JOE ELLIOTT Says DEF LEPPARD In Awe Of Orchestra On DRASTIC SYMPHONIES Album

Friday, 14th April 2023

Def Leppard 2023

Def Leppard were interviewed about the new Drastic Symphonies album as it was being recording in 2022.

The new album Drastic Symphonies will be released on Friday 19th May.

The album will feature 16 classic Def Leppard songs reworked and reimagined with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London.

The first single 'Animal' was released to digital and streaming services on the same day as the announcement - listen below.

Classic Rock Feature

The band were interviewed on 22nd March 2022 as they watched The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra recorded their parts for the album at Abbey Road studios in London.

The magazine also spoke to Joe in 2023 to talk more about the album.

Joe, Sav and Rick all spoke about their admiration for the orchestra and what their playing did to enhance their old songs.

Read some of the band's quotes below.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Joe said the band were in "awe" of the orchestra musicians as they watched them record.

Drastic Symphonies Album Idea

Sav explained the origin of the album and how the band became more involved as it progressed.

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 2023.

Def Leppard/Classic Rock Magazine - Interview Quotes April 2023

Drastic Symphonies Album/Title

Joe Elliott - "The most unusual record we've ever made."

Rick Savage - "It is pretty Drastic. It's very symphonic. And we couldn't really call it Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark could we?."

Joe Elliott - "We're stepping into territory previously visited by other bands of our ilk. But we've never done anything like this before, and what's really interesting is how we've dug really deep."

Joe Elliott - "It's about expanding these songs. Most of it is stripping back our backing tracks to allow the orchestra to shine and be at the forefront."

Joe Elliott - "But it's not just our greatest hits with orchestra on top - like slapping butter on a piece of toast."

Joe Elliott - "What we wanted to do with this album is glorify what we've done in the past as rock songs, and make them epic."

Drastic Symphonies Album Origin

Rick Savage - "I think it was suggested by our record company. And record companies being record companies, they just wanted our greatest hits with strings on."

Rick Savage - "But once the seeds got sown, it really started taking off in true Def Leppard style. You throw yourself into it a hundred percent."

Joe Elliott - "It was never on my bucket list to do an album with an orchestra, but this turned out to be another of the weird things that we've done - like a show with Taylor Swift, or a duet with a country singer like Alison Krauss or Tim McGraw."

Joe Elliott - "It's another thing that's out of the norm for us."

Def Leppard 2023

Dropping An Orchestral Rock Of Ages Attempt

Joe Elliott - "Rock Of Ages, it was hideous!. So we said: 'No, we're not doing it. It's got to work or it's not going on'."

Switch 625

Joe Elliott - "It sounds like something from a James Bond movie, because it always did. Now it's James Bond as we all know and love it."

Too Late For Love Re-Recorded Vocals

Joe Elliott - "Once we did the strings, the original vocal sounded a little too bombastic."

Joe Elliott - "So I sang a new vocal, which I recorded on this very laptop that I'm talking to you on now."

Joe Elliott - "For a guide, I was listening to the isolated vocal that I did with Mutt Lange at Battery studios back in 1982. It was kind of spooky. So I'm singing with my old self."

Def Leppard 2023

Abbey Road Studios/Orchestra

Rick Savage - "If the whole orchestra just pissed off and left me in the empty room, I might have had a little tinkle on a piano or something."

Rick Savage - "But I'm not going to do it on front of somebody that's studied for years to hone their craft."

Rick Allen - "I stood in that room. just hearing dry strings, not the songs."

Rick Allen - "It was f**king awesome!. I don't know what it is about strings or piano, I always get an emotional response. It hits you in a certain way, like a full-body experience."

Def Leppard 2023

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Joe Elliott - "You've got this orchestra in front of you. It's a big deal!. And the most important thing is to be in the moment and enjoy it."

Joe Elliott - "You're watching, listening, learning. And if you walk out of there a better man, happier and more knowledgeable, then you've achieved something."

Joe Elliott - "They were excited to do this because it was out of their comfort zone."

Joe Elliott - "Instead of playing Beethoven or Brahms or whatever, they're blasting out Switch 625!."

Joe Elliott - "We were in awe watching these guys. Everything sounded so perfect."

Joe Elliott - "With the orchestra, the balances were never out of sync - from the cellos all the way down to a little plinky triangle."

Joe Elliott - "You're just standing there thinking: 'These guys know what they're doing'."

Rick Savage - "It was just a great process. Some of these songs, I think were almost made for orchestras."

Rick Savage - "It's almost as if we should have put strings on at the time."

Rick Savage - "But we're a rock band, so we had to be careful about that sort of thing. Until now..."

Buy the magazine on the Louder Sound website.

Def Leppard 2023.

New Single - Animal (feat. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

01 - Animal - 4:03 - Amazon - (MP3)

Producer - Def Leppard/Ronan McHugh/Nick Patrick
Mixer - Ronan McHugh
Release Date - 16th March 2023

Buy 'Drastic Symphonies' Online

Amazon - 1CD
Amazon - 1CD/Blu-ray
Amazon - 2LP Regular Vinyl
Amazon - MP3

Drastic Symphonies (feat. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - Tracklisting

01 - Turn To Dust - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 5:29
02 - Paper Sun - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 5:33
03 - Animal - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:03
04 - Pour Some Sugar On Me (Stripped Version) - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 5:26
05 - Hysteria - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 5:56
06 - Love Bites - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 6:41
07 - Goodbye For Good This Time - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:26
08 - Love - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 3:55
09 - Gods Of War - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 6:45
10 - Angels (Can't Help You Now) - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:58
11 - Bringin' On The Heartbreak - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:33
12 - Switch 625 - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 3:04
13 - Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:55 - (Bonus Track)
14 - Too Late For Love - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 5:37
15 - When Love & Hate Collide - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:16
16 - Kings Of The World - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - 6:19

Producer - Def Leppard/Ronan McHugh/Nick Patrick
Mixer - Ronan McHugh
Record Label - Universal Music Recordings/Bludgeon Riffola
Total Time - 82 mins
Release Date - 19th May 2023

Def Leppard (with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - Drastic Symphonies - SHM-CD 1CD Version (Japan)

Def Leppard Drastic Symphonies - Product Description (Translated)

"Co-starring work with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, one of London's leading orchestras."

"London's leading orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Def Leppard have teamed up to dramatically reconstruct the songs Def Leppard has released in the past, making it more spectacular and lively than ever."

"In this work, not only Def Leppard's super famous songs, but also the original tape sound sources of hidden masterpieces are played with the performance of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra."

"New vocals and guitars have also been added, which complement the beautiful orchestral arrangements. There are also several passages in which Joe Elliott sings a duet with his younger self."

"The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra recorded at Abbey Road Studios on March 22, 2022. The album was produced by Def Leppard, Ronan McHugh, and Nick Patrick (producers of the album with Elvis, Roy Orbison, The Beach Boys, Buddy Holly and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and other orchestras)."

"Arranged by Eric Goffen (Neil Diamond, Ryan Adams, Christina Aguilera)"

Def Leppard 2023.