“Don’t get too precious about your songs. We’re probably going to tear them apart”: Legendary producer Mutt Lange’s first words to the young Def Leppard

Joe Elliott in 1981.

Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott remembered very clearly the first conversation that the band had with Mutt Lange when the producer started work on their second album High ‘n’ Dry.

“Don’t get too precious about your songs,” Lange said. “We’re probably going to tear them apart.”