Def Leppard - Will we ever see Deluxe Editions of On Through The Night & High 'N' Dry?

I noticed the other day on Twitter that Def Leppard were putting out tweets with the hashtag "#HighNDry35" to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the release of High 'N' Dry.

This got me wondering why both this album (released in 1981) and On Through The Night (their previous and debut album which was released in 1980) have never been reissued as Deluxe Editions, like Pyromania, Hysteria, Adrenalize and Slang have.

Deluxe Editions of both albums were set to be released in Japan only back in 2010, but the project was ditched, for reasons unknown. I never got to see the track listing for these abandoned releases.

The Def Leppard EP from 1979 has never been released on CD or via any other digital format, and this would be great material for a second disc of On Through The Night, plus the outtake tracks that appeared on the First Strike LP from 1985, which contained outtakes and alternate versions from the studio sessions for OTTN. It would be good to finally hear this material remastered for CD and/or a digital download.

I dare say that there must be quite a bit of outtake material for High 'N' Dry as well. I also read somewhere that there is a gig out there that was recorded during the High 'N' Dry tour in 1981/82. There's also the original mix of "Me And My Wine" which has never been released on CD and/or via digital download.

A total of nine tracks from both these albums were remastered for "Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection" which was released in 2004. If you compare the two you can clearly hear that although the 2004 remasters are slightly louder, they are also a lot more crisp and sharp than the original CDs. Rock Brigade from OTTN is a good example of this.

I did read somewhere that it was a dispute between the band and their former record company that is holding back these releases, and this may have contributed to the cancellation of the Japanese releases I mentioned.

Have any other Def Leppard fans on here been wondering the same as me? This guy certainly has, regarding High 'N' Dry...

REVIEW: Def Leppard – High ‘n’ Dry (1981) »

 

AGREED want deluxe of both.
What I really want is a Def leppard box set with all the remastered albums and a cd or two with extras unreleased tracks live shows etc.
Hope will see this soon. If the Beatles and Floyd have complete album boxes why not leppard. Just sayin ..

 

I have been wondering as well. Thanks for posting the info.
My favorite album by them. I play it often.

 

I have Night and Dry cds but would love them to get the remastered treatment. A box would be great of all the albums remastered.
EX: The kinks had so many record companies so an album box set for them will never happen. So painfully I have to get each cd one by one remastered Japan or American release.
A real pain in the a__.

 

To be fair, Def Leppard haven't done too badly when it comes to releasing stuff from the archives, such as live material. It's just frustrating that they've forgotten about this period in their career.

 

Tell me..

 

I’d buy them! Slang and on, you can keep ‘em!

 

Back in the 80s I had a really good Def Leppard early concert taped from the BBC Radio One Friday Rock Show, repeated when Hysteria was massive. Probably originally from around 1979.

Three things I remember about it (the tape is sadly long gone, probably taped over when I got into indie music as a late teen) are it being excellent quality, it was a lot heavier and more powerful than On Through The Night, which I loved then and still like most of, and that it started with a good song I'd never heard before and haven't since called Glad I'm Alive.

This would be great bonus material for On Through The Night along with the debut EP, both sides of the Wasted / Hello America 45 which I also used to have (different, earlier recordings to the LP versions, very weedy production on this I recall), and the non album B-Side of Hello America, Good Morning Freedom, along with the First Strike material, which I've never heard.

I don't listen to Def Leppard much now, just when nostalgia takes me there, but I would be tempted by this. On Through The Night, in spite of it's dodgy production in places, is a good and often overlooked rock album. Some great playing and good songs from such a young band. It would probably benefit from a good remastering.

 

The band and their old record label, Universal, are at an impasse over compensation for the distribution of their songs via new media (downloads, streaming) among other things; therefore, nothing gets the green light – remasters, deluxe editions, box sets or what have you – until an accord is reached.

 

Thank you for that information.
Had a feeling it was something like that.

 

There's also some unreleased demo's out there from before "On Through the Night" came out. (Warchild, Got To See The Lights, Beyond the Temple, Tomorrow Seems Like Yesterday) I think there is plenty of material for a Deluxe "On Through the Night". "High 'N Dry" is a different story. I've never heard of any high quality live recordings from that tour. I'm also not aware of any extra songs. (Hope I'm wrong)

 

High & Dry is by far my favorite Def Leppard album followed by On Through the Night and Pyromania. I loves Hysteria at the time but don't care for it now. Never liked anything that followed.

 

Deluxe High and Dry was 84 with the extra synth version of Bringing On The Heartbreak and the bonus Me and My Wine. Just kidding

 

the band actually purchased the rights from slang back from the label because they wanted to do a deluxe of it so badly.

 

I have a bootleg vinyl of that BBC concert & it is indeed great quality! Never understood why 'Glad I'm Alive' never made it onto OTTN? Great song!

 

Master tapes

 

I'd like to see a tarted-up version of 'Beyond The Temple' enclosed with any 'On Through The Night' release. There's an awful, hissy, bootleg version which annoys me as it was a powerful live number in the early sets. Deserves a proper airing.

 

That's interesting as the BBC probably still have it. No doubt presented by Tommy Vance?

Can you remember if that gig was from the On Through The Night tour or the High 'N' Dry tour?

 

It was off the Friday Rock Show. I used to listen it every week, with Tommy Vance of course. At the latest it was On Through The Night, but I think it was even earlier. It was only about 30mins long but the BBC may have more of it. They were probably supporting a bigger band at the time and the BBC recorded both.

Rufus Rag has posted in this thread that he has a quality vinyl bootleg of it. I'm sure he could tell you more. I haven't heard it for over 25 years! I like to hear it again now.

 

Audio is horrible. At least people listening will get an idea of an early leppard band.

 

I'd be happy if they put out a High-N-Dry re-release with "Me and My Wine" added back to the running order. It was one of two "bonus" tracks added to the album once the band blew up huge with Pyromania (the other being a "remix" of "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" with some unnecessary keyboard flourishes by Thomas Dolby).

My old cassette copy of High N Dry had those two extra songs but when I finally got around to upgrading to a CD in the early '00s, they weren't on it. I guess they must've pulled those tracks from future pressings at some point when I wasn't paying attention.

 

Rocking with the Leppard! Listening to this now. It's great but not what I had. This sounds like a BBC session. Already better produced than the LP. This makes me wish they hadn't gone for the glossy, commercial and massively produced sound later. Such a good honest rock band here.

 

Hear ya BIG TIME

 

This is great! I've never heard it before. Don't mind the audio quality, or lack of! It reminds me of my old rock and metal cassettes from my youth. Don't know this last song... It's a rocker. Oh, it's Good Morning Freedom. I never had this 45. Really good track. They must release this stuff!