- Armageddon It
Infobox Single
Name = Armageddon It
Artist =Def Leppard
from Album = Hysteria
B-side = Ring of Fire (UK)
Release Me (US)
Released =1988
Format = 7"
12"
CD
CDV
Recorded =1987
Genre =Hard rock
Length = 5:21
Label = Mercury
Writer =Joe Elliott ,Phil Collen ,Steve Clark ,Rick Savage ,Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Producer =Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Last single = "Hysteria"
(1987)
This single = "Armageddon It"
(1988)
Next single = "Love Bites"
(1988)"Armageddon It" is a song by British
hard rock bandDef Leppard from their1987 album "Hysteria". It was released as a single in1988 and went to Number 3 in the US (their third US Top Ten hit).The actual line of "Armageddon It" is meant to be a word play on the line "I'm A Gettin' It", thought up by the band during the recording sessions for the "Hysteria" album.Fact|date=November 2007 The vocal style of the song is described as "
Eddie Cochran meets T.Rex", according to singerJoe Elliott .The video for the song was the second to feature Def Leppard in a live arena setting. On February 12 & 13 1988, the band recorded two shows at the
McNichols Arena inDenver ,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 inAtlanta, Georgia .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 "" (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"..Video
Track listing
CD: Bludgeon Riffola / LEPCD4 (UK) / 870 239-2 (INT)
# "Armageddon It"
# "Ring Of Fire"
# "Animal"
# "Pour Some Sugar On Me"7": Bludgeon Riffola / Vertigo / 872 692-7P (CANADA) / Picture Disc
# "Armageddon It"
# "Release Me"7": Bludgeon Riffola / Polygram Records / Mercury / 872 692-7 (USA)
# "Armageddon It"
# "Release Me"
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