Def Leppard are an English hard rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott (vocals), Phil Collen (guitar), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Rick Savage (bass guitar), and Rick Allen (drums). At nineteen years, this is the band's longest-standing lineup.

The band's strongest commercial success came between the early 1980s and the early 1990s. Their 1981 album ''High 'n' Dry'' was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who helped them begin to define their style, and the album's stand out track "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" became one of the first metal videos played on MTV in 1982. The band's next studio album ''Pyromania'' in 1983, with the lead single "Photograph", turned Def Leppard into a household name. In 2004, the album ranked number 384 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Def Leppard's fourth album ''Hysteria'' released in 1987, topped the U.S and UK album charts. As of 2009 it has 12x platinum sales in the United States, and has gone on to sell over 20 million copies worldwide. The album spawned six hit singles, including the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number one "Love Bites", alongside "Pour Some Sugar on Me", "Hysteria", "Armageddon It", "Animal" and "Rocket".

Their next studio album ''Adrenalize'' (the first following the death of guitarist Steve Clark) reached number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and UK Album Chart in 1992, and contained several hits including, "Let's Get Rocked" and "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad". Their 1993 album ''Retro Active'' contained the acoustic hit song "Two Steps Behind", while their greatest hits album ''Vault'' released in 1995 featured the new track "When Love & Hate Collide".

As one of the world's best-selling music artists, Def Leppard have sold more than 65 million albums worldwide, and have two albums with RIAA diamond certification, ''Pyromania'' and ''Hysteria''. They are one of only five rock bands with two original studio albums selling over 10 million copies in the U.S. The band were ranked #31 in VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and ranked #70 in "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time". Def Leppard continue to play concerts in stadiums, arenas and rock festivals around the world, and their 2011 tour includes special guest Heart.

History

Early years (1977–1979)

Soon afterward they adopted a name proposed by Elliott, "Deaf Leopard", which was originally a band name he thought up while writing reviews for imaginary rock bands in his English class (and in at least partial reference to the band Led Zeppelin). At Kenning's suggestion, the spelling was slightly modified in order to make the name seem less like that of a punk band. In January 1978, Steve Clark joined the band. According to Joe Elliott, he successfully auditioned for the band by playing Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" in its entirety.

In November, just prior to recording sessions for what would be a three-song release known as the ''Def Leppard EP'', Kenning abruptly left the band; he would later form the band Cairo. He was replaced for those sessions by Frank Noon. By the end of the month, Rick Allen, then only 15 years old, had joined the band as its full-time drummer. Sales of the EP soared after the track "Getcha Rocks Off" was given extensive airtime by renowned BBC Radio DJ John Peel, considered at the time to be a champion of punk rock and new wave music.

Throughout 1979, the band developed a loyal following among British hard rock and heavy metal fans and were even initially considered the leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (a status eventually claimed by Iron Maiden). Their growing popularity led to a record deal with the major label Phonogram/Vertigo (Mercury Records in the US).

Rise to fame (1980–1983)

The band had by then caught the attention of AC/DC producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who agreed to work on their second album, ''High 'n' Dry'', released on 11 July 1981. Lange's meticulous approach in the studio helped them begin to define their sound. Despite the album's unimpressive sales figures, the band's video for "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" became one of the first metal videos played on MTV in 1982, bringing the band increased visibility in the U.S. After the album's release, a European tour followed. The band opened for Ozzy Osbourne and Blackfoot.

Phil Collen, former guitarist with the glam band Girl, replaced Pete Willis, who was fired on 11 July 1982, due to excessive alcohol consumption on the job. (Willis would later resurface with the bands Gogmagog and Roadhouse.) This personnel change took place during the recording of their third album, ''Pyromania'', which was released on 20 January 1983 and also produced by Lange. The lead single, "Photograph", turned Def Leppard into a household name, supplanting Michael Jackson's "Beat It" as the most requested video clip on MTV and becoming a staple of rock radio (dominating the US Album Rock Charts for six weeks), and sparked a headline tour across the U.S.

