Def Leppard Featured in June 2019 Issue of Record Collector Magazine
May 25, 2019 7:02:25 GMT -8
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Post by CindyJ on May 25, 2019 7:02:25 GMT -8
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Def or Glory
Def Leppard’s statistics are impressive enough. They’ve sold more than 100 million records. Moreover, they are among only 22 elite artists who have earned diamond status (sales in excess of 10 million copies) in America for two albums, namely 1983’s Pyromania and Hysteria four years later. Leppard have had two chart-topping albums (Hysteria and 1992’s Adrenalize) in both the UK and US, and seven others made the Top 20 in both countries. In addition, the band have achieved 11 Top 20 singles in Britain and also in the US.
But these bare facts don’t even begin to tell the story of a band who, in more than four decades, have experienced incredible highs – for instance, going from a debut gig in the dining hall at A Block in Westfield School in Mosborough, Sheffield on 18 July, 1978 (being paid £5 for the 50-minute set) to headlining the Download Festival at Donington Park on three occasions (2009, 2011 and this year) – and debilitating lows (drummer Rick Allen losing an arm and the death of guitarist Steve Clarke).
Trying to sum up such a varied and enduring career, which has seen this band fight for everything they’ve achieved, is a tough challenge. But with the aid of vocalist Joe Elliott (who has been with Leppard since the start) and guitarist Phil Collen (who’s been in the line-up for 37 years), we look back at 10 key events which have helped to shape their history.
“WE WERE FLOUNDERING”
The Bludgeon Riffola EP In January 1979, the band released a self-titled EP on their own Bludgeon Riffola label, which had been recorded the previous November. This featured Elliott, Clarke, guitarist Pete Willis and bassist Rick Savage. Original drummer Tony Kenning had just left, so Frank Noon was temporarily drafted in from The Next Band. Rick Allen came in as the permanent replacement for Kenning just after the three tracks were recorded.
This EP immediately caught the attention of fans and media alike, even getting them a significant feature in Sounds, as well as airplay on John Peel’s Radio 1 show, after Elliott had jumped onstage at Sheffield University to personally hand him a copy. As a result, Leppard were recognised as one of the most exciting young bands emerging on the hard rock scene in the UK, at a time when so much fresh talent was beginning to make a mark. This movement, of course, became known as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. And while Leppard were clearly not metal per se, they were regarded as one of the genre’s most vital names.
They signed to Phonogram Records later the same year, and also switched from local managers Pete Martin and Frank Stuart-Brown (their company was called MSB) to Peter Mensch and Cliff Burnstein, who at the time were part of the massive Leber-Krebs organisation in New York.
JOE ELLIOTT: “It was the most important thing we ever did. More so than any of the million-selling albums we’ve done. I would compare it to a rocket. You need the whole thing to take off, but then you can jettison the bottom end, because you no longer need it. But you never forget how vital it once was for you.
“At the time, like a lot of other young bands, we were floundering, trying to find places to play. A lot of clubs only wanted DJs, because they made their money over the bar and they didn’t want to deal with the madness and mess that could come with booking a live band. Much of that was down to the punks who were boisterous. But then I got to know the guys from The Next Band very well, and they were selling an EP they’d recorded off their own backs at gigs. That got me thinking. I knew there was no point in sending record labels a demo tape, because they get loads of those every day, and probably use them for door stops. But having your own vinyl 7” record… well, that might get their attention. So, I asked Frank Noon, who had become a good friend, how they did it, and he gave me the contact for Fairview Studios in Hull, which was where The Next Band recorded. That was a place where Mick Ronson used to do stuff, so that was good enough for me!
“I borrowed £150 from my dad, which was all he had in his bank account, to pay for it. And we went there one weekend. But just before that, we had to get rid of Tony Kenning, because he wasn’t turning up to rehearsals; he preferred going to the cinema with his girlfriend. So, Frank did us a favour and helped out.
“We came out of the studio with £1.50 left. But I recall going over the Humber Bridge, the five of us with fish and chips, listening to a cassette of our own EP. I then had to borrow £450 from this woman to get it pressed up; she insisted on me giving her £600 back – I refer to her as ‘Mrs. Tightwad’ for obvious reasons! We got 1000 made, gave 100 away to people like Tommy Vance and John Peel at Radio 1, and Geoff Barton at Sounds. And things went from there.
We sold the rest at gigs and in local Sheffield shops. And somehow one ended up on the desk of this guy at Mercury Records in Chicago, and he demanded that Phonogram, the UK sister company, sign us – whatever it took. His name? Cliff Burnstein, later our manager. So, that EP was absolutely crucial. It set the ball rolling.”
“EVERY BAND GOT BOTTLES OF PISS THROWN AT THEM”
The 1980 Reading Festival On 24 August 1980, Def Leppard made what is regarded as an ignominious appearance at Reading Festival. Second on the bill to headliners Whitesnake, they followed Slade and received what has been described as a harsh reaction from the crowd, which even included beer cans being hurled at them. The problem was that, by then, some of the media were claiming – unfairly – the band had turned their backs on Britain and gone in pursuit of fame to America, where they toured with Pat Travers, AC/DC and Ted Nugent. It would take Leppard a few years to overcome this supposed stigma.
JOE ELLIOTT: “Look, let me tell you that the reception we got that day wasn’t anywhere near as bad as some people have made out. In those days, the Reading Festival had two stages side to side, and while one was being used, you could stand on the other one and watch what was going on. And every band that day got bottles of piss and other stuff thrown at them – EVERY ONE! For some reason, the media like to portray it as if we got bigger bottles and heavier cauliflowers hurled. That simply is not true. I’ve heard the official recordings of our set, and we got a good reception. That is the truth.
“We were supposed to follow Ozzy, which didn’t bother us at all. But then he was replaced by Slade. And they did a 45-minute set of No 1 hits. Honestly, how could anyone follow that and not look a little flat?
“Maybe part of the reason why we are seen as having a bad time was because I was going through something of an identity crisis. I didn’t want to be part of the denim-and-leather brigade. I didn’t want us to be seen as a NWOBHM band who would disappear as soon as that trend was over. So, I bought a pair of plastic trousers and a white shirt with hearts all over it. This made me look very flamboyant, and I don’t think some of the denim-and-leather lot approved, which might have meant they weren’t on our side that day. However, anyone who believes Def Leppard had a bad time at Reading in ’80 is misguided.”
“I HAD TO GET WORK ON A BUILDING SITE”
Working with ‘Mutt’ Lange on the High ’N’ Dry album After collaborating with producer Tom Allom on their 1980 debut album, On Through The Night (which got to No 15 in the UK chart and No 51 in the US), Leppard brought in Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange to help them out for second album, High ’N’ Dry (released in 1981, this peaked at No 26 in the UK but broke into the US Top 40, making it to No 38). It was to be a crucial appointment, as the producer turned the fledgling heroes, into a massive commercial force, especially with ’83’s Pyromania (which got to No 2 in the US and No 18 in the UK) and Hysteria four years later.
