Def Leppard News - Phil Collen On DEF LEPPARD's Diamond Awards/Iron Maiden

Friday, 21st April 2017

Phil Collen On DEF LEPPARD's Diamond Awards/Iron Maiden

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Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen was recently interviewed by South Dakota radio and the full audio is available.

Phil spoke to DJ Denzil of 103.7 FM KRRO radio in Sioux Falls, SD.

Phil talked about the two Diamond awards, the current Def Leppard album, meeting Tesla in the 80s, producing their new album and how he almost auditioned for Iron Maiden.

He mentions how Iron Maiden contacted him in 1980 when he was still in Girl about possibly joining them. This was before the band decided to get Adrian Smith instead.

Adrian Smith later auditioned for Def Leppard in early 1992. Or was heavily rumoured to have been a candidate to replace Steve Clark before they decided on Huwey Lucas and Vivian as the final two choices.

He had left Iron Maiden in 1990 and did not rejoin them until 1999.

Watch the full 5 minute interview below in two parts.

Phil was promoting the show in Sioux Falls, SD which takes place on 22nd April.

Visit the Album News section. For more news on new music (based on band member quotes) dating back to January 2011.

Denzil/103.7 KRRO - Phil Collen Interview Quotes

Having Two Diamond Awards

"Yeah the first one we went to - we've actually got two of them. For anyone who doesn't know it's an album that goes ten times platinum. So we had Hysteria went first and Pyromania caught up with it. Yeah no it's amazing and when they had the first event in New York City. It was like surreal you know there's Elton John. The guys from Zeppelin, Pink Floyd. I mean everyone's just there. It's crazy."

"Yeah and there's a few solo artists. Michael Jackson's up there. Elton John's got a couple. But you know as a band. There's only six, five or six."

Self-Titled DEF LEPPARD Album/Excited By It's Success?

"I'm really excited about it. Our last album, our self-titled album. We didn't really go in to record an album. We went in to do maybe a song or an EP or something and we got flowing. We had all these great ideas in an era where you don't have to do albums because you know people don't buy enough of them. We felt a real need to just follow our heart with it and actually record these great songs. The reason we got in a band in the first place. So that's why I think it sounds good. It's got a certain purity and integrity."

"You know we wasn't working for a record company or an executive. No one was suggesting it. We actually done it out of our own flow and artistic kind of merit if you like. So it was very real and I love the way it turned out and everyone else loves it as well."

Man Enough/New Songs Sound

"Normally we wouldn't have put that collection of songs on the same record 'cause they're really quite diverse. You know Man Enough is very different to Let's Go and again you know it was the right time."

Almost Auditioning For Iron Maiden

"Well yeah they didn't ask me to join but they'd already got Adrian Smith. I mean Paul Di'Anno was the previous singer before Bruce Dickinson. I used to go to school with him. I've known him since I was six. Yeah they called me up and it didn't happen and I was in my other band Girl."

"It's a different style of music to what I play anyway you know. They're a great band and they're really cool guys. Like I said they would've been - they are fun to hang out with. So that would've been cool but yeah I ended up being in Def Leppard."