Fueled by "Photograph" and subsequent singles "Rock of Ages" and "Foolin'", ''Pyromania'' went on to sell six million copies in 1983 (more than 100,000 copies every week in that year) and was held off the top of the US album charts only by Michael Jackson's ''Thriller.'' ''Pyromania'' has since been certified Diamond by the RIAA in the United States. Def Leppard's US tour in support of ''Pyromania'' began opening for Billy Squier in March and ended with a headlining performance before an audience of 55,000 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, CA in September. As a testament to the band's popularity at the time, a US Gallup poll in 1984 saw Def Leppard voted as favourite rock band over peers such as The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, and Journey. However, this popularity was not matched in their native England where Duran Duran secured the number one spot, a fact that greatly bothered them.

''Hysteria'' era (1984–1989)

On 31 December 1984, drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a car crash on the A57 in the hills outside Sheffield when his Corvette swerved off the road on a sharp bend and went through a drystone wall. Despite the severity of the accident, Rick was committed to continuing his role as Def Leppard's drummer, and realized that he could use his legs to do some of the drumming work previously done with his arms. He then worked with Simmons to design a custom electronic drum kit. The other members of the band supported Allen's recovery and never sought a replacement. During this period, Mutt Lange returned as producer, and Allen's triumphant comeback was sealed at the 1986 Donington Monsters of Rock festival with an emotionally charged ovation after his introduction by Joe Elliott.

After over four years of recording, Def Leppard's fourth album, ''Hysteria'', was released on 3 August 1987. In the UK, the first single from the album, "Animal", became the band's first Top 10 hit in their native UK, reaching No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart. "Animal" also started their run of ten consecutive U. S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Top 40 singles. ''Hysteria'' immediately topped the UK Album Charts in its first week of release. However, US album sales were relatively slow (compared to ''Pyromania'') until the release of the fourth single, "Pour Some Sugar on Me". The song hit Number 2, and ''Hysteria'' finally reached the top of the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 in July 1988. The "Pour Some Sugar on Me" video was #1 on Dial MTV for a record 73 days (from 26 May–5 September 1988). Often regarded as the band's signature song, "Pour Some Sugar on Me" was ranked #2 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 80s" in 2006. In October 1988, the power ballad "Love Bites" became Def Leppard's first (and only) Number One single on the Billboard Hot 100, and in January 1989, the band scored another US Top 5 hit with "Armageddon It." Wanting to give fans something new after the massive radio and video airplay for not only the 6 singles but also the Album tracks that Radio DJs were playing off the album, the band performed "Tear It Down", a Hysteria B-side at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. Due to positive fan reaction the song was reworked for their following album ''Adrenalize''.

''Hysteria'' is one of only a handful of albums that has charted seven singles or more on the US Hot 100: "Women" (#80), "Animal" (#19), "Hysteria" (#10), "Pour Some Sugar on Me" (#2), "Love Bites" (#1), "Armageddon It" (#3), and "Rocket" (#12). It remained on the charts for three years and has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Equally successful was the accompanying 15-month tour, in which the band performed in the round. This concept proved wildly popular with fans (as seen in the videos for "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Armageddon It") and was used again for the ''Adrenalize'' tour.

At the 1989 American Music Awards, Def Leppard won Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist, as well as Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album (for ''Hysteria''). It was the first time that a heavy metal category was added to the awards show. (The category has since been deleted.)

''Adrenalize'' and change in musical direction (1990–1999)

The remaining band members decided to carry on and recorded the album as a four-piece, with Collen mimicking Clark's style on his intended guitar parts. Def Leppard's fifth album, ''Adrenalize'', was finally released on 31 March 1992. The album simultaneously entered at Number One on both the UK and US album charts, staying on the latter for 5 weeks. The first single, "Let's Get Rocked", was an instant smash hit, and its video was later nominated for Best Video of the Year at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. In April 1992, Def Leppard appeared at the ''Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert'', performing a three-song set of "Animal", "Let's Get Rocked" and Queen's "Now I'm Here" with guitarist Brian May. Joe Elliott later performed "Tie Your Mother Down" with the remaining members of Queen and guitarist Slash.

In 1992, another world tour followed with former Dio and Whitesnake guitarist Vivian Campbell joining the band, but the band's fortunes began to be affected by the rise of alternative rock, including grunge.

