Def Leppard News - DEF LEPPARD's PHIL COLLEN On His Favourite Guitar Riff/Players (Video)

Saturday, 30th September 2017

DEF LEPPARD's PHIL COLLEN On His Favourite Guitar Riff/Players (Video)

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Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen was recently interviewed about his guitar playing with the full video available to view.

Phil spoke to ex-Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx for the My Favourite Riff segment of his Sixx Sense radio show.

The video was filmed in California before he travelled to South America for the current tour leg.

Phil talked about the guitar parts of various songs including - Hysteria, Love Bites, his early guitar playing, Mick Ronson/David Bowie, guitar gear, Jeff Beck, Def Leppard's guitar style, his favourite guitarists, Jimi Hendrix and his favourite Def Leppard riff.

Watch the full 15 minute interview video below.

Phil appeared on the Sixx Sense show in November 2013 with Vivian talking about VIVIA! Hysteria.

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

My Favourite Riff - Phil Collen Interview Quotes

Mick Ronson/David Bowie

"All The Young Dudes. David Bowie wrote it. I heard a demo with Marc Bolan playing it. So I think it was more or less a Bowie thing. And this is a really interesting story. Joe, like we said, collects things and comes across things. And had a version of it with Bolan on it. But also had a version with Mick Ronson and David Bowie on it. Bowie singing it. And Mott The Hoople playing it but with Ronson as well. He met Bowie and said: 'Oh I've got this' and Bowie said: 'Oh, can you send it to me?.' So he did, he actually sent him a version of it. Mick Ronson is one of my favourite players of all time."

Top 5 Guitar Players

"Hendrix, Jeff Beck. Mick Ronson was, absolutely. And I actually spent a lot of time listening to Al Di Meola when I first started playing 'cause all of his stuff was just crazy. Gary Moore and all that stuff. So I spent a lot of time just listening to that and Blackmore. That's really what kind of got me going in the first place."

Strangest Guitar Influence/Jimi Hendrix

"John McLaughlin even though it was jazz. But the Hendrix thing. I still don't think anyone comes close to that. He was so, it was such a - it was blues. It was soul. It was funk. It was like he was being channelled. He was such a great artist. And still no one has ever come close to that I don't think."