Joe Elliott on Def Leppard's 'Diamond Star Halos' album & working with Alison Krauss
He exclusively chats to Planet Rock
To celebrate the launch of Def Leppard’s rip-roaring new song ‘Kick’ and their upcoming 12th studio album ‘Diamond Star Halos’, our very own Joe Elliott joined Darren Redick for a chat on Planet Rock this afternoon (17th March).
Released on Friday 27th May 2022, ‘Diamond Star Halos’ is Def Leppard’s first new record in seven years, and it boasts 15 all-new songs including two collaborations with Alison Krauss and David Bowie pianist Mike Garson respectively.
Joe gave us the exclusive backstory of how Def Leppard recorded ‘Diamond Star Halos’ and why working remotely in three different countries resulted in such a “diverse” and satisfying record.
He explained that after wrapping up their touring commitments in late 2019, Def Leppard set about planning their next studio album.
“We kind of made a tentative plan to get together in the new year to just see what we had; make some sounds, just have a bit of a laugh, see what kind of tunes that we get in our heads and see if we could bang something out,” Joe told Darren.
“We made a plan to get together in March 2020 and all the flights are booked and all that kind of palaver and all of a sudden, lock down and they literally couldn't come. So, there we were left at the altar, the bride left at the altar. We were really chomping at the bit to see what we had, to get some stuff going.”
Undeterred, Def Leppard decided to carry on with work on the album, as Joe says: “Within about 40 minutes of a really, really kind of constructive and positive phone call with Phil (Collen), we decided to have a go at making the album completely remotely.
“It's been done in the past in bits and bobs. We've done it many times with the odd little instrument. Previous albums we may have (said) ‘oops, we forgot to do a backing vocal on this section’ or Phil wanted to change his solo or Viv wanted to change his solo. It's no problem. He does it at home and literally just sends it over the internet and it gets dropped into to the files and it all works perfectly. It's just like a kind of a digital jigsaw puzzle really.
“Having had experience of doing it and having no alternatives, we decided we would see what we could do by doing everything remotely. And when I say remotely, I mean old fashioned remotely! We didn't even use Zoom. We made phone calls and we used emails to send MP3s to each other. We didn't literally see each other for two-and-a-quarter-years but we were on the phone every day. In fact, I probably conversed with everyone in the band more often because of lockdown than I would have done if we weren't in lockdown, because it kind of pushes you into that scenario.”
Joe continued: “We worked out what we had, and I'd written three songs, Phil had written two, and we’d co-written two and little did we know until he joined in the conversation, Sav (Rick Savage) had two things percolating, so we had nine songs on the go. And we thought, ‘well, let's just do them all and sort them out later on.’ So, it took all the blinkers off. We didn't go ‘ah, I’m not sure about that one it might not work.’ We just said ‘we'll make it work’ which is why the album is so diverse. It's got so many different flavours because we just didn't say no to any ideas and it was a revelation and, I'll be honest with you, having made an album like this now, I don't think we'll ever make a traditional record ever again because this was so much more fun to do.
“When you think about it when a band go to a studio - they all come to my house - they don’t live there, they live there for a month or two. When they're not working, they're sitting around in my house. Making an album this way, they're sitting around in their’s so when they're not working, they're with their family, they're doing their own thing, which is much more pleasant to be quite honest. It's great having the guys at my place, I love having them over there, but it was much more beneficial for the whole band for everybody to be at home. We're all trying to be as safe as we can and the best way to do it was just not to travel - we weren't even allowed to travel.
“The ideas kept flowing and I think because of this situation, we were all a bit giddy, ‘isn’t this great?! Look at this, we’ve got nine songs!’ In 40 minutes, we've already decided we got seven (songs) and a day later we have nine and throughout the project me and Phil wrote five more and that gave us 14 and then we thought the album was finished.”
Joe went on to say that lead single ‘Kick’ actually surfaced once the album was wrapped up: “All of a sudden everybody goes back to just doing what they do when you've got an album finished. And then Phil phoned me up and he says ‘I've just written this other song.’
“Normally we’d be like, ‘Oh God really?!’ I said ‘okay, let's hear it’ and it was ‘Kick’. It was Sav that actually said, ‘Hello, Sugar anyone?!’ What he meant by that was he wasn't comparing the song to (‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’). He was comparing the situation and the scenario right at the end of the 11-track album that was to be ‘Hysteria’, all of a sudden we came up with ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ which arguably became the most important song on the album, if not our entire career really.
