Def Leppard News - Tesla Drummer Says New Phil Collen Produced Song Is Beautiful/Awesome

Tesla Drummer Says New Phil Collen Produced Song Is Beautiful/Awesome

Wednesday, 15th June 2016

Def Leppard 2016.
Screenshot by dltourhistory

Tesla drummer Troy Lucckcetta was recently interviewed and spoke about the new song written and produced by Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen.

The new studio song was co-written and produced by Phil Collen and recorded from late 2015 into early 2016.

Phil is also currently working with the band on their next studio album which may be finished this year and released in 2017.

Troy talked about the song, the album and recording a new studio album with Phil.

The new song called 'Save That Goodness' (possibly now shortened to 'Goodness') will be included as the bonus track on the Mechanical Resonance LIVE! album due out on 24th June.

The album is currently listed for release on Friday 24th June on the Tesla Electric Co.

Listen to the full 37 minute interview below.

Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.

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1on1 with Mitch Lafon - Troy Luccketta Interview Quotes

Mechanical Resonance LIVE! Album/New Song

"I think probably a good idea is to talk to Brian Wheat (for) some of that question. The one thing I can tell you with the record. The way it came together this last year on the Def Leppard tour. We knew our anniversary was coming up and we thought well what are we gonna do?. So Phil Collen from Def Leppard. I think he was the one that really spearheaded this thing about like getting the first album recorded. And so, what we did is we were opening."

"You know we only had 40 minutes and I'm gonna tell you. This only happened over a couple of weeks. A couple of takes of each song. We would open the show with a couple Mechanical Resonance songs and change it every night. And we did that over a couple of weeks. We managed to get the record. We went into the studio with Phil Collen who wrote a song called 'Goodness'. It's a beautiful awesome song that he wrote and produced and we reocorded which is a bonus track for the record."

Playing The Full Album Live

"I don't know outside of that what else is planned. For that to come out and we will go out and actually do that. We are fully capable of going out and having a lot of fun and doing something very special. But as these big tours have been coming up for us. It's kinda you know given us some new opportunities."

New Tesla Album/Phil Collen

"A couple of days from now I'm in the studio with Phil Collen because we've got 8 of the new Tesla tunes ready for the new record that he's producing."

Recording On The Road?/Goodness/Phil's Production

"That's exactly what we're doing. The last month and a half, month, whatever. The band has been in the studio everyday. Which is a little, when say studio, we set up a little room with a Pro Tools set up in the back. And Phil and Brian are engineering everything. And they're in there cutting tracks to a groove grid and writing/fleshing out the arrangements of the songs. And that's what I'm gonna be performing and playing drums to all next week. And the timeline I don't know. Probably next year of course. 2017. But you know things are going rally, really quickly. We're not spending a lot of time on this stuff. We're not overthinking it."

"We're getting in - When we did Goodness with Phil you know everything was real simple. I mean we went in. We all played and the song came together quickly and Phil is so amazing. In his efforts and his expertise. In the sense that he has all those Mutt Lange years behind him. He knows what it's about and parts and how important those parts are. And not to cloud the vision of the song with something that doesn't make sense. He really gets it you know. And then I like what we're doing because we're all you know getting to learn the osmosis through him and just feel a little bit of that Mutt Lange you know - approach. So he seems to be really - I'm so excited about what he's doing with the band. And you know I think he's just doing an amazing job. The chemisty's been there. Everybody respects him you know and he absolutely loves the band. Loves the music and he's doing everything for all the right reasons. ."

Phil layering like Mutt Lange?

"Well I think it's plug and play for us is what it's been. But I'm gonna tell you something. We're open to all those ideas because look, how many Tesla records have we had that is Tesla. We've had all of that. So to experiment and try some new things would be a beautiful opportunity. And to do it in that fashion. With that model behind us is certainly not a bad thing. I think we'll still keep it very true and make it all about us."

New Sounds After 30 Years?

"I think that's exactly where we're at with the band. I know that I am. I can't speak for everybody. I know Brian Wheat is. You know I think Jeff is. I think we're all ready to - you know because I was going to do a track and I'm like. I don't even know if I should say this but I was like wow that kinda reminds me of Taylor Swift you know. And the funny thing about it was just the way the melody and the approach to the verse you know, was. And listening to Jeff sing it. And it was very wordy but I was like you know what. It's actually very pop too. But I was like this is really great because it is so different and I respect Taylor Swift. She's a great songwriter and a great talent. And somebody else might have heard it differently but for some reason that's how. It just took me to that place and I was - but there's other songs. There's so many. It's gonna be well rounded. It's gonna be a Tesla record for sure. You will definitely hear Phil in it. I hear the Leppard-ish overtones in it. In some of it. Again I'm not having a problem with any of what's going on. I'm absolutely loving it and that's all I've got for you guys. Everybody's very excited."

"The Phil Collen track Goodness. That he wrote that is gonna be on the Mechanical Resonance record. Bonus Track. I think it's one of the best tracks we've had in a long time. It can go right to radio. It's ready. It's perfect. It sounds like Tesla and just like Train. It reminds me of like you know Train is in that equation. It's just got a great vibe. Great 70s classic rock awesome contemporary modern feel and it works man. I love it. I was listening to it and I'm going man. I'm just excited about truly what's going on. I'm excited to see where the possibilities are. Hoping that there's still a marketplace for you know older bands. Classic rock bands now like Tesla. That we can still maybe break out and maybe get a shot at something today on radio. I don't know if that's even possible. But I do know that we just delivered it with this track with Phil. It's there. It's ready to go. There's no question in my mind. We have that track right now ready to to go. With the new record. What's gonna happen with it?. We'll wait and see."

Live Album

"It's not the re release of Mechanical Resonance. It's a completely live Mechanical Resonance. It's everything from Mechanical Resonance recorded live. No this is live opening up for Def Leppard."