DEF LEPPARD's THE EARLY YEARS 79-81 Box Set Now Available (Listen)
The Early Years 79-81
Def Leppard's new 5 disc The Early Years 79-81 box set is now available worldwide and can be streamed online.
The 5 disc / 64 track box set can now be purchased worldwide and is available on all streaming servcies.
Amazon had listed the box set in mid November 2019 along with reissues of 'On Through The Night' and 'High 'n' Dry.
The new box set has been released to coincide with the recent 40th anniversary of the band's debut album 'On Through The Night' which was released on 14th March 1980 in the UK.
The full tracklisting for The Early Years 79-81 can be viewed below along with order links.
New remastered versions of 'On Through The Night' and 'High 'n' Dry' are included with the box set and as standalone CD and Vinyl releases.
The Oxford, England show from April 1980 is included and released for the first time having been mentioned in the 1987 'Animal Instinct' biography.
It was taped at the New Theatre during the band's debut UK headline tour featuring the Steve Clark and Pete Willis guitar duo.
The cover artwork features a live photo taken on 24th August 1980 in Reading, England at the Reading Festival.
Disc 4 features the unreleased 1979 versions of 'Rock Brigade' and 'Glad I'm Alive' - a song which has never been released before.
Disc 5 includes many BBC recordings from radio sessions and the official recordings from the Reading Festival radio special. This includes 'Medicine Man', the early version of 'Rock! Rock!'.
Coloured vinyl versions of the first two albums are also available. Blue for OTTN and red for 'High 'n' Dry'.
Listen to all 64 digital tracks below if you have Spotify installed.
Discs 3, 4 and 5 have also been released as separate digital albums on all platforms.
Visit the Tour News section. For more news on future tour plans.
Visit the Album News section for more news on new music (based on band member quotes).
Def Leppard - The Early Years 79-81 (Limited Edition) Box Set
- Catalogue Number (CD) - 6731408
- Number Of Discs - Five
- Record Company - UMC-Mercury
- Release Date - 20th March 2020
Def Leppard - Individual Digital Live Albums
- Amazon - (When The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Live in Oxford/16 Tracks)
- Amazon - (Too Many Jitterbugs: B-Sides And Rarities/14 Tracks)
- Amazon - (Raw: Early BBC Recordings/13 Tracks)
- Record Company - UMC-Mercury
- Release Date - 20th March 2020
Order 'On Through The Night' Online
- Catalogue Number (CD) - 7779325
- Catalogue Number (Vinyl) - 0800722
- Record Company - UMC-Mercury
- Release Date - 20th March 2020
Order 'High 'n' Dry' Online
- Catalogue Number (CD) - 7779319
- Catalogue Number (Vinyl) - 0803068
- Record Company - UMC-Mercury
- Release Date - 20th March 2020
Def Leppard The Early Years 79-81 Disc 1 - On Through The Night
- 01 - Rock Brigade - 3:09
- 02 - Hello America - 3:28
- 03 - Sorrow Is A Woman - 3:54
- 04 - It Could Be You - 2:34
- 05 - Satellite - 4:28
- 06 - When The Walls Came Tumbling Down - 4:45
- 07 - Wasted - 3:45
- 08 - Rocks Off - 3:43
- 09 - It Don't Matter - 3:21
- 10 - Answer To The Master - 3:13
- 11 - Overture - 7:44
On Through The Night reissued on vinyl and CD with remastered audio.
Def Leppard The Early Years 79-81 Disc 2 - High 'n' Dry
- 01 - Let It Go - 4:43
- 02 - Another Hit And Run - 4:59
- 03 - High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night) - 3:27
- 04 - Bringin' On The Heartbreak - 4:34
- 05 - Switch 625 - 3:03
- 06 - You Got Me Runnin' - 4:23
- 07 - Lady Strange - 4:39
- 08 - On Through The Night - 5:06
- 09 - Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes) - 4:08
- 10 - NO NO NO - 3:13
High 'n' Dry reissued on vinyl and CD with remastered audio.
