1 Year Ago DEF LEPPARD Secretly Recorded DRASTIC SYMPHONIES Album At ABBEY ROAD

Wednesday, 22nd March 2023

Def Leppard 2023

Def Leppard recorded their new Drastic Symphonies album at Abbey Road studios in a secret recording session on this day in 2022.

The new album Drastic Symphonies will be released on Friday 19th May.

The album will feature 16 classic Def Leppard songs reworked and reimagined with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London.

The first single 'Animal' was released to digital and streaming services on the same day as the announcement - listen below.

Recording Date 22nd March 2022

The Japanese product descriptions revealed recently the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra recorded their parts for the album on 22nd March 2022.

It seems highly likely the band were also at the studios on the same day recording their parts for this album in secret not long after they had announced 'Diamond Star Halos' and released 'Kick' as their new single.

A session referred to by Vivian when he let slip the news to a journalist in Feb/Mar 2022 - which was then published in May 2022 in Power Play Magazine and mentioned here.

Abbey Road Studios

This session was of course the second visit by the band to the famous location in London.

In May 2008 they recorded three songs for the 'Live From Abbey Road' TV series and later released the audio for Record Store Day in 2018.

Original Vocals/New Vocals

Reading Joe's quotes again from the BBC Radio 2 interview he indicates not every song was re-sung.

'Animal' for instance has the original lead and backing vocals and the same length as the original.

Joe says he sang some, but not all, of the songs again.

'When Love & Hate Collide' also has the same track length suggesting it too will have the original vocals.

Read some of the quotes by Joe so far about the album sessions and how the idea came about plus a Round-Up of all news stories so far.

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 2023.

Joe Elliott/Zoe Ball Show - Interview Quotes 16th March 2023 - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

Drastic Symphonies Album

Zoe Ball - "You and the band had a new album last year. We talked about it on the show, but now you've done Drastic Symphonies. With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Rock with an orchestra. I'm loving the sound of this. How did that work Joe?."

Joe Elliott - "Well we first discussed this, or it was put on our plate by some grown ups about four years ago. And obviously because we're touring it just got side - we were side tracked."

Joe Elliott - "And then during COVID we did the new record. But while we were actually talking - you know when you were so gracefully supporting our last record which is only nine months ago now."

Joe Elliott - "We were actually under the radar. We were in Abbey Road recording this record without telling anybody."

Joe Elliott - "So we had it ready to go the following year. Which is like now, you know."

Joe Elliott - "So 19th May it comes out. And what we've done is we've reworked 16 of our most symphonic songs."

Joe Elliott - "And done them with the Royal Philharmonic. Which we wanted to make sure that everybody knows this is not just the records from the past with an orchestra, you know, chucked on the top like icing on a cake."

Joe Elliott - "We've took these songs all the way back to the beginning."

Joe Elliott - "I re sang some of them 'cause the original vocals were out of place once you've put an orchestra on it."

Too Late For Love

Joe Elliott - "So on one of the tunes, a song called Too Late For Love, I actually duet with myself from 40 years ago."

Joe Elliott - "It's the most bizarre thing I've ever done."

Zoe Ball - "That's so surreal. How wonderful."

Joe Elliott - "It was great fun and the timing and the phrasing came to me instantly. It's like it never left my DNA but it was one of the strangest thing I've ever done."

Joe Elliott - "It was like singing with a ghost that's still alive if that makes any sense."

Joe Elliott - "But yeah it turned out really really well. We're very happy with it you know."

Joe Elliott - "And to be putting out this record only nine months after Diamond Star Halos. It just shows there's a forward momentum."

Joe Elliott - "Not just from a touring point of view, but from just a generally, from a career point of view."

Joe Elliott - "We're always looking to just to keep moving forward and keep doing something different."

The Joe Elliott Show Quotes 18th March 2023 - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)

Joe Elliott on Album Session

"It's a very different record."

"And we took basically our most symphonic songs that we could, because we were gonna be working with an orchestra."

"The wonderful Royal London Philharmonic."

