From Hit Parader April '83
by Andy Secher

"The last few months have had their moments of difficulty," Elliott admitted as he relaxed in the living room of his London home. "For a time we were looking over our shoulders, wondering what might happen next.

"First we had to delay the completion of the album because of complications I had with my throat. Then we reached the point where we had to do something about Pete for his own good. He was beginning to have some problems that were affecting the whole band. We dismissed him and added Phil Collen as our new guitarist joining Steve Clark, drummer Rick Allen and bassist Rick Savage, and we think we're a stronger band because of it. He's as sturdy and dependable as the rock of Gibraltar, and that's what we need right now."

The reasons for Willis' untimely departure have been shrouded in mystery. One British insider has indicated that the guitarist's fondness for more than on occasional drink began to hinder his ability to perform. Other sources have said that Pete no longer enjoyed playing a secondary role in the band to Elliott and co-lead guitarist Steve Clark. While Joe labeled this charge as "totally untrue," he did admit that the group's internal upheaval couldn't have come at a worse time.

"We still hadn't finished work on Pyromania when he left," Joe stated. "We had laid down most of the rhythm tracks, but my voice began to give me problems and we took a break for about 10 days. During that time we realized that we were more or less forced into making a move to replace Pete. He just wasn't holding up his end of the music. Believe me," he added sadly, "it wasn't something we wanted to do. We've all gone through so much over the last few years that we've become closer than brothers. We just felt that we had no choice. Replacing Pete was one of the hardest things we've ever had to do.

"We then recorded as a four-piece for awhile because we didn't' want to take the time out to audition a replacement," Elliott continued. "It just so happened that I'd known Phil Collen for quite awhile and he came over and fit in very well. We then had to decide if we wanted to re-record the rhythm tracks we had done with Pete, or just have Phil add to them. We decided to leave the tracks alone, so both Phil and Pete appear on the album It may seem a bit odd for a band to release a new album featuring a musician who's no longer in the group, but in a way, Pete Willis will always be a part of Def Leppard."

Collen, best known for his work with the glitter-metal guitarists on the English hard-rock band Girl, has become recognized as one of the most exciting young guitarists on the English hard-rock scene. His work on Pyromania, where he shares the solo spotlight with Steve Clark, bristles with the kind of excitement that can only add to Leppard's fast-growing musical legacy.

"Phil's just a great guitarist," Elliott said. "He was able to step into a difficult situation and provide the stability that we needed. When he was in Girl he was used to playing with another guitarist, so moving from one two-guitar band to another made the transition easier for him and for us. He understands how to switch from rhythm to lead, and he and Steve have already developed a very special rapport. We've always depended on two strong guitar voices in the band, and with Phil we have someone who can add both to our albums and our stage shows. We're really looking forward to taking him on tour with us."

Of course, Leppard's ability to tour will hinge strongly on Elliott overcoming his spate of vocal ailments. Starting last September, Joe has suffered through bouts of hay fever and laryngitis, both of which have left the tall, muscular singer worried about his career.

"I am worried about the situation coming back," he admitted. "I've had the problem with laryngitis a few times already, and unless I want to take a couple of months off, it will probably come back again sometime. I tend to sing with a great deal of energy, and if I have to worry that every time I let loose I may hurt my voice, I might as well forget about singing rock and roll. Of course, in the studio I was singing eight hours a day. When we're on tour, the most I'll use it is about an hour and a half. But there's no denying that the thought of losing my voice is in the back of my mind. I don't know what I'd do with myself if my voice doesn't hold up," he added with a weak smile. "I don't want to retire at the ripe old age of 23."

Def Leppard will need all of its members in top form if the band hopes to solidify it position atop the hard-rock heap. After steadily increasing their following with the release of their first two albums, On Through the Night and High 'n' Dry, the band views Pyromania as the record that may establish them as the new champions of British heavy metal. While Elliott wasn't so bold as to admit the band's intention to use Pyromania as a stepping stone to the top, he expressed his belief that the album is the strongest that Leppard has ever done.

"Pyromania is a great album," he stated. "If people thought High 'n' Dry was good, wait 'till they hear this one. Our first album was a record for the 1970's, High 'n' Dry was a record for the 1980's and Pyromania is a record for the 1990's. Some of the songs we've recorded, like Rock 'til You Drop and Stage Fright, are just a giant leap beyond anything we've done before. We've worked harder on this record than anything we've done in the past, and that extra effort we put in is reflected in the music. It really rocks!

"The next thing we want to turn our attention towards is a tour," he continued. "We'll be on the road right after the album comes out in Britain, because if you don't tour England when a record's released, it can disappear in a hurry. We'll take a little more time in coming over to America. There, it usually takes a record a month or two to begin to move up the charts. We've already fully integrated Phil into the band. In fact, he may know the older things even better than the rest of us. Now we're just waiting to see how well the record does. If it really takes off, like we think it should, maybe we'll headline on our US tour, but for that we'll just have to wait and see."

With Pyromania making a strong move on the American sales charts and interest in the band reaching an all-time high due to their MTV videos, it seems that Leppard would have little trouble in conducting their first headlining tour of the US. But with the concert business in the midst of a recession, they're also considering the possibility of starting the tour as an opening act and then returning a few months later as bill-toppers.

"We're not sure exactly which way to go at the moment," Elliott said. "Of course we'd love to be able to go to America and headline all the big venues, but we don't want to rush things. One thing we've learned because of the delays we've encountered in completely Pyromania is that there's really no rush to make it to the top. It's always better to take your time and do something right. If we have to hook on to someone else's tour this time, that's OK. We know our time will come," he laughed. "I wouldn't want to live through the problems we've had again, but they've made us a more mature and stronger band. Now we know there's no problem that we can't overcome."