I was out and about in Florida this pat Summer and while on vacation, I hit up a record a store in the city I as visiting. I mean, who doesn’t do that. While their, I found this picture disc of Def Leppard except it was an interview disc, and I don’t like to collect interview disc. For some strange reason, I still bought it. Last week, I talked about the Radio Promo Interview disc from Queensryche that was a vinyl with the answers from the band and the radio was sent the questions they should ask. That way the artist/band didn’t have to call in or even visit all radio stations. Plus, it made the radio station sound like they were asking the questions.

This type of disc is actually the whole interview and I don’t know if this is anything that was sent to radios or not. It might only be as simple as a bootlegger putting out product because this does not in any way, shape or form look like an official release. Reality is that these are a little pointless and not sure why you would collect these other than you are a completist for a band and need anything and everything with their name on it.

This disc original came in a cardboard sleeve where you could see the picture on one side and the back was actually a list of all the releases this company that made the vinyl actually had that you could buy. However, my copy does not have this cardboard sleeve and was only included in a clear plastic cover.

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I don’t have any information on this interview as far as who was giving the interview, when or when it even was done. All I know is that this was made in England. I have been able to figure out that the interview was with Joe Elliott of Def Leppard and the interview was somewhere around the band’s second album, High & Dry and probably during the Tour. The interview has a lot of noise in the background with people partying and talking so it sounds like he was being interviewed backstage after a show or something. Now, I am not sure why Phil Collen is in the band picture on Side 1 because Joe actually mentions the band members in the band and Pete Willis was mentioned.

If you are wondering what was discussed, Joe talks about his new respect for Blackmore after they had been touring with Rainbow and they talk about one show done in Spain while playing with Rainbow. The were told they were going to have to go on at 2am which was long after Rainbow played who they were supporting. Def Leppard originally refused and then realized quickly the promoters/government wouldn’t let them leave Spain until they played because it would’ve caused a riot (so they thought/or told). They forced the band to play and they were even followed around by guards with guns to make sure they played. According to Joe, this show was about politics and not about the music and he was saying he would never go back and play Spain.

Joe goes on to talk about their tour in North America on the On Through the Night Tour and playing in front of 15,000-25,000 people while touring, now they were an opening act and not the main headline band which is the only reason they played in front of that many people They would’ve never had a chance to play in front of that many people in England. He mentioned that they were voted Best New Band by Cream Magazine during that time.

He would go on to complain how he hates when people say they don’t like the band because they are big in America and sold out. It makes him very angry and sounds like he would love to punch them. He says he can deal with someone saying they don’t like their songs or that he can’t sing, it hurts, but he can live with that. He thinks it is people being stupid that don’t like a band for an image or very non-music related topic. He talks about how hard it is for them in their home country because they think Leppard sold out and he said they have never sold out.He doesn’t understand why they aren’t big in England, but he says they will get there. And he is right, eventually they did make it big in their home country.

And that is about it. I really don’t see myself ever pulling this out again to listen to it so this is probably the last time I ever even think about this disc. I am glad I have in the collection and since I do love collecting Leppard stuff on vinyl, I am sure I will eventually buy more as I find them. But for you casual fans, you can skip…really…why would you want this anyway? Thanks for hanging around.