The Def Leppard E.P.

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The Def Leppard E.P. is the debut EP by the English rock band Def Leppard. It was recorded in November 1978 at Fairview Studios in Kingston upon Hull and self-produced by the band. The cover is a playful parody of His Master’s Voice, replacing the dog with a leopard.

Background and first release
- One thousand copies were pressed for the original release, featuring a red label and the Bludgeon-Riffola imprint.
- Joe Elliott and his mother assembled the sleeves, and Elliott photocopied lyric inserts. The double-sided insert included the lyrics to Ride into the Sun and Getcha Rocks Off, plus drawings of the band.
- Drums for the session were played by Frank Noon because the band’s usual drummer Tony Kenning wasn’t available. The recording cost £148.50, money Elliott borrowed from his father.
- The EP came out in January 1979 and was sold at shows for £1. Joe Elliott handed a copy to John Peel at Sheffield University, and Peel played the track on BBC Radio 1. The single eventually reached No. 84 on the BBC singles chart. By summer 1979 the initial pressing had sold out.

Reissues and alternate versions
- After the band signed to Phonogram, the EP was reissued with a yellow label and no picture sleeve, and the tracks were swapped in order because “Getcha Rocks Off” had become more popular.
- In the late 1980s a White Label version circulated to fan club members with the original picture sleeve and the tracks in the original order.
- In September 1979 Vertigo Records released a version that flipped the first two tracks. Side one contains Getcha Rocks Off and Ride into the Sun; side two contains The Overture.

Track listings
- Original release (1,000 copies, red label)
- Side one: Ride into the Sun; Getcha Rocks Off
- Side two: The Overture
- Vertigo version (flipped order)
- Side one: Getcha Rocks Off; Ride into the Sun
- Side two: The Overture

Connections to later Def Leppard material
- The Overture was re-recorded for Def Leppard’s first LP, On Through the Night, and Getcha Rocks Off was retitled Rocks Off.
- Ride into the Sun was re-recorded in 1987 and appeared as a B-side to the Hysteria single; the re-recorded version later appeared on Retro Active (with overdubs), while the original EP version is credited differently on the two releases.
- In 2017 the EP was released on 12-inch vinyl for Record Store Day and as a digital download for the first time. In 2018 a mini CD version was included with the CD Collection Volume One box set. All three tracks were remastered and included on the 2020 box set The Early Years 79–81.

Personnel
- Def Leppard: Joe Elliott (lead vocals, production), Pete Willis (guitar, backing vocals, guitar solos on Ride into the Sun and other parts, production), Steve Clark (guitar, backing vocals, guitar solos on Getcha Rocks Off and Overture, production), Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals, production)
- Additional personnel: Frank Noon (drums)
- Technical staff: Keith Herd and Roy Neave (engineering), Nick Cartwright (mixing), Dave Jeffery (artwork), John Wood (photography)

This compact debut set the stage for Def Leppard’s early rise, combining a raw, DIY sound with early radio support that helped launch their career.