Pyromania was the 1983 album which proved that UK five-piece Def Leppard were serious contenders in the heavy rock arena, but the title was not to be prophetic. The fires lit by Pyromania's 7 million-plus US sales, single Photograph and a world tour flickered and almost died as tragedy struck and a follow-up album became increasingly and frustratingly elusive to put down. Although recording of Pyromania had got under way in January 1982 with predecessor High 'n' Dry's producer, Mutt Lange, at the mixing desk, by summer guitarist Pete Willis' heavy drinking was out of control and saw him booted out of the band. Thankfully, replacement Phil Collen, from Girl, slotted in effortlessly without missing a beat.
While Pyromania clocked up weekly American sales of 100,000 units for most of 1983, new-look Leppard headlined at home then played spring support to Billy Squier in the US where they went on to top bills for the first time. When the tour ended in Bangkok in early February 1984, Leppard reconvened in Dublin. Each member was working on material for a fourth album and recording began in the Netherlands with, perhaps surprisingly, Bat Out of Hell's Jim Steinman as producer because Mutt, aka the sixth Leppard, had overstretched himself. But the Meat Loaf factor got the thumbs down from the band and Steinman was gone so Mutt recommended High 'n' Dry engineer Nigel Green.
Meat Loaf
There was much worse to come - on New Year's Eve, drummer Rick Allen's left arm was ripped off as he crashed his American sports car outside Sheffield. Once singer Joe Elliott, guitarists Steve Clark and Phil, and bassist Richard "Sav" Savage were over the early shock, they agreed to carry on recording throughout 1985 while Rick was healing and learning to drum one-handed with a specially adapted electronic kit. Eight European Monsters of Rock shows, planned for 1986, seemed very ambitious even with Status Quo's Jeff Rich as back-up for Rick, but Irish warm-up gigs quickly made the second drummer redundant and the rapturous reception at UK Monsters was for Rick's return on merit not out of sympathy.
Mutt's arrival in the studio had been welcomed the previous summer even though he ordered everything re-recorded. Finally, the fourth album was finished in January 1987. A 227-date world tour kicked off as Hysteria was released to...hysteria. Seven of the dozen tracks earned single status and, despite all the setbacks, the album would ship 16 million copies. As the tour ended in October 1988, thoughts turned to a fifth album with a Dutch studio booked the following year before the band retired to Dublin, coming out to play live at MTV's Video Music Awards
No-one realised the significance of that until, after spending 1990 laying down tracks, Joe, Sav, Phil and Rick were shattered to learn that Steve had been found dead at his London home on January 8, 1991, aged 30, from a cocktail of alcohol and prescription drugs. A drinking problem had led him to sessions with a psychiatrist, rehab and six months' leave of absence from the band. The nightmare was happening again. Stunned, the remaining four elected to continue recording. In April 1992, Vivian Campbell, late of Dio and Whitesnake, was introduced as new boy at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley and album Adrenalize hit the shelves, heading straight to US No 1 and becoming a Leppard best-seller in Japan, Mexico and other markets. The last eight years had been traumatic, but surely the band had a right to believe the worst was finally behind them.
Pyromania was the 1983 album which proved that UK five-piece Def Leppard were serious contenders in the heavy rock arena, but the title was not to be prophetic. The fires lit by Pyromania's 7 million-plus US sales, single Photograph and a world tour flickered and almost died as tragedy struck and a follow-up album became increasingly and frustratingly elusive to put down. Although recording of Pyromania had got under way in January 1982 with predecessor High 'n' Dry's producer, Mutt Lange, at the mixing desk, by summer guitarist Pete Willis' heavy drinking was out of control and saw him booted out of the band. Thankfully, replacement Phil Collen, from Girl, slotted in effortlessly without missing a beat.
Def Leppard Remastered - A Rock Odyssey
Jackie Strong invites you to read the next chapter in her Remember When series featuring singing legends. To read the full dramatic Def Leppard story in three parts go to DefLeppard-Remastered
Classic Pyromania and 1992 album Adrenalize, which was dedicated to Riffmaster Steve Clark, will be available at Amazon in June with the original sets remastered as Deluxe Editions. Apart from gatefold packaging, full sleeve notes, booklets of rare and previously unseen photos, images of rare single covers and memorabilia, enthusiasts can also add a never-before-released 15-track Los Angeles Forum show from 1983 to their collections. DefLeppard-Remastered
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