Greece’s Rockpages Web Magazine has recently started an ongoing tribute on DEF LEPPARD which will feature interviews with various people that helped the band from Sheffield, UK build its career. The first interview is now online and it features Def Leppard former producer Pete Woodroffe. The first part focuses on the years 1992-1995. The following is an excerpt regarding the Adrenalize period:

Rockpages.gr: How was the atmosphere in the studio, considering that Steve Clark had passed away?

Pete Woodroffe: "Even though we all knew Steve had an alcohol problem, it was a real shock when he died. Much as we tried to carry on with the album, everyday we’d be working on tracks and hearing his guitars. Usually the studio is an escape from reality where you channel everything into the music - but on Adrenalize it was tough."

Rockpages.gr: Mutt Lange wasn’t available to produce the whole album but he was around and he co-wrote almost every single track on the album. How important was his input in the shaping of the Adrenalize sound and which was the role of Mike Shipley behind the console?

Pete Woodroffe: "The guys wrote most of the songs with Mutt at the start of the album and demoed them. The demos would have the basis of the arrangement, but usually only a couple of guitar parts. Then Mike would turn them into masters, layering up the guitars and stacking the backing vocals. So although the musical direction of the album came from those demos, the sound of the album was very much down to Mike - who’s an incredibly talented guy. I’ve never worked with anyone who hears the detail that Mike does. Although I’d already done loads of recording and mixing with other artists before Adrenalize, I learned more about the art of recording from Mike than anyone else. Right at the end of the album Mutt also showed up for the mixing. Because the band was following up Hysteria and also because Steve had died, this album took a long, long time to record. One day during the mixing Mike asked me how old I was. '30' I replied. 'But I thought you were 27?'. 'I was the last time you asked me!', I replied."

Read the entire interview at this location.