Def Leppard The Early Years 79-81 Disc 3 - When The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Live in Oxford: 26/04/1980
- 01 - When The Walls Came Tumblin' Down - 4:46
- 02 - It Could Be You - 2:39
- 03 - Rock Brigade - 2:59
- 04 - Satellite - 4:00
- 05 - Medicine Man - 4:08
- 06 - Answer To The Master - 3:25
- 07 - When The Rain Falls - 5:39
- 08 - Sorrow Is A Woman - 3:44
- 09 - Good Morning Freedom - 3:49
- 10 - It Don't Matter - 4:48
- 11 - Overture - 7:16
- 12 - Lady Strange - 4:55
- 13 - Getcha Rocks Off - 4:37
- 14 - Hello America - 3:14
- 15 - Wasted - 4:53
- 16 - Ride Into The Sun - 3:24
A live show featuring Steve Clark and Pete Willis recorded at the New Theatre on 20th April 1980. Previously unreleased.
Def Leppard The Early Years 79-81 Disc 4 - Too Many Jitterbugs: B-Sides And Rarities
- 01 - Ride into The Sun - The Def Leppard EP Version - 2:53
- 02 - Getcha Rocks Off - The Def Leppard EP Version - 3:39
- 03 - The Overture - The Def Leppard EP Version - 7:46
- 04 - Wasted - Single (1979) - 3:03
- 05 - Hello America - Single (1979) - 3:07
- 06 - Rock Brigade - Unreleased Nick Tauber produced version (1979) - 2:49
- 07 - Glad I'm Alive - Unreleased Nick Tauber produced version (1979) - 4:13
- 08 - Good Morning Freedom - Single (1980 B-Side) - 2:59
- 09 - Let It Go - Single Edit (1981) - 4:14
- 10 - Switch 625 - Single Edit (1981) - 3:04
- 11 - Bringin' On the Heartbreak - Single Edit (1981) - 3:57
- 12 - Me and My Wine - Original Version (1981) - 3:35
- 13 - Bringin' On the Heartbreak - Remix (1984) - 4:34
- 14 - Me and My Wine - Remix (1984) - 3:40
The versions of 'Rock Brigade' and 'Glad I'm Alive' are released for the first time. Although RB is available on the iTunes video. The 1979 single versions of 'Wasted' and 'Hello America' were recorded at the same session in September 1979.
The rare single edits are also included. There were originally two edits of 'Let It Go', one called 'Short' and one called 'Long' - both shorter than the album version.
Tracks 9, 10, 11 and 12 have never previously been released on CD alongside the unreleased songs 6 and 7.
Def Leppard The Early Years 79-81 Disc 5 - Raw: Early BBC Recordings
- 01 - Glad I'm Alive (Andy Peebles Session - (7th June 1979) - 4:30
- 02 - Sorrow Is A Woman (Andy Peebles Session - (7th June 1979) - 3:48
- 03 - Wasted (Andy Peebles Session - (7th June 1979) - 3:46
- 04 - Answer to The Master (Andy Peebles Session - (7th June 1979) - 3:31
- 05 - Satellite (Friday Rock Show Session - (3rd October 1979) - 4:18
- 06 - Rock Brigade (Friday Rock Show Session - (3rd October 1979) - 2:43
- 07 - Wasted (Friday Rock Show Session - (3rd October 1979) - 2:59
- 08 - Good Morning Freedom (Friday Rock Show Session - (3rd October 1979) - 3:22
- 09 - Satellite / When the Walls Came Tumbling Down (Live at the Reading Festival - 24th August 1980) - 6:11
- 10 - Medicine Man (Live at the Reading Festival - 24th August 1980) - 4:11
- 11 - The Overture (Live at the Reading Festival - 24th August 1980) - 7:28
- 12 - Lady Strange (Live at the Reading Festival - 24th August 1980) - 4:59
- 13 - Getcha Rocks Off (Live at the Reading Festival - 24th August 1980) - 5:17
Radio sessions and live tracks released officially for the first time. All originally broadcast by BBC Radio 1. Sadly the August 1979 Paris Theatre show recording is not included.
