Tag: ultimate classic rock

Joe Elliott on Why Bad Company Were an Unstoppable Force

Posted on by James Janocha

via Ultimate Classic Rock

If you spend any amount of time talking to Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, one of the best things you’ll discover is that he’s a real music fan, rabidly passionate for the things, artists and bands that he loves, just like you.

With Bad Company’s pending induction this weekend into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, we got together with Joe for a lengthy conversation where he shared plenty of stories with us, tracing his love of Free, Mott the Hoople and eventually, Bad Company.

“No band deserves it more,” he told UCR via Zoom. “I’m happy that Mick Ralphs knew he was in before he passed. I remember Paul [Rodgers] saying to me, ‘You should have seen the smile on his face when I told him.’ Those are the things that make me happy. You know, the music’s what we’re there for, really.”

Understandably, it was a fever dream come true for the vocalist, working with two of his heroes, Rodgers and Simon Kirke. The pair joined Elliott and Def Leppard bandmate Phil Collen to record a new version of the Bad Company classic, “Seagull.” The song appears on Can’t Get Enough: A Tribute to Bad Company.

 

“The Hysteria Files with Phil Collen” Premiere

Posted on by admin

Introducing the new series: “The Hysteria Files with Phil Collen”

Via Ultimate Classic Rock: Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen takes fans on a trip back in time to the genesis of some of the biggest hits from the group’s Hysteria album in a new video interview conducted to commemorate the recent deluxe edition reissue of the classic LP.

Shot at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, California, Phil Collen takes a walk down memory lane as he re-visits the making of Hysteria 30 years later. Stay tuned for more videos coming soon!

In this clip, which is making its exclusive premiere above, Collen — toting a guitar outfitted with a GoPro camera so you can see exactly what he’s doing — looks back on a handful of the songs Def Leppard slaved over during the years it took to finish Hysteria. His comments shed a light on everything from the influences they absorbed while writing the songs — like “Armageddon It,” which Collen says was inspired by T. Rex, and “Love Bites,” which he recalls initially sounding like an Eagles song — to the incredible lengths they pursued to achieve sonic perfection.
Read More: Phil Collen Looks Back on Def Leppard’s ‘Hysteria’: Exclusive Video Premiere