It is 2012, and I am pretty sure everyone on the planet has heard Crazy Train. Back in 1987, every teenage wanna be guitar player in my hometown was cramping their fretting hand trying to work out the main riff. Most of them playing on some second hand piece of garbage bought from World of Music.Randy Rhoads was huge in my click back then. It was due to Ozzy releasing the Tribute LP. We all had it (or a dubbed copy of it). It spent at least a solid 6 months in my tape deck. I was 12 going on 13 that year.
Fast forward 12 or so years to the late 90's. My wife and I were walking through the Millcreek Mall, and we saw a young girl, probably 14, wearing a Randy Rhoads Tribute t-shirt. She was enthusiastically explaining his awesomeness to her friend on a bench outside of The Cookie Factory.
That stuck with me for a few reasons, but I remember thinking that this kid was out of place in 1999. Regardless it was good to see a child from the next generation geeking out to Randy.After I started researching this blog, I told my wife about that specific memory, and I was accused of being weird..... Ahem........I say nay.........not weird at all. I would make a mental note of a Randy Rhoads shirt today if I saw one, that's what rock nerds do.
By the time I hit high school, Randy's playing was fully integrated into my thought process. I judged guitar players by whether or not they could do the solo to Crazy Train without messing up (I still can't even start the solo - but I was playing drums back then). When it came time for our cover band, INFERNO to play a benefit at the Corry High School, there was no question about Crazy Train being in the set list!
What is my point in all this rambling? I dig Randy Rhoads. I have come to love his rhythm playing and writing as much as his soloing these days. His feel for music riffage and arrangement was outstanding.
So, we are on the cusp of the 30th Anniversary of Randy Rhoads death, and I am wondering, how do I pay tribute? So I started digging.... What I wanted to find was more than just the run of the mill "Sharon approved" statements from the Osbourne handlers. So I looked elsewhere. Old interviews, youtube clips, Books, articles, etc. for information from the people associated with Randy. Finding material for this blog would prove tedious and time consuming.I decided to start by rooting through old OZZY interviews to get some info straight out of the 80's (before years of spin doctoring changed history).
The opening story is a result of the excavation, and I take full responsibility for it because I wrote it.
The second half contains quotes I wanted to geek out to. I tried to stay away from protected content, and I took the liberty to paraphrase when needed. I cannot verify the accuracy of the written words, but some of the quotes are from video interviews, so the artists did say them. The problem with Ozzy history is that Ozzy himself constantly re-writes his own stories by changing them with each interview, and there are several versions of every story depending on the interviewee. Ozzy tells a lot of white lies, but so does everybody else. I digress.... I hope you enjoy!
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Part 1: The Tribute LP.
Part 1: The Tribute LP.
Randy Rhoads definitely saved Ozzy's broken career, and unknowingly launched an empire that eventually led to TV, Ozzfest, movies, radio, etc. Ozzy returned the favor by releasing a tribute to his fallen friend and securing Randy's legacy as one of the worlds greatest guitar heroes.The Osbournes stepped out of character by releasing the Randy Rhoads Tribute LP in 1987. At the time of Randy's death (March 19th,1982) Ozzy was contractually obligated to deliver a live LP to his label, but he could not bring himself to release live recordings made with Randy over the previous 2 years. Officially, Ozzy says that it was too painful and too soon. The live recordings with Randy Rhoads were put away with no real plans to surface in their forseeable future.
Ozzy did indeed deliver a live LP in November of 1982, but he opted to re-record old Black Sabbath material with Brad Gillis (Night Ranger) on guitar.
Shelved but not forgotten, the Ozzy Osbourne/Rand Rhoads Tribute live LP was finally released in February 1987, six+ years after it was recorded.
Ozzy (in interviews) claimed a several reasons why he waited so long to release it, including:
- They wanted permission from Randy's mother.
- Randy's Japanese fans helped Ozzy realize how popular he had become while touring there in '86. Ozzy says "we went to Japan, and they all had Randy shirts and posters, it was amazing".
- Randy's mother Dee had received thousands of letters requesting that the material be released. She answered all fan mail by hand.
- Ozzy's management received thousands of letters requesting that the material be released.
Regardless of the circumstances for the wait, the project was eventually given the green light. Ozzy said that they had to search for the the tapes at his house and they were worried they wouldn't find them because they had moved 3 times since Randy's death. When they did locate the recordings they were amazed at the quality of what they heard.There is a Larry King interview with Ozzy from '87 where he stated that his wife/manager Sharon Osbourne and Randy's mother, Dee Rhoads, did all of the work and packaging for the Tribute album. Ozzy himself did not really have much to do with it.
