Def Leppard EP
Encyclopedia
The Def Leppard E.P. is the debut EP by British
rock band
Def Leppard
. The EP was recorded at Fairview Studios in Hull, in November 1978 and produced by Def Leppard. The album cover is a parody of the painting His Master's Voice
, with a leopard
in place of the painting's dog Nipper. The record was first released in RED with the code SRT CUS 232 on the Bludgeon-Riffola label.
One hundred copies included lyric sheet inserts that vocalist Joe Elliott
had photocopied during his lunch-break at work. Additionally, he and his mother glued the 1,000 sleeves together. The double-sided insert has the lyrics to "Ride into the Sun" and "Getcha Rocks Off" on one side. Lyrics for "The Overture" are on the other side along with individual sketches of the band members by Dave Jeffrey. A credit for the band's "Mixer Man Mr. Nick Cartwright" was also included because his name was erroneously left off the credits on the picture sleeve rear cover.
Without Tony Kenning, the band needed a drummer for the session, so Frank Noon
was borrowed from The Next Band
for the weekend. According to Elliott, the EP cost £148.50 to record, money which he had borrowed from his father. This provided an initial print run of 1,000 copies that the band would use in a concerted effort to get noticed.
Released in January 1979, the single was sold for £1 at shows and was handed out to anyone who could help gain the band exposure. The first pressing had sold out by the summer, helped by radio play. Elliott jumped on stage at Sheffield University during a John Peel
DJ session to hand-deliver a copy of the EP. Peel obliged by playing the single on his BBC Radio 1 show and the single eventually made it to #84 on the BBC singles charts. As a result, the mission was a success and the band started generating press.
The initial pressing was sold out by the summer of 1979, so the band's first managers had the EP reissued with the yellow label and no picture sleeve. Once signed to Vertigo, the single was issued again, with "Ride into the Sun" and "Getcha Rocks Off" being swapped around because the latter had become more popular. The EP was re-issued yet again in the late 1980s to Def Leppard fan club members with the picture sleeve intact, the tracks put back in their original order, and a white label replacing the yellow label. This "White Label" release is the most common release seen on auction sites such as eBay
and also the least valuable, but still can be worth over $20.
Two of the songs, "Getcha Rocks Off" and "The Overture", were rerecorded for Def Leppard's first LP
. The re-recorded "Getcha Rocks Off" was retitled "Rocks Off" for On Through the Night
, and has a fake audience in the background of the recording. "Ride into the Sun" was shelved until a new version was recorded in 1987 as a B-side to the "Hysteria
" single. The rerecorded version later appeared on Retro Active
, but it has additional overdubs and replaces the opening drum solo with a piano intro performed by Ian Hunter
. The rerecorded version is credited to Elliott, Phil Collen
, Steve Clark
and Savage while the version on The Def Leppard E.P. is credited to Elliott, Pete Willis
, Clark and Savage.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
. The EP was recorded at Fairview Studios in Hull, in November 1978 and produced by Def Leppard. The album cover is a parody of the painting His Master's Voice
Nipper
Nipper was a dog that served as the model for a painting titled His Late Master's Voice. This image was the basis for the dog and trumpet logo used by several audio recording and associated brands: His Master's Voice, HMV, RCA, Victor Talking Machine Company, RCA Victor and JVC.- Biography :Nipper...
, with a leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
in place of the painting's dog Nipper. The record was first released in RED with the code SRT CUS 232 on the Bludgeon-Riffola label.
One hundred copies included lyric sheet inserts that vocalist Joe Elliott
Joe Elliott
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott Jr is an English singer-songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the British rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of David Bowie cover band, the Cybernauts and the Mott the Hoople cover band, Down...
had photocopied during his lunch-break at work. Additionally, he and his mother glued the 1,000 sleeves together. The double-sided insert has the lyrics to "Ride into the Sun" and "Getcha Rocks Off" on one side. Lyrics for "The Overture" are on the other side along with individual sketches of the band members by Dave Jeffrey. A credit for the band's "Mixer Man Mr. Nick Cartwright" was also included because his name was erroneously left off the credits on the picture sleeve rear cover.
Without Tony Kenning, the band needed a drummer for the session, so Frank Noon
Frank Noon
Frank Noon is a drummer who played in the bands Def Leppard and Roadhouse with guitarist Pete Willis.He was preceded in Def Leppard by original Def Leppard drummer Tony Kenning and succeeded in Def Leppard by current Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen....
was borrowed from The Next Band
The Next Band
The Next Band were a British rock trio featuring vocalist/bassist Rocky Newton, guitarist John Lockton and drummer Frank Noon, who is credited with playing drums on Def Leppard's 1979 EP The Def Leppard E.P....
for the weekend. According to Elliott, the EP cost £148.50 to record, money which he had borrowed from his father. This provided an initial print run of 1,000 copies that the band would use in a concerted effort to get noticed.
