DEF LEPPARD Drummer Interviewed On Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM (Audio)

July 27, 2012

Meltdown of Detroit, Michigan's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station recently conducted an interview with DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

DEF LEPPARD recently joined the long list of rockers who have re-recorded their biggest hits in note-perfect renditions. Frontman Joe Elliott shed some light on the new "2012" versions of "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Rock Of Ages" now available at various digital retailers. Elliott told MTV, "How can I put this politely? We were having a major disagreement with our ex-record label about the digital rights for our back catalog. We couldn't come to a mutual understanding that seemed fair for both sides. So we finally just decided to re-record all our hits. We started with 'Sugar' and 'Rock Of Ages', and I think we did a pretty good job. It's hard work trying to recreate something you did 30 years ago."

When pressed on the fact that despite all the care taken, re-recordings never seems to sound identical to the original release, Elliott said: "We got the same sounds, the same key, the same tempo. It was a 100 percent forgery. That was the idea, anyway. . . [We were] very conscious of the fact that when people download our songs from iTunes, they want it to sound like they remember it."

Elliot told The Pulse Of Radio that he feels lucky about DEF LEPPARD's continued success, especially with the current state of the record industry, as well as the struggles many new bands face. "Nowadays record labels — what's left of them — are trying to actually get half of merchandise when they tour," he said. "It's like, 'How dare you?' It's like two separate things. I can't see Roger Waters willingly giving up 20 percent of his T-shirts. Luckily we're not in that kind of bag. I just feel bad for the new bands. I mean, there's the old acts that can sell records these days. But most people, if they don't have a second record or profit, they don't make a third record."

Interview (audio):

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