JOE ELLIOTT: “We had Tom Allom as producer for On Through The Night. He was one of three names we considered, the others being Chas Chandler and Roy Wood. Because Tom had worked with Judas Priest, Pat Travers and the Strawbs, Pete Willis insisted that we work with him.
“Now, Tom was under instructions from the label to capture our live energy, so he changed very little. We had fun doing this album, but I have to be honest and say we ruined it, not Tom, because we insisted on doing unnecessary overdubs, which left me with very little time to get the vocals right.
“But ‘Mutt’ had a very different approach. The first thing that he did was talk to all of us individually on the phone. And he was very much the master of things. We had to wait six months for him to finish the 4 album for Foreigner, and despite selling a decent number of copies of the debut album, we were so broke that in the winter of 1980-81 I had to get some work on a building site. I recall having to beg my girlfriend’s dad for this job. So, when ‘Mutt’ was finally ready, I wasn’t exactly warm towards him. But he soon won me over to his way of doing things.
“He took us to Nomis Studios in London for rehearsals and drilled into us a different way of doing things as compared to Tom. He wasn’t afraid to criticise and insist on change. For instance, he told me that the lyrics I had for one song were , and I should go away and rethink them. This subsequently became Let It Go, a real anthem and the opening track on High ’N’ Dry.
“But he would also listen to what we had to say, and if we were passionate enough, then he would allow us to do it the way we wanted. He wasn’t the dictator everyone claims he is. He was very disciplined, and we did need guidance.
“Actually, Peter Mensch had wanted him to produce the first album, and he did see us live opening for AC/DC. His opinion was that we were a rough diamond, but there was something there, and he’d be willing to work with us on the second album. I think it says a lot that we did three records with him. Nobody else has done that many. Yes, you can mention AC/DC, but after Bon Scott died, they were desperate, and I’m sure he wouldn’t have been their choice for Back In Black otherwise.”
PHIL COLLEN: “‘Mutt’ Lange is everything to us. He made us seem special. Without him, we’d have just been another ordinary rock band. He’s always the most talented person in the room, and can play anything or sing everything we do, only better. He’s so inspiring that you want to do your absolute best just to please him. ‘Mutt’ wouldn’t just tell us what he was after, but would show us as well. And there would be occasions when he’d hum something as an idea and then develop it into what you hear on the record. He certainly helped us to develop the style and sound Leppard are known for. And he has no ego at all, which is astonishing.”
“WE WERE SICK TO DEATH OF THE SITUATION”
Firing Pete Willis and hiring Phil Collen In July 1982, guitarist Pete Willis, a founder-member of the band, was fired. This was due to his ongoing problems with alcohol. It happened as Leppard were recording their crucial third album, Pyromania. They quickly brought in Phil Collen from Girl to take his place. It was the only time Leppard have ever fired anyone from the line-up.
JOE ELLIOTT: “I’ve had more than enough over the years of talking negatively about Pete. That’s all behind me. But what I will say is that firing Pete was easy. We were sick to death of the situation. Going crazy on the road with throwing television sets around and letting off fire extinguishers is one thing, but to do it in the studio is another. And Pete couldn’t differentiate.
“We’d given him so many chances, and eventually on the day of the World Cup Final in 1982 [11 July], he was driven down from Sheffield for a meeting. Peter Mensch insisted we had to do this face-to-face, and not on the phone or by telex. He was right. We went through our reasons with him, and it was a little awkward. But afterwards, Pete admitted it was almost a relief for him. I’ve only seen him twice since then, but he was part of our induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
“Phil Collen was the only choice for us. He was a friend. And on the High ’N’ Dry tour in ’81, I’d phoned him and asked if he could learn 12 songs in two days to replace Pete, who was having problems. He did it, and then when I called to tell him he wasn’t needed after all, he took that really well.
“The important thing was that Phil and ‘Mutt’ got on well. They met up at Battery Studios in London, and after hearing him play a solo for Stagefright, ‘Mutt’ said, ‘Sign him up!’ And they remain really tight to this day. They talk every week, whereas I haven’t spoken to ‘Mutt’ for a long time.”
PHIL COLLEN: “I never actually had any audition for the job, at least not one I was aware of. I’d known the guys for a while; when they came down to London they would sleep on my mum’s couch. And I understood they were having problems with Pete’s drinking on the road. When they asked me to come down to the studio,
I thought I was just helping them out. ‘Mutt’ asked me to come up with a guitar solo to fit Stagefright. So I went away overnight and came up with one, went back the next day, plugged in my Destroyer [guitar] and did it in one take – I think it’s the only thing on that album that was done with the first take. Then they got me to do more solos, which were great fun. And when they realised I could also sing, they got me to do some vocals as well. Then, before I knew it, the album was out and we were on tour. And things went from there. You know what? At no point did anyone even tell me that I was now a full-time member – ha!”
“THERE WAS NO GOODWILL TOWARDS US”
Playing Monsters Of Rock in 1986 On 16 August 1986, Leppard played the Monsters Of Rock Festival at Donington. They were third on the bill, behind headliner Ozzy Osbourne and the Scorpions, and it was the first time a British audience had the chance to see Rick Allen onstage since he’d lost his left arm on 31 December 1984 following a crash on the A57 just outside Sheffield. They’d just done a six-date warm-up tour of Ireland, but this was a massive test for the band. The emotionally charged reaction from the fans was a turning-point in Leppard’s relationship with UK audiences.
JOE ELLIOTT: “Things had changed for us by 1986. There was a whole new generation of fans getting into what we were doing. In the first half of the 80s, Iron Maiden could do no wrong and were massive, whereas whatever we did seemed to be attacked. You know, Maiden went on tour in the United States two months before us, and got praised for it. But when Leppard went out there, all we got were accusations of selling out!
“By 1986, things had settled down. People were giving us respect for the fact that Pyromania has sold so well in the US. We felt as if there was no goodwill towards us. Brian May even came along just to see us play. And every band on the bill were very friendly. I think a lot of people were also impressed that we’d stuck with Rick after his accident, and you could tell there was a lot of curiosity in the crowd about him being onstage. There were a lot of the audience peering through the cymbals to see how he was doing it. I wasn’t going to refer to him at all, but then it became obvious I had to do it. I recall going over to Phil at one point and saying, ‘I have to mention Rick’ and he agreed.
“I introduced Rick and, no word of a lie, the volume of the crowd reaction literally moved the air and it felt so warm. We literally came offstage elated. We’d always had a fan-base in the UK, but we’d played in front of 60-70,000 people, many of who were probably not fans, and we’d won them over.”