Def Leppard - On Through The Night Blue Vinyl
- Side A
- 01 - Rock Brigade
- 02 - Hello America
- 03 - Sorrow Is A Woman
- 04 - It Could Be You
- 05 - Satellite
- 06 - When The Walls Came Tumbling Down
- Side B
- 07 - Wasted
- 08 - Rocks Off
- 09 - It Don't Matter
- 10 - Answer To The Master
- 11 - Overture
- Catalogue Number - 77793264
- Record Company - UMC-Mercury
- Release Date - 20th March 2020
On Through The Night reissued on blue vinyl with remastered audio.
Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry Red Vinyl
- Side A
- 01 - Let It Go
- 02 - Another Hit And Run
- 03 - High 'n' Dry (Saturday Night)
- 04 - Bringin' On The Heartbreak
- 05 - Switch 625
- Side B
- 06 - You Got Me Runnin'
- 07 - Lady Strange
- 08 - On Through The Night
- 09 - Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)
- 10 - NO NO NO
- Catalogue Number - 77793202
- Record Company - UMC-Mercury
- Release Date - 20th March 2020
High 'n' Dry reissued on red vinyl with remastered audio.
Def Leppard The Early Years 79-81 - News Quotes
‘The Early Years 79-81’ boxset represents the band’s first two albums, ‘On Through The Night’ (1980) and ‘High ‘N’ Dry’ (1981), and has been prepared in conjunction with singer Joe Elliott who has acted as executive producer on the set. The mastering has been done by the band’s long serving sound engineer Ronan McHugh.
This deluxe set comes with 5-CDs consisting of the original album remastered, B-sides, rarities and re-mix versions, Radio One sessions, Live from Reading and the first ever appearance of an unreleased and newly mixed show from Oxford in 1980. These remasters have been highly anticipated, and much requested, by Def Leppard fans globally.
The album also features an instant grat track, the much sought-after Nick Tauber produced version of ‘Rock Brigade’, which was originally pencilled as a single for the UK but was never released at the time. Today, 40 years on, the track receives its first release.
Joe Elliott says, “Well the fans asked, and we listened! Really excited to have our early years reworked with a load of rare material including the newly unearthed Live at the Oxford New Theatre, recorded on the 1980 UK tour …. It’s been a trip putting this boxset together and I hope you all enjoy listening to it as much as we did working on it! ”
‘On Through The Night’, the band’s debut album, was released in 1980 and immediately put the rock world on notice. The band were destined for big things with the album charting at #15 in the UK and #51 in the US. Produced by Tom Allom (Judas Priest, Black Sabbath), it featured many of the band’s live favourites and some updated versions of early singles. The album achieved platinum status in 1989.
‘High ‘N’ Dry’, the first of Def Leppard’s albums to be produced by Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange, was released in 1981. It reached #26 in the UK charts and #38 in the US, further cementing the bands status.
‘The Early Years 79-81’ boxset includes a history of the band’s first two albums written by Mojo and Classic Rock writer Paul Elliott (no relation) featuring personal insights from the band on the making and releasing of those early records as well as rare photos and memorabilia.
Both albums have been remastered and will be available on 1CD version, black vinyl, and limited edition coloured vinyl.
Def Leppard The Early Years 79-81 - News Quotes
On 20th March 2020, legendary British rock ‘n’ roll icons and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Def Leppard will release ‘The Early Years 79-81’ Boxset - the definitive collection of the band’s early music - on UMC/Virgin.
‘The Early Years 79-81’ boxset represents the band’s first two albums, ‘On Through The Night’ (1980) and ‘High ‘N’ Dry’ (1981), and has been prepared in conjunction with singer Joe Elliott who has acted as executive producer on the set. The mastering has been done by the band’s long serving sound engineer Ronan McHugh.
This deluxe set comes with 5-CDs consisting of the original album remastered, B-sides, rarities and re-mix versions, Radio One sessions, Live from Reading and the first ever appearance of an unreleased and newly mixed show from Oxford in 1980. These remasters have been highly anticipated, and much requested, by Def Leppard fans globally.
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- Def Leppard - The Early Years 79-81 Box Set Section
- Def Leppard - Discography
- Previous News - 13th March 2020
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