History Trivia / OzzyOsbourne

* CreatorBacklash: Ozzy has expressed regret over how ''The Ultimate Sin'' turned out, feeling that his producer at the time (Ron Nevison) was phoning it in, and that the songs on the album wound up sounding too same-y. He has even said that his disappointment with the finished album was part of what led to him going in a heavier direction with its follow-up ''No Rest For The Wicked''.

* OldShame: Ozzy doesn't like to talk about his years with Jake E. Lee on guitar, but not because of the music: it was a dark period in his life, due to heavy drug abuse even by his standards, the death of Randy Rhoads, the [[MoralGuardians media circus]] around him, and an [[EightiesHair awful haircut]].
** In later interviews, Ozzy called ''The Ultimate Sin'' his least favorite solo album, saying that the songs weren't structured to his liking and he wasn't happy with its production. This might be partially why the original album [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes has never been reissued]], and why the fairly comprehensive ''[[GreatestHitsAlbum The Essential Ozzy Osbourne]]'' only had tracks from it in a limited-edition bonus disc.

** Ozzy's also said this is why he's never worked with Rick Rubin. Rubin wanted to make a heavier, Sabbathy album while Ozzy wants to get away from that. This was also part of the wedge between Ozzy and Sabbath. Ozzy just wanted to make straight up rock music while Sabbath were experimenting with jazz and strings. [[HilariousInHindsight Hilariously enough]], Rubin is the producer on Black Sabbath's ''13'', which along with being the first with Ozzy since 1978 was a throwback to the band's debut album. One imagines Ozzy calling Rubin up and going "Today's your lucky day."

* OldShame: The Jake E. Lee era. Not because of the music but because in general it was a pretty miserable time in his life, mostly stemming from heavy substance abuse (which was heavy even by his standards) but also things like Randy's death, the media campaign against him and the [[EightiesHair horrible haircut]].
** Ozzy's stated in later interviews that ''The Ultimate Sin'' is still his least favorite solo album. He said that he wasn't happy with the production, and that the songs weren't structured to his liking. This might also be partially why the original album [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes hasn't had an official reissue in over twenty years.]] Says something the fairly comprehensive ''[[GreatestHitsAlbum The Essential Ozzy Osbourne]]'' has no tracks from it outside a limited edition with a third disk.

** Ozzy has always despised the live album "Speak of the Devil"("Talk of the Devil" in the UK)as it was only done out of contractual obligation to fulfill the record deal the band had with Don Arden at the time. Ozzy notably refused to put any live performances featuring Randy Rhoads on the album as he didn't want people to think he was cashing in on his death(especially since Rhoads was the one who was most vocally opposed to the idea of doing a live album of Black Sabbath covers, seeing it as a blatant and soulless cash grab).

** By the end, Randy Rhoads was sick of Ozzy's out-of-control drinking and drug usage, mercurial moods, and frequent show cancellations because he was too badly hungover from the night before, and his plan was to fulfill his contract and then leave the band. Ozzy has expressed great regret and taken full responsibility for his generally poor treatment of Rhoads and has made it clear that he doesn't blame him one bit for wanting out.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The original version of ''The Ultimate Sin'' has been out of print since 1995. No official reason for this has been given, but it's widely believed that it's due to an unresolved legal struggle between Ozzy Osburne and songwriter Phil Soussan over the rights to the song "Shot in the Dark." The song and album were later made available for both digital download and on streaming services, though physical copies are still scarce.

*** {{Music/Weezer}}'s Rivers Cuomo was also asked for song ideas for ''Down To Earth'' and offered Ozzy "Hash Pipe", a song that had been performed live by Weezer but hadn't been officially released yet. He too got no response, so Weezer ended up recording the song after all and making the lead single for ''Music/WeezerTheGreenAlbum''.

** Ozzy wanted to include a CoverVersion of Music/ProcolHarum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" on ''[[CoverAlbum Under Cover]]'', citing it as his favorite song of all time - he was advised against it because Zakk Wylde's Music/BlackLabelSociety had just covered the same song a year earlier.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The original version of ''The Ultimate Sin'' has been out of print since 1995. No official reason for this has been given, but it's widely believed that it's due to an unresolved legal struggle between Ozzy Osburne and songwriter Phil Soussan over the rights to the song "Shot in the Dark."

** Prior to Osbourne's appearances in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' and ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'', he was slated to appear in the DarkFantasy combat flight sim ''Ozzy's Dark Skies'' by one-time developer [=iROCK=] Interactive, which was to feature his likeness and music both from his stint with Music/BlackSabbath and his solo career. However, licensing issues and other related complications forced the developer to [[https://web.archive.org/web/20121010235324/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/ozzy-drops-out-of-black-skies-2830726 drop the tie-in]] with Ozzy and release the game as ''Savage Skies''.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally the lineup on his first solo record was gonna be a new band named "The Blizzard of Ozz". Label interference changed those plans however, and it ended up becoming the first album's title (minus the article).
** "You Know..." from ''Down to Earth'' was only shown one part, but a second part was probably done during the recording process, but might’ve been left unfinished, or not done due to time constraints, or other reasons. The only part of the song had a depressing tone, and a sad acoustic guitar, with lyrics like “Tried to be your father, things just made it harder, sorry if I made you cry”, but the second part might’ve explained how the depressing acoustic guitars and static TV noises’ appearance.

