How Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen lost his arm
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Credit: Alamy
How a night out with Mick Jagger and Jeff Beck inspired a Def Leppard song
Def Leppard’s 1987 album, Hysteria, took the band to new heights and to date, it has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. Interestingly, one track from the hit record was born out of a night-out the band enjoyed at the hands of Mick Jagger and Jeff Beck.
Although Hysteria was the album which solidified their status as rock behemoths, they were already dining at the top table before the record arrived and had Mick Jagger on speed-dial. They had their issues making the LP, and a series of problems ensued before they finally found their groove in the studio.
Initially, Def Leppard planned on Jim Steinman producing the album, but they had different creative visions and severely clashed. After they parted ways with Steinman, drummer Rick Allen lost his arm, which put their album on hold for the foreseeable future, and it was uncertain whether the band would even continue.
Somehow, Allen adjusted his style to play solely with his left arm, and the band found a way to soldier on with producer Robert Lange. In the summer of 1987, Hysteria finally arrived after years of waiting, and Def Leppard exceeded expectations on the release.
‘Excitable’ was one of the tracks that were recorded at Wisseloord Studios in Holland, and despite what the title suggests, it was a rather tame time for the band. However, a studio visit from Mick Jagger brought some much-needed excitement into their lives and inspired them to write the song.
Joe Elliot told Consequence: “We were so isolated out there when we were doing that record, but there were moments where we would get inspiration from the day cause we were so isolated, in our bubble, everything was coming from us, from within. Until the odd occasion when… It was a four-studio complex, and Mick Jagger came in. He brought Jeff Beck along with him and took us all out to a nightclub.”
That night was an eye-opening experience for Elliot, who felt reinvigorated after partying with Jagger and Beck until the early hours. Not only was this inspiring for Def Leppard, but Elliot also claimed it was why The Rolling Stones frontman chose to work with Michael Jackson.
He added: “It happened to be a gay nightclub that played loads of disco, which kind of inspired him to do ‘State of Shock’ with Michael Jackson. When we listened to that song, that inspired us to write ‘Excitable,’ and it all came about the networking we did or the rest of it, just listening to the music that is happening at the time.”
An evening on the tiles with Mick Jagger and Jeff Beck is an unforgettable experience for anybody, even Def Leppard. Thankfully for them, they’ll forever have it bottled in the form of a rock ‘n’ roll song in ‘Excitable’.