A collection of b-sides and unreleased tracks recorded between 1984 and 1993, called ''Retro Active'', was released in October 1993, preceded by the success of "Two Steps Behind" (from the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Last Action Hero). Another single, "Miss You In A Heartbeat", hit the Top 5 in Canada, becoming one of their biggest hits there. Retro Active has sold 3 million copies worldwide to date. Two years later, Def Leppard issued their first greatest hits collection, ''Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980–1995)'', which has sold 11 million copies worldwide. Alternate track listings of the album were issued for North America, the UK, and Japan. The compilation included a new track, the power ballad "When Love & Hate Collide", which became their biggest ever hit in the UK, hitting #2 on the UK Singles Chart.

On 23 October 1995, the band entered the ''Guinness Book of World Records'' by performing three concerts in three continents in one day (Tangiers, Morocco; London, England; and Vancouver, Canada).

''Slang'', released in May 1996, marked a drastic musical departure for the band by featuring darker lyrics and a stripped-down alternative rock edge. The US audience reception for ''Slang'' and its subsequent tour was a major dropoff from a decade earlier, but ''Q Magazine'' nonetheless listed ''Slang'' as one of their Top Ten Albums of 1996. This album was the first recorded performance of Rick Allen playing a semi-acoustic drum kit since his accident, and not his electronic set as was first used with ''Hysteria''.

VH1 revived the band's fortunes in the US in 1998 by featuring them on one of the first episodes of ''Behind the Music''. Reruns of the episode yielded some of the series' highest ratings and brought the band's music back into the public consciousness (following years of burial by the alternative rock climate). The episode was even parodied on ''Saturday Night Live''. In an effort to capitalise on this new momentum, Def Leppard returned to its classic sound with the 1999 album ''Euphoria''. The first single, "Promises", reunited the band with Mutt Lange and hit the US Mainstream Rock charts at #1 for 3 weeks. The album was certified gold in the US and Canada.

New-found popularity (2000–2007)

Def Leppard's tenth album, ''X'', saw the band's musical direction moving more towards pop and further away from the band's hard rock roots. ''X'' quickly disappeared from the charts, ultimately becoming the band's least successful release. However, the accompanying tour played to the band's strongest audiences since ''Adrenalize''.

An expanded and updated best-of collection, ''Best Of'', was released internationally in October 2004. The North America-only version, ''Rock Of Ages - The Definitive Collection'', was released the following May. Def Leppard participated at the Live 8 show in Philadelphia and toured in the summer with Bryan Adams. In 2005, the band left their longtime management team, Q-Prime, and signed with HK Management.

On 23 May 2006, Def Leppard released an all-covers album titled ''Yeah!''. The disc pays homage to classic rock songs of their childhood, originally recorded by Blondie, The Kinks, Sweet, ELO, and Badfinger among others. It debuted at #16 in the US, their tenth consecutive Top 20 album, and has scanned more than 140,000 copies to date.

The band, along with Queen, Kiss, and Judas Priest, were the inaugural inductees of "VH1 Rock Honors" on 31 May 2006. During the show, The All-American Rejects paid homage to the band with a cover of "Photograph". Soon afterwards, they embarked on a US tour with Journey. That October, ''Hysteria'' was re-released in a two-disc deluxe edition format, which combined the original remastered album with b-sides, remixes, and bonus tracks from single releases. Def Leppard began their "Downstage Thrust Tour", on 27 June, which took them across the US and into Canada. Support bands were Foreigner and Styx.

Recent events (2008–present)

''Songs from the Sparkle Lounge'' was released worldwide on 28 April 2008 and on 30 April 2008 in Japan. The album debuted at #5 on The Billboard 200 in America. The first single was entitled "Nine Lives" and featured country singer Tim McGraw, who co-wrote the song with Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, and Rick Savage.

A tour in support of the album began on 27 March 2008 in Greensboro, NC, with Styx and REO Speedwagon joining the band on US dates. The band also played several European rock festivals. An arena tour of the UK took place in June in which the band co-headlined with Whitesnake and was supported by US southern rockers Black Stone Cherry. The band then returned to Europe before coming back for a second leg of the UK tour in June. The first of these dates was at the Glasgow SECC on 17 June. Again they were be joined by Whitesnake; however hard rock band Thunder supported at some of these shows. Black Stone Cherry continued to support most of the dates, including some of the Thunder ones. Six shows which were cancelled during the USA/Canada leg of their world tour due to illnesses affecting Joe Elliott and Phil Collen would be rescheduled and played in August of that year. On 11 June, Def Leppard announced further dates for their 2008 World Tour. The extension saw them visit Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Whitesnake continued to support Def Leppard for their Indian and Japanese dates. Def Leppard toured 41 US cities plus Toronto, Canada, during mid-2009 and also played the Download Festival with Whitesnake and ZZ Top.

