DEF LEPPARD Covers DEPECHE MODE's 'Personal Jesus' For 'Spotify Singles'
DEF LEPPARD has unveiled its "Spotify Singles". As part of the streaming platform's coveted initiative, the multiplatinum rock legends performed the classic "Hysteria" in addition to a brand new cover of DEPECHE MODE's "Personal Jesus". Listen and share the singles here.
Recorded live on May 16 at the Spotify studio in New York, the musicians preserve the provocative power of "Personal Jesus" while imbuing their own signature style and spirit. A recording of the cover has preceded recent live shows. Meanwhile, they amplify the energy of "Hysteria" with this hyper-charged rendition. A live staple, it most notably serves as the title track of their 1987 best-selling album of the same name, which garnered a diamond certification from the RIAA and housed seven smash singles. The original also stands out as a fan favorite on Spotify.
"Spotify Singles" was launched in 2016 and features artists recording at least two live songs — an original and a cover — for release exclusively on Spotify. As the name suggests, the "Spotify Singles" concept channels back the good old days of vinyl and CD singles.
The first round of "Spotify Singles", which launched in November 2016, gave users access to new music by more than 20 artists, including John Legend, Grouplove and Lindsey Stirling.
DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott spoke about the band's Spotify session during a recent appearance on "The Eddie Trunk Podcast". He said: "[We recorded] just two songs. I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil the surprise for whenever it's gonna get broadcast, but [it was a] bit of fun. [We laid down] one of ours and a cover of somebody else's stuff."
Back in January, DEF LEPPARD finally made its entire catalogue available for downloading and streaming. The British rock icons, who had been longtime holdouts to having the band's music available digitally, even went so far as to re-record their classic hits in note-for-note replications rather than cave to a deal that didn't serve them well. Now, the band's work — from its 1979 debut, "The Def Leppard E.P." through 2015's self-titled album — can all be found online.
DEF LEPPARD's 58-city tour with JOURNEY kicked off on May 21 in Hartford, Connecticut and will run through October 6 in Los Angeles.
