DEF LEPPARD Guitarist PHIL COLLEN Reflects On Writing Hit Song "Animal"- "The Whole Thing Took Three Years; It Was Kind Of Sucking"

Speaking with Music Radar, Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen looked back on the band's 1987 album Hysteria track-by-track. Following is an excerpt from the rundown.

"Animal"

Collen: "We wrote the song in Dublin, which was kind of my idea. Frankie Goes To Hollywood was really popular at the time, and we wanted to get some of that in there. Trevor Horn had produced their record, and it sounded amazing. We tried to get elements The Fixx, as well – that ‘prrring!’, all the guitar stuff. But we failed miserably (laughs), because I was using Gallien-Krueger on the clean setting. 

For some reason, the whole thing took three years. We started it in Dublin, recorded it in Holland, Joe did a vocal in Paris – but it was kind of sucking (laughs). After all that work, Mutt (Lange / producer) said, ‘We’ll keep the vocal and rewrite the song.’ So I sat with Mutt and Steve (Clark) and we worked on a demo. I played through the Gallien-Krueger, Steve went through a Rockman, and we were both using Mutt’s guitars. I think I had either a Charvel or a Larrivee. Even though it was a demo, we were cranked up. Coming through the speakers, I got a bit of feedback, just barely, and it ended up on the record.!"

"Love And Affection"

Collen: "I sat around my apartment in Paris and came up with the idea for this song. We actually played it live before we recorded it. It almost became a single; a lot of people were calling for it, in which case we would’ve had eight singles (laughs). It flowed very easily. A very fun song to record. Why it wound up last on the record, I really don’t know. I think if we would have put it in the main section of the album, it would have made everything lean too commercial-poppy. So it ended the record, which is fine. I like putting a song like this as the closer. It takes you out real well."

Check out the complete track-by-track rundown here.