Heartbreak Hotel told Durden, "Everybody in the world has someone who cares. Let's put a Heartbreak Hotel at the end of this lonely street". They were interrupted by the arrival of Glenn Reeves, a local performer who had previously worked with Axton. The duo asked Reeves to help with the song, but after hearing the title he remarked that it was "the silliest thing I've ever heard", and left them to finish it themselves. The song was written within an hour, and Durden recorded it onto Axton's tape recorder. Reeves returned, and after hearing the song he was asked to provide a
Bringin' On the Heartbreak May 1984 with two new tracks, one of which was a synthesizer-heavy remix of "Bringin' On the Heartbreak". Featuring Phil Collen on guitar, the remix was released as a single with a newly filmed video and peaked at 61 on the U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100. The original version of the song was later included on three of their compilation albums: "" (1995) "Best of Def Leppard" (2004) and "" (2005). The latter compilation ends with the instrumental "Switch 625", as it does in "High 'n' Dry". Steve Huey of Allmusic has characterised the song as an "unabashedly dramatic rock ballad."