Ozzy Osbourne‘s producer, co-songwriter and guitarist on his upcoming new album, Andrew Watt, told Billboard that the music for the entire LP was composed in four days by himself, Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, both of whom also played on the record.
Watt, who has become an in-demand songwriter and producer in the pop world, collaborated at first with Ozzy on a track for rapper Post Malone called “Take What You Want.” Then Ozzy asked Watt if he would like to help the Prince of Darkness make his first solo outing in more than a decade.
According to Watt, he, Smith and McKagan worked up music for the Ozzy album in four days. He remarked, “There was no premeditation. The three of us just got in my basement, put on headphones, looked at each other, and wrote 12 songs, 10 of which constitute the album.”
Watt continued, “I sound like I’m making this up, but (Ozzy) comes over the next day, and we made Ozzy’s entire album from top to bottom: all music, guitar solos, all vocals written– in four weeks. It’s the proudest of anything I’ve ever been, because it brought the 12-year-old kid out of me again.”
The disc, called Ordinary Man, is due out in early 2020. Ozzy, who spent most of 2019 recovering from illness and surgery, said about his new solo effort, “I’ve made a new album and it’s helped me get back on track. I was just lying in my own self-pity for months. It’s the greatest album I’ve done.”
So far, Ozzy has released the songs “Under the Graveyard” and “Straight to Hell,” the latter of which features a guest appearance from another Guns N’ Roses star, guitarist Slash.