Sharon Arden Osbourne's teeth were already showing early in Ozzy's solo career. As the daughter of the notorious Band Manager, Don Arden, she was weaned into music business very early on. Don's management company was responsible for the careers of the Small Faces and ELO. Don also started Jet Records, which was Ozzy's official record company for his first 3 releases. He earned the nickname "Al Capone of Pop" by mastering a leg breaking, iron fisted and brutal approach to management.
Black Sabbath was not signed to Jet Records, but Don Arden was Black Sabbath's manager the year Ozzy was fired from the band. Sharon saw opportunity in this and had her father sign Ozzy to his label shortly after his dismissal. She then began management of Ozzy's career while working for her father.
She assumed complete control after she fired the original original Blizzard rhythm section back in '81, and bought out Ozzy's contract from her father. Sharon then moved Ozzy from Jet Records to Epic (a division of CBS, where Ozzy still records to this day). Her control included marrying Ozzy. Sharon then started systematically wagging the dog despite Ozzy being a habitually wasted lunatic who tried to choke her to death in a drunken stupor (an act that landed him in jail).
The only angle I can come up with from Sharon's perspective to release Tribute in '87 is to keep momentum in Ozzy's career. Ozzy shaved his head (again) and was rumored to have disappeared for a while after the Ultimate Sin tour. He was also rumored to have been committed (which they all strongly deny). The after effects of the head shave can be seen in the Crazy Train video with Oz sporting a Tina Turner look due to his hair having not fully grown back yet. Whatever the reason for the Tribute Album, in my young mind it was a classy move from camp Osbourne. I still think that today.
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Part 2: Quotes:
"Randy hated Kevin DuBrow you know, he absolutely hated him." - Ozzy Osbourne. Randy started his career as a founding member and guitar player for Quiet Riot, along side the outspoken vocalist Kevin Dubrow in the 70's. Quiet Riot became popular after Randy's Death, and as I remember it, everybody hated Kevin, but Kevin probably did not need to find out how Randy felt from an Ozzy interview. Before Kevin's death in 2007, he was telling anyone who would listen how Randy pilfered Quiet Riot songs for Ozzy's band. I have listened to early Quiet Riot, and it is no Blizzard of Ozz.
"He was really funny and really sarcastic,
which was endearing to me. Not the way everybody thinks of him now, that's
for sure. I think of him the way he was and it has nothing to do with what is being said about him. " - Kevin Dubrow. I am sure Kevin had some stories. Kevin reused the name Quiet Riot after Randy died. He says that the name would have been a problem had he continued when Randy left to play with Ozzy, but once he was dead those issues went away. From the time Randy left Quiet Riot, up until Randy's death, Kevin was calling his band Dubrow. Pre-Crue Nikki Sixx
"Ozzy's first album (Blizzard of Ozz) reminds me of a time in my life when everything was solidifying for me, so it brings up good memories" - Nikki Sixx - Cool, how about Kevin's memories Nikki?"Nikki Sixx auditioned for Quiet Riot in '77. We said the song is in the key of F and he said, "where's F?". Yeah, so Randy couldn't sit there and teach him how to play bass" - Kevin Dubrow - Haha... That's some funny stuff right there.
Mick Ronson Randy Rhoads
In my mind I knew that if Ozzy heard Randy (play guitar), it was gonna be magic - Dana Strum. 10 years before he hit platinum status with his band Slaughter, Dana Strum was trying hard go to platinum by joining Ozzy's band. Ozzy was drunk, high and living in a LA hotel when Dana took on the task of finding a guitarist. It was said that Dana was supposed to be in the band, but with veteran Rainbow bass player Bob Daisley waiting in the wings in England, Dana was not asked to make the trip back with the Ozzman to write the first LP.
"Eddie Van Halen was screaming with popularity in the mid 70's, and I thought Randy Rhoads might be better. I couldn't understand why nobody got that" - Dana Strum. Dana brought Randy to audition for Ozzy. Ozzy was blown away. It is said that Ozzy was loaded and seemed disinterested in Randy, but after Randy played, Ozzy lifted his head and whispered to Dana, "tell him he's got the gig" (thats just one of 12 versions of the story I have read).Ozzy w/ Jake E Lee
"There was one show (with Ozzy) where these kids were off to the side and I went over to see what they were doing. They were wearing Randy t-shirts and they were pointing at the shirts and going #1. Then they'd point at me and flip me off. I went over to them after the show and said, "I'm glad you liked Randy, but you don't have to shove him in my face" - Jake E Lee. Jake E Lee was the next in line to play side kick to Ozzy. Jake is a fantastic guitar player, even Ozzy himself admits that now. Sharon faxed Jake his walking papers in 1987. Ozzy says that it just didn't work out with him. "I thought he was the best new guitar player post Eddie (Van Halen). He was the most promising I'd heard. I was sad when he died. In Fact, me and Warren DeMartini got drunk that night toasting Randy" - Jake E Lee. Jake was a member of Mickey Ratt, which eventually became Ratt, long before joining Ozzy. He had been working with the LA band Rough Cut when he was approached by Dana Strum to audition for Ozzy. Jake got the job, and subsequently rewrote some of the riffs originally intended for his band Rough Cut for Ozzy's next Studio LP - Bark at the Moon.