In October 2008, Def Leppard played with country superstar, Taylor Swift in a taped show in Nashville, Tennessee, in a show called CMT Crossroads: Def Leppard and Taylor Swift. This was released as a DVD on 16 June 2009 exclusively at Wal-Mart. The release was the best-selling DVD of week, and the 10th best selling Wal-Mart music release. A fan of the band since childhood, Swift chose Def Leppard to perform together for the show, and their crossover performance of "Photograph" was up for both Performance of the Year and Wide Open Country Video of the Year at the CMT Music Awards in 2009. Taylor Swift said of the performance, "Performing with Def Leppard was awesome! They are the coolest guys on the planet! It was the coolest thing in the world to have my band on stage with them...It was the most amazing feeling in the world..." Joe Elliott from Def Leppard said, "What an absolute pleasure it was to work with Taylor and her band who are a great set of musicians. Myself and Taylor blended really well together, I think, and everybody, both bands and the crowd, had a great time. I'm really glad we had the opportunity to do this."

In October 2009 the band announced that they would be cancelling the last leg of the 2009 North American tour, a total of 23 shows. The band cited, "unforeseen personal matters," as the reason for the cancellations. The band has denied rumours about a breakup, saying, "We're not splitting. Not at all. We often joke, what else would we do? You just can't imagine doing anything else." The band had been earning nearly $700,000 a show, placing them in the top 20 shows on tour. Joe Elliott told Britain's Metro that the band would be taking a one year hiatus. The band will not tour again until 2011, when they also plan to release a new album.

According to a recent interview with Elliott, the band is working on a live album, a boxed set, a new tour in 2011, and a cartoon of the band set for TV. The live album was announced on 22 February 2011 as ''Mirrorball'', to be released in parts of Europe 3 June, the rest of Europe 6 June, and 7 June in the USA; it was announced at the same time that Def Leppard would perform at the Download Festival on 10 June 2011.

The first single from the live album is a studio track, "Undefeated."

Def Leppard will embark on a two-month U.S. tour in summer of 2011, with Heart.. Later a UK Tour was announced. It will also feature Mötley Crüe as a co-headliners and also Steel Panther.

Musical style and legacy

However, even though they were often considered one of the top bands of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement of the late 1970s, in the mid-1980s the band were associated with the growing glam metal scene, mainly due to their mainstream success and glossy production. Def Leppard, however, expressed their dislike of the "glam metal" label, as they thought it did not accurately describe their look or musical style.

By the release of the ''Hysteria'' album, the band had developed a distinctive sound featuring electronic drums and effects-laden guitar sounds overlaid with a multi-layered wall of husky, harmonised vocals. Def Leppard is one of only five rock bands with two original studio albums selling over 10 million copies each in the US. The others are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Van Halen.

Band members

Current members

Former members

Touring musicians

Band member time-line

Side projects

Collen also produced and played on the 1991 album ''On The Edge'' from Australian band BB Steal.

Joe Elliott sang lead vocals on two tracks on Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood's 1992 solo album, ''Slide On This''. His then-wife Karla appeared in the videos for "Always Wanted More" and "Somebody Else Might".

Various members of Def Leppard have played on tribute records for Jeff Beck, AC/DC and Alice Cooper.

Joe Elliott performed on two tracks to the soundtrack of the 1996 Sheffield-set motion picture, ''When Saturday Comes'', the title track and an instrumental, "Jimmy's Theme".

Cybernauts was a side project consisting of Joe Elliott and Phil Collen teamed with members of the Spiders From Mars (David Bowie's former band), minus the late Mick Ronson. The group played several shows, covering Bowie's Ziggy Stardust-era songs and released one internet only album (since deleted).

Phil Collen has a side band called Man-Raze, which released their debut album in June 2008.

Vivian Campbell has played with two side bands in recent years, Clock and the Riverdogs, and recorded a solo album, ''Two Sides of If'', released in 2005.

Joe Elliott released an album in July 2010 with a band called Down 'n' Outz, which includes members of The Quireboys.

Vivian Campbell toured with Thin Lizzy in early 2011 before joining Def Leppard on their latest tour.

