Billy Morrison Says ‘Crack Cocaine’ Is ‘A Classic Ozzy Song’

“I feel that timing is all the pieces.”

That is what Billy Morrison mentioned on Loudwire Nights on Friday Evening (March 22) as he celebrated the current launch of his brand-new tune, “Crack Cocaine,” that includes Ozzy Osbourne on vocals.

The timing of this launch was important given it is the primary time followers have heard Ozzy’s voice since his well being points turned increasingly more public. However as a lot as timing is all the pieces to Morrison, he additionally mentioned the timing of “Crack Cocaine” was fully natural.

“We didn’t plan this,” he informed host Chuck Armstrong. “It’s really from the guts, and the truth that Ozzy’s monitor was already finished, I feel that simply reveals that it was meant to be on this file.”

“Crack Cocaine” is the primary tune shared from Morrison’s new album, The Morrison Challenge, which is about for launch on April 19.

“The fascinating factor about Ozzy and all of the well being stuff,” Morrison defined, “he was nonetheless within the well being stuff when he sang that. Simply because he is going by way of what he is going by way of doesn’t suggest the man cannot sing. The man has an unbelievable voice. He turns it on when that inexperienced gentle goes on and it is time to file.”

Morrison, who has been pals with Ozzy for 30 years, says it is irritating for the Prince of Darkness to face these well being points as a result of his voice is way from diminished.

“Ozzy is an icon and he can nonetheless sing like everybody desires him to sing … It is a bodily factor that he is recovering from, however it doesn’t suggest his voice is gone. What you hear on ‘Crack Cocaine’ is actually 20 minutes within the vocal sales space.”

Coming Up With a Traditional Ozzy Riff

Morrison wrote “Crack Cocaine” with fellow Billy Idol bandmate Steve Stevens, and he informed Chuck that after they completed the tune, they’d a robust feeling that it will change into a traditional Ozzy monitor.

“Between us, we got here up with this riff with the pinched harmonics and we each checked out one another,” Morrison recalled. “[Steve] clearly is aware of Ozzy is my finest mate and we’re like, ‘We gotta ship this to Ozzy. We simply wrote the final word Ozzy riff that is by no means been written.'”

He mentioned they did not got down to write an Ozzy riff, however they could not deny it as soon as they heard it.

“It was all by likelihood…we positively got here up with a traditional ‘Ozzy Osbourne, the one which received away’-type riff.”

What Makes Ozzy Osbourne an Icon

As Morrison and Chuck talked concerning the riff of “Crack Cocaine,” they each shortly celebrated the truth that all these years later — and after all of the legendary guitarists Ozzy has labored with — it is superb that there are nonetheless new songs and riffs to be written for him.

READ MORE: What’s That Ozzy Music in ‘The Crow’ Remake Trailer? — Followers React

“That is what separates somebody that may be a massive rock star from somebody that’s really iconic,” Morrison provided. “There are many massive rock stars, however Ozzy Osbourne is likely one of the few icons left — like Billy Idol, my man Billy.”

He mentioned he and Stevens had been humbled to give you the riff for “Crack Cocaine” as a result of they’re following within the footsteps of “riffmeisters like Randy [Rhoads] and Zakk [Wylde] and Tony [Iommi].”

“Me and Steve had been going, ‘Effectively, we predict we have received one,’ ? It was loopy, however I stand behind the tune. I feel it is a traditional Ozzy tune.”

What Else Did Billy Morrison Focus on on Loudwire Nights?

• Why he loves writing with different artists and musicians: “I am an previous punk rocker who realized three chords and turned it right into a profession, so collaborating permits me to be taught, it permits me to remain humble and be taught.”
• How “Crack Cocaine” ended up getting the inexperienced gentle for launch: “Sharon [Osbourne], in essentially the most beneficiant manner, mentioned, ‘Look, Ozzy and I really like this tune. We expect it is best to put it out and Ozzy will do a video.”
• What it is like being finest pals with Ozzy: “Ozzy is my finest pal and I imagine he says the identical about me. We have recognized one another for practically three a long time and the fantastic thing about our relationship is, sure, we each occur to be musicians, however our relationship is just about primarily based on what actual friendship relies on.”

Take heed to the Full Interview within the Podcast Participant Under

Billy Morrison joined Loudwire Nights on Friday, March 22; the present replays on-line right here, and you’ll tune in dwell each weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you may also see if the present is on the market in your native radio station and hearken to interviews on-demand.