“This was the same kind of thing - we all heard it and went ‘we've got to do it.’ The beautiful thing was we had all the time in the world because we were still in lockdown.”
Reflecting upon the Alison Krauss collaborations ‘This Guitar’ and ‘Lifeless’, Joe said: “That was us broadening our horizons. We've known Allison for a long time. Way back in '96 when we released the ‘Slang album’, the now sadly gone Q Magazine had Alison as the interviewer for me for the ‘Slang’ album. She actually interviewed me for the magazine.
“She's always been a big fan (of Def Leppard). A lot of our harmonies lean towards country, not a known fact but it's true. Mutt Lange is a huge country fan and he'd maybe just suggest ‘change the melody on that one word to the major or the minor’ and he changes it to a country harmony, which is not necessarily an obvious thing. Country people would accidentally hear a Def Leppard song over the years and go, ‘Hey, hang on a minute. That's a country harmony!’ And those people turned out to be fans of ours – people like Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and specifically Alison Krauss.
“It was just by coincidence that my account manager was talking to her manager and just said, ‘Hey, you know, the boys are making a new record.’ And I'd been texting back and forth with Robert Plant regarding something, I think Wolves had beaten us (Sheffield United) in the cup, and he just happened to mention ‘what are you up to?’ I said, ‘we're actually recording’ and he said, ‘You do know Allison is like your biggest fan. She's gonna be over the moon!’
“It just percolated and so we got in touch and asked her if she'd be interested in singing on one of two songs that we thought were appropriate for her. We sent them both and she texted me back after about 40 minutes and said, ‘Oh, my God, I can't pick one. I love them both!’ So I just said, ‘Okay, well then doing both please.’ And she did. So that's how she got involved.”
Joe added: “We also have on two tracks that I wrote Mike Garson, keyboard player for David Bowie since the ‘Aladdin Sane’ album. I've worked with Mike over the last three or four years on a lot of David Bowie tribute shows - some of them live and some of them remotely.
“I've got a really good relationship with Mike and my piano playing is rather rudimentary. I wrote these two songs on the piano and then we decided like David Bowie did back in 71, he wrote ‘Life on Mars’ but he was sensible enough to have Rick Wakeman play it.
“I said to Phil, ‘Listen, what do you think? I know it's a bit avant-garde jazz but how about Mike?’ Phil was like all over it because one of his favourite albums of all time is ‘Aladdin Sane’ along with myself. So, we talked the other guys into like, ‘what do you think about Mike? and they went well, ‘okay, why not give it a go?’ I rang Mike and said, ‘will you do me the honour of playing on a couple of Def Leppard songs?’ and he was all over it. He did a fantastic job.
“You think about this logically - what could possibly go wrong with an avant-garde jazz pianist playing on a Def Leppard song? But trust me when you hear it, it works! It really works!”
Def Leppard’s ‘Diamond Star Halos’ track-listing:
1) Take What You Want
2) Kick
3) Fire It Up
4) This Guitar ft. Alison Krauss
5) SOS Emergency
6) Liquid Dust
7) U Rok Mi
8) Goodbye For Good This Time
9) All We Need
10) Open Your Eyes
11) Gimme A Kiss
12) Angels (Can’t Help You Now)
13) Lifeless ft. Alison Krauss
14) Unbreakable
15) From Here To Eternity
Rock stars immortalised as statues:
Marc Bolan statue in Barnes, London
In September 2002, a bust of legendary T. Rex singer Marc Bolan was unveiled at the location of the car crash that claimed his life aged 29. The T. Rex Action Group (TAG) launched Marc Bolan's Rock Shrine in 1997 (the 20th anniversary of his passing) with a memorial stone, and five years later the bronze sculpture of Bolan was revealed. It was paid for exclusively by T-Rex Action Group founder Fee Warner, sculpted by Canadian sculptor Jean Robillard, and unveiled by Bolan's son Rolan Bolan. The sculpture features lyrics from Tyrannosaurus Rex's 1968 song 'Child Star.'
Brian Johnson statue in Namur, Belgium
AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson was immortalised in statue form in the Belgian city of Namur on 16th April 2023. The life-size statue made from Belgian Blue Stone commemorates Brian Johnson's first ever AC/DC concert, which took place at the city's Palais Des Expositions on 29th June 1980 four months after the death of Bon Scott. The fan-funded statue was the brainchild of AC/DC aficionados Michel Remy, Mike Davister and Georges Boussingault with support from the local radio station RTBF Classic 21. On the day of its unveiling, Brian Johnson said: "I'd like to say a very special thank you to all the donors and fans in Namur. It's a very special place for me. It was the first might I sang with AC/DC, and I was a very nervous boy. So that memory will stay with me forever, and now that you've built this statue, honestly, I'm not worthy of it. I thank you and I'll take it in good grace. I'll never forget what you've done for me."