* DyeHard: Used to be, anyway. In the 70s his hair was his natural brown. In the 80s he dyed it blonde. Back to brown for the 90s, then when The Osbournes surfaced in 2002 he'd dyed it black with red streaks. It's brown as of 2010, and the change is visible in the pictures of him on the covers of albums he released since then.

* DyeHard: Used to be, anyway. In the 70s his hair was his natural brown. In the 80s he dyed it blonde. Back to brown for the 90s, then when The Osbournes surfaced in 2002 he'd dyed it black with red streaks. It's brown as of 2010, but we'll have to wait and see if it stays that way.

* OldShame: The Jake E. Lee era. Not because of the music but because in general it was a pretty miserable time in his life, mostly stemming from heavy substance abuse (which was heavy [[UpToEleven even by his standards]]) but also things like Randy's death, the media campaign against him and the [[EightiesHair horrible haircut]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally the lineup on his first solo record was gonna be a new band named 'The Blizzard of Ozz'. Label interference changed those plans however. “You Know...” from ''Down to Earth'' was only shown one part, but a second part was probably done during the recording process, but might’ve been left unfinished, or not done due to time constraints, or other reasons. The only part of the song had a depressing tone, and a sad acoustic guitar, with lyrics like “Tried to be your father, things just made it harder, sorry if I made you cry”, but the second part might’ve explained how the depressing acoustic guitars and static TV noises’ appearance.

* BannedInChina: Drunkenly pissing on the ''Alamo memorial'' next to the ''actual house'' while you're wearing your wife's clothes is ill-advised. Thankfully it only lasted a decade.

* [[BannedInChina Banned in San Antonio]]: Drunkenly pissing on the ''Alamo memorial'' next to the ''actual house'' while you're wearing your wife's clothes is ill-advised. Thankfully it only lasted a decade.

* AuthorExistenceFailure:
** Randy Rhoads's death.
** Randy Castillo, who played drums on ''The Ultimate Sin'' and ''No Rest for the Wicked'', died of cancer in 2002.

* BlackSheepHit: "Close My Eyes Forever", "Mama, I'm Coming Home" (co-written by [[Music/{{Motorhead}} Lemmy!]]) and his duet with his daughter in his version of "[[Music/BlackSabbath Changes]]", his ''only'' #1 single.

** Ozzy's also said this is why he's never worked with Rick Rubin. Rubin wanted to make a heavier, Sabbathy album while Ozzy wants to get away from that. This was also part of the wedge between Ozzy and Sabbath. Ozzy just wanted to make straight up rock music while Sabbath were experimenting with jazz and strings. [[HilariousInHindsight Hilariously enough]], Rubin is the producer on Black Sabbath's ''13'' album (the first with Ozzy since 1978). One imagines Ozzy calling him up and going "Today's your lucky day."

** Ozzy's stated in later interviews that ''The Ultimate Sin'' is still his least favorite solo album. He said that he wasn't happy with the production, and that the songs weren't structured to his liking. This might also be partially why the original album [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes hasn't had an official reissue in over twenty years.]]

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally the lineup on his first solo record was gonna be a new band named 'The Blizzard of Ozz'. Label interference changed those plans however. “You Know...” from Down to Earth was only shown one part, but a second part was probably done during the recording process, but might’ve been left unfinished, or not done due to time constraints, or other reasons. The only part of the song had a depressing tone, and a sad acoustic guitar, with lyrics like “Tried to be your father, things just made it harder, sorry if I made you cry”, but the second part might’ve explained how the depressing acoustic guitars and static TV noises’ appearance.

* ImportantHaircut: After Randy Rhoads’ passing, Ozzy had decided to cut his long locks and had dramatically short hair that looked like a military buzzcut.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally the lineup on his first solo record was gonna be a new band named 'The Blizzard of Ozz'. Label interference changed those plans however. You Know from Down to Earth was only shown one part, but a second part was probably done during the recording process, but might’ve been left unfinished, or not done due to time constraints, or other reasons. The only part of the song had a depressing tone, but the second part might’ve explained how the depressing acoustic guitars and static TV noises’ appearance.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally the lineup on his first solo record was gonna be a new band named 'The Blizzard of Ozz'. Label interference changed those plans however.

* TroubledProduction: He suggested in a 1983 interview that "S.A.T.O." from ''Diary of a Madman'', fit this trope. Late in the sessions, he and his band were given, he says, two weeks to get that song in shape, "or else it's going out as is", is", implying that it was in no condition for release at that time. "We did what we could to fix it," he says, and judging from the lack of negative reaction to it he believed that they had succeeded, "although there's a point about halfway through where the track level drops noticeably. Nobody else seems to notice, but I always cringe every time I hear it."