Friday, 11th August 2017
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30 Years Ago DEF LEPPARD Release WOMEN Single In The USA/Canada

Women 1987.

Def Leppard released their classic Women single 30 years ago on this day in 1987 in the USA and Canada.

The first single to be released from the 'Hysteria' album in North America.

It was released on 11th August 1987 reaching Number 80 and spent only five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The main Hysteria album had been issued there (as in the rest of the world) on 3rd August.

The following six singles would go on to fair a little better over the next 18 months producing six Top 20 hits including a Number One, two and three with 'Love Bites', 'PSSOM' and Armageddon It.

It wasn't until late November that the follow up single 'Animal' cracked the Top 40 with third single 'Hysteria' entering the Top Ten in March 1988.

The song was chosen to be the lead single in the USA because they wanted to let the hardcore fan base from the 'High 'n' Dry' and 'Pyromania' days know they were back after the four year gap.

Like the UK single 'Animal', the cover art was one of nine segments taken from the main album cover.

This one being the middle right section which was only used for this single in the USA, Canada and Australia.

Despite Joe's comments before this song was issued as a 7" single.

A few other editions were promo only releases and not for sale.

They included a 12" and a CD single that featured a shorter radio edit version of the song, the full album version and the B-Side of 'Tear It Down' .

Read some quotes about the song below.

Def Leppard Women - Band Quotes

Steve Clark (on the song's outro section)

"It wasn't part of the song at all originally. That developed in the studio. Basically we had half a song and then went in and totally redid the end bit. There is an E after the D which didn't make it."

Phil Collen (on the song's outro section)

"Mutt said we need an ending on this song that's different. We sat down and worked out a climactic bit. To be quite honest, the end is a bit of a goof off and it got left on."

Rick Savage

"We wanted the 'Hysteria' album to become the blueprint for rock albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 'Women' was one of the best songs we came up with for it."

Phil Collen

"As the lead-off track to 'Hysteria' it was crucial. Mutt suggested we write a song about women. We went with his idea and it really worked."

Rick Allen

"Especially memorable for being one of the first songs I worked on after my accident. It helped that it didn't have a frantic tempo. When Phil starts it off live. The place still goes nuts."

Joe Elliott

"The video was sent to MTV and purely because of that it began picking up airplay. It was bizarre, because you couldn't buy it as a single - it wasn't one! Like Foreigner's 'Jukebox Hero' It has that low, looping bass."

"My favourite part is at the end. The modulating key changes as Phil solos away. It's a magical moment that one day you hope your band will find themselves doing."

Joe Elliott - 1989 Interview Quote

"We never expected 'Women' to be a big hit, we put it out because it was the heaviest thing on the album and we wanted the hardcore fans to be the first to know we were back. Otherwise you end up with a 95 per cent female audience who aren't going to be there next year."


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