Ozzy Osbourne’s Landmark Debut Album ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ To Be Celebrated Release Day (September 18)
NEW ANIMATED VIDEO FOR “CRAZY TRAIN”
NEW HD VERSION OF ‘30 YEARS AFTER THE BLIZZARD’ DOCUMENTARY
SIRIUS XM OZZY’S BONEYARD: “40 YEARS OF OZZY OSBOURNE’S ‘BLIZZARD OF OZZ’” SPECIAL
LIVE TWITTER CHAT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 WITH FANS AND LIMITED-EDITION COMMEMORATIVE MERCHANDISE
To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of OZZY OSBOURNE’s landmark debut album BLIZZARD OF OZZ, fans will be able to celebrate with a new animated video for “Crazy Train,” a live Twitter chat, the release of a new HD version of ‘30 Years After The Blizzard’ documentary, a Sirius XM Ozzy’s Boneyard radio special: 40 years of Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard Of Ozz, a selection of limited-edition Blizzard Of Ozz commemorative merchandise, and a black and red vinyl version of the album. To purchase BLIZZARD OF OZZ, click here; for the special black and red swirl vinyl version of Blizzard (available exclusively at Best Buy on October 23), pre-order here.
First up, earlier today, a new animated video by Tiny Concert for “Crazy Train” debuted on YouTube. The clip features OZZY and his band in an animated live performance. Watch the clip here.
- A newly uprezzed HD version of 2010’s documentary 30 Years After the Blizzard–originally only released as part of the Blizzard of Ozz/Diary of a Madman boxset–will debut today at 6:00 PM (ET)/3:00 PM (PT) and run for seven days on YouTube, with a chat with OZZY before the premiere. Watch here.
- OZZY will discuss BLIZZARD OF OZZ in a special one-hour “40 Years Of OZZY OSBOURNE’s Blizzard of Ozz” special on his Sirius XM, Ozzy’s Boneyard Channel. Set to debut tonight (Friday, September 18) at 5:00 PM ET/2:00 PM (PT) and airing multiple times throughout next week, the special–which features a conversation between OZZY and his close friend/musician, Billy Morrison–will take listeners track-by-track through OZZY’s first solo album on its 40th anniversary.
- On Sunday, September 20 at 7:00 PM (ET)/4:00 PM (PT), OZZY will host a special BLIZZARD OF OZZ listening party on his Twitter (talking about all the tracks from the album) on its official release date anniversary.
- A selection of commemorative BLIZZARD OF OZZ merchandise (t-shirts, jersey and a track jacket) is available via OZZY’s website.
All of this coincides with the official 40th anniversary of BLIZZARD OF OZZ. Initially released on September 20, 1980 in the UK, BLIZZARD OF OZZ marked OZZY’s debut studio album (following his departure from Black Sabbath). The new package includes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy®-winning singer and songwriter’s hits: “Crazy Train,” which will hit certified 5x platinum status to coincide with its September release date; the gold-certified (in four countries) “Mr. Crowley” (both of which feature Randy Rhoads on guitar); along with “Suicide Solution,” plus live versions of seven tracks that are currently unavailable digitally. The record was ultimately certified 5x platinum and was ranked #9 on Rolling Stone‘s list of “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time” in the U.S.; platinum (or multi-platinum) in another 12 countries and gold in an additional 13 countries. BLIZZARD OF OZZ was the first of two studio albums recorded with guitarist Randy Rhoads. The album’s “Crazy Train” went on to become one of OSBOURNE’s signature tracks; the song has also become one of the most played sports anthems frequently heard at NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL games. It peaked at #9 on Billboard‘s Top Tracks chart upon release–and in 2009, the song achieved a 5× platinum certification. The live tracks–“I Don’t Know,” “Crazy Train,” “Mr. Crowley,” “Revelation (Mother Earth),” “Steal Away (The Night)” and “Suicide Solution”–were recorded on the “Blizzard of Ozz” tour and were previously found only in the BLIZZARD OF OZZ/DIARY OF A MADMAN 30th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set. “You Said It All” (live) was originally found on the 1980 MR CROWLEY live EP, recorded in 1980 at the Gaumont Theater, Southampton, UK and was also not previously available digitally.
Earlier this year, OZZY’s ORDINARY MAN album–released in February–marked his first new solo music in almost 10 years. It was the #1 rock album in the world, topping multiple charts in its triumphant first week of release. Worldwide, ORDINARY MAN entered the charts in the Top Ten in seven countries making it the highest-charting album of OZZY’s career. Recorded in Los Angeles, the album features producer Andrew Watt on guitars, Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses) on bass and Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) on drums. Beyond the core band, ORDINARY MAN, features a who’s-who of OZZY friends and collaborators including Elton John, Slash, Post Malone, and Tom Morello.