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The Def Leppard Profile

They're one of the biggest rock bands ever; they boast one of the finest guitar
pairings in the business; they've sold in excess of 40 million LPs; they
misspell their name and, furthermore, they're British and are damned proud of
it. They're DEF LEPPARD and they've just been . . . Marshallized!

If one rock band had to be singled out as ruling the '80s, it would probably be
Def Leppard. After all, their third and fourth LPs, Pyromania [1983] and
Hysteria [1987], topped charts all over the globe and sold a combined total of
more than 20 million units in America alone. Furthermore, their super slick,
MTV-perfect, larger-than-life production set a new standard for how commercial
rock should sound in that now bygone era of hair rock. "Because we were so
successful, all of a sudden everyone wanted to sound like us," reflects
guitarist Phil Collen who joined the band midway through the making of
Pyromania. "And, although imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we were
so mimicked our sound started to get burnt out."

Survival of the Fittest
Anyway, the '80s are now long gone and the face [and hair] of rock has changed
considerably. So, how have Def Leppard fared? Pretty well actually. Despite the
fact that a trio from Seattle called Nirvana literally rewrote the rules
overnight with their 1991 LP, Nevermind , the Def Lep legacy has continued to
grow. In 1992 Collen & Co. released Adrenalize - yet another album boasting
their trademark BIG production.
Unfortunately, the LP was made without co-founding guitarist and riff writer,
Steve Clark, who sadly died from substance abuse in 1991. Adrenalize entered the
American charts at no.1 and went on to sell a very respectable 4 million copies
in the U.S. alone.
Then, in 1994, came their Retro-Active LP [essentially a collection of B-sides
with a few new and unreleased goodies thrown in for good measure] which spawned
the global smash, Two Steps Behind, followed by their highly successful greatest
hits package Vault in 1995. Incidentally, while promoting Vault, Def Lep set a
world record by playing three gigs in three continents in just one day [they
performed in Morocco, London and Vancouver] - nice one boys!

Talking Slang!
Now, in mid '96, the band has just released its eighth album Slang. On their
last few LPs, the band has relied on refrigerator-sized racks full of so-called
'state-of-the art,' digital devices to create their radio-friendly guitar sound.
For Slang however, they went back to the analogue basics of rock...namely,
all-tube Marshalls!
Why the sudden change? "The day before we started recording Slang, myself and
Joe Elliott [vocals] did a Mick Ronson tribute gig at Hammersmith Odeon in
London," Phil recalls. "And, I needed an amp but I didn't really want to rent
one. So, I went up in my Mum's attic and there was the 50 Watt Marshall head I
used throughout all the Girl [Phil's pre-Lep band] stuff.
Actually, that was also the amp I used to record all my solos on Pyromania too.
Anyway, I used it at Hammersmith and I honestly think it was the best tone I'd
ever had in my life. It just felt so natural. Then, we checked out a 50 Watt
SL-X head and I was completely sold! I did pretty much the whole album using
that amp."

Better Late Than Never!
Slang is the first Def Lep LP to feature Mr.Clark's replacement, the excellent
Vivian Campbell [ex-guitar hero for Dio and then Whitesnake].
"Thank God a Def Leppard record has finally come out with me on it all the way
through," jokes the amiable Irishman. "When I joined this band I was in my 20's
and now I'm nearly 34!" It was worth the wait though it seems: "The guitar
sounds on Slang are very natural and pure by Def Leppard standards," Viv
enthuses. "As Phil's already said, for the most part, it was guitar plugged
straight into a Marshall SL-X. And, I must say, I'm well-chuffed with my sound."
As pleased as he is with the LP, the guitarist realises that Slang may not be an
easy sell. "We've got a big hurdle to overcome because a lot of people still see
Def Leppard as this big, slick '80s hair band," he openly admits. Worry not
Mr.Campbell, Slang proves that this Leppard has successfully changed its spots!

None More Black!
In keeping with their huge global status, Def Leppard just commenced a mammoth
world tour in exotic Bangkok, Thailand. And, thanks to their self-effacing
humour, said tour has been named None More Black [© Nigel Tufnel]!! Viv's and
Phil's backlines on this trek are a visual testament to their newly pledged
allegiance to Marshall - a bunch of 5881 loaded SL-X heads and 9200 power amps
driving a veritable Hadrian's wall of 1960BV cabinets.

One of Def Leppard's biggest strengths has always been their spirited live
performance. So, if you wanna get rocked, we strongly recommend that you check
'em out when they play an enormo-dome near you. If you don't, you'll miss out.