Discography

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links

Category:English heavy metal musical groups Category:English hard rock musical groups Category:Music from Sheffield Category:Musical groups established in 1977 Category:Musical quintets Category:Sheffield Legends Category:Kerrang! Awards winners

Early years

Def Leppard

However, when Willis left Def Leppard, there became a vacancy in the lineup, and Collen took this place after an audition performing Photograph during the recording sessions of ''Pyromania''. Soon after, Collen officially joined the band, impressing both producer Mutt Lange and the rest of the band with his ability at playing the guitar. He and fellow guitarist Clark quickly bonded, becoming close friends and leading to the trademark dual-guitar sound of Def Leppard. He and Clark became known as the "Terror Twins," in recognition of their talents. By this time, Collen had also become noted for his trademark bare-chested stage appearances.

During the 1980s, Collen quit drinking alcohol, which he had developed a serious addiction to, stopped eating meat, and adopted a generally healthy lifestyle. According to Collen, he began to suffer blackouts due to alcohol, and quit when he realised that alcohol was beginning to dominate his life, and he was losing control of his addiction. In contrast, Clark did not follow such standards and died due to alcohol abuse in early 1991.

After Clark died, Collen was faced with the challenge of not only dealing with the loss of a friend and band-mate, but also with the burden and responsibility of the ''Adrenalize'' recordings. The music had been written by this time, but Clark's playing style differed so much from Collen's that actually recording all of his parts proved very difficult. While Clark's playing style was rhythmic, melodic, and sometimes even characterized as "sloppy," Collen's style was technical and precise, leading to difficulties in mimicking the sound of Clark's guitar parts. Due to the aftermath of Clark's death, as well as the issues with the recording of ''Adrenalize'', Collen seriously considered leaving Def Leppard. According to Joe Elliot, Collen said that he couldn't bear to play guitar anymore after Clark's death. He said, "I'd rather be a plumber." However, once Vivian Campbell joined the band to replace the spot of second guitarist shortly before the Adrenalize tour, Collen was relieved of some of the pressures of the "overkill" production style of Def Leppard, as well as the challenge of reproducing Clark's guitar parts for live shows.

Equipment

Recently, his live rig with Def Leppard is generally various Jackson PC1 Signature Dinky (Some are stock, some are modified in the custom shop), all equipped with Dimarzio and Floyd Rose Sustainer pickups (Except for the Supreme models). For acoustics, Collen uses several Fenders, Breeloves, and a Guild acoustic guitar. The electric guitar signal is sent, via a Shure wireless unit, to Marshall JMP 1 preamps and TC Electronic Chorus/Flanger, TC Electronic D-Two, and Alesis Midiverb effect processors. The signal is then sent through old (1980s) Randall Power Amps. Finally the signal is fed into the PA and Palmer Cabinet Simulators. For strings, Collen uses D'Addario .13 - .54 and .13 - .56 gauge stings. .

Side projects

In 1990, Collen co-produced the ''On the Edge'' album of the Australian band BB Steal.

In 1991, Collen offered a song he had written, "Miss You In A Heartbeat" to the band The Law, which was featured on the band's self-titled album. This album was the band's only release. "Miss You In A Heartbeat" was later recorded and released by Def Leppard.

In 1993, Collen executive produced the album ''Sublime To The Ridiculous'' for the band, Sheer Greed, composed of former members of Girl, an act Collen was also associated earlier in his career.

Collen has also worked in side projects with Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott. One of these recent projects was a tribute to David Bowie and Mick Ronson. He and Elliott also joined with Trevor Bolder and Mick "Woody" Woodmansey from Spiders from Mars and keyboardist Dick Decent to form the band Cybernauts. In 2001 they released a live album of Bowie songs.

In 1996, Collen performed as a featured guitarist on the ''Jeffology: A Guitar Chronicle'' album - a tribute album to Jeff Beck. Collen performed on the single, "'Cause We've Ended As Lovers" from the album.

Personal life

Collen is a vegan, and has worked with PETA to promote vegetarianism.

Discography

References

External links

Category:1957 births Category:Living people Category:English rock guitarists Category:English heavy metal guitarists Category:Def Leppard members Category:Girl (band) members Category:Man Raze members Category:English vegetarians Category:English vegans Category:People from Hackney Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:Lead guitarists Category:Musicians from London