PHIL COLLEN: “We knew we’d played really well, and that we’d gotten a great reaction from the crowd. But it’s such a pity that it took Rick losing his arm in that horrendous accident for people to like us. That made me angry in a way. But it was an amazing day.
“We had Jeff Rich with us at first in Ireland, because Rick wasn’t sure he could pull it off live. He wanted another drummer with him, in case he messed up. So, we rehearsed with him. And then Jeff had to fly off to do a show with Status Quo, because he was a member of that band as well. He was due back in time for our first gig of the tour in Cork [Connolly Hall on 5 August]. But due to flight delays, he didn’t make the venue until we were halfway through the set; Rick had to do it by himself. Jeff watched the rest of the performance, then came backstage and said to Rick, ‘You don’t need me’, and that was a turning-point. Rick then knew he could do this on his own, without any back-up.”
“MUTT TOLD US WE COULD EMULATE THRILLER”
The Hysteria era
In August 1987, Leppard finally released fourth album Hysteria. This had been plagued by delays, because of Allen’s accident, the hiring and firing of Jim Steinman as producer, and the wait for Lange to become available to resume this role in the studio, as he had done for the previous two records. Some reports suggested Hysteria would have to sell five million copies just to break even. No problem. It topped the charts in the UK and US, selling over 25 million copies worldwide, more than half in the US alone. Moreover, there were seven hit singles issued from the album, and the production techniques revolutionised people’s perception of what a hard rock record should sound like.
JOE ELLIOTT: “It took us three weeks to record On Through The Night and three months for High ’N’ Dry. I was embarrassed it took so long for the latter, until I realised that’s how long the Sex Pistols had taken for Never Mind The Bollocks…, so it wasn’t too bad. We took nine months in all to record Hysteria. I know it seems a lot longer, but that’s not correct.
“We started with ‘Mutt’ in Dublin in February ’84, doing demos. But he wanted a break and didn’t feel ready to do the album production. However, he was determined to be involved at the start. Once we got that done, we went through trying to work with Jim Steinman as the producer and that never worked out. Then we worked with Nigel Green, who was ‘Mutt’s engineer for High ’N’ Dry and Pyromania. But it was all sounding too much like Pyromania 2.
We also went down a lot of dead-ends, trying out stuff – experimenting with new technology – and getting nowhere. Eventually, ‘Mutt’ came back in the middle of ’85, by which point we’d hoped to have the album released.
“That’s when we really started all over again. ‘Mutt’ had told us from the beginning that there was no reason why we couldn’t emulate what Michael Jackson had done on Thriller and have six hit singles, so we literally scrapped what we already had and went back to the drawing board to make sure what we had was a step up from anything we’d done previously. Yes, there were times when I felt we’d never finish this album. But in the end, it didn’t take as long as people now claim for us to do it. And it was certainly worth all the effort and false-starts to end up with what we had.”
PHIL COLLEN: “Despite all the delays we never thought this was an album that would never be finished. That never entered our heads. Look, all great albums take a long time to come together. You think of what Queen and Led Zeppelin did, and they were never rushed. Even Never Mind The Bollocks… wasn’t dashed off in a couple of days.
“We started off with Jim Steinman as producer, because we loved the way Bat Out Of Hell sounded. We got that wrong, because Todd Rundgren obviously was the producer for that one, whereas Steinman was the writer! Obviously, it didn’t work out with him. But it meant we got ‘Mutt’ back, and he clearly had a vision for how the album should be done.
“It took a while for things to kick off.
In the US, it went triple-platinum, selling over three million copies, and then just stopped selling. That meant we were still in debt, and people weren’t going to the gigs. Then Pour Some Sugar On Me was released as a single, made it to No 2 in the US charts and the album took off. What did that do?
It made us feel humble, actually.
We did have a problem working out how to do some of the songs live, because there were so many layers to the sound.
Love Bites was one of these. We didn’t have it in the live set, but then it got to the top of the singles chart in the US and we thought we’d better work out how to play it live. So we went into a rehearsal studio in Vancouver and got a version down that we could play onstage.
“Did we ever see Hysteria as a millstone, because of its success? Oh, no. We saw it as opening doors and giving opportunities.”
“WE WONDERED WHETHER WE SHOULD CARRY ON”
Steve Clark’s death and bringing in Vivian Campbell On 8 January, 1991, guitarist Steve Clark died at home from a mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs. This was while the band were working on new album Adrenalize; he’d been in and out of rehab trying to deal with his drink problem, and had been given a six-month leave of absence to face his demons, but sadly this didn’t work. Leppard decided to finish the album as a four-piece, with Collen as the sole guitarist. But they hired one-time Dio/Whitesnake member Vivian Campbell in February 1992 to replace Clark; this was a month before Adrenalize was released. And this line-up has remained stable ever since.
JOE ELLIOTT: “I think at different times, all four of us wondered whether this band should carry on.
“Phil has told me that I talked him off the ledge, as it were, by telling him that we already had six or seven songs written for what would be Adrenalize and these were too good to waste. Besides, and I know it’s a cliché, but Steve would have wanted us to carry on and record these tracks.
“I’m not going to pretend it was an easy time, because it was very tough. But life goes on. We had to mourn the loss of Steve, of course. But to give up the band because of this tragedy… I never wanted to do that.
I love doing this, and why should I have had to stop because of what happened to Steve? That would have been the crazy thing to do.
“I’d met Vivian in 1990 at a mutual friend’s house. We’d shot the and also played pool together for three hours, and we got on very well. I liked the guy, so for me he was very much in the frame to replace Steve. We wanted someone who was British, knew about football and could also recite every line from Monty Python, and he fit the bill. Being onstage with someone for two hours is one thing, but it’s how you get on with them off the stage that matters as much, if not more. You want a bandmate who shares the same humour.
“Sure, we did go through the motions of auditioning some other people, like Adrian Smith and John Sykes. In the end, though, it came down to a straight choice between Vivian and this unknown guy called Huey Lucas from Birmingham. It was Vivian’s experience being in big bands like Whitesnake and Dio which swung it his way, and he could also sing. We never actually asked him to audition as a guitarist, because all of us knew how good he was, and still is. It’s amazing to think he’s been in the band now for 27 years – but he’ll always be the new boy, rather like Ronnie Wood in the Stones.”
PHIL COLLEN: “I have to admit that, for a short time after Steve died, I didn’t want to carry on with the band. He was my best friend, and Def Leppard felt like a gang – it was about all five of us together. But then Joe pointed out that we had all the songs written for Adrenalize, so we should get them recorded and released for Steve’s sake.
“When it came to bringing in a new guitarist, we had a few people in mind. We wanted someone British to keep things the same as they’d always been. We didn’t do auditions as such, but got them in to play with us and see how we got along. John Sykes and Adrian Smith were among those we also considered. John is, of course, an amazing guitarist and would have been fine for us. The same is also true of Adrian Smith, who I’d known before he was even in Maiden. But Vivian not only played guitar so well, he was a superb singer and that was important for us. It also felt right having him in the band.”
