This section looks at the 'Tonight' UK single release. The last of five singles to be taken from the 'Adrenalize' album between 1992 to 1993.

"It just got shelved because it wasn't right."

Def Leppard released their classic Tonight single from the Adrenalize album on this day in 1993 in the UK.

The fifth single to be released from the Adrenalize album in the UK.

It was released on 19th April 1993 just over one year since the release of the album.

It went on to reached Number 34 on the UK Top 40 singles chart. Ending a run of four Top 20 singles from the album in the UK.

B Sides included a rare demo version of the song recorded on 5th May 1988 at Wisseloord Studios in Holland during a break from the Hysteria world tour.

The song itself dates all the way back to 1984 and the initial writing sessions for Hysteria in Dublin, Ireland.

Also included was a live version of Queen's 'Now I'm Here' recorded at the Freddie Mercury Tribute show in 1992 with Brian May.

In a first for the band they donated the profits from the 7" single to the Mercury Phoenix Trust. An AIDS charity set up by Queen after Freddie Mercury's death in November 1991. This live track was featured on CD1, 7", 12" picture disc and the cassette versions.

Two more live tracks (Photograph/PSSOM)were also featured on the CD singles recorded in Bonn, Germany in May 1992 during the 13-Day club tour.

The last of the UK 12" picture discs was also released featuring 'Hysteria' live from the Bonn show and a photo of Rick Allen on the B Side.

Def Leppard Tonight - 7" Single Sleeve Quote

"In your hands, you hold single #5 from Def Leppard's "Adrenalize" album. Celebrating the album's first anniversary, we are releasing "Tonight". Featured as additional tracks in the various formats are 3 more songs recorded live at the Bisquithalle club in Bonn."

"On this CD single we have included our original demo of "Tonight" recorded by the group and Mike Shipley at Wisseloord Studios back in '88. Check it out and drop us a line about which version you prefer.

Joe Elliott - 1992 Interview CD Quotes

"The fourth song is a song called Tonight which we've had for a while and never quite got right."

"We demoed it originally I think in 1985."

"That long ago and it lost the toss with Love Bites for the last album because it wasn't finished."

"And we always knew that one day we'd dig it out and mess with it."

"And the things that we found wrong with it were so miniscule."

"When you actually listen to the original version to the version that's on the record it's like it's hardly any difference."

"But they made such a difference in the arrangement and the actual sound of the record."

"And it's like yeah we got it right!."

"You know and it was just like a harmony here and a little bit of interjection between a couple of verses there and that kind of thing."

"And completely re-recording it."

"Ad it sounds fresh you know. Nobody would really know."

"Apart from the fact that I've just let the cat out of the bag, that it's been around for such a long time."

"But you know it's an old song to us but it's a brand new to everybody else."

"And that's the most important thing."

"There's a potential audience of 10, 15 million people out there that are gonna say 'Wow this is great' you know."

"And we didn't wanna leave it off just because like 'Oh god we've been playing this song for so long'."

"In actual fact we hadn't been playing it for so long."

"We did it for a couple of days a few years ago and it just got shelved because it wasn't right."

"And this was the time to dig it out and work on it."

"Many people have done it. I mean I hear stories all the time that Tattoo You by The Rolling Stones which came out in '81, was a lot of songs that had been knocking around since the early '70s that they just never quite nailed."

"And for that reason when you're, if that is true. you can, you listen to the record and you think well this definitely sounds like classic Stones you know."

"It's probably their last good album up until Steel Wheels I think. And it works you know."

"And if they can do that, and if indeed they did do that, If they didn't I apologise."

"If they did then that's one of the reasons we weren't afraid to do it."

"'Cause a lot of people I speak to they say yeah we got this song but we can't use it 'cause we've had it too long and it's like it's outdated now."

"But you know I turn around and say well it's outdated to the five of you but you've got a big audience out there that have never heard it."

"So it's like just leave it for a while and then come back to it with a fresh ear and see what you come up with which is exactly what we did with that one."

Def Leppard Tonight - Now I'm Here Quote

"Recorded live at Wembley Stadium London April 20, 1992."

Brian May appears courtesy of EMI Records (Outside Of North America).

"All proceeds from the release of this record will go to The Mercury Phoenix Trust."

Phil Collen - 1992 Interview Quote

"A love song that a lot of people can relate to."

related pages/releases

• Tonight Single
• Adrenalize Album