“Ozzy Osbourne” by Ted Van Pelt is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Today, July 22, tragically marks one year since we lost arguably the greatest figure heavy metal will ever see, the “Prince of Darkness,” Ozzy Osbourne.
If there is one artist who best epitomized Hit Parader, it is Osbourne, who appeared on over a dozen covers from the start of his solo career in the ‘80s to the end of the original Hit Parader run in 2008.
Just like the magazine, Osbourne was loud, brash, irreverent, hilarious, edgy, and unapologetically himself. We remember the “Prince of Darkness” today with an interview he did with Hit Parader 19 years ago.
Hit Parader Archive
Ozzy Osbourne: The Godfather Returns
July 2007 – By Andy Secher
Hit Parader: Does it surprise you that six years have passed since you released your last solo album?
Ozzy Osbourne: It is a little hard to believe that so much time has passed. But it’s not like I’ve been sitting on my ass all that time doing nothing. I toured behind that album for a long time, and then the Sabbath stuff came along, and that kept me very busy. Then we had the TV show in the middle of it all, and there’s always been Ozzfest. So it’s been a busy time, but it’s nice to finally have this album done. This is the first album in my life that I’ve recorded while being completely clean and sober. I’m very proud of that, especially when I consider how satisfied I am with the results.
HP: It traditionally takes you a long time in the studio to complete a solo disc. Why?
OO: It’s hard work! (laughs) If you don’t include the first few albums with Sabbath, which we usually did in a day or two, I’ve never been the fastest worker in the studio, and thankfully at this point in my life I don’t have to be. But I do work at it as hard as I can. I know some fans think that I’m just relaxing around the pool, but what they don’t know is that I’m actually out back, in my new studio, working on music. It did take a long time to finish this album, over a year of on-and-off work, but the key thing is that this music is exactly what I wanted it to be.
HP: You mentioned your new home studio, how did that work out for this album?
OO: It was wonderful! The only “negative” was that Sharon could drop by unannounced at any time to see if we were all focused on what we were supposed to be doing. That really kept us on our toes! But it really worked out better than I could have imagined. Any time I had a bit of inspiration, I could just run out to the studio and work on it. I did a lot of the recording of this album with Kevin Churko, who used to work with (legendary producer) Mutt Lange, and he was so important in getting the songs together and making them sound right. We have a full-size mixing board out there, and it’s outfitted with the latest ProTools gear so my studio is totally state-of-the-art. Kevin knows exactly how to work with all that stuff… I don’t have a clue about it.
HP: The album has already gotten an incredible response. How satisfying has that been for you?
OO: You know, despite all the good things that have happened to me over the years thanks to rock and roll, I’m still a very insecure person a lot of the time. When I finish an album I go back and forth from thinking it’s the best thing I’ve ever done to thinking it’s a total piece of rubbish. Having fans respond to it the way they have means more to me than they’ll ever know. It’s the proof that I’m still doing this at this stage of my life.
HP: Let’s talk about some of the songs on the album. Is there one particular track that stands out for you?
OO: Maybe it would be Lay Your World On Me. Some people think it’s about my relationship with Sharon, and her battle with cancer a few years ago, but that’s not totally true. While it may have been originally inspired by Sharon, I think it’s a message that many people can relate to. Then I imagine the song that has drawn the most attention is Countdown’s Begin, which takes a look at the war in Iraq. I’ve never been very political in my music, and I don’t see a reason to start now. But just as the events of 9/11 impacted me greatly, watching what’s gone on during this war and seeing first-hand how it has affected the lives of so many soldiers and their families is something that I felt I wanted to address in my own way.
HP: The title Black Rain seems to have a rather ominous tone. Was that the intent?
OO: That seems to be a theme running through a lot of the songs, from Black Rain to Silver to The Almighty Dollar to Countdown’s Begin, which take a look at the world around us. It’s not a very pretty picture, is it? I’m not trying to preach to anyone… just make them aware of what I see happening. Actually, Black Rain was inspired by footage I’ve seen of the original nuclear tests back in the 1940s. They’d blow up a bomb, and a few hours later it would rain and it would be black with fallout and everything else. People who didn’t know better back then would just stand out in the open and let it fall down on them.
