Sony Music are proud to announce the release of War Pigs – Charity Version featuring Ozzy Osbourne in collaboration with globally revered rock icons Judas Priest. This historic rendition of the Black Sabbath classic was released today, with all profits donated to The Glenn Tipton Parkinson’s Foundation and Cure Parkinson’s. Get it here.
This emotionally charged release unites the titans of British heavy metal one last time in a project born from friendship, mutual respect and a shared mission to fight Parkinson’s disease – a cause close to the hearts of both bands.
Initially conceived as a tribute video for Ozzy and Black Sabbath after Judas Priest were unable to join them at the Aston Villa show due to prior commitments with The Scorpions’ 60th Anniversary show in Hannover, the project quickly grew in purpose and power.
When Judas Priest suggested turning the tribute into a full-blown charity single, the idea struck a chord with Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. With Glenn Tipton contributing guitars despite his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s, and Rob Halford and Ozzy Osbourne trading alternate vocal lines, the result is a raw, soaring, and poignant version of the iconic “War Pigs.”
A collaboration between the icons @judaspriest and @ozzyosbourne. All profits of Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd and Epic Records in the UK from audio streams, downloads, and physical sales of the recording War Pigs (Charity Version) will be donated to The Glenn Tipton Parkinson’s Foundation and Cure Parkinson’s.
In early July, Judas Priest released a cover the song, ahead of the Back To The Beginning concert, which marked the original lineup’s last-ever performance. You can listen o that version of War Pigs (not featuring Ozzy), here.
Judas Priest was unable to appear at Back To The Beginning on July 5th in Birmingham, United Kingdom because the band was scheduled to perform at Scorpions‘ huge hometown 60th-anniversary, in Germany on the very same day.
According to blabbermouth.net, back in August 2023, Halford picked Black Sabbath‘s classic 1970 self-titled debut album as one of the albums he’d be willing to listen to in perpetuity if he found himself stranded and alone on an island. He said, “I would have to go with Black Sabbath, the original Black Sabbath album that I think is the motivator for all great things in heavy metal.”
Back in 2020, Halford broke down his top 10 favorite albums in an interview with Rolling Stone and explained how they helped make him who he is. Among the records included on the list was Black Sabbath‘s debut. At the time,Halford said about his choice: “They were local guys from the same neighborhood, the same neck of the woods as Priest. We literally grew up together, inventing this great music that we love and cherish so much called heavy-metal music.
“I chose the Black Sabbath album just because, like so many bands, your first one or two records really establish who you are as a band,” he explained. “It’s a bit like Priest with Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings Of Destiny; Sad Wings Of Destiny becomes the one we love so much because it becomes defining. With Black Sabbath, here was the first example of what heavy metal music should sound like, just the texture, the tone, the structure of all of the material, Ozzy‘s very unique voice. It’s just become a very important record in the discography of Black Sabbath.”
Asked one time, which Sabbath song he’d most enjoying performing with the band, Halford told The Georgia Straight, “Ooo, that’s a good question. Um, I’d probably say the actual song Black Sabbath, which is, to me, the most evil song that’s ever been written. [Laughs]. It’s very f–king scary. There’s something very malevolent about that song. It’s just the whole — it’s the way it starts, and then it’s almost deathly quiet, and then that opening line: ‘What is this I see before me?’ You know, I just get goosebumps thinking about it now. And when I sang that song live, it makes you feel really… Wow… I can’t describe it. It’s just very overwhelming, the emotion is very overwhelming. And when you see Ozzy singing it you can see him change, you know, his whole demeanor, he just changes as a person to sing that song. It’s really spooky.”
One Response
Love the interchanging vocals, just great.