“WE HAD A MASSIVE FAN-BASE”
Surviving the grunge era The rise of grunge in the early 90s undermined many of the biggest names from the previous decade, and was clearly a challenge for a band like Leppard, who’d helped to define an era many believed was now redundant. However, they adapted to the changing conditions, with a more streamlined style, even bringing in darker lyrics and more of an edge for 1996’s Slang. And while their sales figures were dropping, as was the case across the board, the band still sold enough records in the US to register triple-platinum status for Adrenalize (a No 1 album on both sides of the Atlantic) and got a gold award (over 100,000 copies sold) for Slang in the UK, where it peaked at No 5, while the ’95 compilation Vault: Def Leppard’s Greatest Hits (1980-1995) was certified platinum in Britain (more than 300,000 copies sold; No 3 placing) and quadruple-platinum in the US (where it made No 15).
JOE ELLIOTT: “We survived the initial grunge spurt because we had such a massive fan-base. Fans of Nirvana were never going to buy our stuff anyway. We put out Adrenalize and it went to No 1 in the US, knocking Bruce Springsteen off the top. And we were selling out arenas across the US while everyone was telling us that our type of music was dead and nobody was buying Leppard records
or tickets!
“By Slang, things were a little tougher. But we still could rely on our fan-base, which is why it did OK in the US, Canada and Britain. But in other parts of the world it was huge. We were selling vast numbers of records in Asia.
We also did a 50,000-capacity stadium in Johannesburg and sold it out. While some of the so-called more traditional markets for us weren’t as fruitful as before, we found others which suddenly exploded in our favour.
“All through the grunge trend our fans never left us. But it was the way the media were portraying bands like us as being eclipsed by the new generation that made it seem we were in a steep decline. We always worked hard, though, and have climbed back up to a point where now we are bigger than ever.”
PHIL COLLEN: “One important reason why we came through that time was that we never stopped. A lot of others simply gave up and split. We kept going through the thin times. We also adapted to some extent to what was going on, so that when we did Slang, it was a lot rawer than people might have expected from us. More like we are live, and it sold well. That faith in ourselves kept things together.”
“IT FELT LIKE OUR HOTEL”
Las Vegas residency in 2013
From 22 March to 13 April 2013, Leppard played a 12-date residency at the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas. This was the sort of event associated only with the biggest names in music, and put the seal on the band’s enduring reputation as one of the most acclaimed acts in the world. Their two-part show featured Leppard opening for themselves under the name Ded Flatbird, performing a set of songs they’d rarely played live. The second set was the whole of Hysteria, cementing its iconic stature.
JOE ELLIOTT: “Having 30 nights sleeping in the same bed… why wouldn’t we do it? We did three shows a week, and got to go home every night. Well, we were in a hotel, but it felt like our hotel. And I have friends in Vegas, so I got to spend time hanging out by their pools.
“It used to be that the only artists who’d be asked to do a Vegas residency are people like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. But now, you’ve got KISS, Aerosmith, The Who, Mötley Crüe doing it. But we were the first, and I’m very proud of that. The thing with Leppard is that we’re never afraid to try something new and take a risk. That’s why we did this residency and that’s why we were also happy to work with Taylor Swift [on the TV show CMT Crossroads, in 2008]. We’re going back to do a second residency in Vegas later this year [with 12 more shows in August/September]. The first run was so successful they were keen to get us back.”
PHIL COLLEN: “We always love to do new things, and this was like being in a long-running play. Not only was it the first time we’d ever done an entire album live, but we got the opportunity during the opening set of the residency to do some tunes we’d never done live. We worked out about 30 songs in rehearsals, and changed the setlist every night. We’d sort it out just before going onstage. One night we might decide to do half of High ’N’ Dry, another time we’d throw in Good Morning Freedom [the B-side to the single Hello America]. We called ourselves Ded Flatbird for that opening set of the night because when my first wife Jackie gave birth to our son Rory, someone who visited her in hospital asked the name of the band I was in. Her friend heard Def Leppard as Ded Flatbird, which amused us all. Peter Mensch, our manager at the time, even had T-shirts made up with that name on them. So, when we came to name this so-called tribute band, it was obvious.”
‘WE MIGHT BE POPULAR, BUT WE LACK CREDIBILITY’
Getting inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019
On 29 March, the band [who were interviewed for this article in February 2019] were inducted into the Hall Of Fame during a ceremony at the Brooklyn Barclays Center. While the band have shown little enthusiasm to embrace this accolade, it does almost bring things full-circle: they’re the first from the NWOBHM era to be so honoured, emphasising that the band have been an inspiration to, and influence on, countless musicians for four decades.
JOE ELLIOTT: “We’ve apparently been eligible for induction since 2005, and in that year one journalist asked if it bothered me that we hadn’t got in. I told him that I didn’t care, and of course that spread all over social media. Realistically, I didn’t ever think we’d get in. We might be very popular, but to some we lack the credibility to be in the Hall Of Fame. However, six years ago, they introduced the fan vote, and this year we polled the biggest number ever recorded. I had Jon Bon Jovi saying he’d voted for us, and that we should embrace the occasion. He told me I’d love it. Others in big bands have said the same.
“The fans only count for one vote, but it gets more attention than the 999 cast by those in the Hall Of Fame. For that reason alone, I’m going to go along, enjoy myself and make a speech. It will also be great for my mum to be there, and see how far her son has come.
I still think it’s a very American-oriented event – where are Marc Bolan and Slade? – but the fact our fans voted for us in such huge numbers means a lot to me.”
PHIL COLLEN: “My attitude towards this is, ‘What difference does it make to us?’ But as a band we’re excited by this, and it seems to mean a lot to our fans, so that’s important. They’ve been genuinely upset for a long time that we weren’t in the Hall Of Fame. I kept being asked why we weren’t in it, and I’d answer that we’ll get in when they’re forced to scrape the bottom of the barrel! At least I won’t have to face that sort of query again.
“I was delighted that we polled more votes from fans than anyone else has ever had, since the Hall Of Fame introduced that aspect. But what did all those popular votes mean? Just one vote in what is effectively an electoral college, similar to the one used in the US Presidential elections, and I don’t like that system.
“Still, I suppose this is also a tribute to the fact that we’ve been around for so long. I don’t think there’s any secret to our longevity, though. We don’t have any egos in this band, which means if there’s a problem we sit down and talk it through. So many other bands never discuss anything, and end up not getting along. But that will never happen to us. You see, we were all brought up with a British working-class ethic. Our parents instilled this in us from a very early age. They all went through the Second World War and that taught them values which they’ve passed onto us. And we used these as the basis for the way we behave towards one another.”
