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29 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD Release LOVE BITES Single In The USA

Love Bites 1988.

Def Leppard released their classic Love Bites single on this day in 1988 in the USA and Canada.

The fifth single to be released from the 'Hysteria' album in the USA.

It was released on 27th August 1988 and would go on to become the band's first and only Number One single.

The single had been released on 4th July 1988 (US Independence Day) in the UK where it peaked at Number 11.

The previous two US singles had both made the Top Ten - 'Hysteria' (10), 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' (2) - paving the way for this song to reach the Top spot.

On the same day the single was released the 'Hysteria' album was at Number 2 and about to retake the top spot for a fourth week.

'Pour Some Sugar On Me' was also still at Number 35 on the Hot 100.

Along with the 'Hysteria' album being on the Top 200 chart for all of 1988. The band also had singles inside the Hot 100 for the whole year.

'Animal' continued its chart run into January 1988 and 'Armageddon It' carried on from 'Love Bites' at the end of the year and into 1989.

This impressive chart run actually started when 'Animal' entered in October 1987 and did not end until 'Rocket' left the chart in May 1989 with all singles overlapping each other.

Read some quotes about the song below.

Love Bites 1988.

Def Leppard Love Bites - Band Quotes

Phil Collen

"That was written by Mutt. When he first showed it to us, it sounded a bit country-and western. Mutt has always been a big fan of country music. He recently produced his wife's album (Shania Twain's multiplatinum "The Woman in Me"), and it's one of the biggest-selling country releases. For "Love Bites," we just added Def Leppard guitars to it. There was a harmony guitar thing that me and Steve did where we orchestrated the chords. Steve and I jammed the song out with a drum box, and recorded it. The backing track was recorded live, and it ended up on the record. The song went on to become our first and only number-one U.S. Single."

Phil Collen

"It made my Mum cry. That's how I knew it was special. It was actually a country and western song when Mutt Lange played his demo to Steve Clark and I. He always loved the Eagles. We goofed around with it quite a lot to Lepparddise it. But it's essence was kept."

Joe Elliott

"It was a play on words. When somebody chews on your neck, you get a bruise. We're aware of the fact that in Britain, love bites, you guys call them hickeys. We call them love bites. The idea of it was that it's like, love bites, love bleeds. It was a case of taking it and just showing how the English language is an awkward beast. Many words mean many different things."


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Phil Collen - Guitar
Phil Collen - Guitar
Phil Collen - Guitar
Phil Collen - Guitar