Animal (Def Leppard song)

Recording

"Animal" is usually noted by the band as having been the most difficult track to record for Hysteria. Although it was one of the first songs developed in early 1984, neither the band nor the producers who came and went (Jim Steinman, Nigel Green, & Mutt Lange) were able to produce the desired sound until two and a half painstaking years later. Due to its early beginnings, it was the only Hysteria track demoed by Rick Allen on an acoustic drum kit prior to his car accident, Allen having recorded a drum beat for the song onto a four track tape during early sessions.

However, the effort paid off when "Animal" was released as the lead single off the album in July 1987. In the UK, where the band was all but ignored during the Pyromania era, the song hit #6 on the singles chart and broke Def Leppard into the pop mainstream across Europe.

Over in America, the lead single "Women" performed poorly on the pop charts, which didn't give the band much momentum when "Animal" was released afterwards in October 1987. It did reach a respectable #19, though, starting their run of ten consecutive U. S. Billboard Top 40 singles, and is still one of the more popular numbers at Def Leppard concerts today.

The single's UK B-side, "Tear It Down", was written during a recording session following the completion of the Hysteria album, where the band laid down several tracks intended as B-sides for the Hysteria singles. Subsequently, the song itself received radio airplay. The line in the song, "Like the restless rust, I never sleep", is a reference to Neil Young's album Rust Never Sleeps.

The band later re-recorded "Tear It Down" for the Adrenalize album.

7": Bludgeon Riffola / LEP1 (UK)

On the back there is a picture of the band on some train rails. The photograph was taken by Laurie Lewis.

1. "Animal"
2. "Tear It Down"

7": Mercury / PolyGram / 888-832-7 (US)

1. "Animal"
2. "I Wanna Be Your Hero"