Ozzy Osbourne has announced that his new solo album will be titled Ordinary Man – and has marked the news by releasing the single Under The Graveyard.
Ozzy’s wife and manager Sharon Osbourne recently said the record would be released in January, but a release date has still to be confirmed. It will arrive through Epic Records with a tracklist and cover art set to be revealed soon.
Ozzy is joined on the album by Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith and former California Breed man Andrew Watt on guitar.
The connection with producer Watt came about when Ozzy hooked up with him on the Post Malone track Take What You Want – when Ozzy was recuperating after his fall at home back in April.
Ozzy says: “It all started when my daughter Kelly came in and said, ‘Do you want to work on a Post Malone song?’ My first thing was, 'Who the fuck is Post Malone?'
“I went to Andrew Watt’s house and he said we’d work really quick. After we finished that song, he said, ‘Would you be interested in starting an album?’
“I said, ‘That would be fucking great,' but now I’m thinking, ‘I don't want to be working in a basement studio for six months!’
“In just a short time, we had the album done. Duff and Chad came in and we would go in and jam during the day and I would go and work out the songs in the evenings.
“I previously had said to Sharon I should be doing an album, but in the back of my mind I was going, ‘I haven't got the fucking strength,’ but Andrew pulled it out of me. I really hope people listen to it and enjoy it, because I put my heart and soul into this album.
“This album was a gift from my higher power. It’s proof to me that you should never give up.”
Last month, Ozzy was forced to postpone his UK and European tour for a second time due to his fall, while his dates in North America in May will go ahead as planned.
Ozzy will release his solo album box set See You On The Other Side later this month, with the collection available to pre-order through Ozzy’s website.