Released in January 1979, the single was sold for £1 at shows and was handed out to anyone who could help gain the band exposure. The first pressing had sold out by the summer, helped by radio play. Elliott jumped on stage at Sheffield University during a John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
DJ session to hand-deliver a copy of the EP. Peel obliged by playing the single on his BBC Radio 1 show and the single eventually made it to #84 on the BBC singles charts. As a result, the mission was a success and the band started generating press.
The initial pressing was sold out by the summer of 1979, so the band's first managers had the EP reissued with the yellow label and no picture sleeve. Once signed to Vertigo, the single was issued again, with "Ride into the Sun" and "Getcha Rocks Off" being swapped around because the latter had become more popular. The EP was re-issued yet again in the late 1980s to Def Leppard fan club members with the picture sleeve intact, the tracks put back in their original order, and a white label replacing the yellow label. This "White Label" release is the most common release seen on auction sites such as eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
and also the least valuable, but still can be worth over $20.
Two of the songs, "Getcha Rocks Off" and "The Overture", were rerecorded for Def Leppard's first LP
On through the Night
On Through the Night is the debut album by British rock band Def Leppard, released in 1980. The album charted at #51 on The Billboard 200 and #15 on the UK Albums Chart...
. The re-recorded "Getcha Rocks Off" was retitled "Rocks Off" for On Through the Night
On through the Night
On Through the Night is the debut album by British rock band Def Leppard, released in 1980. The album charted at #51 on The Billboard 200 and #15 on the UK Albums Chart...
, and has a fake audience in the background of the recording. "Ride into the Sun" was shelved until a new version was recorded in 1987 as a B-side to the "Hysteria
Hysteria (Def Leppard song)
"Hysteria" is a song by British hard rock band Def Leppard. It served as the titular third single from their 1987 multi-platinum album of the same name. "Hysteria" peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" single. The rerecorded version later appeared on Retro Active
Retro Active
Retro Active is an album by British hard rock band Def Leppard, released in 1993. The album features touched-up versions of B-sides and previously unreleased recordings from the band's recording sessions between 1984 and 1993...
, but it has additional overdubs and replaces the opening drum solo with a piano intro performed by Ian Hunter
Ian Hunter (singer)
Ian Hunter Patterson is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and he again fronted them at the time of their 2009 reunion. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before Mott The Hoople, and...
. The rerecorded version is credited to Elliott, Phil Collen
Phil Collen
Philip Kenneth "Phil" Collen is the co-lead guitarist and one of the backing vocalists for English rock band Def Leppard. He joined the band in 1982 following the departure of Pete Willis.-Early years:...
, Steve Clark
Steve Clark
Stephen Maynard Clark was an English musician, co-lead guitarist for the British hard rock band Def Leppard up until his death in 1991 due to a combination of alcohol and multiple prescription drugs...
and Savage while the version on The Def Leppard E.P. is credited to Elliott, Pete Willis
Pete Willis
Pete Willis was one of the original guitarists for the British rock band Def Leppard, until he was replaced by Phil Collen in 1982...
, Clark and Savage.
7" - Cat.no: SRTS/78/CUS232 - UK
This is a 1,000 copies release with a red label inside the disc.7" - Cat.no: MSB001 - UK
This is a 15,000 copies release without picture cover under the Martin/Stuart-Brown management.7" - Cat.no: 6059240 - UK
This is a re-released edition.Def Leppard
- Joe ElliottJoe ElliottJoseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott Jr is an English singer-songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the British rock band Def Leppard. He has also been the lead singer of David Bowie cover band, the Cybernauts and the Mott the Hoople cover band, Down...
- lead vocals - Pete WillisPete WillisPete Willis was one of the original guitarists for the British rock band Def Leppard, until he was replaced by Phil Collen in 1982...
- guitar, backing vocals - Steve ClarkSteve ClarkStephen Maynard Clark was an English musician, co-lead guitarist for the British hard rock band Def Leppard up until his death in 1991 due to a combination of alcohol and multiple prescription drugs...
- guitar, backing vocals - Rick SavageRick SavageRichard "Rick" Savage is the bassist and one of the founding members of the English rock band, Def Leppard. He is called "Sav" to avoid confusion between him and the other Rick in the band, drummer Rick Allen. He and lead vocalist, Joe Elliot, are the only remaining original members of the band...
- bass, backing vocals - Frank NoonFrank NoonFrank Noon is a drummer who played in the bands Def Leppard and Roadhouse with guitarist Pete Willis.He was preceded in Def Leppard by original Def Leppard drummer Tony Kenning and succeeded in Def Leppard by current Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen....
- drums
Production
- Def Leppard - producer
- Keith Herd - engineer
- Roy Neave - engineer
- Nick Cartwright - mixing
- Dave Jeffery - artwork
- John Wood - photography