“WE THOUGHT, ‘NOBODY’S MADE A RECORD LIKE THIS!’”

“WE THOUGHT, ‘NOBODY’S MADE A RECORD LIKE THIS!’”

Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen and bassist Rick Savage go deep with Rock Candy Mag on the making of their classic ‘Pyromania’ album.

Def Leppard’s ‘Pyromania’ became a genuine phenomenon in 1983 when it sold a staggering 10 million copies in the United States alone. Guitarist Phil Collen and bassist Rick Savage spoke to Rock Candy Mag editor Howard Johnson at length about the long and arduous process of making this masterpiece.

“Our producer Mutt Lange said to me, ‘Yeah, you’re a good rock band. But if you want to be great…” says Collen. Leppard spent the best part of the year of 1982 painstakingly crafting the songs for ‘Pyromania’.

“We knew this project was going to be a long haul because we were aiming to expand riff ideas into songs that transcended the metal fraternity,” explains Savage.

“I remember someone from the record company asking Mutt why the album was taking so long,” recalls Collen. “He said, ‘So you’ll be talking about it in 40 years’ time.’ He wasn’t wrong!”

Over 10 pages, Rock Candy Mag uncovers the full story behind the making of ‘Pyromania’ with a level of detail that will thrill fans of the band and give all readers an unprecedented view of a bona fide rock classic.

“You never really know how well an album is going to do,” says Savage. “But I was 100 per cent confident we’d made the right record.”

You can read our 10-page Def Leppard ‘Pyromania’ feature in issue 44 of Rock Candy Mag, together with our 24-page Rush cover story and in-depth investigations of Kix, Black ’N Blue, Slayer, Gun, Megaforce Records, and more. For more details visit www.rockcandymag.com.

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