Ok.Ok. Downing Releases New Track, Appears Again on Historical past of Priest

“On the planet of onerous rock, heavy rock, heavy metallic and every part else that surrounds that, this should absolutely be an important occasion in our historical past.”

Legendary guitarist K.K. Downing joined Loudwire Nights on Friday (June 27) and spent a while discussing his function in Back to the Beginning in addition to the early days of Judas Priest rising up alongside Black Sabbath.

“I am actually wanting ahead to it,” Downing instructed host Chuck Armstrong concerning the July 5 occasion in Birmingham.

“[I’m] very proud, even when it is only a quick house of time — which will probably be as a result of there’s so many artists … Simply to be a part of that is one thing that’s definitely going to be very memorable and rewarding. I can not watch for it.”

As Downing celebrated the charity facet of Again to the Starting, he questioned if there could be one thing extra to come back, too.

“We’re right here to do enterprise and create one thing that’s so extraordinary in our style,” he shared.

“I’d say it might be fantastic to take this world wide, however who is aware of? [But] whether it is to be the one live performance, then it’s going to simply make it much more particular.”

Downing admitted that as Judas Priest began taking form in Birmingham many years in the past, they had been slicing their tooth proper alongside Black Sabbath.

“I went and noticed the band a few instances very, very early on,” Downing recalled.

“They in all probability had solely simply referred to as themselves Black Sabbath that week … We did play with the fellows, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, I believe it was a spot referred to as the Masonic Corridor in a spot referred to as Walsall, very near the place the fellows grew up and the place we grew up.”

Downing mentioned that as he witnessed Sabbath’s success, it solely gave Priest that rather more confidence in what they had been doing on the time.

“Black Sabbath had been so busy doing their factor and we had been so busy doing our factor,” he mentioned.

“Clearly once they launched that first file, it was improbable for us to know there have been different musicians on the market actually fairly near the place we had been — very like-minded, completely different, however there was undoubtedly a synergy there. We very a lot cherished what Black Sabbath had been doing and we had been very a lot championing what they had been doing, not simply because we preferred it, however we thought the extra profitable they might be, perhaps the extra profitable we might be once we managed to get a recording deal if it ever occurred. Fortunately for us, it did.”

Ok.Ok. Downing Dives Into New Model of ‘By no means Glad’ That includes Tim Owens

Together with celebrating Priest’s historical past with Sabbath, Downing had another excuse to mirror on Priest’s early days as he launched a brand new model of the Rocka Rolla monitor, “By no means Glad.”

“[I had] a number of enjoyable,” he mentioned about revisiting the tune.

“Actually, plenty of nostalgia and I’ve acquired to say that I am actually, actually happy that an organization referred to as [Reach Music Publishing] have acquired the primary two albums and so now it truly is a case of feeling, after 50 years, that the albums have come residence once more. It is nice to really feel part of these data once more after so lengthy.”

Downing mentioned that they managed to search out the unique tapes — the massive, heavy reel-to-reel tapes — in good situation. Due to that, they had been in a position to take the recordings to modern-day know-how and protect them eternally.

“It is like a fairy story come true.”

The guitarist mentioned they thought of a number of songs from Rocka Rolla to re-record, however once they ended up with “By no means Glad,” he was actually proud of the choice.

“I simply had a number of enjoyable laying the monitor down and I used to be curious as to how it might really feel taking part in one thing like that once more after so, so lengthy,” he shared.

READ MORE: Black Sabbath Songs Ranked (Ozzy Osbourne Era)

“However mainly, not pondering it by means of an excessive amount of and actually simply blasting it down, I did it. I requested [Tim “Ripper” Owens] if he would put a vocal down on there and that is what we did.”

With the fiftieth anniversary of Rocka Rolla in 2024, Downing is conscious that extra main milestones are forward for each Priest file. With that in thoughts, he mentioned he is able to share extra new variations of traditional tracks.

“I am completely positive [we’ll do it].”

What Else Did Ok.Ok. Downing Focus on on Loudwire Nights?

• What it feels wish to have Rocka Rolla on this planet for greater than 50 years: “It is fairly scary to consider. We had been simply very younger males on the time and fairly naive to every part. However we did every part as finest as we may … We won’t deny [Rocka Rolla] is a part of the historical past and the legacy, however it’s good to know now that [instead] of being completely separated from these first two data due to all of the authorized issues that acquired in the best way, now we are able to breathe a sigh of reduction and simply give them a giant hug and kiss and ship them on their manner once more. That is what we will do.”
• What it was like being from Birmingham, with London a few hours away: “I believe London did contemplate itself the be all and the tip the entire music trade … I believe the consensus was that London was doing this and all people else copied what folks had been doing, however it wasn’t the case. We had been severely pioneers, I imagine. We had been good pals with Budgie from Wales, we did so many reveals with these guys, we had been joined on the hip. They weren’t from London, they had been pioneering their very own factor. There’s a number of great things exterior of London. And to be honest, there was a number of great things popping out of London, ?”
• What Ozzfest 2004 was like for Judas Priest and Black Sabbath to share the stage: “Black Sabbath and Judas Priest on a invoice collectively, that was wonderful. While you suppose that we grew up as children, so shut collectively — it was fairly tough and rowdy. However we made it by means of to have the ability to play all these fantastic venues round America. It was very, very particular.”

Take heed to the Full Interview within the Podcast Participant Beneath

Ok.Ok. Downing joined Loudwire Nights on Friday, June 27; the present replays online here, and you may tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can too see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.