Joe Elliott Says "F**k You!" To Universal
Def Leppard fight with former label over digital music rights.
"We built their penthouse sushi bar” said Joe Elliot of Universal in a recent interview with Classic Rock Magazine. The vocalist stated that Universal should be treating Def Leppard with more respect, given the millions of records they have shifted for them over the years.
The band and their former label are currently embroiled in disagreements over the rights to Def Leppard digital tracks.
"We’re trying to wrestle back our career and ownership of these songs” says Elliot. "They Universal own the originals, we’re at loggerheads with them over the digital rights. And as long as they’re playing silly buggers we’ll just keep recording them again.
"Until we can come to some kind of humane conclusion to this ridiculous stand-off, we’re going to say: ‘F*k you!’ We were offered a great deal two years ago and shook hands on it. And then some other twt at the label put a stop to it. It’s our life and our music and we’re not going to let them exploit us to the extent that they’re trying to.”
Elliott said Universal wouldn't be the major player it is today without the help of Leppard’s multi-million-selling releases.
"Between us and Bon Jovi we fking built that company...and they just treated us like shit. We can either roll over like little dandelions or we can stand up and punch them in the b*ocks."