[ Def Leppard UK - Past News 23: Sep-Oct 2006 ]
[Oct 28th] - UK TV Shows
As you've noticed from the updates, Lep will be on UK TV not once, but twice in the next couple of weeks. Starting tonight with an archive performance on TOTP 2. On BBC2 8:30-9pm.
The recent Ellen DeGeneres Show performance of "Pour Some Sugar On Me" will be shown on new channel Five Life on Fri 10th Nov - 4-5pm.
[ More Info ] :: UK TV 1 2
[Oct 24th] - UK Mags: Q/Kerrang!/Classic Rock
Three UK mags feature Lep in their latest issues.
Q Magazine's current 20th anniversary edition (20 different covers featuring interviews with each cover star) has a 4-star review of the Hysteria Deluxe Edition, with accompanying small Hysteria stage pic.
Kerrang! Issue 1130 follow's up last weeks album review with a "Where To Star With..." feature on the band over pages 52-53. It has ratings of 5 albums, small history of the band, 1987 Holland pic, 20 tracks suggested for the Ultimate Lep mix CD with ratings and a small paragraph by New Found Glory bassist Ian Grushka on being a Lep fan. He mentions attending a show in Florida recently. The mag comes in 5 covers, one for each member of cover stars My Chemical Romance.
Classic Rock Issue 99 Nov 2006 (Alice Cooper cover) features a "Before They Were Famous" feature including Lep, an old article from Sounds (some of which is in the Tour History - Crookes June 1979). Last month's issue also 'apparently' had a review of the deluxe CDs.
[ More Info ] :: Kerrang! Q 4 Music
[Oct 17th] - Q Podcast/Hip-Hop Tribute CD
Q Magazine's website has updated with it's weekly album review podcast. "Hysteria Deluxe Edition" is featured during the 10:24min mp3 (6:10-8:20) with a few comments on the making of the album plus clips of 'PSSOM' & 'Animal'. And they give it 4 stars out of 5.
[ More Info ] :: Q Podcast
Tribute Sounds in the US are releasing a new Lep tribute album on Oct 31st titled "Hip-Hop Tribute To Def Leppard" (TRB 60157).
Tracklist:1. Rock Of Ages,
2. Pour Some Sugar On Me,
3. Hysteria,
4. Armageddon It,
5. Rocket,
6. Photograph,
7. Animal,
8. Bringin' On The Heartbreak,
9. Let's Get Rocked,
10. Women.
Retail blurb: "Now you can enjoy their classic sound with a modern twist with this Hip-Hop Tribute to Def Leppard." No info on any of the artists involved. Tracklist updated thanks to Amazon.
[ Buy @ ] :: Amazon US - Amazon UK (Import)
[Oct 16th] - Joe/Phil Covers Re-Released
A new 2CD/30-track compilation album titled "This Is Metal's Most Covered Moments Of The 80's" was released in the USA on October 10th by Cleopatra Records. It features 2 cover versions from the late 90s by both Joe and Phil.
Joe/Phil's 1999 cover of Alice Cooper's "Under My Wheels" (original version) is on CD1 track 11. First released on the "Humanery Stew" tribute album and later remixed as a Lep b-side.
Phil's cover of AC/DC's "Back In Black" is on CD2 as track 15. This was released in 1998 on the "Thunderbolt: A Tribute To AC/DC" album. It was also later released as a remix on two more albums. It features Joe Lynn Turner on vocals who toured with Lep in 1981 as Rainbow's frontman.
[ More Info ] :: Phil Discography Joe Discography
[Oct 8th] - Joe in Music Documentary
Joe will be featured in a new music documentary about street musician Michael Masley. Titled "Art Officially Favored", the film is due for release in 2007. Michael is apparently a famous musician: "Known for the distinctive "bowhammer" technique that he himself originated, Michael Masely is a master of the cymbalom—a modern orchestral (Hungarian) version of the hammered dulcimer".
Follow the first link for the details at imdb.com and also the trailer which features a short interview with Mick Cripps of LA Guns explaining how Phil & Joe introduced them to Michael's music during the Hysteria tour when they opened for them. The film also features Steven Tyler of Aerosmith (as seen in the trailer).
[ More Info ] :: Here :: Trailer
[Oct 6th] - DMA Website Awards Winners
The Digital Music Awards (DMA's) have published the final 2006 People's Choice Awards Top 200 Websites.
This website finished at #138 - (#169 last year). Overall People's choice winner was McFly's official site.
Thanks to all who took the time to vote & continue to visit.
[ Top 200 Sites List ] :: Here
[October 5th] - Essential Sugar
"Pour Some Sugar On Me" has been included as one of Q Magazine's "The 50 Essential Tracks You Need To Download" at their website: q4music.com Listed as #10. The magazine is currently celebrating it's 20th anniversary.
"Eighties rock doesn't get any bigger - or sillier - than the OTT centrepiece of the Sheffield titans' 1987 masterpiece Hysteria, now reissued in extended format."
[ More Info ] :: Here
[September 29th] - Mohegan Walk Of Fame
As reported by fans attending the Sep 19th Mohegan Sun Arena show, Lep and Journey were inducted into the venue's Walk Of Fame. CT Concert.com has now added details and over 10 pics of the event at their site including full band pics and close ups of the stars.
(Thanks to Debbi).
[ More Info ] :: Here
[September 19th] - Lep iTunes Session
Phil has mentioned during a recent radio interview that Lep have recorded a live in-studio session for Apple's digital music store iTunes. The 3 tracks recorded were:
Let It Go,
Foolin',
Bringin' On The Heartbreak.
Quote: "we done live studio versions, I'm not sure when it will be coming out. They have a lot more edge than the records actually, I think."
The interview with WRQK happened on August 25th. Phil mentioned the recording took place 'recently' and gave no details of when it would be released. Listen to the full 3-part interview via the link. Incidentally iTunes UK have recently removed all Lep tracks other than the 'Vault' album...
[ Interview Link ] :: Here
[September 12th] - Phil Collen: A Punk Rock Girl
Who is this man? It's a 19 year old Phil Collen circa 1977 in his first band Lucy. Yes, he started not wearing shirts early.
It turns out Lucy were actually a Punk band and part of the late 70s punk/new wave scene in London, not a glam band like his other pre-Lep outfits Dumb Blondes & Girl.
Before joining Dumb Blondes and playing briefly in Tush, Phil played in Lucy, his first band and they actually released two 7" singles, not just one as previously thought. After some investigation I managed to track down some more items of interest, including a recent re-release of Lucy's debut single on a Punk CD compilation from 2005.
The debut single "Really Got Me Goin'" now sells for between £25 to £100 and there is a second single called "Never, Never" which is even rarer.
Follow the link below to Phil's discography which has been updated with the single sleeves/tracklists. Plus a link to the easy to get hold of CD with the debut single on.
(Thanks to Thorbjörn from Sweden for the help/pic)
[ Phil Collen Discography ] :: Lucy Info