Joe Elliott Recorded a Def Leppard Duet With His Younger Self
On May 29, Def Leppard will release an album called Drastic Symphonies that re-imagines some of the British rockers' biggest hits in re-arranged classical versions backed by London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The 15-song effort is now available for pre-order.
The album, highlighted by new guitar and vocal recordings, finds Def Leppard lead singer Joe Elliott duetting with his younger self from 40 years ago on one song. The vocalist said the experience was like "singing with a ghost that's still alive." Spooky!
Near the bottom of this post, hear the Drastic Symphonies version of Def Leppard's Hysteria single "Animal." Def Leppard and Motley Crue's "The World Tour" picks up this spring — get tickets here.
READ MORE: Def Leppard Drummer Rick Allen Issues New Statement After His Attack in Florida
"What we've done is we've re-worked 16 of our most symphonic songs, and done them with the Royal Philharmonic," Elliott explained in an interview. "I re-sang some of them, because the original vocals were out of place once you put an orchestra on it. So on one of the tunes, which is a song called 'Too Late for Love,' I did a duet with myself from 40 years ago."
While it was "the most bizarre thing," Elliott added, "it was great fun. The timing and the phrasing came to me instantly. It's like it never left my DNA. But it was one of the strangest things I've ever done. It was like singing with a ghost that's still alive, if that makes any sense."
Below, see a teaser video for Drastic Symphonies followed by the album artwork, the track listing and Def Leppard's upcoming tour dates.
Click here to see a list of the rock and metal bands that are touring in 2023. And sign up for Loudwire's newsletter and download the Loudwire app to stay up to date with the latest rock and metal news.
Def Leppard feat. the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, "Animal"
Drastic Symphonies Teaser
Def Leppard, Drastic Symphonies Album Art + Track List
1. "Turn to Dust"
2. "Paper Sun"
3. "Animal"
4. "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (Stripped Version)
5. "Hysteria"
6. "Love Bites"
7. "Goodbye for Good This Time"
8. "Love"
9. "Gods of War"
10. "Angels (Can't Help You Now)"
11. "Bringin' on the Heartbreak"
12. "Switch 625"
13. "Too Late for Love"
14. "When Love & Hate Collide"
15. "Kings of the World"
Def Leppard + Motley Crue 2023 Tour Dates
May 22 – Sheffield, England @ Bramall Lane
May 25 – Monchengladbach, Germany @ Sparkassen
May 27 – Munich, Germany @ Koenigsplatz
May 29 – Budapest, Hungary @ MVM Dome
May 31 – Krakow, Poland @ Tauron Arena
June 2 – Prague, Czech Republic @ Prague Rocks
June 3 – Hannover, Germany @ Expo Plaza
June 7 – Solvesborg, Sweden @ Sweden Rock
June 9 – Hyvinkaa, Finland @ RockFest
June 11 – Trondheim, Norway @ Trondheim Rocks
June 14 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Copenhell
June 18 – Dessel, Belgium @ Graspop
June 20 – Milan, Italy @ Ippodromo
June 23 – Lisbon, Portugal @ Passeio Maritimo
June 24 – Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain @ Auditorio Rios
June 27 – Thun, Switzerland @ Stockhorn Arena
July 1 – London, England @ Wembley Stadium
July 2 – Lytham, England @ Lytham Festival
July 4 – Dublin, Ireland @ Marlay Park
July 6 – Glasgow, Scotland @ Hampden Park