Dark purple were inevitable for every young rock fan growing up in the early 70s, and Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott was one of them. In 2012 he teamed up with the all-star supergroup Kings of Chaos to record a version of the 1972 deep cut Never Before for the tribute album Re-machined: A Tribute To Deep Purple’s Machine Head. Speaking to Classic Rock at the time, he revealed his love for Purple – and how he once saw Ritchie Blackmore throw tomatoes at his own singer.
How did you come to Never before with Kings Of Chaos and who are they?
The story of the cover is that it was pushed to Def Leppard last year. But the problem was time. When our tour was over we all went our separate ways so we had to politely decline. And then the next thing I know (drummer) Matt Sorum calls me and says: “You are the singer of our new band. We are called Kings Of Chaos.” And the band is called Matt, (Bassist) Duff McKagan and (guitarist) Steve Stevens. So I still get to sing it, but with other people playing behind me.
How did you go about recording?
Matt sent me the backing track three weeks ago, just as Def Leppard were going on tour. I said, “Jesus, you couldn’t have sent it to me at a worse time. You expect me to go in the studio and become a singing god.” When I’m on tour and rehearse for six hours a day, it all ends up being over. But on days off, I’ve found a few little opportunities here and there. At one of the shows, I did the vocals backstage and it sounds great. As I speak to you, our sound engineer is sitting in his hotel room with headphones on, trying to figure out which vocal take is the best one to send to Matt. So the band hasn’t even heard me yet.
What is the appeal of Never before?
It is my favorite song on Machine head. But it’s the song that everyone forgets. If you listen closely to it, compared to any other Deep Purple song, it sounds like something Def Leppard could have written. It’s not riffy, like most Deep Purple songs. Although we did our riffy stuff, Leppard became very chordal and jangling around the time of (1983). Pyromania. And then when you get to the chorus, you have these harmonies. It’s just dead simple. It’s like The Kinks’ You really got me And All day and all night or those early Stones singles. It still sounds current and great on the radio. There is no song on Machine head I don’t like them, but if I had to prioritize them, I would Never before above.
What’s below?
Smoke on the waterbut only because I never have to hear it again. We Smoke on the water every day in soundcheck, but we do it again and again Let it goI have this talent for singing Smoke on the water about every riff we play. I find it helps lighten the mood.
When did you first discover Deep Purple?
My memories all come from television. I saw them in Top of the Pops probably do Strange kind of woman and went back from there. I think I heard Smoke on the water came out of a student’s smoke-filled bedroom window one afternoon. But it wasn’t on my record player at the time, and I didn’t have an older brother to play Deep Purple for me. I was a real Top of the Pops Boy, so it was all Bowie, T.Rex, The Sweet and Slade.
It was always a thrill to see a hard rock band Top of the Popsnot true?
Absolutely. You were always really excited when something good came along. Chirp, chirp, beep, beep And Tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree. Everything like Mott The Hoople, Argent, Bowie. I discovered Thin Lizzy through Top of the Pops. There were all these bands that didn’t really belong there, but they burst in for three minutes to wave at the cameras. We all liked that. Led Zeppelin didn’t make singles, so Deep Purple could dominate that market. They were a recognized rock band that Top of the Pops make Black Night And Strange kind of womanbut they did not lose their credibility. It was not a betrayal, it was an infiltration. It was as if they were not In the club, but they had broken in the club and now they were having a drink at the bar.
What was your first Deep Purple album?
I only became aware of it later, as I only knew the singles. That’s how it was (the 1975 compilation) 24 Carat Purple and it probably cost around 50p. It had all the essentials on it. But when I listen to Deep Purple today, it is either Deep Purple in Rock, Machine head or Burn. Although I consider Mark III to be a completely different band, a different entity that happened to have the same name.
Did you ever see them live in the 1970s?
No, because by the time I went to concerts they had already left. And before that they were on the road doing things like the (74) California Jam. They didn’t play at Sheffield City Hall anymore. In fact, the first time I saw Deep Purple was about seven years ago at The 02 in Dublin. I remember it because it was the first time they Child of Time in 10 years and Gillan has absolutely nailed it.
Are the rest of Def Leppard big Purple fans?
When I asked: “Does anyone want Never before for a Purple tribute album?’ (Bassist of Leppard) Rick Savage said: “This is my favorite song on the album, I’m in.” Ian Paice is the reason (drummer) Rick Allen started playing drums and Phil (Collen, guitarist) is a huge Blackmore fan. I think Phil’s very first gig was with Deep Purple in a bar in the East End (It was actually the Brixton Sundown in 1972). Phil believes he was in the crowd that was shot at Made in Japan. Apparently you can see the back of his head. If you ever see a copy of The Stranglers single No more heroes You can see the back of my head as the picture was taken from the balcony of the Sheffield Top Rank.
Have Def Leppard and Deep Purple ever crossed paths over the years?
Ian Gillan and I have a duet on his Gillan’s Inn Album titled I’ll be your baby tonight. It’s a cover of the Dylan song and it was great fun. For 20 years or more we exchanged Christmas cards. We first met Ian Paice in 1983 when Def Leppard had just started going crazy in America. We were touring with Krokus and Jon Butcher Axis were opening for us. Jon Butcher stuck around for a while and then Gary Moore came on and Gary had Ian Paice on drums. There we were – 22 years old or something – and we had Ian Paice on drums in the band that was third on the bill after us! We all went up to him and said, “Um… I’m really sorry…” But he just burst out laughing and told us, “Don’t be so bloody silly.” Then he started telling us stories about how when he goes to restaurants and can’t get a table, he says, “Don’t you know who I am?” needed to be?’
Do you have any experience with the Man in Black?
Def Leppard opened the Rainbow concert in Europe in 1981. I remember Ritchie saying to me: “I want you to look at the audience tonight while Long live rock’n’roll.’ So I stood at the side of the stage and he winked at me and then went into the pit with a box full of tomatoes and started to (Rainbow Singer) Joe Lynn Turner. Of course, Joe couldn’t see Ritchie because of the spotlight and so he started hurling abuse at the crowd because he thought they were throwing it at him. People talk about the moody man in black, but I saw a different Ritchie Blackmore when we toured with him.
Which Def Leppard song would you like to hear covered by Deep Purple?
Ha! Excuse me while I get up off the floor and hold my sides… Okay, the devil on my left shoulder says, “Let them do Pour some sugar on me. Just for fun…’ But seriously, I think War Gods. It is epic in the way Knocking on your back door At Perfect strangers They could do it, and it would be fun to listen to them do it.
Originally published in Classic Rock Presents Re-Machined: A Tribute To Deep Purple’s Machine Head
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