Wednesday, 20th January 2016
Joe Elliott/Ken Bruce 2015
Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott appeared on the Ken Bruce show today for day three of the Track Of My Years feature.
Ken Bruce plays two tracks each weekday chosen by different guests and Joe is featured this week.
On the third show today Joe played songs by Slade and Mott The Hoople.
Read his comments about each artist and song below.
A further two songs are being played each day this week. Joe is pictured above at the BBC Radio studios with host Ken Bruce.
The appearance was recorded and announced in December 2015.
Listen to today's show via the BBC iPlayer link - Joe's part starts at 2hrs 8:57mins in.
The full 10 track show will be available on its own on 22nd January and the playlist is shown below.
Ken Bruce Presents Track of My Years - Joe Elliott Day Three
Slade
"I mentioned yesterday about bricklayers in drag and I think it's a bit cruel really. Slade started off as a band called the N' Betweens in about 1966 and then they were Ambrose Slade and then they dropped the Ambrose and then they were Slade. And I discovered them like most people did with, I think it was a live version of Get Down, Get With I and then they had a hit single with Coz I Love You. Which was the first proper song on Radio 1 if you like. And the thing about it was. It was all minor chords. Again it's vaudeville. It's rock, it's Noddy's voice that really sucks you in. But all the chords are so minor-ish that it could have been written and performed in Berlin 30 years before. And it just struck me as. Again you know I think maybe Come On Feel The Noise, Mama We're All Crazy Now and even things like Everyday which came much later and How Does It Feel which are fantastic songs, may actually be better songs than this. But this was the song that for me just brought Slade to my attention and I just - it's always stuck with me."
Mott The Hoople
"It's well known. Anybody listening that knows who I am will know that I've spent the last 40 years telling the world what a wonderful band Mott The Hoople are, were. You know maybe even still are because they keep reforming and doing gigs. When I heard Mott The Hoople's All The Young Dudes, I'd been listening to Mott since the Island years. When they were doing albums that Guy Stevens had produced. And they'd never had a hit. They'd sold more tickets than they did records which is kinda weird thinking about the way it is now. It's kind of reverted back to that with a lot of people's careers. But I was listening to all their stuff from Brain Capers and Wildlife through Island compilation albums like LP and Bumpers, Nice Enough To Eat. Something connected with Ian Hunter's voice and just the way that the band were. And I'd be telling all my mates about this band and they're going Mott the what?. You know and then all of a sudden this thing comes out of nowhere. Bowie comes out with Starman and then he's doing Lou Reed, and then bang he's doing Mott. And he gave them this song. The first time I heard it. I remember thinking again a bit like the other day when I said about the Queen song. It really just oozed class and for me this song has never aged. It was ahead of its time. It still is ahead of its time. I don't know what the lyrics are about and I don't care. But it's such an anthem for that lost teenage generation of the 70s. It connected and I never, ever get sick of hearing it."
Ken Bruce Presents Track of My Years - Playlist
- 01 - Ian Hunter - Once Bitten Twice Shy - 18th January
- 02 - T. Rex - Metal Guru - 18th January
- 03 - Queen - Now I'm Here - 19th January
- 04 - David Bowie - Starman - 19th January
- 05 - Slade - Coz I Love You - 20th January
- 06 - Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes - 20th January
- 07 - Sparks - This Town Ain't Big Enough - 21st January
- 08 - Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back in Town - 21st January
- 09 - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Judy Teen - 22nd January
- 10 - The Clash - London Calling - 22nd January
- Listen to today's show at - bbc.co.uk
- Full show will be available at - bbc.co.uk (on 22nd Jan)
- Def Leppard - Ken Bruce 2016 Show Page 3
- Def Leppard - Radio 2016
- Previous News - 18th January 2016 - Day Two