DEF LEPPARD's JOE ELLIOTT Picks U2/PRINCE Songs For My80s On BBC Radio 2

Friday, 22nd April 2022

Def Leppard 2022

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott appeared on BBC Radio 2 show Sounds Of The 80s earlier tonight to pick his My80s songs and promote the new Diamond Star Halos album.

'Diamond Star Halos' is the band's 12th studio album.

As announced on 17th March it will be released on Friday 27th May 2022.

New single Take What You Want was released on 20th April and is available to purchase and to stream.

Joe appeared as a guest on Sounds Of The 80s with Gary Davies.

The two hour show was broadcast from 8pm to 10pm earlier tonight.

Listen to the full minute interview via the BBC site with Joe's part starting at 44 mins in until 55 mins.

The Def Leppard Mastermix section started at 22 mins in and ended at 33 mins.

Joe featured on the My 80s segment and chose four songs from the 80s including U2, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel and Prince.

The Mastermix section played earlier in the show mixed together various songs incuding the Radio Edit of Women, Rocket The Lunar Mix Extended Version, PSSOM and a very speeded up Armageddon It.

Read the full transcript below and link to the audio.

Gary Davies has an 80s connection to one of the Mastermix songs.

Along with fellow ex-Radio 1 DJ Mike Smith he co-presented the edition of Top Of The Pops in September 1987 when the band performed Pour Some Sugar On Me.

Joe appeared on BBC Radio 2 on 20th April to premiere the new single 'Take What You Want' during the Breakfast With Zoe Ball Show.

Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.

Visit the Album News section for more news on new music (based on band member quotes).

Def Leppard 2022.

Sounds Of The 80s with Gary Davies - 22nd April 2022 Show Quotes

Gary Davies

"Mastermix time. Our first My80s guest tonight is of course Joe Elliott frontman of the legendary Def Leppard."

"The band formed in 1977 and though hailing from Sheffield they broke America first with their third album Pyromania reaching Number Two there in 1983."

"They couldn't get arrested over here. But by 1987 we were all fully on board."

"Their fourth album Hysteria went stratospheric selling over 20 million copies worldwide."

"And yielding six Top 30 hits here and in the States."

"And they're back with a brand new album Diamond Star Halos out next month."

"And I'll tell you a little bit more about that later."

"But first we celebrate one of the biggest British rock exports of the decade."

"It's our Def Leppard Mastermix. And it's next."

"I mean how good. Wow!. Johnny Kalifornia once again excelling himself on the Mastermix."

"It's our Def Leppard Mastermix."

"So many brilliant songs. Women, Rocket, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Rock Of Ages, Hysteria, Armageddon It, Photograph and Animal."

"And don't forget Joe Elliott is on My80s shortly."

Gary Davies

"And we're celebrating the return of Def Leppard tonight."

"The British rock heroes release their 12th studio album Diamond Star Halos next month."

"With two tracks from it, Kick and Take What You Want which are available now."

"And Kick of course which we've been playing here on Radio 2."

"So let's catch up with one of Sheffield's finest. Frontman Joe Elliott and find out what his favourite four are."

BBC Radio 2 - My80s Joe Elliott Song Picks

01 - U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name

"Hi Gary I'm Joe Elliott and this is My 80s."

"My first choice is Where The Streets Have No Name by U2."

"I love this song for many reasons. It's a fantastic opening track to a fantastic album that is the Joshua Tree."

"The accompanying video for this song was just mind blowing. And it just really opened up every avenue for that band to become massive which they did and remain to be huge too."

"And I was in and around them while they were recording it because Def Leppard and U2 were both in Dublin in the mid 80s recording albums."

"Ours was Hysteria and theirs was The Joshua Tree."

"So we were kind of running into each other all over town and discussing what we were up to and how far we'd got into our records."

"And so it's just interesting to see how it was building from the inside."

"But seeing it from the outside what a great video and boy what a great song."

02 - Kate Bush - The Dreaming

"My second choice is the title track of Kate Bush's 1982 The Dreaming."

"The 80s is a time where production was becoming very important. Almost as important as the songs themselves or the performance of the actual artist."

"With Kate Bush you had all three rolled into one."

"She was an incredible performer, fantastic songwriter and an absolutely brilliant producer and arranger."

"And in this album the amount of different sounds that she achieves out of her voice is absolutely incredible."

"And this title track just about sums up the entire album."

"Beautiful piece of work."

03 - Peter Gabriel - Red Rain

"My third choice is occasional collaborator with Kate Bush and ex-Genesis lead singer Mr. Peter Gabriel."

"It is from his 1986 album So. And it is the opening track Red Rain."

"Once again this is all about the production and the performance."

"Peter Gabriel's voice is so distinctive but more importantly so commanding."

"What's not to like."

04 - Prince And The Revolution - Purple Rain

"So with honourable mentions to Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones. Welcome To the Jungle by Guns N' Roses and Two Tribes by Frankie Goes To Hollywood."

"This is my ultimate 80s choice. It is Prince with Purple Rain."

"It is one of the most brilliant and beautiful songs that I've ever heard."

"The hairs on the back of my neck and on my arms stand up every time I hear this song on the radio."

"So beautifully performed."

"I saw him do this live at least half a dozen times and it was so incredibly moving live."

"It was almost like going to church. It really was that good."

"This is my ultimate 80s classic choice."

"it is Purple Rain by Prince."

Gary Davies

"Six years yesterday since we lost him. Prince with the Revolution with Purple Rain."

"Joe Elliott of Def Leppard's ultimate 80s track. thank you Joe. He's brilliant isn't he."

"Def Leppard's new single Take What You Want is out now."

"And the album Diamond Star Halos is out on May 27th."

BBC Radio 2 - Def Leppard Mastermix

01 - Women
02 - Rocket (The Lunar Mix)
03 - Pour Some Sugar On Me
04 - Rock Of Ages
05 - Hysteria
06 - Armageddon It
07 - Photograph
08 - Animal

Listen to the show here on the BBC Radio 2 website.

Def Leppard 2022.

New Single - Take What You Want

01 - Take What You Want - 4:14 - (Rick Savage/Joe Elliott) - Amazon - (MP3)

Producer - Def Leppard
Producer/Mixer/Editor/Engineer - Ronan McHugh
Associated Performer/Drum Programming - Ronan McHugh
Lead/Background Vocals - Joe Elliott
Bass - Rick Savage
Guitars - Vivian Campbell
Guitars - Phil Collen
Drums - Rick Allen
Composer/Lyricist - Joe Elliott
Composer/Lyricist - Rick Savage
Mastering - Joe LaPorta
Studio Personnel - Joe LaPorta
Release Date - 20th April 2022

Diamond Star Halos - Tracklisting

01 - Take What You Want - 4:14 - (Rick Savage/Joe Elliott) - Amazon - (MP3)
02 - Kick - 3:42 - (Collen) - Amazon - (MP3)
03 - Fire It Up - 3:19
04 - This Guitar [feat. Alison Krauss] - 3:50
05 - SOS Emergency - 3:25
06 - Liquid Dust - 4:01
07 - U Rok Mi - 3:33
08 - Goodbye For Good This Time - 4:27
09 - All We Need - 4:46
10 - Open Your Eyes - 4:19
11 - Gimme A Kiss - 3:12
12 - Angels (Can’t Help You Now) - 4:57
13 - Lifeless [feat. Alison Krauss] - 4:19 - (Collen/Elliott)
14 - Unbreakable - 3:46
15 - From Here To Eternity - 5:37