Def Leppard release The Vinyl Collection: Volume Two and The CD Collection: Volume Two through UMC in June. The band also headline Download Festival on 19 June.
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Def or Glory
Def Leppard’s statistics are impressive enough. They’ve sold more than 100 million records. Moreover, they are among only 22 elite artists who have earned diamond status (sales in excess of 10 million copies) in America for two albums, namely 1983’s Pyromania and Hysteria four years later. Leppard have had two chart-topping albums (Hysteria and 1992’s Adrenalize) in both the UK and US, and seven others made the Top 20 in both countries. In addition, the band have achieved 11 Top 20 singles in Britain and also in the US.
But these bare facts don’t even begin to tell the story of a band who, in more than four decades, have experienced incredible highs – for instance, going from a debut gig in the dining hall at A Block in Westfield School in Mosborough, Sheffield on 18 July, 1978 (being paid £5 for the 50-minute set) to headlining the Download Festival at Donington Park on three occasions (2009, 2011 and this year) – and debilitating lows (drummer Rick Allen losing an arm and the death of guitarist Steve Clarke).
Trying to sum up such a varied and enduring career, which has seen this band fight for everything they’ve achieved, is a tough challenge. But with the aid of vocalist Joe Elliott (who has been with Leppard since the start) and guitarist Phil Collen (who’s been in the line-up for 37 years), we look back at 10 key events which have helped to shape their history.
“WE WERE FLOUNDERING”
The Bludgeon Riffola EP In January 1979, the band released a self-titled EP on their own Bludgeon Riffola label, which had been recorded the previous November. This featured Elliott, Clarke, guitarist Pete Willis and bassist Rick Savage. Original drummer Tony Kenning had just left, so Frank Noon was temporarily drafted in from The Next Band. Rick Allen came in as the permanent replacement for Kenning just after the three tracks were recorded.
This EP immediately caught the attention of fans and media alike, even getting them a significant feature in Sounds, as well as airplay on John Peel’s Radio 1 show, after Elliott had jumped onstage at Sheffield University to personally hand him a copy. As a result, Leppard were recognised as one of the most exciting young bands emerging on the hard rock scene in the UK, at a time when so much fresh talent was beginning to make a mark. This movement, of course, became known as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. And while Leppard were clearly not metal per se, they were regarded as one of the genre’s most vital names.
They signed to Phonogram Records later the same year, and also switched from local managers Pete Martin and Frank Stuart-Brown (their company was called MSB) to Peter Mensch and Cliff Burnstein, who at the time were part of the massive Leber-Krebs organisation in New York.
JOE ELLIOTT: “It was the most important thing we ever did. More so than any of the million-selling albums we’ve done. I would compare it to a rocket. You need the whole thing to take off, but then you can jettison the bottom end, because you no longer need it. But you never forget how vital it once was for you.
“At the time, like a lot of other young bands, we were floundering, trying to find places to play. A lot of clubs only wanted DJs, because they made their money over the bar and they didn’t want to deal with the madness and mess that could come with booking a live band. Much of that was down to the punks who were boisterous. But then I got to know the guys from The Next Band very well, and they were selling an EP they’d recorded off their own backs at gigs. That got me thinking. I knew there was no point in sending record labels a demo tape, because they get loads of those every day, and probably use them for door stops. But having your own vinyl 7” record… well, that might get their attention. So, I asked Frank Noon, who had become a good friend, how they did it, and he gave me the contact for Fairview Studios in Hull, which was where The Next Band recorded. That was a place where Mick Ronson used to do stuff, so that was good enough for me!
“I borrowed £150 from my dad, which was all he had in his bank account, to pay for it. And we went there one weekend. But just before that, we had to get rid of Tony Kenning, because he wasn’t turning up to rehearsals; he preferred going to the cinema with his girlfriend. So, Frank did us a favour and helped out.
“We came out of the studio with £1.50 left. But I recall going over the Humber Bridge, the five of us with fish and chips, listening to a cassette of our own EP. I then had to borrow £450 from this woman to get it pressed up; she insisted on me giving her £600 back – I refer to her as ‘Mrs. Tightwad’ for obvious reasons! We got 1000 made, gave 100 away to people like Tommy Vance and John Peel at Radio 1, and Geoff Barton at Sounds. And things went from there.
We sold the rest at gigs and in local Sheffield shops. And somehow one ended up on the desk of this guy at Mercury Records in Chicago, and he demanded that Phonogram, the UK sister company, sign us – whatever it took. His name? Cliff Burnstein, later our manager. So, that EP was absolutely crucial. It set the ball rolling.”
“EVERY BAND GOT BOTTLES OF PISS THROWN AT THEM”
The 1980 Reading Festival On 24 August 1980, Def Leppard made what is regarded as an ignominious appearance at Reading Festival. Second on the bill to headliners Whitesnake, they followed Slade and received what has been described as a harsh reaction from the crowd, which even included beer cans being hurled at them. The problem was that, by then, some of the media were claiming – unfairly – the band had turned their backs on Britain and gone in pursuit of fame to America, where they toured with Pat Travers, AC/DC and Ted Nugent. It would take Leppard a few years to overcome this supposed stigma.
JOE ELLIOTT: “Look, let me tell you that the reception we got that day wasn’t anywhere near as bad as some people have made out. In those days, the Reading Festival had two stages side to side, and while one was being used, you could stand on the other one and watch what was going on. And every band that day got bottles of piss and other stuff thrown at them – EVERY ONE! For some reason, the media like to portray it as if we got bigger bottles and heavier cauliflowers hurled. That simply is not true. I’ve heard the official recordings of our set, and we got a good reception. That is the truth.
“We were supposed to follow Ozzy, which didn’t bother us at all. But then he was replaced by Slade. And they did a 45-minute set of No 1 hits. Honestly, how could anyone follow that and not look a little flat?
“Maybe part of the reason why we are seen as having a bad time was because I was going through something of an identity crisis. I didn’t want to be part of the denim-and-leather brigade. I didn’t want us to be seen as a NWOBHM band who would disappear as soon as that trend was over. So, I bought a pair of plastic trousers and a white shirt with hearts all over it. This made me look very flamboyant, and I don’t think some of the denim-and-leather lot approved, which might have meant they weren’t on our side that day. However, anyone who believes Def Leppard had a bad time at Reading in ’80 is misguided.”
“I HAD TO GET WORK ON A BUILDING SITE”
Working with ‘Mutt’ Lange on the High ’N’ Dry album After collaborating with producer Tom Allom on their 1980 debut album, On Through The Night (which got to No 15 in the UK chart and No 51 in the US), Leppard brought in Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange to help them out for second album, High ’N’ Dry (released in 1981, this peaked at No 26 in the UK but broke into the US Top 40, making it to No 38). It was to be a crucial appointment, as the producer turned the fledgling heroes, into a massive commercial force, especially with ’83’s Pyromania (which got to No 2 in the US and No 18 in the UK) and Hysteria four years later.
