In a new interview with Indie Power TV, veteran rock/metal bassist and songwriter Bob Daisley, who performed on — and wrote/co-wrote the lyrics/music for — a good portion of Ozzy Osbourne‘s early solo catalog, addressed the fact that he wasn’t invited to take part in Osbourne’s final concert, which will take place in Birmingham, United Kingdom on July 5th…
… Daisley told Indie Power TV (as per blabbermouth.net), “To be honest with you, I don’t think I’d wanna be a part of that day. It’ll be awkward, but it could turn out as an embarrassment as well, but we’ll see. We’ll see.”
The bassist also talked about the fact that he didn’t get a mention during Osbourne‘s induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction last October. He said, “I didn’t expect [to get a mention]. I knew that was coming, because there’s been some dirty water gone under the bridge between us — there’s been lawsuits and legal issues and that — so I was not surprised when I didn’t get a mention. Many people thought that it was wrong and that I should have got a mention. But I really didn’t expect it, so I wasn’t surprised.”
Speaking about the chemistry between the original members of Osbourne‘s band, including guitarist Randy Rhoads and drummer Lee Kerslake, Daisley stated, “It was a chemistry and a formula that worked, and it worked very well. I don’t think any one of us could have been replaced with anyone else and have it work like it did. Ozzy‘s voice tone and melodies were integral to the sound and deliverance of everything that we did. And Randy and me working together musically first, and then me writing the lyrics to Ozzy‘s vocal melodies, it all just gelled. And Lee was definitely the last piece of the puzzle that helped the chemistry and the big picture.”
According to the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA),1980’s Blizzard Of Ozz has been certified quintuple platinum for shipments in excess of five million copies, while 1981’s Diary Of A Madman has been certified triple platinum for more three million units sold.
8 Responses
This is such a great article about a man not getting the recognition he deserves!! It is not just the great Ozzy. Their are many other greatness parts to those first 2 releases. I remember that Ozzy rerecorded the bass parts so he would not have to pay royalties. Which changed the sound of the songs not in a good way. I wonder how many of those first 2 releases sold compared to the most sold Black Sabbath release which was probably Paranoid.
Craig,
It was not Ozzy who decided to re-record all of the bass. and drum tracks, on Bizzard and Diary, it was Sharon. She did that, because as his manager, she did not want to pay royalties to either Daisley nor Kerslake.
Ozzy stayed mum on the topic, until there was a huge ground swell of fans, lashing out about the re-recordings (which was completely justified), and refusing to purchase them. At that point, he came out, and publicly stated, that he disagreed with what Sharon had done, and he was going to make sure, the recordings were returned to their original state…which they were.
So, it always begged the question, how much did Ozzy know and allow Sharon to wear the black hat, while he acts innocent? Is he afraid of her or is it a bit of both? They have such a dependent/co-dependent relationship, it is sometimes hard to decipher, who is really in control, despite it appearing, as though it is all Sharon.
Smart man
Lafonda, thank you for the clarity of that story. Sharon over the years has been really tough on fans and talented musicians! I will bet that Ozzy’s first 2 solo releases outsold any Sabbath release!?
LaFonda here, I will check, as I strongly suspect your are correct…
Well, I am shocked, it appears that Black Sabbath sold more albums with Ozzy alone, than Ozzy did, as a solo artist. According to a search, Ozzy era Black Sabbath albums sold between 64-75 million (I know that is quite a discrepancy). Whereas Ozzy, as a solo artist, has only sold over 51 million albums worldwide.
But, if you combine Ozzy‘s time with Sabbath, along with his solo career, by using Sabbath‘s high end figure (75 million), he outsells Sabbath with a total of 126 million albums sold worldwide.
Ozzy had 2 great solo albums. Starting with “Bark at the Moon”……..nothing special. Of course we can all find one or two songs on each of those next 10 albums that we enjoyed (Under Cover is a cover song album)…….but none hold a candle to ‘Blizzard’ and ‘Diary’.
If you disagree……please recommend an album that you believe I need to cue up again. Appreciate any response.
Hi Silas.
I cannot argue with you one bit, those first two albums are the zenith. both in musicianship and song quality. Could a case be made for No More Tears, asking for a friend. 😉
Silas, I agree with you re: “Blizzard…” and “Diary…”. Those two albums really catapulted Ozzy’s solo career. “Diary…” is my favorite Ozzy album, and I think the title track is one the best written songs ever. Without the work of the Blizzard of Ozz lineup, Ozzy probably doesn’t have a second career in rock and roll.