Ozzy Osbourne was “thrilled and delighted” by his collaboration with Judas Priest.
The group recorded a cover of the Black Sabbath track and incorporated the late singer’s vocals from a pre-existing recording and frontman Rob Halford is very happy that Ozzy got to hear the final version of the track before he passed away in July.
Rob told Billboard: “The absolute thrill for us all is he, with Sharon, listened to the final, finished mixing and he was grinning – he was smiling and he was very happy.
“This all came back to us in a note from Sharon, saying he was absolutely thrilled and delighted that we go to do something together musically in this particular way. So for him to do that and then two weeks later to go where he went was just unbelievable…
“It was very beautiful but very poignant for us to unite for the first time ever in the history of both (acts) on a song that’s beloved by millions of metalheads around the world. To put these two bands — Priest and Sabbath — together in this format is just sensational.”
Rob was particularly happy when Sharon Osbourne requested his vocals be mixed with Ozzy’s.
He recalled: “She said, ‘Hey, is there a possibility we can get Ozzy singing with Rob on the track?’ I was doing the happy dance, ’cause here for the first time in my life I have the opportunity to sing with Ozzy, so that’s what we did.
“The way I sing on this particular song is in the same kind of realm as Ozzy.
“I would never say I’m trying to copy Ozzy; it’s just the way… maybe something in the water in Birmingham — or in the beer in Birmingham, ’cause we were both drinkers. But we have voices that are very, very close to match up.
“It’s kind of spooky — when Ozzy sings, when I sing, the way the two voices are put together it’s absolutely magical. We’re all just so happy that we were able to do justice to such a great moment in metal.”
However, the 74-year-old rocker admitted it has taken him some time to be able to listen to the song again becuase of his grief for Ozzy.
He said: “I would get through 30 seconds and I would just have to switch it off because I was just so overcome with emotion.
“To be in the same experience of that moment with Ozzy was just too much for me, and it was too close.
“I’m still grieving. It’s still very tough for me because of my friendship and my love for the man. It took me awhile to listen to the whole song in one go without any breaks, and now I can.”