Photo: Jane Stuart
Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Morrison shared their new collaborative single "Gods of Rock N Roll" on Friday (February 14). The track is a reworking of Morrison's 2015 song "Gods," which also featured Osbourne's vocals. This version includes a 61-piece orchestra and guitar from Steve Stevens. During a new interview with Kerrang!, Osbourne recalled how the new version was 10 years in the making.
“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," he said. "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 f**king years for him to listen to me.”
“Ozzy and I have breathed new life into what we always felt was a huge song," Morrison added. "‘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.”
Listen to "Gods of Rock N Roll" below.
The new song comes just days after Black Sabbath announced their final show, billed as Back To The Beginning. The band will consist of its classic lineup—singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward—and the concert is set to take place at Villa Park in their hometown of Birmingham.
“It’s my time to go Back To The Beginning… time for me to give back to the place where I was born,” Osbourne said in a statement. “How blessed am I to do it with the help of people whom I love? Birmingham is the true home of metal. Birmingham Forever.”
The all-day event will also feature sets from Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Gojira and many other rock and metal icons. Back To The Beginning is slated to go down on July 5.