The JOE ELLIOTT Show 3rd January 2026 Playlist/Transcript
Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott hosted another edition of his weekly radio show on 3rd January on Planet Rock.
This week's show included songs by Thin Lizzy, The Beatles and Ian Hunter.
The full playlist is shown below and a full transcript.
The show is available using the On Demand feature. It is also repeated on Tuesdays at 9pm and Thursdays at 4am.
The Joe Elliott Show - 3rd January 2026 Playlist
- 01 - Thin Lizzy - Sha La La
- 02 - Wishbone Ash - Blowin' Free
- 03 - Elton John - Take Me To The Pilot
- 04 - Gong - Tiny Galaxies
- 05 - The Rolling Stones - Out Of Tears
- 06 - Be Bop Deluxe - Fair Exchange
- 07 - The Beatles - Free As A Bird
- 08 - The Cars - Just What I Needed
- 09 - Sinceros - Take Me To Your Leader
- 10 - Ian Hunter - Womans Intuition
The Joe Elliott Show - 3rd January 2026 Transcript - (Transcribed by dltourhistory)
Show Intro
Evening all, and a happy New Year.
Welcome to The Joe Elliott Show right here on the wonderful Planet Rock.
Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a cracking New Year.
And we are now into 2026.
We have polished off 2025.
We move onwards and upwards by going backwards.
This is Thin Lizzy.
Thin Lizzy
Well, seeing as this is the week of the 40th anniversary of Phil’s passing, there is no better place to start the show than with a bit of classic Thin Lizzy.
I can’t believe it’s 40 years since we lost Phil Lynott.
Wow, that time really has flown.
From the recently released box set 1974–1975, originally featured on the Nightlife album in 1974, that was the 2025 remix of that classic bit of work called “Sha La La.”
Wishbone Ash
Now, for all you Thin Lizzy aficionados out there, you’ll well know that Nightlife was the first album they did as a four-piece, featuring Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham on guitar after Eric Bell left the band.
That brought out a totally different kind of sound for Thin Lizzy.
They went into that twin-guitar harmony that became their trademark.
Well, there was a band doing it before they did, who were a big influence on Thin Lizzy in fairness.
Here they are.
This is Wishbone Ash.
And before that, we heard Wishbone Ash from that absolutely brilliant album Argus, with a song that I heard every single Sunday night at every single rock disco I went to growing up in Sheffield as a kid.
We heard the immortal “Blowing Free.”
Elton John
From the album of the same name, that is Elton John with a wonderful bit of work called “Take Me to the Pilot.”
Gong
Now, one band that I never saw in the ’70s growing up is the band we’re about to hear, but I need to give a little bit of context to this particular song.
Back in 1976, me and my best friend Andy were going to go and see a band at the Sheffield City Hall.
We normally travelled down together on the same bus, but I said, “I’ll meet you down there.”
So he went down, and I totally bottled it.
I didn’t go, because I thought it was just going to be a little too weird, even though I’d bought a ticket.
But I was proven right, because he left after about five songs when somebody on stage started making cat noises.
Now, cut to almost 50 years later.
He went to see this band at the Crookes Working Men’s Club just a few short weeks ago, and he said they were actually quite good.
So I think he’s forgiven me.
This is Gong.
And before that, we heard Gong.
Now, as I said in the intro, I didn’t go to the gig.
I am a big fan of the album Shamal.
I think it’s a great album.
I remember picking up a copy of a record called Camembert Electrique because it was on sale for 50p, and I wasn’t too keen on that one particularly.
But I do like this newer album, which my friend Andy picked up when he saw them at the Working Men’s Club where Def Leppard pretty much started out.
They were playing the Crookes Working Men’s Club.
The album is Unending Ascending.
The song that we heard was “Tiny Galaxies.”
The Rolling Stones
Now that, my friends, is what I would consider to be a very overlooked song in the arsenal of wonderful songs that the Rolling Stones have made.
I don’t hear it on the radio very often, so I thought I should maybe readdress that balance somewhat tonight.
From the album Voodoo Lounge, you just heard “Out of Tears.”
You are listening to The Joe Elliott Show right here on the wonderful Planet Rock.
Coming up, we’re going to take a road trip from the Crookes Working Men’s Club in Sheffield all the way over to Hills to Wakefield.
Be Bop Deluxe
And before that, we heard Be Bop Deluxe, Wakefield’s finest as far as I’m concerned, from an album called Sunburst Finish, which I did see them promoting at the Sheffield City Hall.
And just as I’m saying all this, it’s bringing back some memories, because I remember now seeing Bill Nelson at the Crookes Working Men’s Club, where we were just a few minutes ago with Gong.
He came over to see a band called Ponders End, because I believe he wanted to steal the guitarist for his new upcoming band, which would have been Red Noise, I think.
I don’t really know what happened, but I guess he wasn’t impressed enough to take the guy.
But either way, Be Bop Deluxe — wonderful band that they were.
The album is Sunburst Finish from 1976.
The song that we heard is the 2018 stereo remix of “Fair Exchange.”
The Beatles
I just picked up my copy of Anthology 4, and I was extremely happy to see that there was a 2025 remix of this particular song.
They did a fantastic job when they put this thing together, what, 30 years ago or so now.
But now that we have the Peter Jackson-style technology available to really lift the vocal out, it sounds so much better in 2025.
It is The Beatles from Anthology 4 with “Free as a Bird.”
The Cars
Now here’s a couple of great examples of late ’70s power pop, starting off with The Cars.
And before that, from absolutely 1978, we heard The Cars from their debut album of the same name with “Just What I Needed.”
Sinceros
From the superbly titled Sounds of Sunburning album, that is a band called The Sinceros with an almost hit single from, I think, 1978, called “Take Me to Your Leader.”
Show Outro
And that, my dear friends, from this first show of 2026, that’s about it for this week.
It’s been a real pleasure, as always.
I shall be back with you next week at exactly the same time, so please don’t go anywhere.
Until then, I shall leave you with this from an album called You’re Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, which, in case you don’t know, is a play on words from a phrase often said on a show called The Three Stooges.
This, featuring Mick Ronson, is Ian Hunter with “Women’s Intuition.”
Till next week — see ya!
Def Leppard / Latest Release
- Stand By Me - (Digital Single)
- Diamond Star Heroes Live From Sheffield - (Album - November 2025)
Def Leppard / Latest Tour
- Listen to the show (until next Saturday) at - hellorayo.co.uk/planet-rock
- Previous Show - 29th December 2025
- Back
share this story:
explore def leppard tour history