JOE ELLIOTT: “We had Tom Allom as producer for On Through The Night. He was one of three names we considered, the others being Chas Chandler and Roy Wood. Because Tom had worked with Judas Priest, Pat Travers and the Strawbs, Pete Willis insisted that we work with him.
“Now, Tom was under instructions from the label to capture our live energy, so he changed very little. We had fun doing this album, but I have to be honest and say we ruined it, not Tom, because we insisted on doing unnecessary overdubs, which left me with very little time to get the vocals right.
“But ‘Mutt’ had a very different approach. The first thing that he did was talk to all of us individually on the phone. And he was very much the master of things. We had to wait six months for him to finish the 4 album for Foreigner, and despite selling a decent number of copies of the debut album, we were so broke that in the winter of 1980-81 I had to get some work on a building site. I recall having to beg my girlfriend’s dad for this job. So, when ‘Mutt’ was finally ready, I wasn’t exactly warm towards him. But he soon won me over to his way of doing things.
“He took us to Nomis Studios in London for rehearsals and drilled into us a different way of doing things as compared to Tom. He wasn’t afraid to criticise and insist on change. For instance, he told me that the lyrics I had for one song were , and I should go away and rethink them. This subsequently became Let It Go, a real anthem and the opening track on High ’N’ Dry.
“But he would also listen to what we had to say, and if we were passionate enough, then he would allow us to do it the way we wanted. He wasn’t the dictator everyone claims he is. He was very disciplined, and we did need guidance.
“Actually, Peter Mensch had wanted him to produce the first album, and he did see us live opening for AC/DC. His opinion was that we were a rough diamond, but there was something there, and he’d be willing to work with us on the second album. I think it says a lot that we did three records with him. Nobody else has done that many. Yes, you can mention AC/DC, but after Bon Scott died, they were desperate, and I’m sure he wouldn’t have been their choice for Back In Black otherwise.”
PHIL COLLEN: “‘Mutt’ Lange is everything to us. He made us seem special. Without him, we’d have just been another ordinary rock band. He’s always the most talented person in the room, and can play anything or sing everything we do, only better. He’s so inspiring that you want to do your absolute best just to please him. ‘Mutt’ wouldn’t just tell us what he was after, but would show us as well. And there would be occasions when he’d hum something as an idea and then develop it into what you hear on the record. He certainly helped us to develop the style and sound Leppard are known for. And he has no ego at all, which is astonishing.”
“WE WERE SICK TO DEATH OF THE SITUATION”
Firing Pete Willis and hiring Phil Collen In July 1982, guitarist Pete Willis, a founder-member of the band, was fired. This was due to his ongoing problems with alcohol. It happened as Leppard were recording their crucial third album, Pyromania. They quickly brought in Phil Collen from Girl to take his place. It was the only time Leppard have ever fired anyone from the line-up.
JOE ELLIOTT: “I’ve had more than enough over the years of talking negatively about Pete. That’s all behind me. But what I will say is that firing Pete was easy. We were sick to death of the situation. Going crazy on the road with throwing television sets around and letting off fire extinguishers is one thing, but to do it in the studio is another. And Pete couldn’t differentiate.
“We’d given him so many chances, and eventually on the day of the World Cup Final in 1982 [11 July], he was driven down from Sheffield for a meeting. Peter Mensch insisted we had to do this face-to-face, and not on the phone or by telex. He was right. We went through our reasons with him, and it was a little awkward. But afterwards, Pete admitted it was almost a relief for him. I’ve only seen him twice since then, but he was part of our induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
“Phil Collen was the only choice for us. He was a friend. And on the High ’N’ Dry tour in ’81, I’d phoned him and asked if he could learn 12 songs in two days to replace Pete, who was having problems. He did it, and then when I called to tell him he wasn’t needed after all, he took that really well.
“The important thing was that Phil and ‘Mutt’ got on well. They met up at Battery Studios in London, and after hearing him play a solo for Stagefright, ‘Mutt’ said, ‘Sign him up!’ And they remain really tight to this day. They talk every week, whereas I haven’t spoken to ‘Mutt’ for a long time.”
PHIL COLLEN: “I never actually had any audition for the job, at least not one I was aware of. I’d known the guys for a while; when they came down to London they would sleep on my mum’s couch. And I understood they were having problems with Pete’s drinking on the road. When they asked me to come down to the studio,
I thought I was just helping them out. ‘Mutt’ asked me to come up with a guitar solo to fit Stagefright. So I went away overnight and came up with one, went back the next day, plugged in my Destroyer [guitar] and did it in one take – I think it’s the only thing on that album that was done with the first take. Then they got me to do more solos, which were great fun. And when they realised I could also sing, they got me to do some vocals as well. Then, before I knew it, the album was out and we were on tour. And things went from there. You know what? At no point did anyone even tell me that I was now a full-time member – ha!”
“THERE WAS NO GOODWILL TOWARDS US”
Playing Monsters Of Rock in 1986 On 16 August 1986, Leppard played the Monsters Of Rock Festival at Donington. They were third on the bill, behind headliner Ozzy Osbourne and the Scorpions, and it was the first time a British audience had the chance to see Rick Allen onstage since he’d lost his left arm on 31 December 1984 following a crash on the A57 just outside Sheffield. They’d just done a six-date warm-up tour of Ireland, but this was a massive test for the band. The emotionally charged reaction from the fans was a turning-point in Leppard’s relationship with UK audiences.
JOE ELLIOTT: “Things had changed for us by 1986. There was a whole new generation of fans getting into what we were doing. In the first half of the 80s, Iron Maiden could do no wrong and were massive, whereas whatever we did seemed to be attacked. You know, Maiden went on tour in the United States two months before us, and got praised for it. But when Leppard went out there, all we got were accusations of selling out!
“By 1986, things had settled down. People were giving us respect for the fact that Pyromania has sold so well in the US. We felt as if there was no goodwill towards us. Brian May even came along just to see us play. And every band on the bill were very friendly. I think a lot of people were also impressed that we’d stuck with Rick after his accident, and you could tell there was a lot of curiosity in the crowd about him being onstage. There were a lot of the audience peering through the cymbals to see how he was doing it. I wasn’t going to refer to him at all, but then it became obvious I had to do it. I recall going over to Phil at one point and saying, ‘I have to mention Rick’ and he agreed.
“I introduced Rick and, no word of a lie, the volume of the crowd reaction literally moved the air and it felt so warm. We literally came offstage elated. We’d always had a fan-base in the UK, but we’d played in front of 60-70,000 people, many of who were probably not fans, and we’d won them over.”
PHIL COLLEN: “We knew we’d played really well, and that we’d gotten a great reaction from the crowd. But it’s such a pity that it took Rick losing his arm in that horrendous accident for people to like us. That made me angry in a way. But it was an amazing day.
