42 Years Ago In The UK

Do you ever wonder what Def Leppard would sound like today if Pete Willis had remained in the band? That is always one of the favorite musical "what ifs" I like to ponder from time to time. I was surprised to see Def Leppard post the anniversary of "Wasted/Hello America" today, but glad for it. Gave me time to ponder about Willis again and also prompted me to listen to "Wasted" for the first time in a long while.

Celebrating 42 years since the release of Wasted/Hello America in the UK 🤘 pic.twitter.com/mWu2YxrTHn

— Def Leppard (@DefLeppard) November 9, 2021

The Escape Club: Glam or Nah?

Way back in the 80s there was a UK band called The Escape club and they had a massive hit in America with "Wild, Wild West." The song reentered my orbit Friday night while once again watching MTV classic 80s block (or something to that effect). Watching the clip for "Wild, Wild West" I was sort of struck by the song and how the band looked and then I started to wonder... were these guys Glam? Like, maybe a little?

Now they are very pop-oriented but so was Def Leppard in 1988. "Wild, Wild West" was a single that year. The track is from the album of the same name. I do not think it is much of a leap to think fans of Hysteria-era Def Leppard also jammed out to The Escape Club.

Now the video is insane and completely 80s. I remember watching the clip all those years ago and thinking how odd it was, even by 80s MTV standards. It garnered a lot of news coverage too. Press called it everything from sexist (it is), to modernist and innovative (yep) and just straight-up bizarre (check). Regardless, the weird little video helped make the band famous, at least for a minute. The members definitely look Glam to me. What do you think?

A making-of look back:

Def Leppard Announces Limited Edition 'Pyromania' Merch

From the company Collectionzz, Def Leppard just launched a limited edition run of Pyromania era merch, including a patch and tour screenprint (poster). I share because I know a few of you have jean jackets with band patches. Looks like the poster is $75, so not cheap! There are only 200 of them and they are hand signed by the artist.

Scrolling through artists, I noticed Motley Crue is listed. There are a lot of nice posters featuring them back in the 80s.

Still In My Top 5 Of All Time

Def Leppard's Hysteria will always be in my top 5 albums of all time. In fact, it's probably my second favorite album, following Aerosmith Rocks. On this date back in 1988, Hysteria reached the top position on the Billboard chart. It stayed there for six weeks, but not consecutively. That is a huge accomplishment and testament to the popularity of the band and their place in cultural music history.

On this day in Leppard History - 33 Years ago on July 23, Hysteria peaked at #1 on @billboard's Top 200 Chart 🤘 Blast the album to celebrate 💥 pic.twitter.com/E7Ti0hyi1A

— Def Leppard (@DefLeppard) July 23, 2021

White Lightning

Steve Clark died 16 years ago today. He was the co-lead guitarist for Def Leppard, a tortured soul who drank himself to death at age 30.

Adrenalize was Def Leppard’s first album without Steve. He died midway through production after an accidental overdose of mixing prescription pain killers and liquor. On the album, the remaining four members of DL recorded the track “White Lightning.” Clark’s nickname was “White Lightning” but the term is also used to describe booze and other drugs. While treated as an anthem to their fallen comrade, lyrics to “White Lightning” also include a warning for others riding the addiction train:

“You wanna leave but you can't let go
You wanna stop but you can't say no
(You never laugh about it, you just can't live without it)
You've had enough but you just want more
You never get what you're looking for
(You never laugh about it)”

And later, after the bridge:

“The White Lightning - On a dead end street
White Lightning - Where the deadbeats meet
White Lightning - It's a one way ride
White Lightning - Oh, there's nowhere to hide.”

Instead of replacing Clark during the Adrenalize sessions, the band forged ahead as a quartet, later hiring Vivian Campbell on guitars. On the official website www.defleppard.com, Steve Clark retains a biography under the band section.

This, beyond any recording or songwriting capabilities, speaks volumes to the talent Clark oozed during his time with the British supergroup. In short, Clark knew the true essence of the 1980s musical zeitgeist and was able to transform that mold into power cords, strong riffs and gigantic album sales.

Personally, I think “White Lightning” is the best track on Adrenalize. The 50 second guitar intro literally makes the song, and the entire track isn’t overproduced like so many DL hits. Interestingly, the song was never released as a single, and I can only assume this was out of respect for Clark. The band didn’t want to look like it was profiting off the death of their famous guitarist. For this reason, “White Lightning” will be our underappreciated song obsession of the week.

For Def Leppard, success is a mixed bag. Personally, I award DL the title of the biggest band of the 1980s. They sold more albums, played more shows and stayed on the charts longer than any other glam band. In the middle of the grunge hey-day, Adrenalize simultaneously debuted at number 1 on the U.S. and U.K. Billboard charts, remaining in the top spot for several weeks. Sales-wise, this was Def Leppard’s last big success, save for the many greatest hits compilations (Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection was certified platinum in February of 2006). Critics say that when Steve Clark died, so did Def Leppard. I don’t know if I agree with that statement, but I do think the band lost a certain edge that will never be replaced. It’s a certain quality every band loses when an integral musician leaves the fold.

[“White Lightning” lyrics by Def Leppard, for the 1992 Mercury/Universal release Adrenalize]