Vault: Def Leppard's Greatest Hits (1980-1995)
Encyclopedia
Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980–1995) is the first greatest hits album and the second compilation album
by English
hard rock
band Def Leppard
. The album was originally released in the band's home country on 23 October 1995 by Mercury Records
. It was released in North America
a few days later by the same label. Vault went on to be certified gold in four countries, platinum in three and multi-platinum in two. In the US, the album is currently certified 4× platinum by the RIAA, and in June 2011 it topped the five million mark in sales there.
The album featured one previously unreleased song, "When Love & Hate Collide
", which had previously been released as a single
on 2 October 1995.
The collection's track listing varied by region, although none of the releases had any songs from the band's 1980 debut album, On Through the Night
on the track listings.
recording sessions. The ballad became the band's highest-charting single in the UK, hitting #2 in the fall of 1995.
The songs are the original LP versions, with the following exceptions:
by Cythia Levine and Ross Halfin
. Most covers of the album have a picture of an actual vault, while a limited edition two disc collection has a picture of a green eye with a vault inside the eye. The CD liner notes
featured a three-page summary of the band's history by Peter Mensch, who appeared in two of the group's music video
s. Although not featured on the North American release, other liner notes feature a note signed by the band members talking about the group's upcoming album, Slang
.
Exclusive to the North American release of Vault:
Exclusive to the European release of Vault:
Exclusive to the Japanese release of Vault:
"Foolin'" does not appear on the European release, but does appear on the North American release and the Japanese release.
The Japanese release features the only official release of the song "Can't Keep Away From the Flame," a song which has never been released in other regions.
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
by English
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band 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 album was originally released in the band's home country on 23 October 1995 by Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. It was released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
a few days later by the same label. Vault went on to be certified gold in four countries, platinum in three and multi-platinum in two. In the US, the album is currently certified 4× platinum by the RIAA, and in June 2011 it topped the five million mark in sales there.
The album featured one previously unreleased song, "When Love & Hate Collide
When Love & Hate Collide
"When Love & Hate Collide" is a power ballad by British rock band Def Leppard from their 1995 greatest hits album Vault, written by Joe Elliott and Rick Savage. It was originally written and demoed for Adrenalize, but not finalized until 1995 for its inclusion on Vault...
", which had previously been released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on 2 October 1995.
The collection's track listing varied by region, although none of the releases had any songs from the band's 1980 debut album, 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...
on the track listings.
Overview
One new track was recorded for this collection, "When Love & Hate Collide", previously a leftover from the AdrenalizeAdrenalize
-Deluxe Edition :*Tracks 1-4 are taken from the band's Live: In the Clubs, in Your Face EP, recorded at Bonn, Germany, on 29 May 1992*Tracks 5 & 6 taken from "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" single....
recording sessions. The ballad became the band's highest-charting single in the UK, hitting #2 in the fall of 1995.
The songs are the original LP versions, with the following exceptions:
- "Pour Some Sugar on Me" is the video edit version. This version actually features an extended, distorted intro, making it longer than the Hysteria version, which has the shorter "Step inside, walk this way" intro.
- "Rocket" is the single edit, which runs shorter than its LP counterpart.
- "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" fades out slightly earlier than the LP version, where it segues into "Switch 625".
Artwork, design, and packaging
The art direction and design for Vault was handled by Exquisite Corpse with photographyPhotography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
by Cythia Levine and Ross Halfin
Ross Halfin
Ross Halfin is a British rock and roll photographer. He began his career working for Sounds magazine in the 1970s, shooting various artists on the punk scene including The Clash, The Jam, The Sex Pistols, 999 and The Adverts...
. Most covers of the album have a picture of an actual vault, while a limited edition two disc collection has a picture of a green eye with a vault inside the eye. The CD liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
featured a three-page summary of the band's history by Peter Mensch, who appeared in two of the group's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s. Although not featured on the North American release, other liner notes feature a note signed by the band members talking about the group's upcoming album, Slang
Slang (album)
- Certifications :-Personnel:* Rick Allen – drums, percussion* Vivian Campbell – electric guitars, acoustic guitars, dulcimer, vocals* Phil Collen – electric guitars, acoustic guitars, mandolin, vocals...
.
Track variations in different regions
Although the releases of Vault had most of the same songs, there were some differences between the releases.Exclusive to the North American release of Vault:
- "Miss You In A Heartbeat"
- "Foolin'"
Exclusive to the European release of Vault:
- "Action"
- "Make Love Like A Man"
- "Heaven Is"
Exclusive to the Japanese release of Vault:
- "Rock! Rock! Til You Drop"
- "Can't Keep Away From The Flame" (new track)
"Foolin'" does not appear on the European release, but does appear on the North American release and the Japanese release.
The Japanese release features the only official release of the song "Can't Keep Away From the Flame," a song which has never been released in other regions.
Track listing
Personnel
The following people contributed to Vault:- 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 vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, backing vocals, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - 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...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, backing vocals - Phil CollenPhil CollenPhilip 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:...
– guitars, backing vocals, producer - 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...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals, producer - Rick AllenRick Allen (drummer)Richard John Cyril "Rick" Allen is the drummer for the English hard rock band Def Leppard. He is famous for overcoming the complete amputation of his left arm and continuing to play with the band, which subsequently went on to its greatest popular success worldwide...
– drumDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
s, backing vocals, producer - Robert John "Mutt" Lange – producer, backing vocals
- Nigel Green – engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- 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...
– guitars, backing vocals - Mike ShipleyMike ShipleyMike Shipley is a Grammy Award–winning mix engineer who has been prominent in the global music industry for several decades, having worked on projects with combined sales in the hundreds of millions....
– mixingMixing engineerA mix engineer is the person responsible for incorporating all the different recorded elements of music to make the final version of a song. These mixing professionals have many years of experience and training with audio equipment which has enabled them to master the art of audio mixing...
, producer, engineer - Vivian CampbellVivian CampbellVivian Patrick Campbell is a Northern Irish rock guitarist who is a member of Def Leppard and was, from May 2010 to November 2011, a member of Thin Lizzy. Prior to joining Def Leppard in April 1992, he had been a member of Whitesnake, Sweet Savage, Trinity, Riverdogs, and Shadow King...
– guitars, backing vocals, producer - Pete Woodroffe – producer, engineer
- Michael KamenMichael KamenMichael Arnold Kamen was an American composer , orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician.-Background:...
– stringString sectionThe string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
arrangements on "Two Steps Behind" and "When Love & Hate Collide" - Stevie Vann – backing vocals on "When Love & Hate Collide"
- Randy KerberRandy KerberRandy Kerber is a composer, orchestrator, keyboard player, born September 25, 1958 in Encino, California, who has had a prolific career in the world of cinema...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on "When Love & Hate Collide" - Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Charts
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Top 50 Albums | 9 |
| Belgium (Flanders) 100 Albums | 30 |
| Canadian Top Albums | 7 |
| Finnish Top 50 Albums | 7 |
| French Compilations | 24 |
| German Albums | 31 |
| Netherlands Top 100 Albums | 88 |
| New Zealand Top 50 Albums | 2 |
| Swedish Top 60 Albums | 10 |
| Swiss Top 100 Albums | 7 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
3 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
15 |
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Norwegian Top 40 Albums | 7 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
4× Platinum |
| Canada | CRIA Music Canada Music Canada was a Canadian music television miniseries which aired approximately monthly on CBC Television from 1966 to 1967.-Premise:This series featured various special productions of music and dance, from classical to modern styles.-Scheduling:... |
2× Platinum |
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Platinum |
| Norway | IFPI | Gold |