Freddie Mercury statue at Lake Geneva
The iconic Freddie Mercury statue overlooking Lake Geneva in Montreux. Standing three metres high, the Irena Sedlecka sculpture was unveiled five years after Freddie's death by Montserrat Caballé and Freddie's mother Jer.
Freddie Mercury statue at Lake Geneva
A close up of the incredible Freddie Mercury statue in Montreux.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards statues
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards were honoured with statues in their hometown of Dartford, Essex on 9th August 2023. The bronze sculptures, named The Glimmer Twins in homage to Jagger and Richards' song writing partnership, are the creation of sculptor Amy Goodman. The statues capture both Jagger and Richards in the midst of live performance, and they were commissioned by Dartford Borough Council to celebrate two of the town's most famous former residents.
Keith Richards statue in Dartford
Mick Jagger statue in Dartford
Rory Gallagher statue in Cork
Irish blues-rock legend Rory Gallagher has been honoured twice with a statue. The first was unveiled in the newly renamed Rory Gallagher Place in Cork in 1997, and was created by local artist Geraldine Creedon. The unqiue bronze sculpture takes the form of a guitar on one side, while the other features overlapping Rory Gallagher song lyrics.
Rory Gallagher statue in Ballyshannon
Created by artist David Annand in 2010, this life-sized bronze statue of Rory Gallagher was unveiled in Ballyshannon town centre. Standing proudly at 7ft tall, beneath the statue are the opening lyrics from Rory Gallagher's 1979 song 'Follow Me', which read: "I want to plant a star on the sky / One you can find at the end of the night."
Ronnie James Dio statue in Bulgaria
After Dio's untimely death in May 2010, the metalheads on the town council of Kavarna in Bulgaria immediately commissioned a statue in his honour. It was unveiled in October of that year.
Bon Scott statue in Fremantle
On 25th October 2008, a bronze statue of Bon Scott was dedicated at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour in Western Australia, where the late singer was brought up. The life-size statue depicts Bon standing on top of a Marshall speaker. Bon is buried in the town's cemetery, and is apparently the most visited grave in Australia.
Phil Lynott statue in Dublin
Philomena Lynott poses with her son's statue on Harry Street in Dublin in 2013. Erected in 2005, the 2.4-metre bronze statue was repaired twice in 2013 after a motorist crashed into it and vandals knocked it off its plinth.
Jimi Hendrix statue in Isle of Wight
In honour of Jimi's fabled 1970 Isle of Wight Festival performance, a bronze statue was unveiled at Dimbola House in 2006. Created by John Swindells, the plaque comes with the Jimi quote "It's funny how most people love the dead, once you're dead you're made for life."
Elvis Presley statue in Mississippi
Such is his profound legacy there are numerous Elvis statues across the globe. However, arguably the most poignant is this statue of a 13-year-old Elvis outside the church he attended as a child in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Chuck Berry statue in St Louis
Sculptor Harry Weber's in-motion sculpture of Chuck is located right across the street from Blueberry Hill in St Louis. The late-great Chuck himself launched the sculpture in July 2011.
Frank Zappa in Baltimore
Launched in 2010, the statue of the musical maverick's head is situated right by Frank Zappa Way in Baltimore where he was born.
Johnny Ramone statue at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Unveiled three months after Johnny's death in September 2004, the statue marks is burial site at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in California.
Buddy Holly statue in Clear Lake, Iowa
The creation of Michael Connor, a large steel set of Wayfarer-style glasses that were Buddy Holly's trademark are situated at the plane crash site near Clear Lake, Iowa where Buddy, Ritchie Valens, J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson & pilot Roger Peterson lost their lives in 1959.
Kurt Cobain statue in Washington
On what would have been Kurt's 47th birthday in February 2014, a statue was unveiled in the Aberdeen Museum of History, Washington as part of Kurt Cobain Day. The memorial featured a single tear rolling down Kurt's face prompting criticism from some quarters.
Freddie Mercury statue in London
This 20-foot high fibre-glass statue of Freddie Mercury that stood outside London's Dominion Theatre for We Will Rock You's 12 year run from 2002 to 2014. It now resides in Roger Taylor's back garden.
