Def Leppard - First Strike

Has anyone heard this. Is it a demo that was bootlegged or a first album. I have heard conflicting stories that the band released this with their first management team and then also that this was the band's demo they used to shop for a major label deal. I never even heard about it until recently while in a discussion a couple of friends claimed that On Through the Night was not their first album and of course they never actually heard it.

It's a collection of demos recorded before On Through The Night. Once the band found a measure of popularity, one or two former managers released the demos as an "album." It's actually not that bad, to be honest. "Heat Street" and "See The Lights" aren't great songs, but "Glad I'm Alive" is killer. It should have been on an official album at some point. And the early versions of the On Through The Night tracks are really cool, too.

Anyway, On Through The Night was their first official full-length. First Strike is just a bootleg.

Here you go. I remember seeing this on wikipedia.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Strike_(Def_Leppard_album)

metalinmyveins wrote:

Here you go. I remember seeing this on wikipedia.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Strike_(Def_Leppard_album)

gotcha. So, it was 7 song demo released by their former manager without approval. How about that. Any idea why the band hasn't formally released this as part of some box set or archives collection, especially since it's alread out there. I am sure there would more than a little interest in hearing the beginnings of one of the biggest imports of the eighties. I would certainly like to hear it. Motley Crue released their demo tracks (Stick To Your Guns and Toast of the Town) on the remastered Too Fast for Love cd.

journeyman wrote:

metalinmyveins wrote:

Here you go. I remember seeing this on wikipedia.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Strike_(Def_Leppard_album)

gotcha. So, it was 7 song demo released by their former manager without approval. How about that. Any idea why the band hasn't formally released this as part of some box set or archives collection, especially since it's alread out there. I am sure there would more than a little interest in hearing the beginnings of one of the biggest imports of the eighties. I would certainly like to hear it. Motley Crue released their demo tracks (Stick To Your Guns and Toast of the Town) on the remastered Too Fast for Love cd.

Probably due to the fact that they had a harder edge back then, so God forbid they ever revisit those days by releasing some of this stuff. I have a bootleg disc of the Leps from the Paris Theater in London England where they played "Glad I'm Alive". It doesn't have the date of the show, but it probably is from early 1980, because I also have 5 songs on that same disc from the "Reading Festival" in 1980. Eyesore is right, the song "Glad I'm Alive" is a good song.

Plus, the songs aren't all that great, to be honest. A couple are decent, but really, only demo collectors (such as myself) or hardcore Leppard fans would probably want it.



Arttie

They might be rough tracks but between that and the e.p.that preceeded FS, I'd rather hear those than any of their 90's or 2000's crap.

I haven't seen a copy of it in years. I remember one of my friends had a cassette of it when we were in high school. It had a very cheesy, cartoony cover of a leopard's claw scratching across a map of the U.S. on the front

I doubt that release will ever see the light of day unless Def Leppard one day agree to release a box set of some sort.

Def Leppard have claimed those songs are not very good and they have even slammed the production of " On Through the Night"

Also Def Leppard have tired to distance themselves from their metal roots and NWOBHM that they helped create.

Def Leppard were never metal.

Also, even if they were, I don't think after 30 years a band has to try to distance themselves from anything. If a band was metal in 1979, then in 2008 it shouldn't even be an issue.

It would be cool to hear this album. I wish DL would release a box set (and Dokken too). Both bands have similar situations with their early EP's being released without their approval and/ or stolen and released as bootlegs. I know that both of these bands have seen their heydays and made their money (especially DL), but why not release them as part of some box set or bonus tracks on re releases, etc. Peace.

Eyesore wrote:

Def Leppard were never metal.

Also, even if they were, I don't think after 30 years a band has to try to distance themselves from anything. If a band was metal in 1979, then in 2008 it shouldn't even be an issue.

Maybe they weren't a metal band, but according to the autobiography they co-wrote with David Fricke "Def Leppard:Animal Instinct" they had labeled themselves as a heavy metal, even going as far in the book to claim they wanted to change the sterotype negative images of metal. They along with their record label (Polygram) along with their management companies (Q Prime who also manages Metallica) marketed them as a metal band for the first decade of their career. If they want to move beyond the label of heavy metal or even at this point in their career feel they were never a true heavy metal band, fine but at one time that is what they labeled themselves as, not me. Either way I don't foresee those " First Strike" tracks every resurfacing as an official release.

manny wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

Def Leppard were never metal.

Also, even if they were, I don't think after 30 years a band has to try to distance themselves from anything. If a band was metal in 1979, then in 2008 it shouldn't even be an issue.

Maybe they weren't a metal band, but according to the autobiography they co-wrote with David Fricke "Def Leppard:Animal Instinct" they had labeled themselves as a heavy metal, even going as far in the book to claim they wanted to change the sterotype negative images of metal. They along with their record label (Polygram) along with their management companies (Q Prime who also manages Metallica) marketed them as a metal band for the first decade of their career. If they want to move beyond the label of heavy metal or even at this point in their career feel they were never a true heavy metal band, fine but at one time that is what they labeled themselves as, not me. Either way I don't foresee those " First Strike" tracks every resurfacing as an official release.

I have this same book by David Fricke....The band definitely intimated this early on. I don't want to rehash old battles with Eyesore, but I've stated this before, and I stand behind this statement. Joe Elliott will lump his band (he speaks for everyone) in with whatever genre is cool at the time. By the looks of things from this year alone, classic hard rock/metal is cool again in America. If this trend goes well into 2009 and beyond, I can't wait to hear some Joe Elliott sound bites.

metalinmyveins wrote:

I can't wait to hear some Joe Elliott sound bites.

And people wonder why Blabbermouth is the TMZ or rock and metal.

I remember seeing this on cassette many moons ago. I've never owned or heard it though.

I saw on vinyl at a store many many years ago and passed on it, I wish I hadn't now.

I've never listened to it, but a friend of mine when I was in college had it on tape. He did a lot of trading and I'd say it got it in on a trade.

A friend of mine had this on cassette back in the day. I remember it being rather good.