“We had Jeff Rich with us at first in Ireland, because Rick wasn’t sure he could pull it off live. He wanted another drummer with him, in case he messed up. So, we rehearsed with him. And then Jeff had to fly off to do a show with Status Quo, because he was a member of that band as well. He was due back in time for our first gig of the tour in Cork [Connolly Hall on 5 August]. But due to flight delays, he didn’t make the venue until we were halfway through the set; Rick had to do it by himself. Jeff watched the rest of the performance, then came backstage and said to Rick, ‘You don’t need me’, and that was a turning-point. Rick then knew he could do this on his own, without any back-up.”
“MUTT TOLD US WE COULD EMULATE THRILLER”
The Hysteria era
In August 1987, Leppard finally released fourth album Hysteria. This had been plagued by delays, because of Allen’s accident, the hiring and firing of Jim Steinman as producer, and the wait for Lange to become available to resume this role in the studio, as he had done for the previous two records. Some reports suggested Hysteria would have to sell five million copies just to break even. No problem. It topped the charts in the UK and US, selling over 25 million copies worldwide, more than half in the US alone. Moreover, there were seven hit singles issued from the album, and the production techniques revolutionised people’s perception of what a hard rock record should sound like.
JOE ELLIOTT: “It took us three weeks to record On Through The Night and three months for High ’N’ Dry. I was embarrassed it took so long for the latter, until I realised that’s how long the Sex Pistols had taken for Never Mind The Bollocks…, so it wasn’t too bad. We took nine months in all to record Hysteria. I know it seems a lot longer, but that’s not correct.
“We started with ‘Mutt’ in Dublin in February ’84, doing demos. But he wanted a break and didn’t feel ready to do the album production. However, he was determined to be involved at the start. Once we got that done, we went through trying to work with Jim Steinman as the producer and that never worked out. Then we worked with Nigel Green, who was ‘Mutt’s engineer for High ’N’ Dry and Pyromania. But it was all sounding too much like Pyromania 2.
We also went down a lot of dead-ends, trying out stuff – experimenting with new technology – and getting nowhere. Eventually, ‘Mutt’ came back in the middle of ’85, by which point we’d hoped to have the album released.
“That’s when we really started all over again. ‘Mutt’ had told us from the beginning that there was no reason why we couldn’t emulate what Michael Jackson had done on Thriller and have six hit singles, so we literally scrapped what we already had and went back to the drawing board to make sure what we had was a step up from anything we’d done previously. Yes, there were times when I felt we’d never finish this album. But in the end, it didn’t take as long as people now claim for us to do it. And it was certainly worth all the effort and false-starts to end up with what we had.”
PHIL COLLEN: “Despite all the delays we never thought this was an album that would never be finished. That never entered our heads. Look, all great albums take a long time to come together. You think of what Queen and Led Zeppelin did, and they were never rushed. Even Never Mind The Bollocks… wasn’t dashed off in a couple of days.
“We started off with Jim Steinman as producer, because we loved the way Bat Out Of Hell sounded. We got that wrong, because Todd Rundgren obviously was the producer for that one, whereas Steinman was the writer! Obviously, it didn’t work out with him. But it meant we got ‘Mutt’ back, and he clearly had a vision for how the album should be done.
“It took a while for things to kick off.
In the US, it went triple-platinum, selling over three million copies, and then just stopped selling. That meant we were still in debt, and people weren’t going to the gigs. Then Pour Some Sugar On Me was released as a single, made it to No 2 in the US charts and the album took off. What did that do?
It made us feel humble, actually.
We did have a problem working out how to do some of the songs live, because there were so many layers to the sound.
Love Bites was one of these. We didn’t have it in the live set, but then it got to the top of the singles chart in the US and we thought we’d better work out how to play it live. So we went into a rehearsal studio in Vancouver and got a version down that we could play onstage.
“Did we ever see Hysteria as a millstone, because of its success? Oh, no. We saw it as opening doors and giving opportunities.”
“WE WONDERED WHETHER WE SHOULD CARRY ON”
Steve Clark’s death and bringing in Vivian Campbell On 8 January, 1991, guitarist Steve Clark died at home from a mixture of alcohol and prescription drugs. This was while the band were working on new album Adrenalize; he’d been in and out of rehab trying to deal with his drink problem, and had been given a six-month leave of absence to face his demons, but sadly this didn’t work. Leppard decided to finish the album as a four-piece, with Collen as the sole guitarist. But they hired one-time Dio/Whitesnake member Vivian Campbell in February 1992 to replace Clark; this was a month before Adrenalize was released. And this line-up has remained stable ever since.
JOE ELLIOTT: “I think at different times, all four of us wondered whether this band should carry on.
“Phil has told me that I talked him off the ledge, as it were, by telling him that we already had six or seven songs written for what would be Adrenalize and these were too good to waste. Besides, and I know it’s a cliché, but Steve would have wanted us to carry on and record these tracks.
“I’m not going to pretend it was an easy time, because it was very tough. But life goes on. We had to mourn the loss of Steve, of course. But to give up the band because of this tragedy… I never wanted to do that.
I love doing this, and why should I have had to stop because of what happened to Steve? That would have been the crazy thing to do.
“I’d met Vivian in 1990 at a mutual friend’s house. We’d shot the and also played pool together for three hours, and we got on very well. I liked the guy, so for me he was very much in the frame to replace Steve. We wanted someone who was British, knew about football and could also recite every line from Monty Python, and he fit the bill. Being onstage with someone for two hours is one thing, but it’s how you get on with them off the stage that matters as much, if not more. You want a bandmate who shares the same humour.
“Sure, we did go through the motions of auditioning some other people, like Adrian Smith and John Sykes. In the end, though, it came down to a straight choice between Vivian and this unknown guy called Huey Lucas from Birmingham. It was Vivian’s experience being in big bands like Whitesnake and Dio which swung it his way, and he could also sing. We never actually asked him to audition as a guitarist, because all of us knew how good he was, and still is. It’s amazing to think he’s been in the band now for 27 years – but he’ll always be the new boy, rather like Ronnie Wood in the Stones.”
PHIL COLLEN: “I have to admit that, for a short time after Steve died, I didn’t want to carry on with the band. He was my best friend, and Def Leppard felt like a gang – it was about all five of us together. But then Joe pointed out that we had all the songs written for Adrenalize, so we should get them recorded and released for Steve’s sake.
“When it came to bringing in a new guitarist, we had a few people in mind. We wanted someone British to keep things the same as they’d always been. We didn’t do auditions as such, but got them in to play with us and see how we got along. John Sykes and Adrian Smith were among those we also considered. John is, of course, an amazing guitarist and would have been fine for us. The same is also true of Adrian Smith, who I’d known before he was even in Maiden. But Vivian not only played guitar so well, he was a superb singer and that was important for us. It also felt right having him in the band.”
