Def Leppard News - 11 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD's SPARKLE LOUNGE Album #5 In US Chart

Wednesday, 8th May 2019

11 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD's SPARKLE LOUNGE Album #5 In US Chart

Songs From The Sparkle Lounge 2008.

Def Leppard's ninth studio album Songs From The Sparkle Lounge entered the USA and Canadian charts on this day in 2008.

The ninth studio album of all original material was released on 29th April in North America.

It had been released digitally in the UK on 27th April ahead of it's full release there on 5th May.

The album entered the US chart at Number 5 and Number 7 in Canada on 8th May 2008 although the charts are now dated and listed as the week of 17th May. They were actually published on Thursday 8th May 2008.

In the USA the album sold 55,000 copies in the first week compared to 72,000 for X/Ten in 2002. It was their first Top Ten album since the 'Rock Of Ages The Definitive Collection' in 2005.

'The Sparkle Lounge' was the name given to the room where the band recorded new ideas in the backstage area of various venues. In March 2007 Phil Collen revealed they were using 'Sparkle Lounge' as the album's working title.

The first single Nine Lives had been released digitally on 24th April. A second single 'C'mon C'mon' would follow in July in the UK.

Below are some quotes about the album from the band.

At Number One on this day was Madonna with her album 'Hard Candy' on both the US and Canadian charts.

Taylor Swift, who the band would join up with later in 2008 for the CMT Crossroads show, was at Number 11 with her debut self-titled album.

Tim McGraw, who appeared on 'Nine Lives', was at Number 10 with his first Greatest Hits album.

Eric Lapointe who was at Number Five in Canada with the album "Ma Peau" would later sing 'PSSOM' with the band on the TV show 'La Voix' in April 2015.

USA Album Chart - 8th May 2008 (Now Dated 17th May)

01 - Madonna - Hard Candy
02 - Mariah Carey - E=MC2
03 - Leona Lewis - Spirit
04 - Lyfe Jennings - Lyfe Change - (New Entry)
05 - Def Leppard - Songs From The Sparkle Lounge - (Peak Position/New Entry)

USA Top Rock Album Chart - 8th May 2008 (Now Dated 17th May)

01 - Def Leppard - Songs From The Sparkle Lounge - (Peak Position/New Entry)

USA Top Digital Album Chart - 8th May 2008 (Now Dated 17th May)

10 - Def Leppard - Songs From The Sparkle Lounge - (Peak Position/New Entry)<

USA Tastemakers Album Chart - 8th May 2008 (Now Dated 17th May)

15 - Def Leppard - Songs From The Sparkle Lounge - (Peak Position/New Entry)<

Canadian Album Chart - 8th May 2008

01 - Madonna - Hard Candy - (New Entry)
02 - Sarah McLachlan - Rarities, B-Sides And Other Stuff - (New Entry)
03 - Portishead - Third - (New Entry)
04 - Leona Lewis - Spirit
05 - Eric Lapointe - Ma Peau
07 - Def Leppard - Songs From The Sparkle Lounge - (Peak Position/New Entry)

May 2008 - Joe Elliott Interview Quotes

"There was a thought process behind it that we wanted to deliver a specific kind of record, but that specific kind of record was, if you like, a non-specific kind of record."

"With this one it was a case of, "Let's just hone in on the songwriting and we'll use 2008 production techniques, if you like, to make it sound more like a '70s record." It sounds very complicated, but it actually wasn't."

"I think a lot of it [i]is[/i] overspill from the "Yeah" album. When we went in to do the covers record we didn't have to worry at all about one word or one note from a writing point of view; all we did was ... record these songs that made us all, [at] the age of 10 or 11 or 12, plead for our first guitar."

"So then when it came to this one it was a case of, "Alright, let's try to sit down and write some songs that, if we were out buying records, they would be the kinds of songs we [would] want to buy." So we all just sat down and wrote what we thought were meaningful songs."

"What we did with [the Sparkle Lounge] was we took a lot of songs that were already half-written and it was a lot easier. We'd go in and really work on these songs, and by the time we started recording them we knew them really well and there was not that much of a learning process because.... So it was probably the best recording situation for new music we've ever had."

May 2008 - Phil Collen Interview Quotes

Sparkle Lounge is way closer to the classic Leppard style than last album X...

"People keep saying it's way better or more aggressive than X but I'm not sure it's that massive a progression. Sure there are elements of classic Leppard but we've kept it simple too. We've brought out the elements we like, but haven't gone for the huge production that we would have used back in Hysteria days. We didn't consciously try to get back to our roots; what you hear is just how the songs came out."

What exactly is the Sparkle Lounge?

"It's the name our crew gave to the trailer we practice in when we were out on tour - and seeing as we worked up most of these songs while on the road, it seemed an appropriate title. We'd have little amps set up and these tiny decorative lights all over the place to give it some vibe. I think it was something Jane's Addiction used to do. The way we wrote this album was a lot more spontaneous than normal."

Last year's covers album YEAH! was a lot of fun - did that set the tone for this one?

"Some people said we'd made YEAH! as a treat for the fans - but really it was a treat for us. It was so much fun to get in a studio and record some of our favourite songs in a Def Leppard style, and not always the obvious choices. We were on a roll after that, and all we've done is kept that playful, fun vibe alive for this new album."

Def Leppard - Songs From The Sparkle Lounge Album Section
Def Leppard - Songs From The Sparkle Lounge Tour 2008
Related News - 5th May 2019
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