Single:
The original Dave Evans version of Can I Sit Next to You, Girl? entered the Australian singles chart* on 28 August 1974 and peaked at #50.
Album:
The re-recorded Bon Scott version appeared on the Australia-only album TNT which entered the Australian albums chart* on 5 June 1976 and peaked at #2.
Songwriters:
Malcolm Young, Angus Young
Producers:
Harry Vanda, George Young
Record label of Australian release:
Albert Productions
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
This is the promo video for Can I Sit Next To You, Girl? with original singer Dave Evans. It was filmed in 1974 at The Last Picture Show, a short-lived rock music venue and former movie theatre in Cronulla. Peter Clack (drums) and Rob Bailey (bass) appeared in the video, while on the record it was Colin Burgess (drums) and George Young (bass):
While Angus sports his soon-to-be-iconic schoolboy uniform in the video above, the rest of the band present a glam rock visual image with satins and brightly coloured costumes more like that of T.Rex than of later heavy rock imagery.
For the re-recorded version of the song in 1975 it was Bon Scott (lead vocals), Angus Young (lead guitar), Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Mark Evans (bass guitar) and Phil Rudd (drums):
Wikipedia:
Can I Sit Next to You, Girl is the debut single by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, issued in July 1974. This version has lead vocals performed by Dave Evans prior to his being replaced by Bon Scott, as well as drums by ex-Masters Apprentices member Colin Burgess, and bass guitar by ex-The Easybeats member George Young (older brother of band co-founders Malcolm Young & Angus Young; co-producer). Originally, AC/DC’s first bassist, Larry Van Kriedt, played the bass parts, but George recorded his own over them later.
In 1975, after Scott joined, the group re-arranged and re-recorded the song. It was released in December 1975 on their Australia-only album TNT, and on the international version of High Voltage, released in May 1976. The title of this version of the song removed the comma, becoming Can I Sit Next to You Girl.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_I_Sit_Next_to_You,_Girl
Trivia:
The original music video above was filmed at a live music venue in Cronulla called The Last Picture Show. It was previously a movie theatre called Odeon. The lyrics in the song refer to meeting a girl at the Odeon theatre.
Lyrics:
Well, I met this girl for the first time Saturday night
Standing in the queue at the Odeon, alright
Oh, I took her by surprise
When I gave her one of my lines
She started smiling at me real fine, ha
And that’s when I say
“Can I sit next to you girl, can I sit next to you girl?”
Click for full lyrics
The 1975 version with Bon Scott is also on our Spotify playlist Bang a Gong – rockin’ the 60s & 70s
Find more songs to enjoy: Bang a Gong song finder
New to Bang a Gong? Click here to learn more about us