AC/DC’s Vancouver connection: a Q&A with long-time recording engineer Mike Fraser

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s another chart-topper for AC/DC. Power Up, the band’s 17th and latest studio album, is Number One this week on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

Mike Fraser, AC/DC’s long-time recording engineer, says it’s quite the honour. “It’s great to see rock n’ roll back with a vengeance, especially with everything that’s been happening this year,” he says. “It’s sure giving people a shot in the arm. Forget about a ‘Shot in the Dark,’ it’s a shot in the arm,” Fraser chuckles.

“Shot in the Dark” is the first single from the album which was recorded at the Warehouse Studio in Strathcona. Fraser admits keeping the project under wraps was a challenge. “We had some paparazzi on the rooftops and whatnot with telephoto lenses. It kind of really bothered and distracted the band, but we got through it.”

Fraser adds the album would have come out much sooner, if not for COVID-19. “The pandemic probably had a hand in why it’s taken so long for it to be released. I think they had plans to get things rolling and then all of a sudden the world shut down.”

Power Up is the band’s third US Number One album over its long career.

NEWS 1130’s John Ackermann spoke with Mike Fraser by phone on Monday.

John Ackermann: You and the band go back many years. Your first album with them was The Razor’s Edge 30 years ago. How would you say that relationship has evolved over the years?

Mike Fraser: I think right from that record, we did that at Little Mountain Sound with Bruce Fairbairn, and right from that record, I guess there’s been a mutual respect. The boys, I guess, they really like the sounds I got for them because I’ve been on every one of their records since then, even through four different producers, so it’s quite an honour and I’m very humbled for that working relationship with them.

Ackermann: That association between you and the band has helped put Vancouver on the musical map so to speak as a destination to record albums. Other than yourself, of course, what keeps AC/DC coming back to our fair city?

Fraser: Well, as you know, it is a beautiful city. Unlike some of the bigger cities around the world, they can come here and work in relative peace. They’re not bothered. Even though Vancouver is fun, there’s not a lot of distractions for them and they can get down and get to work, you know. Plus, they love our restaurants here. We’ve got some of the finest restaurants in all of North America, for sure. So, it’s just a really nice comfortable place. They’re surrounded by Canadians that are, for the most part, really nice people. That’s why they like coming here.

Ackermann: Is it hard to keep a project like this, that’s so high profile, under wraps for so long?

Fraser: Yeah, it sure is, you know, especially this last project when they had come to town, they wanted to keep it very much under wraps. We had sort of some paparazzi on rooftops and whatnot with telephoto lenses. And it kind of really bothered and distracted the band. But, you know, we got through it and you can’t really blame people. They’re big famous bands and any siting is going to be like spotting a Sasquatch. But the band does like their privacy, especially in their private lives. So, it was just a bit distracting here.

Ackermann: Power Up is AC/DC’s first new set in six years and the second album without founding guitarist Malcolm Young. But musically, it’s fair to say his spirit remains a guiding force for the band.

Fraser: Oh, yeah. The last two records, Mal has definitely been on all our minds when we’re in there working. It’s almost like he’s kind of sitting on your shoulder. You know, he’s definitely missed, but the boys are really good at picking up the reins and carrying on.

Ackermann: In terms of the timeline, did the pandemic affect work on this at all or was everything tracked by the time that all started happening?

Fraser: No, it was all tracked. 2018 was when we’re working on this, so it was all said and done. The pandemic probably had a hand in why it’s taken so long for it to be released. I think they had plans to get things rolling and then all of a sudden the world shut down.

Ackermann: What about your current projects? Is there a lot of file-swapping and remote connections happening now? Do you miss having five guys playing live off the floor in one room like you would with AC/DC?

Fraser: Well, for me, I generally am mostly a mix engineer, so people just tend to send me their files. I mix a song and then send them a copy back through the email, so that’s been pretty standard for a while now. It’s only when you’re tracking a record that everybody gets together and those I do like only one or two of those a year. But, you know, since this all hit, everything pretty much shut down. Nobody’s got any money to come in and spend in the studio and it’s all kind of a wait and see until they can get out and fill venues and play live. They’re not going to be generating money. So it’s kind of a difficult time right now for everyone.

Ackermann: So you’re kind of watching and waiting along with everyone else.

Fraser: Exactly, yeah.

Ackermann: You’ve been at this, as a producer and as an engineer for 40 years now. Where did it start for you?

Fraser: I started in, I think, `78, or something. My dad and I had our own kind of logging outfit and in the winter we’d shut down. I got bored of sitting around all winter and I thought well, I like music and I’m not good enough playing guitar, it’s hard to make any money at it, so I thought maybe I’ll work in a studio. So I started calling around a few studios in town. Little Mountain Sound was one of the first places I called and they said no, they didn’t have any openings, but they needed a janitor, would I be interested? I said, heck yeah, at least it’s a foot in the door. So I started there as a janitor and then slowly worked my way up with Roger Monk and Dick Abbott. They did a lot of jingles there. Then I started working with Bob Rock and at night then some of the punk bands. Then Bob became a big famous engineer and then me, Bob Rock, and Bruce Fairbairn kind of became a team. We did the Loverboy records which led to Bob doing Bon Jovi and then Aerosmith and AC/DC and it just kind of exploded from there.

Ackermann: Your list of credits includes, as you mentioned, Aerosmith but also some of the Led Zeppelin remix work, Joe Satriani, Franz Ferdinand, Kelly Rowland; a wide variety of artists and projects. Is there any one album, or project, you’re most proud of?

Fraser: Well, I like working on a variety of things, you know. It’s very easy in this industry to sort of get pegged in one genre so I like to spread it out a bit because I just love all types of music and it makes it more interesting.