Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Morrison have shared their new single ‘Gods Of Rock N Roll’ – check it out below.
The track is a reworking of the Morrison song ‘Gods’, which appeared on his 2015 album ‘God Shaped Hole’. The track saw the Black Sabbath frontman co-write and sing on the original, and now it has been reimagined with a 61-piece orchestra featuring new guitar aspects from Steve Stevens.
Ozzy told Kerrang! of the new track: “Billy and I wrote ‘Gods Of Rock N Roll’ together in a hotel room while I was touring in South America about 10 years ago. This re-recorded version of the song finally has all the bells and whistles. I told Billy then that it needed an orchestra and a choir, but it took 10 fucking years for him to listen to me.”
Morrison added: “Ozzy and I have breathed new life into what we always felt was a huge song. ‘Gods Of Rock N Roll’ was written 10 years ago in a South American hotel room, but with this re-recording we both feel we have finally made the song what it was always meant to be – a huge emotive ballad.”
The new version of the song will appear on the deluxe edition of Morrison’s 2024 album, ‘The Morrison Project’, which is out next Friday (February 21).
The track recently found its way onto the Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart ahead of its release.
That came after Morrison gave the new version of the song its premiere while on SiriusXM’s Ozzy’s Boneyard channel last month. Since then, it has been picked up by other radio stations and has made its way to the Number 26 spot on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
The single comes just days after the Osbourne announced details of the final-ever Black Sabbath live show, which will take place in Birmingham on July 5. The hometown event will include a number of star-studded opening acts and special guests, including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Alice In Chains, Halestorm, recent Grammy-winners Gojira and more.
Speaking to NME at Villa Park shortly after the announcement of Black Sabbath’s final gig, Ozzy Osbourne’s wife and manager Sharon said: “He wants to say thank you to everybody. He didn’t have that chance because of his illness, but now he does have the chance.”
Tickets for the concert went on sale this morning (February 14), with many fans left frustrated trying to secure tickets.
Some people also criticised the high ticket prices – despite all profits being split equally across Cure Parkinson’s, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice.
Others though were delighted that they managed to get their hands on tickets for the show.
The post Listen to Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Morrison’s orchestral new single ‘Gods Of Rock N Roll’ appeared first on NME.
