Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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DEF LEPPARD

Heavy rock group formed Sheffield, England '77 by vocalist Joe Elliott (b 1 Aug. '60), Rick Savage, bass; Pete Willis, guitar. Originally called Atomic Mass, they flew in the face of the punk movement, playing workingmen's clubs with covers of Bob Seger, Thin Lizzy; added 15-year-old drummer Rick Allen and second guitar Steve Clark (who wrote original compositions; d 8 Jan. '91 in London of drug overdose); the new name was Elliott's idea, but the others altered the spelling. Self-financed EP Getcha Rocks Off on Bludgeon/Riffola label brought contracts with AC/DC's management and Phonogram label. Leaders with Samson, Angelwitch, Iron Maiden etc in so-called New Wave of British Heavy Metal (term coined by Sounds mag) brought HM back to UK music scene as supergroups Judas Priest, Led Zep, Deep Purple etc quit or went into tax exile; but when debut LP On Through The Night '80 made no. 51 in USA they decided to concentrate on that market. UK fans reacted: High'n'Dry charted well short of first LP's UK no. 15 in spite of better prod. from AC/DC overseer Robert John 'Mutt' Lange; but improved dynamics, melodic muscle took it to top 40 USA, where video channel MTV constantly played promo videos during a year-long wait for Lange to finish prior commitments and prod. third LP: founder member Willis left during sessions for Pyromania '83, replaced by ex-Girl Phil Collen; made in ten studios, LP incl. three US hit singles (Marilyn Monroe-inspired 'Photograph' no. 12, 'Rock Of Ages' 16, 'Foolin' ' 28), which kept LP in top five most of the year: reached no. 18 UK and slipped. High'n'Dry sold 2m, Pyromania 7m in USA alone. New Year's Eve '84 Allen lost use of arm in car crash in Sheffield; though parts for fourth album finished, release was delayed as his kit was adapted to enable him to play onstage; others pledged to keep him in group. Delay prolonged by difficulties with new producer Jim Steinman (Meatloaf), replaced by Nigel Green; to complicate matters unauthorized First Strike LP of demos from '79 on Flash label caused legal wrangles. Sense of rock tradition (cover of Creedence's 'Travellin' Band' closed show) helped staying power, along with stage act: Elliott's removal of Union Jack T-shirt to reveal Stars and Stripes shows he knows which side his bread is buttered. Hysteria '87 was finally prod. by Lange, with Green and others helping; the inner sleeve credits everybody down to the makers of Elliott's golf clubs. A concert had to be cancelled in Texas Feb. '87 after Elliott referred to 'greasy Mexicans'; in July a roadie died on stage of a brain haemorrhage; in Dec. '89 Clark went to a psychiatric hospital in Minnesota for a while, and died the next month in London. Album Adranalize '92 was named by their fan club, a no. 1 album UK and USA; lead guitarist Vivian Campbell joined (from Belfast; ex-Dio, Trinity, Whitesnake, Rivergroup, Shadow King); Retro Active '93 compiled rarities and Slang '96 on Bludgeon/Riffola was a new studio album. After nearly 20 years they sounded like the '70s survivors they were; a gig in Dublin late '96 was described as exhuming one stadium- rock clich‚ after another.