Steve Clark Quotes
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When we first entered the music business, we didn't know very much about recording. Then, after working with Mutt Lange, we thought we knew everything there was about the studio. But just as we were getting cocky, along came video and we had whole new set of rules and regulations to learn about - it was a totally alien form to us. After all, we were just kids off the streets of Sheffield, what did we know about television except how to turn one on?
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We've developed a reputation as pretty heavy drinkers. I don't know if that's really true. Sure, we enjoy hoisting a few pints. But then, who doesn't? We're surely not a bunch of alcoholics, though some guys in the papers would have you believe that we couldn't go on stage unless we were really cocked. That's a load of rubbish. When it comes to performing we're very professional, but after the show, we may let our hair down a bit.
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It's an incredible feeling to stand on stage and see so many people getting into your music. I can't imagine there being a more satisfying feeling in the world. How many other professionals have instant gratification like that? The crowds make us feel loved, make us feel wanted, every night. We're so thankful to the fans who come out and cheer us on. They are the show.
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When doing the mix, there's five different pairs of ears. We all hear it differently. We said we'll be mixing this album for the next three years if we don't let someone take charge. We let Mutt mix it.
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It was so new to us before, we used to all go rock & roll. Now we're more into getting on with our lives individually, not hanging out every moment. We all know what we like to do. If I want to go to the gym, I'll ring Phil. If I want to go to a bar, I'll ring Sav.
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I still enjoy having my own idea about what a song means. I don't know if I'd have liked having videos on TV when I was growing up. I always found my own mental images to be very strong and appealing. I hope that we're not limiting the imaginations of the fans out there.
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On the first record we had no experience whatsoever. We went in and relied on energy. Without experience we got our ideas off of other records, which is a mistake.
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We did spend a great deal of time together while making this album (Pyromania). We spent a month in Ireland during preproduction without anyone or anything except our instruments and our amps. And believe me, a situation like that can really test your friendship. It's even tougher than being on the road where you have plenty of diversions to occupy your time. When you're thrown together in close quarters with only each other to deal with, your really find out what everyone's like. We came through that with flying colours, and that cohesiveness carried over to the recording session as well.
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No matter how well a band performs, if its songs are a pile of junk, the group might as well not put the effort into it.
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We were noticed not because we dressed and acted so strangely, but because we didn't. All the other bands at that time were concerned with dressing as outrageously as possible and dying their hair ridiculous colors. We tended to look and act rather conservatively. People remember us, as well as our music.
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I've had a lot of fans come up to me and say, 'I love the video song.' It's like it's a soundtrack recording or something. We'll never forget that the music comes first. I sometimes find video a little distasteful for that reason. People associate a band with their video images rather than with the music they produce, that's a little scary.
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Our first single wasn't put out by any big-name record company. We had been playing in clubs for a while and we wanted to put out an EP. None of the record companies would have us. They told us that our type of rock and roll wasn't happening. We decided to show 'em they were wrong, so we recorded the stuff on our own and put it out on our own private label, Bludgeon Riffola Records. When it started to sell a lot of copies, the record companies 'suddenly' discovered us. It was strange, but we felt vindicated.
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I think Joe's a little harsh on our early albums. I still like to listen to them occasionally, and we all still get a kick out of playing Rock Brigade in concert.
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When Phil turned up it was a great kick up the ass for me ... It provided me with some really good competition. I had probably got into a bit of a rut. When Phil joined it was a completely fresh attitude.
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It's a catchy name. We didn't want to call ourselves anything too traditional. If we had called ourselves the something-or-others we would have been just another group in the crowd.
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We didn't know when to stop. It was like painting. We got it to its peak and then we thought, we've got more time, so we started throwing more paint on there.
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We use to catch hell in clubs from people who were into punk. They wanted us to be just like them, but we wanted to rock.
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We enjoyed an incredible response when we did the video for 'Bringin' On The Heartbreak'. We did it a couple of months after the album had been released and it perked up sales. We really enjoyed making them - each video had a different theme and we did them all at one time over the span of a couple of days. Our music stands up on its own, but the video adds an extra element.
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Our families and friends all understand what we're going through. We try to have time for everything and everyone, but sometimes that's just impossible. With our success comes a lot of extra responsibility, and we have to be prepared to make sacrifices for the band. Right now Def Leppard comes before anything else; that's the way it has to be, whether we like it or not. We're all like brothers in this band, and we owe each other the time and effort required to keep us on top.
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You can practice and rehearse as a group forever. The only way you can learn how to do it live is on stage. The only way you can learn to be a performer is to actually perform.
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We've learned that videos can play a big part in helping a band become successful in America. We released the video for Bringin' on the Heartache quite a while after the release of High 'n' Dry, yet the response was unbelievable. MTV played it, and the record went back up the charts. It was unbelievable. We realized then that videos were going to play a big role with this band.
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I don't think we'll ever get too theatrical on stage. I can't see us using exotic props or fancy stages. Of course, we want to put on the best show possible, but we want the music to be the star of the show, not the stage set.
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We just did what we wanted to do. We never thought, 'Well, punk is fashionable, heavy metal is dated - let's be fashionable, let's be a punk band!'
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Mutt Lange is a slave driver, but he is a genius.