Def Leppard News - DEF LEPPARD's JOE ELLIOTT On Led Zeppelin (Audio Interview)

Thursday, 20th December 2018

DEF LEPPARD's JOE ELLIOTT On Led Zeppelin (Audio Interview)

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Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott recently spoke to the BBC Radio 2 Rock Show about Led Zeppelin and audio is available.

Joe spoke to the show hosted by Johnnie Walker on 17th December.

This episode was an hour long special marking the 50th anniversary this year of Led Zeppelin's formation. Various artists, presenters and fans were featured talking about how the band influenced them.

Joe's part starts at 39:35 mins in and lasts for just over 2 minutes in all.

Listen to the full show via the BBC link below.

The show was first broadcast on Monday 17th December.

Joe was also on the same show talking about Ian Hunter back in August.

The 10th December marked 11 years since Joe attended the Led Zeppelin reunion show at London's O2 Arena in 2007.

Not to correct Joe...but that Newcastle gig he mentions was actually five days after they signed their record deal (sorry Joe!).

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

The Radio 2 Rock Show With Johnnie Walker - Joe Elliott Interview Quotes - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

Led Zeppelin History

"I first became aware of Led Zeppelin, and I've got to be honest here, about 1978 actually. It was when I met Steve Clark. I'd heard all the obvious songs like Stairway To Heaven, Black Dog, Rock And Roll on things like the Alan Freeman Rock Show when I used to listen to that every week. But I didn't know anything else 'cause nobody in my neighbourhood really was a big Led Zeppelin fan. We were all into the singles bands like Slade and David Bowie and Sweet and T. Rex etc."

Knebworth 1979 Show

"My first Led Zeppelin moment if you like, true moment was August the 4th 1979 when they played the first of two shows in Knebworth. Def Leppard had played the Newcastle Mayfair on the Friday night and we drove all the way down to Knebworth over night. Parked up the van probably about 6am. Slept in the van until the gates opened at maybe 8, 8:30am. And then we just put a blanket down on the grass and passed out. Missed most of the opening acts. I think I saw a little bit of . Definitely watched Todd Rundgren's Utopia. And then Zeppelin came on and it was a religious experience. It really was."

"We were what anywhere between 15 and 20 years old. Between the five of us and all of Def Leppard went. It was the biggest show I'd ever seen in my life. And the next day we went back to Sheffield and that Sunday morning the 5th August we signed our record deal."

Battle Of My Own Story

"I think any decent rock band worth their salt will have to admit that some Led Zeppelin leaks into what they do. I think this applies to the Beatles, the Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin that it just is a blueprint that a lot of us or most of us work from."

"As regards to Def Leppard. It's a little more subtle I believe. There's a track on Retro-Active called Desert Song which is a little Kashmir-ish. But the one that always makes me giggle is a track off our last album. A song called Battle Of My Own. When I did an awards show in Tokyo about 18 months ago. Jimmy Page was there and we did a photo shoot and as we were doing it he said to me. 'I really like that song off your new album 'Battle Of My Own''. And I just looked at him and said 'Well Jimmy there's a good reason for that'.

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