“WE HAD A MASSIVE FAN-BASE”
Surviving the grunge era The rise of grunge in the early 90s undermined many of the biggest names from the previous decade, and was clearly a challenge for a band like Leppard, who’d helped to define an era many believed was now redundant. However, they adapted to the changing conditions, with a more streamlined style, even bringing in darker lyrics and more of an edge for 1996’s Slang. And while their sales figures were dropping, as was the case across the board, the band still sold enough records in the US to register triple-platinum status for Adrenalize (a No 1 album on both sides of the Atlantic) and got a gold award (over 100,000 copies sold) for Slang in the UK, where it peaked at No 5, while the ’95 compilation Vault: Def Leppard’s Greatest Hits (1980-1995) was certified platinum in Britain (more than 300,000 copies sold; No 3 placing) and quadruple-platinum in the US (where it made No 15).
JOE ELLIOTT: “We survived the initial grunge spurt because we had such a massive fan-base. Fans of Nirvana were never going to buy our stuff anyway. We put out Adrenalize and it went to No 1 in the US, knocking Bruce Springsteen off the top. And we were selling out arenas across the US while everyone was telling us that our type of music was dead and nobody was buying Leppard records
or tickets!
“By Slang, things were a little tougher. But we still could rely on our fan-base, which is why it did OK in the US, Canada and Britain. But in other parts of the world it was huge. We were selling vast numbers of records in Asia.
We also did a 50,000-capacity stadium in Johannesburg and sold it out. While some of the so-called more traditional markets for us weren’t as fruitful as before, we found others which suddenly exploded in our favour.
“All through the grunge trend our fans never left us. But it was the way the media were portraying bands like us as being eclipsed by the new generation that made it seem we were in a steep decline. We always worked hard, though, and have climbed back up to a point where now we are bigger than ever.”
PHIL COLLEN: “One important reason why we came through that time was that we never stopped. A lot of others simply gave up and split. We kept going through the thin times. We also adapted to some extent to what was going on, so that when we did Slang, it was a lot rawer than people might have expected from us. More like we are live, and it sold well. That faith in ourselves kept things together.”
“IT FELT LIKE OUR HOTEL”
Las Vegas residency in 2013
From 22 March to 13 April 2013, Leppard played a 12-date residency at the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas. This was the sort of event associated only with the biggest names in music, and put the seal on the band’s enduring reputation as one of the most acclaimed acts in the world. Their two-part show featured Leppard opening for themselves under the name Ded Flatbird, performing a set of songs they’d rarely played live. The second set was the whole of Hysteria, cementing its iconic stature.
JOE ELLIOTT: “Having 30 nights sleeping in the same bed… why wouldn’t we do it? We did three shows a week, and got to go home every night. Well, we were in a hotel, but it felt like our hotel. And I have friends in Vegas, so I got to spend time hanging out by their pools.
“It used to be that the only artists who’d be asked to do a Vegas residency are people like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. But now, you’ve got KISS, Aerosmith, The Who, Mötley Crüe doing it. But we were the first, and I’m very proud of that. The thing with Leppard is that we’re never afraid to try something new and take a risk. That’s why we did this residency and that’s why we were also happy to work with Taylor Swift [on the TV show CMT Crossroads, in 2008]. We’re going back to do a second residency in Vegas later this year [with 12 more shows in August/September]. The first run was so successful they were keen to get us back.”
PHIL COLLEN: “We always love to do new things, and this was like being in a long-running play. Not only was it the first time we’d ever done an entire album live, but we got the opportunity during the opening set of the residency to do some tunes we’d never done live. We worked out about 30 songs in rehearsals, and changed the setlist every night. We’d sort it out just before going onstage. One night we might decide to do half of High ’N’ Dry, another time we’d throw in Good Morning Freedom [the B-side to the single Hello America]. We called ourselves Ded Flatbird for that opening set of the night because when my first wife Jackie gave birth to our son Rory, someone who visited her in hospital asked the name of the band I was in. Her friend heard Def Leppard as Ded Flatbird, which amused us all. Peter Mensch, our manager at the time, even had T-shirts made up with that name on them. So, when we came to name this so-called tribute band, it was obvious.”
‘WE MIGHT BE POPULAR, BUT WE LACK CREDIBILITY’
Getting inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019
On 29 March, the band [who were interviewed for this article in February 2019] were inducted into the Hall Of Fame during a ceremony at the Brooklyn Barclays Center. While the band have shown little enthusiasm to embrace this accolade, it does almost bring things full-circle: they’re the first from the NWOBHM era to be so honoured, emphasising that the band have been an inspiration to, and influence on, countless musicians for four decades.
JOE ELLIOTT: “We’ve apparently been eligible for induction since 2005, and in that year one journalist asked if it bothered me that we hadn’t got in. I told him that I didn’t care, and of course that spread all over social media. Realistically, I didn’t ever think we’d get in. We might be very popular, but to some we lack the credibility to be in the Hall Of Fame. However, six years ago, they introduced the fan vote, and this year we polled the biggest number ever recorded. I had Jon Bon Jovi saying he’d voted for us, and that we should embrace the occasion. He told me I’d love it. Others in big bands have said the same.
“The fans only count for one vote, but it gets more attention than the 999 cast by those in the Hall Of Fame. For that reason alone, I’m going to go along, enjoy myself and make a speech. It will also be great for my mum to be there, and see how far her son has come.
I still think it’s a very American-oriented event – where are Marc Bolan and Slade? – but the fact our fans voted for us in such huge numbers means a lot to me.”
PHIL COLLEN: “My attitude towards this is, ‘What difference does it make to us?’ But as a band we’re excited by this, and it seems to mean a lot to our fans, so that’s important. They’ve been genuinely upset for a long time that we weren’t in the Hall Of Fame. I kept being asked why we weren’t in it, and I’d answer that we’ll get in when they’re forced to scrape the bottom of the barrel! At least I won’t have to face that sort of query again.
“I was delighted that we polled more votes from fans than anyone else has ever had, since the Hall Of Fame introduced that aspect. But what did all those popular votes mean? Just one vote in what is effectively an electoral college, similar to the one used in the US Presidential elections, and I don’t like that system.
“Still, I suppose this is also a tribute to the fact that we’ve been around for so long. I don’t think there’s any secret to our longevity, though. We don’t have any egos in this band, which means if there’s a problem we sit down and talk it through. So many other bands never discuss anything, and end up not getting along. But that will never happen to us. You see, we were all brought up with a British working-class ethic. Our parents instilled this in us from a very early age. They all went through the Second World War and that taught them values which they’ve passed onto us. And we used these as the basis for the way we behave towards one another.”
Def Leppard release The Vinyl Collection: Volume Two and The CD Collection: Volume Two through UMC in June. The band also headline Download Festival on 19 June.
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