Animal (Def Leppard song)

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"Animal"
Def-leppard-animal.jpg
Single by Def Leppard
from the album Hysteria
B-side
  • "Tear It Down" (UK)
  • "I Wanna Be Your Hero" (US)
Released20 July 1987 (UK)
September 1987 (US)
Recorded1984-1986
GenrePop-metal[1][2]
Length
  • 4:04 (7")
  • 4:52 (12")
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Def Leppard singles chronology
"Women"
(1987) 		"Animal"
(1987) 		"Hysteria"
(1987)

"Animal" is a song recorded by English rock band Def Leppard in 1987 from the album Hysteria. It was the second single release off the album, and became the band's first Top 10 hit in their native UK, reaching No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart.[3]

Recording[]

"Animal" is usually noted by the band as having been the most difficult track to record for Hysteria. Although it was one of the first songs developed in early 1984, neither the band nor the producers who came and went — Jim Steinman, Nigel Green or Robert John "Mutt" Lange — were able to produce the desired sound until two and a half painstaking years later. Due to its early beginnings, it was the only Hysteria track demoed by Rick Allen on an acoustic drum kit prior to his car accident, Allen having recorded a drum beat for the song onto a four track tape during early sessions.[4] A later studio demo version, tracked to a drum machine, remained largely the same as the earlier demo, which the band felt was starting to sound dated, until after Joe Elliot recorded a lead vocal over it in Paris in July 1985. Lange and the band were so impressed with the lead vocal that they consequently re-wrote and re-recorded the backing track around the vocal.

The effort paid off when "Animal" was released as the lead single off the album in July 1987. In the UK, where the band was all but ignored during the Pyromania era, the song hit #6 on the singles chart and broke Def Leppard into the pop mainstream across Europe.

Over in America, the lead single "Women" performed poorly on the pop charts, which did not give the band much momentum when "Animal" was released afterwards in October 1987. It did reach a respectable #19, though, starting their run of ten consecutive U. S. Billboard Top 40 singles, and is still one of the most popular numbers at Def Leppard concerts today. The line in the song, "Like the restless rust, I never sleep", is a reference to Neil Young's album Rust Never Sleeps.

The single's UK B-side, "Tear It Down", was written during a recording session following the completion of the Hysteria album, where the band laid down several tracks intended as B-sides for the Hysteria singles. Subsequently, the song itself received radio airplay. The band later re-recorded "Tear It Down" for the Adrenalize album.

Track listing[]

7": Bludgeon Riffola / LEP1 (UK)[]

On the back there is a picture of the band on some train rails. The photograph was taken by Laurie Lewis.

  1. "Animal"
  2. "Tear It Down"

12": Bludgeon Riffola / LEPX 1 (UK)[]

  1. "Animal" (Extended Version)
  2. "Animal"
  3. "Tear It Down"

7": Mercury / PolyGram / 888-832-7 (US)[]

  1. "Animal"
  2. "I Wanna Be Your Hero"

Personnel[]

Def Leppard[]

Charts[]

Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 46
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 32
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 21
Ireland (IRMA)[8] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] 20
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 8
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] 17
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 19
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[14] 5

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "36 Essential '80s Pop Metal Tracks". Stereogum. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  2. ^ Edwards, Gavin (1 November 2006). "Hysteria". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  3. ^ Neil Warwick, Jon Kutner, Tony Brown (2004) The complete book of the British charts: singles & albums Omnibus Press, 2004
  4. ^ DVD - Classic Albums: Def Leppards Hysteria. Bonus Features.
  5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 36. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was authorized by ARIA from 1970 to 1988.
  6. ^ "Ultratop.be – Def Leppard – Animal" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  7. ^ "RPM 100 Singles" (PDF). RPM. Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada. 47 (12). 26 December 1987. OCLC 352936026. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  8. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Animal". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  9. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Def Leppard – Animal" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  10. ^ "Charts.nz – Def Leppard – Animal". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  11. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Def Leppard – Animal". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  12. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  13. ^ "Def Leppard Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  14. ^ "Def Leppard Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved September 3, 2020.

External links[]

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