Writers: Steve Clark, Joe Elliott, and Pete Willis
Producer: Robert John “Mutt” Lange
Recorded: Spring 1981 in England
Released: Summer 1981
| Players: | Joe Elliott — vocals Steve Clark — guitar, vocals Pete Willis — guitar, vocals Rick Savage — bass, vocals Rick Allen — drums |
| Album: | High 'N' Dry (Mercury, 1981) |
The lead single from Def Leppard's second album, “Bringin' On The Heartbreak” only reached Number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart but received substantial airplay at rock radio, giving the group it's de facto first hit.
Bassist Rick Savage, however, notes that the song “nearly didn't make High 'N' Dry because it was a ballad.”
A remixed version of “Bringin' On The Heartbreak” appeared on a reissued High 'N' Dry that was released in 1984, in the wake of the multi-platinum success of Def Leppard's third album, Pyromania.
High 'N' Dry and “Bringin' On The Heartbreak” marked the beginning of Def Leppard's association with producer Robert John “Mutt“ Lange, who was brought in specifically to create a smoother, more polished, and radio-friendly sound for the band.
High 'N' Dry reached Number 38 on the Billboard 200 and has sold more than two million copies.
The album reached Number 26 on the U.K. chart.