JUDAS PRIEST drummer Scott Travis revealed the news in an interview with “Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern” where he was asked to share of the time he spent around Ozzy Osbourne.
Travis was asked about their absent from BLACK SABBATH’s final show and among other things he mentioned about this new version of the legendary song.
“We knew about the SABBATH reunion or the SABBATH final show that was coming up in the U.K., but as I’m sure you’re aware, we had already contracted and agreed to do the SCORPIONS, their 60th-anniversary show in Germany [on the same day],” he revealed. “So we couldn’t do the Ozzy thing. But we thought it’d be cool to [record a cover version of] a SABBATH song [as a tribute to Ozzy]. And, of course, we got the blessing from Sharon Osbourne. So we did our version of ‘War Pigs’. But we did that well before — not only before the BLACK SABBATH show but before Ozzy passed. So that was kind of weird that we were able to do that. And then I think we’re trying to — I think there’s a version coming out with Ozzy actually singing on that version. In other words, Rob will sing a verse and then Ozzy sings a verse. I think that’s coming out. But anyways, we did our version and a video, so that’s out there. And then, obviously, yeah, we were in the middle of our tour [when we got the news that Ozzy had died], and it was devastating.”
Earlier in July, JUDAS PRIEST unveiled their cover of BLACK SABBATH’s “War Pigs” ahead of the “Back To The Beginning” show, which served as the final performance of SABBATH’s original lineup.
