Earlier this month, Def Leppard announced the arrival of their new album Drastic Symphonies, a project comprised of reworked classical versions of their greatest hits recorded alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, due to be released on May 19.
Formed of 15 songs, the project features new guitar and vocal recordings, and even duets between frontman Joe Elliott and...er... a recording of Joe Elliott's younger self from 40 years ago.
Speaking of the making of the album, as well as what it was like to record vocals with himself from the past, he says in an interview on BBC Radio 2's The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show: "What we've done is we've re-worked 16 of our most symphonic songs, and done them with the Royal Philharmonic.
"I re-sang some of them, because the original vocals were out of place once you put an orchestra on it. So on one of the tunes, which is a song called 'Too Late for Love,' I did a duet with myself from 40 years ago."
Noting that the experience was "the most bizarre thing," Elliott adds, "it was great fun. The timing and the phrasing came to me instantly. It's like it never left my DNA. But it was one of the strangest things I've ever done. It was like singing with a ghost that's still alive, if that makes any sense."
Drastic Symphonies will be available on CD, 2LP black vinyl, limited 2LP coloured vinyl, limited 2LP picture disc, CD/Blu-Ray (Atmos) and digitally. Listen to the new version of Animal below:
Def Leppard: Drastic Symphonies tracklist
1. Turn To Dust
2. Paper Sun
3. Animal
4. Pour Some Sugar on Me (Stripped version)
5. Hysteria
6. Love Bites
7. Goodbye For Good This Time
8. Love
9. Gods Of War
10. Angels (Can’t Help You Now)
11. Bringin’ On the Heartbreak
12. Switch 625
13. Too Late for Love
14. When Love & Hate Collide
15. Kings Of the World