Bon Scott statue in Kirriemuir
Such is their adulation for the late singer, AC/DC fans themselves raised £45,000 to fund the life-size bronze statue of Bon Scott in his home town of Kirriemuir, Scotland. Created by John McKenna, it was unveiled by former AC/DC bassist Mark Evans in May 2016.
Jimi Hendrix nail statue
Created by Boris Deheljan from Belgrade, this uncoventional Jimi statue weighs 200 kilograms was made of 4000 screws and 40 kilograms of wire. It took six months to complete.
Lemmy statue at Rainbow Bar & Grill
The 6ft bronze Lemmy statue was unveiled at his favourite drinking establishment, West Hollywood's Rainbow Bar and Grill, on Wednesday 24th August 2016. Fans raised $23,000 to fund the sculpture.
David Bowie statue in Aylesbury
The fan-funded David Bowie 'Earthly Messenger' sculpture in Aylesbury was unfortunately was vandalised just hours after being unveiled in March 2018. Here the clean up operation is taking place.
Chris Cornell statue in Seattle
Chris Cornell's life-sized bronze sculpture at a ceremony at Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture. Commissioned by Chris' wife Vicky, the six-foot statue was created by sculptor Nick Marra and depicts the singer throwing a 'rock god pose' while clutching a perfectly detailed Gibson guitar. It was unveiled in October 2018 and sadly vandalised in 2020.
John Bonham statue in Redditch
The statue of the late Led Zeppelin drummer is located in Mercian Square in Bonham's birthplace of Redditch. Created by sculptor Mark Richards and unveiled on what would have been Bonham's 70th birthday on 31st May 2018, the vast bronze sculpture weighs around 2.5 tonnes and depicts Bonzo in live action behind the drum kit.
The Beatles statues in Liverpool
The bronze statues of all four members of The Beatles – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison – were unveiled on Liverpool's Waterfront in December 2015. Donated by The Cavern Club, the statues were created to mark the 50th anniversary of the Fab Four's last gig in Liverpool at The Liverpool Empire. Slightly larger than life, the statues way a combined 1.2 tonnes! John Lennon is also honoured with a statue on Mathew Street and at John Lennon Airport.
Buddy Holly statue in Texas
Created by sculptor Grant Speed in 1980, a huge 8.5-foot-tall bronze statue of Buddy Holly playing a Fender guitar resides in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas. The sculpture was created to mark the 50th anniversary of Buddy Holly's untimely death in 1959 - The Day the Music Died.
Stevie Ray Vaughan statue in Austin, Texas
Late-great Double Trouble blues rocker Stevie Ray Vaughan is immortalised with a bronze statue on the shore of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas near to the location of his last concert in the city. It was opened in 1994, four years after Vaughan's death, and was created by sculptor Ralph Helmick.
Jimi Hendrix statue in Seattle
Depicting Jimi Hendrix throwing an iconic pose and playing a Fender Stratocaster, the life-size Jimi statue is named The Electric Lady Studio Guitar and it's located in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Seattle. It's the work of sculptor Daryl Smith.
Phil Lynott statue in West Bromwich
A Phil Lynott statue was unveiled in his birthplace of West Bromwich on what would have been the Thin Lizzy legend's 72nd birthday on Friday 20th August 2021. The monument stands at six feet tall and features a large metal plinth featuring the words: 'Phil Lynott. Son of West Bromwich. Born in this town. 20th August 1949.' On top of the sizable plinth is a bust of Phil Lynott made from bronze and galvanized steel. The whole monument was created by local sculptor Luke Perry.
Freddie Mercury statue in Jeju, South Korea
A 5ft 9in statue of Freddie Mercury standing on the shoreline in Jeju, South Korea. The figure cost over £28,000 to make and was the labour of love for businessman and Queen fan Baek Soon-yeob, who emailed the band every month for 8 years to seek their permission.
Lemmy statue at Hellfest
A colossal statue of Motörhead legend Lemmy was unveiled at French metal festival Hellfest in Clisson, France in June 2022. Created by French artist and sculptor Caroline Brisset (pictured), the impressive statue was created from steel and concrete, and it replaces the previous Lemmy statue at Hellfest that was erected six years ago.
Till Lindemann statue in Germany
Created by animator and designer Roxxy Roxx, this 40-kilogram statue of Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann was unveiled outside the singer's childhood home in Rostock, Germany on 3rd January 2023. Unveiled to coincide with Lindemann's 60th birthday the following day, the statue was stolen just hours after it was erected.