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Def Leppard Tour History Fan Archive.
News - Joe Elliott Dedicates Radio Show To Late Father

Sunday, 31st July 2011 | 





Mirrorball.

Joe Elliott was back presenting his weekly Joe Elliott Show last night on Planet Rock radio and dedicated it to his late father Joe Senior.

Joe played many of his favourite songs (including a few by Def Leppard) and shared various stories/memories. Joe also revealed that one of Def Leppard's two original managers is no longer alive.

The Joe Elliott Show - Tracklisting/Quotes

  • Def Leppard - Back In Your Face

And it is good to be back. Tonight's show is gonna be kind of a tribute to my father. It's coming to you from New York this week. We're back on the road having had two weeks off making sure that everything's all sorted out. Looking after my Mum, making sure that my father was tret with all the respect that he was due and no better way than playing some songs that he actually really loved and influenced me, because he used to play these things to death all the way through my childhood. And no more than this one. This is Roy Orbison.

  • Roy Orbison - (Oh) Pretty Woman
  • T. Rex - Jeepster

When I was about eight years old my mother taught me to play a few chords on the guitar. I actually wrote a song called 'Going Forever' which my father recorded on a little cassette recorder and I still have a recording of it. But amongst other songs that he recorded was that one that we just heard or a version of.

I mentioned the fact that he recorded us on this little cassette player. It's strange that about twenty five years later when I had my own recording studio. I went in and recorded a song purely to test out some equipment but I did it for a birthday present for my father's 73rd birthday. I didn't know what to buy him so I made him this instead.

  • Def Leppard/Joe Elliott - Space Oddity

Originally recorded back in January of 2003 and eventually became part of the YEAH! sessions. That's my version of David Bowie's classic 'Space Oddity'. I'm Joe Elliott. You're listening to The Joe Elliott Show once again on Planet Rock, we're going into a break and when we come back my father's favourite ever Def Leppard song.

  • Def Leppard - Love Bites (Live)

From our very recently released live album, the Mirrorball album, that's 'Love Bites' by Def Leppard. My father's favourite Leppard song of all time and he actually preferred the live version. Once I gave him a pre release copy of the album he listened to it over and over again because that's what your parents do and he actually said 'I prefer the live version to the studio version'. Which was, you know, quite flattering really seeing as he'd lived with the studio version for about a quarter of a century and the guy was in his 80s so. You know, it's easy to think that these people of a rather dignified age don't really know much about Rock and Roll but my father had been listening to it since Elvis Presley so I think he's well qualified to have an opinion.

  • Cat Stevens - Father And Son
  • The Beatles - Something
  • Def Leppard - Let Me Be The One (Demo)

You may have noticed that at the beginning of that third song which is a Def Leppard track called 'Let Me Be The One', I actually totally copped the lyric off the previous song which was The Beatles 'Something' written by George Harrison. 'Let Me Be The One' was the original demo version of the song which I played purely because when my Dad heard it he thought it was better than the version that we did on the X album and to be quite honest I completely agree with him.

  • Magna Carta - The Bridge At Knaresborough Town

I play that partcular song for various reasons but mostly because Magna Carta who it actually is where my father's favourite English folk group. That's from an album called 'Songs From Wastie's Orchard' by Magna Carta. And also interestingly enough because the songs called 'The Bridge At Knaresborough Town', I thought it was kind of fitting because our original manager, or one of the two of them Frank Stuart-Brown, who's sadly no longer with us, was actually born and bred in Knaresborough. We slept on his floor many a night having done a few gigs up north when we were in the transit van.

  • Down 'N' Outz - Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding (Live Sheffield 2010/Audio from DVD)

(Note - Joe's show went over time. The end of the above song and the last song are on the start of the Joe Bonamassa show (Listen Again 30th July).)

There it is folks, all eleven and a half minutes of 'Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding' by the Down 'N' Outz which is our take on the old Elton John song from the 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' album in 1973.

And that's about it for tonight. A fitting way to say goodbye to my best friend and my father. And I think the only way I can really say a proper thanks and I will miss you forever statement for my Dad. Is to play this, because had it not been for the fact that he lent this band a hundred and fifty pounds to go to a little studio in Hull and record their first three tracks, we may not be sat here right now doing this show, because I might not be the guy I became and it's all due to Joseph William Elliott, my Dad. This is from The Def Leppard E.P. in 1979 which he financed. I love you father and I always will and I'll miss you forever. This is Def Leppard and 'Getcha Rocks Off'. Until next week, goodnight.

  • Def Leppard - Getcha Rocks Off (1979 E.P. Version)

Listen to the full show at - planetrock.com

Def Leppard - Radio 2011