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30 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD Release HYSTERIA Single In The UK

Hysteria 1987.

Def Leppard released their classic Hysteria single 30 years ago on this day in 1987 in the UK.

The third single to be released from the Hysteria album in the UK.

It was released on 16th November 1987 reaching Number 26 on the singles chart.

Previous UK single discographies (including one in the 'Action' booklet from 1994) had the release date listed as 23rd November. This has since been corrected to the 16th via magazine new stories, press releases and UK chart entry information.

The 23rd was the release date of the special edition 12" collectors edition pack. Many other UK singles were released in the same way over two different weeks.

The follow up to 'Animal' which had reached Number Six in August and Pour Some Sugar On Me which reached Number 18 in October.

The first week of release saw the single released on regular 7", 12" and cassette featuring new B Side song 'Ride Into The Sun'.

Technically a new song version but actually a re-recording of a song originally on the 1979 Def Leppard EP. It featured new lyrics and updated music from the current lineup. Recorded in a matter of hours during the 'Hysteria' B Side sessions in February 1987 at Wisseloord Studios in Holland.

A live version of 'Love And Affection' was also included recorded in Tilburg, Holland in June 1987.

Two CD singles were released. One featured titles in yellow writing on the back cover with all other text in red. The second was a Limited Edition (1,000 copies only) with the titles in red and all other text in yellow on the back. It was also specified on the front cover that it was a limited edition. Both CDs had the same tracklisting.

A limited version of the 7" featured a free 'Hysteria' album cover patch. A 12" Limited Collectors Edition pack contained a 30" x 40" colour posted with a UK discography on the back. Many of the dates on it have since been found to be incorrect.

Shown below are some quotes from Sav and Joe on how the song came about during the 'Hysteria' album sessions in Dublin, Ireland.

Def Leppard 1987.

Hysteria - Rick Savage/Joe Elliott Interview Quotes

Sav - "We'd gotten so far with the recording and writing of Hysteria and we thought that we needed about three more songs. We were looking for more straight-ahead rock songs and we all went away for a weekend and I got together with Phil the guitar player and I played him the opening riff for Hysteria."

"I said 'Look it's an idea I've had for a few months now I mean I know it's not what we're looking for but let's see what we can develop, and he had another part of the song which became bridge of Hysteria and we put the two together and all of a sudden he started coming up with melodies for the verses and the bridge and it happened very quickly and within the space of about two hours we'd got most of the song done."

"We just needed a chorus and we said look leave it 'till Monday cause we've got the germ of a good song here but we don't know whether it's appropriate we don't know whether it's what we need right now let's play it to the rest of the guys on Monday. The guys came in Monday morning and everybody loved it and it was like Wow this could be really big."

Joe - "It was like a complete team effort."

2004 Best Of Liner Notes - Rick Savage Quote

"Me and Phil wrote the verse and bridge one afternoon. Then auditioned it that night around the fire for some Irish friends. It got a surprising thumbs up. It was a great hard rock song. Side two of the vinyl edition of ‘Hysteria’ is one of the most heavy metal sides of a record we’ve ever done."

2004 Best Of Liner Notes - Joe Elliott Quote

"Rick Allen thought of the title in hospital because people were trying to climb up laundry chutes to get photos of him. If memory serves. The verse was Sav’s. Phil wrote the bridge and the chorus came from Steve. Mutt, Phil, Sav and I wrote the lyrics. There are actually 11 different guitar parts. We glued all those elements together like a model kit and they worked perfectly."


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Phil Collen - Guitar
Phil Collen - Guitar