HP: Your recording and touring band now consists of Zakk Wylde on guitar, Mike Bordin on drums and Blasko on bass. How does this unit compare to some of your previous solo units?
OO: I don’t particularly like to compare bands I’ve had as a solo performer because they’ve all been wonderful in their own way. But this one is excellent. I mean working with Zakk is always a pleasure, he’s there for me whenever I need him. He truly is my right arm. And I think that he’s done some of his best playing on this album. Zakk and I just have to be careful in the studio because we can just sit around telling old war stories and never get enough work done. And we know that Sharon will walk in right in the middle of that.
HP: How much of the new album do you figure you’ll put in your live set once you hit the road?
OO: That’s hard to say at this point. I mean there is so much material to cover… so many albums. What I might do this time is shy away a bit from the Black Sabbath material. Sharon has suggested that I don’t play any of the Sabbath songs this time, but I don’t know if that will work. The fans still want to hear “War Pigs.” I may just wait until that band tours again to play those songs, but I’m not sure at the moment. I have more than enough material from my solo albums to make a great set. I imagine we’ll bring in a number of the new songs, but it’s too early to know exactly how many.
HP: You bring up the name of Black Sabbath. Earlier in the year, a statement came out from your camp indicating that you wanted to record and tour with Sabbath during 2007. Is that possible?
OO: I imagine anything is possible. But with this album coming out in early summer, then with me scheduled to tour for months after that, I don’t see much time for that to happen. I hope Sabbath will come back together at some point, and I look forward to that happening, but I just can’t see it happening this year.
HP: How did you feel about Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler reteaming with Ronnie James Dio as Heaven and Hell?
OO: Even when Sharon and I first heard about that, and it did catch us a bit by surprise, we wished everyone involved the best of luck. It’s not really fair to expect Tony and Geezer to sit around waiting for me. They knew that I was heavily involved in getting this solo album completed, and that Sabbath wasn’t going to be my priority for a while. So they did what they felt they needed to do. Good for them!
HP: But you and Sharon made a big deal out of making sure that everyone knew that Heaven and Hell had nothing to do with Black Sabbath.
OO: Well, I would like to have people think that Sabbath is Tony, Geezer, Bill (Ward) and myself. We’ve worked hard over the last few years to reestablish that idea. I know that fans enjoy the music they made with Ronnie and that’s fine. But it really doesn’t have anything directly to do with Black Sabbath as it stands today. I think calling it Heaven and Hell was a very clever idea on their part.
HP: When would you imagine that you might consider doing something with Sabbath, and might that finally mean recording a new album?
OO: For some reason I feel more pressure doing an album with Sabbath than on my own. There would be so many expectations surrounding that… especially since we haven’t really done a full album together in something like 27 years. I would like to think that we’ll eventually do that album, and that it will live up to the Sabbath legacy, but of course, that remains to be seen.
HP: Let’s change subjects. What made you and Sharon decide to make Ozzfest a free festival this year?
OO: It was all Sharon’s idea, and I think it’s brilliant. Ticket prices have gone through the roof for most rock and roll concerts. We think it’s time that we gave something back to the fans, and this is the best way we could think of doing it. Not only will they get to experience a great day of music, but a lot of young bands will be exposed to the audience they need in order to grow. So it’s a situation that works for everyone involved.
HP: You only played 10 shows at last summer’s Ozzfest. Do you plan on performing at all of them this year?
OO: That is the plan… At least it’s Sharon’s plan! (laughs) She keeps adding new dates in Europe and America, and she just says, “You’ll play them!” I guess I will! Actually, I’m looking forward to it. I’m feeling really good these days, so I’m up for it. We’ve got a very exciting bill, with bands like Lamb of God and Lordi, so I’m excited about getting back on the main stage this year after headlining the second stage last year.
HP: One last question. How do you view the current state of the heavy metal form?
OO: You know, each year at Ozzfest I have the chance to see and hear a lot of new bands. Some of them I may have heard before, and a lot of them that I haven’t. I must say that I’m almost always impressed by the degree of originality and inspiration that they bring to their music. It makes me feel proud to know that I may have served as an influence on so many great, young musicians.
