VIVIAN CAMPBELL Interview
by Martin Popoff

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell spoke with BW&BK recently about a number of topics including their upcoming album, Sparkle Lounge, which should see a worldwide release next April.

"Most of it is done already," Campbell reveals about the status of the follow-up to their 2006 covers album, Yeah! "And in fact, if we had pushed ourselves, we could've had it released this summer. But between one thing or another we didn't do it. For several reasons. Number one, we were concluding negotiations with our record company and we didn't want to rush them. Because this is our last album for our long-term label. Also, there's a possibility that Mutt might write a song or two for us, and there might be another major star who might be performing on a track on the record. So there are all these variables. But other than that, we have been right in there... we have 11 tracks more or less in the can. But for the last few months we've dragged our feet on it because we decided for sure we're not going to release it this year. One way or another, the record is going to come out early next year, first quarter of '08. And it's called Songs From The Sparkle Lounge. Because when we were on tour... we wrote this record when we were on tour last year with JOURNEY. And the Sparkle Lounge is basically a room like this backstage, where we would drape a few things around and have little practice amp, have a little electronic kit set up. And we had these neon lights, like Christmas lights, which we would drape around the place, so it became known as the Spark Lounge. So the name just stuck."

"Actually it's a name we've used for many years for backstage tuning rooms. And it's the first time ever that we actually had gone through the bother of trying to make ourselves write songs on tour. I mean, normally, individually we would come up with ideas when were on tour, or even start making demos on our laptop. But we never actually collaborated as a band and said let's start writing the next album. And it's great. There's a certain urgency you get out of it. It's sort of like guerrilla tactics. You get in and set up the gear. You don't have a lot of time to dwell on it. Because we can be our own worst enemy. Given enough time, we'll use it all and more. Sometimes when you are up against the clock, necessity being the mother of invention, you would come out with something that is a little more urgent."

VIVIAN CAMPBELL Interview Interview Page 2