"Recorded live in Abbey Road Studios. What an experience that was to create. Wonderful stuff."

"Hope you like it when it finally comes out."

Drastic Symphonies - News Round-Up

21st March 2023

DEF LEPPARD Animal (Drastic Symphonies) Single Absolute Radio Track Of The Week

Def Leppard's current single Animal from the Drastic Symphonies album is the Track of The Week on Absolute Radio.

20th March 2023

DEF LEPPARD's Drastic Symphonies Album Features 58 Extra Musicians

Def Leppard's new album Drastic Symphonies album features up to 58 musicians from The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

18th March 2023

JOE ELLIOTT On DEF LEPPARD's DRASTIC SYMPHONIES ABBEY ROAD Live Recording Session

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott has commented on the new Drastic Symphonies album and the recording session at Abbey Road studios.

16th March 2023

DEF LEPPARD's DRASTIC SYMPHONIES Album Tracklistings/Version Details

Def Leppard release a new album called Drastic Symphonies on 19th May and here is a deeper look at the different versions and tracklistings.

16th March 2023

JOE ELLIOTT On DEF LEPPARD's DRASTIC SYMPHONIES Album/Live Residency Orchestra Shows

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott talked about the new Drastic Symphonies album and upcoming Las Vegas Residency on BBC radio earlier today

16th March 2023

DEF LEPPARD To Release DRASTIC SYMPHONIES Album On 19th May/Animal Out Now

Def Leppard will release a new album called Drastic Symphonies on 19th May featuring reworked classic songs with an orchestra.

Def Leppard 2023.

New Single - Animal (feat. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

01 - Animal - 4:03 - Amazon - (MP3)

Producer - Def Leppard/Ronan McHugh/Nick Patrick
Mixer - Ronan McHugh
Release Date - 16th March 2023

Buy 'Drastic Symphonies' Online

Amazon - 1CD
Amazon - 1CD/Blu-ray
Amazon - 2LP Regular Vinyl
Amazon - MP3

Drastic Symphonies (feat. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - Tracklisting

01 - Turn To Dust - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 5:29
02 - Paper Sun - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 5:33
03 - Animal - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:03
04 - Pour Some Sugar On Me (Stripped Version) - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 5:26
05 - Hysteria - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 5:56
06 - Love Bites - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 6:41
07 - Goodbye For Good This Time - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:26
08 - Love - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 3:55
09 - Gods Of War - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 6:45
10 - Angels (Can't Help You Now) - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:58
11 - Bringin' On The Heartbreak - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:33
12 - Switch 625 - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 3:04
13 - Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:55 - (Bonus Track)
14 - Too Late For Love - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 5:37
15 - When Love & Hate Collide - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - 4:16
16 - Kings Of The World - (Def Leppard with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - 6:19

Producer - Def Leppard/Ronan McHugh/Nick Patrick
Mixer - Ronan McHugh
Record Label - Universal Music Recordings/Bludgeon Riffola
Total Time - 82 mins
Release Date - 19th May 2023

Def Leppard (with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - Drastic Symphonies - SHM-CD 1CD Version (Japan)

Def Leppard Drastic Symphonies - Product Description (Translated)

"Co-starring work with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, one of London's leading orchestras."

"London's leading orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Def Leppard have teamed up to dramatically reconstruct the songs Def Leppard has released in the past, making it more spectacular and lively than ever."

"In this work, not only Def Leppard's super famous songs, but also the original tape sound sources of hidden masterpieces are played with the performance of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra."

"New vocals and guitars have also been added, which complement the beautiful orchestral arrangements. There are also several passages in which Joe Elliott sings a duet with his younger self."

"The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra recorded at Abbey Road Studios on March 22, 2022. The album was produced by Def Leppard, Ronan McHugh, and Nick Patrick (producers of the album with Elvis, Roy Orbison, The Beach Boys, Buddy Holly and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and other orchestras)."

"Arranged by Eric Goffen (Neil Diamond, Ryan Adams, Christina Aguilera)"

Def Leppard 2023.

Def Leppard / Latest Release