.com
  6. "Australian-charts.com – AC/DC – Big Gun". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  7. "Austriancharts.at – AC/DC – Big Gun" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  8. "Ultratop.be – AC/DC – Big Gun" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  9. "AC/DC Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  10. "Lescharts.com – AC/DC – Big Gun" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  11. "Offiziellecharts.de – AC/DC – Big Gun". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 36, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  13. "Dutchcharts.nl – AC/DC – Big Gun" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  14. "Charts.nz – AC/DC – Big Gun". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  15. "Norwegiancharts.com – AC/DC – Big Gun". VG-lista. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  16. "Swedishcharts.com – AC/DC – Big Gun". Singles Top 100. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  17. "Swisscharts.com – AC/DC – Big Gun". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  18. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  19. "AC/DC Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  20. "AC/DC Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  21. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  22. "End of Year Charts 1993". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
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