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Def Leppard Tour History Fan Archive.
On Through The Night (1980)




On Through The Night 1980.

  • UK Release Date - 14th March 1980.
  • US Release Date - 26th March 1980.
  • Album Type - Studio Album.
  • Formats - CD/LP/CASS.
  • Producer - (Colonel) Tom Allom.
  • Engineer - Louis 'Snook' Austin/Dick Plant.
  • Spoken Intro Voice - Dave Cousins (Track 06).
  • Co-Writer On Track 06/Guitar Tech - Andy Smith (Joe's childhood friend).
  • Synthesizer - Chris Hughes (Hello America).
  • Studio - Startling Studios, Tittenhurst Park, Ascot, England (December 1979).
  • Illustration - Melvin Smith.
  • Design And ARt Direction - Alan Schmidt.
  • Photography - Robert Ellis (Live Photo).
  • Live Photo Location - Empire Theatre, Liverpool, England 5th/6th November 1979.
  • Photography - Adrian Boot (Inner Sleeve Band Photos).
  • Mastered For Compact Disc By - Bob Ludwig At Masterdisk.
  • UK Record Label - Vertigo.
  • US Record Label - Island/Mercury.
  • Side A Etched Message - 'Unleashed Leppard'-around label on UK Vinyl (9102 040).
  • Side B Etched Message - 'Heavey Racket'-around label on UK Vinyl (9102 040).
  • UK Chart - 15 (29th March 1980/8 weeks on chart)
  • US Chart - 51 (47 weeks on chart)
  • News Link - 14th March 2018 (UK Release 38th Anniversary)
  • News Link - 29th March 2015 (UK Chart 37th Anniversary)

Album Notes By dltourhistory

The first studio album released by the band. The band had spent almost two years rehearsing and playing these songs live. They knew them so well the recording took only days. The album includes the classics 'Wasted', 'Rock Brigade' and the prophetic first single 'Hello America'.

The spoken intro for 'When The Walls Came Tumbling Down' was read by singer Dave Cousins of UK band the Strawbs who reached #2 in 1973 with 'Part Of The Union'.

Starting a tradition the original UK vinyl edition (9102 040) had funny messages etched on the vinyl around the label. Side 1 had "Unleashed Leppard" and Side 2 a deliberately mispelled "Heavey Racket". This edition also had the white cardboard inner sleeve holding the record. One side featuring a big black Def Leppard logo with triangular band pics/names below it. On the reverse was a smaller band logo in the top left, album title below it and full lyrics for all 11 songs.

As with 'High 'n' Dry' the mid 80s CD versions are all similar with the 822 533-2 M-1 catalogue number used for the UK/European and American releases still available today.





Album Info