There are pros at work on Ozzy Osbourne Patient number 9 album, with some of the biggest names in rock history collaborating with the Prince of Darkness on his latest effort. During a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s Ozzy’s Boneyard to promote the new record, producer Andrew Watt revealed exactly how Ozzy and guest guitarist Jeff Beck managed to elevate the album’s title track based on their own improvisation and dedication to their craft.
For those who have heard the “Patient Number 9” single, there’s a lot going on in the intro with what sounds like multiple voices and conversations layered over the opening moments before Ozzy sings, but it was actually Ozzy who provided the various spoken parts during three improvised takes.
“We had this long intro and Ozzy wrote this amazing song on it, but it was a long intro without Ozzy so it’s a long time not hearing our guy,” Watt says. “So he wrote the song about a mental hospital and I just said, ‘Can you talk a little on the track’ and he was like, ‘Okay.’ One take, all that crazy shit. And then he said: ‘I think I can do one more, it might be cool with two [voices]’, so second take. Exactly as you hear it. And then he said, ‘I just want to fill in some gaps and the third track is the intro. Three in a row, without thinking, that’s the intro.”
The album’s guest guitarist Zakk Wylde then cracked, “Actually, that’s what I hear from Ozzy’s dressing room every time we’re on tour. To me, it just seems normal.”
Ozzy Osbourne, Andrew Watt, Ozzy Osbourne and Andrew Watt on Ozzy’s boneyard from siriusxm
But this inspired thinking on the track didn’t just stop at Ozzy. Watt also shared his excitement about working with Jeff Beck on the song, noting how the great guitarist’s own dedication has continued to elevate what fans are now listening to on the track.
“I talked to Jeff and he was so open, and it’s a pretty complex song. The idea started with Robert Trujillo and that intro is a 12-string bass,” Watt recalled. “So we created these two kinds of solo sections, one that’s the really heavy part, the first one, and then the one that’s on the acoustic guitar at the end. So he was just like, ‘What do I have to TO DO?’ And I was like, ‘Rip on the first, melodic on the second.’ That’s all I really said.”
“The guy did his solos four or five times,” added Watt. “He kept doing it, throwing it back at me and saying, ‘No, I can improve that part’ and he kept pushing himself. I had nothing to say to him. It was all about him saying, ‘I’m going in. do another, I’ll do another, I’ll do another.’ He just kept on elevating himself. He’s a real master and you just have to listen to what he’s done.”
Ozzy was quick to credit Watt for his dedication to making the album, joking about his ability to attract big names. “He calls them, and I bet they’re like, ‘Who the fuck is that?'” said Ozzy, who later explained his shock when Watt successfully landed Eric Clapton for a guest role. . “We had Jeff Beck and Andrew said, ‘What about Eric Clapton? ‘, and I was like, ‘No, I don’t want to be pushy. So he called Eric Clapton and he said, “Yeah,” and I was like, “Fuck me, man!” “”
Ozzy Osbourne, Andrew Watt, Zakk Wylde, Billy Morrison, Siriusxm’s Ozzy’s Boneyard
Ozzy Osbourne’s new album, Patient number 9is due out this Friday (September 9) and is currently available for pre-order here. You can watch the title track video below as well as part of the special album preview for Ozzy’s Boneyard on SiriusXM in the clip below. To hear the full Patient number 9 Special album, tune into SiriusXM’s Ozzy’s Boneyard channel starting at midnight ET tonight (September 8).
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