Armageddon It
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Armageddon It" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Def Leppard | ||
| from the album Hysteria | ||
| B-side(s) | Ring of Fire (UK) Release Me (US) |
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| Released | 1988 | |
| Format | 7" 12" CD CDV |
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| Recorded | 1987 | |
| Genre | Hard Rock | |
| Length | 5:21 | |
| Label | Mercury Records | |
| Writer(s) | Joe Elliott Phil Collen Steve Clark Rick Savage Robert John "Mutt" Lange |
|
| Producer(s) | Robert John "Mutt" Lange | |
| Chart positions | ||
| Def Leppard singles chronology | ||
| "Love Bites" (1988) |
"Armageddon It" (1989) |
"Rocket" (1989) |
"Armageddon It" is a song by British hard rock band Def Leppard from their 1987 album Hysteria. It was released as a single in 1988 and went to Number 3 in the US (their fourth and last US Top Ten hit to date).
The actual line of "Armageddon It" is meant to be a word play on the line "Are You Gettin' It", thought up by the band during the recording sessions for the Hysteria album. The vocal style of the song is described as "Eddie Cochran meets T.Rex", according to singer Joe Elliott.
The video for the song was the first to feature Def Leppard in a live arena setting. On February 12 & 13 1988, the band recorded two shows at the McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado for a future live film release. However, a month later, "Armageddon It" was set to be released as the fourth single off the popular "Hysteria" album and a promo video clip was urgently needed.
From the band's end, there was hesitation to film another concept video. While they were happy with the results for "Hysteria" (the single) and "Animal", they were very unsatisfied with the way "Pour Some Sugar on Me" had turned out for its concept.
Therefore, an idea was pitched to quickly create a video edited from the Denver footage. It was another hit in the UK, reaching the Top 20. Months later, it was released in the United States and was even more successful, reaching the Top 3.
However, Pour Some Sugar on Me was the first song used there for the "live" concept (in fact, many of the scenes are the same in the two) but instead of filming a different video, slight changes were made using footage filmed in October at the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia.
[edit] Trivia
- On the recorded version (and during the "Hysteria" tour), the solo is preceded by Joe Elliott's call to Steve Clark "C'mon Steve, get it". Following his death in 1991, this line was either replaced by "C'mon, boys" or simply removed, except on the compilation album Vault: Def Leppard's Greatest Hits (1995).
- The b-side to the US release of "Armageddon It" contains a cherished rarity for Def Leppard fans: a cover of Engelbert Humperdinck's "Release Me", but sung by guitar tech (and later tour manager) Malvin Mortimer under the alias of "Stumpus Maximus".
Def Leppard is credited with background vocals as "The Good Ol' Boys". The song is remembered for its off-key bombast and humor, and turned Mortimer into an unofficial member of the band. The track is included on the "deluxe edition" 2006 re-issue of "Hysteria.
| Def Leppard |
| Joe Elliott | Vivian Campbell | Phil Collen | Rick Savage | Rick Allen |
| Steve Clark | Pete Willis | Tony Kenning | Frank Noon |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio Albums: On Through The Night | High 'n' Dry | Pyromania | Hysteria | Adrenalize | Retro Active | Slang | Euphoria | X | Yeah! |
| Compilations and extended plays: Def Leppard EP | First Strike | Vault: Def Leppard Greatest Hits (1980-1995) | Best of Def Leppard | Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection |
| Singles: Bringin' on the Heartbreak | Rock of Ages | Animal | Pour Some Sugar on Me | Love Bites | Armageddon It | Rocket | Let's Get Rocked |
| Concert Tours |
| Early Tours 1978/79 | On Through The Night World Tour | High 'n' Dry World Tour | Pyromania World Tour | Hysteria World Tour | Seven Day Weekend Tour | Slang Tour | Euphoria World Tour 1999-2001 | X World Tour 2002/2003 | Rock Of Ages Tour 2005 | YEAH! Tour 2006 |
| Related Articles |
| Robert John "Mutt" Lange | Terror Twins |