"(After I started playing for Ozzy), the kids were shrugging their shoulders and all flipping me off" - Brad Gillis. Brad had the impossible job of replacing Randy Rhoads on the Diary of a Madman tour. He left after the release of Speak of the Devil to go back to Night Ranger (replaced by Jake E Lee - see above). Time has earned Brad some respect by Ozzy fans as a great guitar player, and Brad has embraced his tenure with Ozzy as well. In 1982 however, he was not Randy Rhoads and never would be in the eyes of the fans.EVH in '78
Lost: Randy Rhoads quotes from Eddie Van HalenThere is a blog I read dedicated to explaining how Randy did copy Eddie's equipment set-up and sound... You know what, I have done the same, and if you play, you probably have too. Line 6 has dedicated a lot of time and energy to "ripping off sounds". Eddie himself has had numerous products with his stamp, including a replica frankenstin strat that was issued at some ridiculus price. Eddie has endorsed and assisted with amps, effects and guitars all made to emulate his sound. Randy could have plugged a clothes line into a urinal and sounded great, and if he did borrow Eddie's stage set-up, then Eddie should have been flattered.
Eddie and Randy were rivals in the LA club scene in the mid 70's. Both had guitar hero status early on in their careers. Van Halen shared the stage with Quiet Riot. To be a fan at a show like that would have been amazing. I wonder if they hung out at all? I wonder if Eddie walked up to Randy between bands and said "nice set man, you guys are great", then walked away talking shit (because thats what local bands do, at every show without fail).
Randy humbly admitted to borrowing Eddie's tapping technique, he said that's what the fans expected, but Randy was so much more in regards to his playing. Classically trained and a teacher of 60 students at his mothers music school, Randy was the real deal. Had he not died, he would have gone on to gain his Masters in music, which was his ambition.At the end of the day, I do not fault Eddie for being a jag-off. He always has been, and always will be. If anyone alive on the planet gets a pass from me, it's Eddie. Besides, when he said things about Randy (whatever they were), he was still young and bullet proof . Randy Rhoads was Eddie's only real rival..... Rivals tend to be brutal, but they can motivate and inspire you to greater heights. Sometimes their impact takes time to fully absorb. Randy was honest about Eddie's impact on him.
The following is taken from Randy's wiki page:
Randy Rhoads' last show was played on Thursday, March 18, 1982 at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, Tennessee. The next day, the band was headed to a festival in Orlando, Florida. After driving much of the night, they stopped on the property belonging to Jerry Calhoun, owner of "Florida Coach", in Leesburg, Florida. On it, there was a small airstrip lined with small helicopters and planes, and two houses. One belonged to the tour bus driver Andrew Aycock, and the other was owned by Calhoun. Aycock, a licensed pilot, talked the band's keyboardist Don Airey, into taking a test flight with him in a '55 Beechcraft Bonanza. By some accounts the manager Jake Duncan, was also on this first flight. The joyride ended and the plane landed safely. Then Aycock took Rhoads and hairdresser/seamstress Rachel Youngblood on another flight. Rhoads was persuaded to go on the second flight, despite his fear of flying.
Rhoads apparently agreed to go for two reasons: the seamstress had a heart condition so Aycock agreed to do nothing risky, and Rhoads wanted to take an aerial photo as one of his hobbies was photography. During the second flight, attempts were made to "buzz" the tour bus where the other band members were sleeping.[5] They succeeded twice, but the third attempt was botched. The left wing clipped the back side of the tour bus, tore the fiberglass roof then sent the plane spiraling. The plane severed the top of a pine tree and crashed into the garage of a nearby mansion, bursting into flames. Rhoads was killed instantly, as were Aycock (36) and Youngblood (58). All three bodies were burned beyond recognition, and were identified by dental records and Rhoads' jewelry.
RIP - Randy Rhoads - December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982
Going off the rails on the Nerdy train? Me too.
See you next blog.
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