Wednesday, 20th January 2016
Screenshot by dltourhistory
Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott has been interviewed by Long Island radio and mentioned the new album.
Joe talked about the new album, its title, We Belong vocals, David Bowie's death, the 2016 tour, Tesla, Malvin Mortimer/Stumpus Maximus, Delta Deep, Last In Line, Down 'n' Outz, side projects in general and playing live.
Listen to the full 18 minute interview via the link below.
Visit the Album News section. For more news on new music (based on band member quotes) dating back to January 2011.
102.3 WBAB/Joe Rock - Joe Elliott Interview Quotes
Def Leppard Album Title?
"We kind of didn't even go round the houses. When we were starting to just kind of mutter to each other over coffee. So what are we gonna call the album?. You know we didn't really have any names in mind. We didn't have a theme or anything like that. We just kind of mulled it around a bit and said well what does the record sound like?. And we'd been saying this to all our friend individually and stuff. And we all kinda ended up saying it kinda sounds like Def Leppard. And we were relaying this to each other. And I think it just got suggested well let's just call the album Def Leppard because it does sound like who we are now. You know it represents Def Leppard in 2015. As well as it represents Def Leppard over any period of our career. So it seemed like the right thing to do."
We Belong Lead Vocals
"Yeah that was actually my idea. I'd had that song for a while and I didn't have the lyrics finished. But as I was working on it. I was being reminded I don't know by whom or why. But I was that you know we've been getting a lot of comments over the years about how the vocal sound for Def Leppard is so unique. Or it's so strong, so identifiable if you like. All the backing vocals and the way that we project the voices and stuff. And I was saying it's a real shame that nobody ever gets to hear the guys individually. You know I mean unless you go really deep and you listen to say Phil's solo projects or Vivian's solo projects. Where you can hear them singing lead vocals. On a Leppard record it's never really happened."
"So I suggested that we all took a lead vocal each. The way that The Beatles did on that song I think it was maybe Free As A Bird on the Anthology stuff. They all ended up, the three remaining that were alive at the time Beatles, all took a verse each on this Lennon song. And I thought that might be a nice thing to do on We Belong. So I made the suggestion that everybody took lead vocal. And we even coaxed Rick Allen into singing a line. Which he hasn't live you know - he hasn't sung for a very long time because he'd rather just concentrate on his drums. But he can sing as he proves on that particular song. He sings the first line of the second verse. So it was just something to give it a bit of a twist and do something different."
Hysteria On the High Seas Cruise
"We just got asked. Same as most things in life our management take a phone call from the people that organise these rock cruises. It's not the first one ever done. I mean KISS have done it. Motley Crue did it. There's been a lot of bands. It's our first so these guys all went out to sea and they all came back alive. You know we figured we'd give it a go."
Malvin Mortimer/Stumpus Maximus
"His name is Malvin Mortimer and he worked for Def Leppard for 33 years. We just parted company with him about four months ago. Possibly temporarily. But his brother was very ill and he needed to take some time away. But yeah he was our guy. He was tour manager for the band. He was Steve Clark's guitar tech back in those days."
- Listen to the full interview at - wbab.com
- Def Leppard - Joe Rock 2016 Show Page
- Def Leppard - Radio 2016
- Def Leppard - Def Leppard Album Section
- Previous News - 20th January 2016