On July 1, Billy Morrison (guitar, vocals – solo, Billy Idol, The Cult etc.) and Ozzy Osbourne released a stripped-down version of their epic track “Gods Of Rock N Roll” across all streaming platforms. A special limited-edition double A-side vinyl, featuring both the original and the new version, will be available on July 4 via TLG|ZOID, distributed by Virgin Music Group.
Originally a Top 10 rock radio hit in its orchestral form, the song now takes on a new dimension. Produced and reimagined by Morrison, this version removes the heavy guitars and drums, replacing them with a bass track by Chris Chaney. Ozzy’s iconic voice takes center stage, while Fred Coury (Cinderella) contributes rich orchestration and Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) delivers a hauntingly beautiful acoustic solo, adding fresh emotional depth to this powerful anthem.
When the orchestral version of “Gods Of Rock N Roll” was released in February, Ozzy told Kerrang!: “Billy and I wrote ‘Gods Of Rock N Roll’ together in a hotel room while I was touring in South America about 10 years ago. This re-recorded version of the song finally has all the bells and whistles. I told Billy then that it needed an orchestra and a choir, but it took 10 FUCKING YEARS for him to listen to me.”
On February 21, Billy Morrison released the deluxe digital edition of his album “The Morrison Project” via TLG|ZOID, with distribution by Virgin Music Group. This special edition includes six previously unreleased bonus tracks, one of which is the powerful “Gods Of Rock N Roll”.
The original version of “Gods Of Rock N Roll” served as the closing track on Billy Morrison’s second solo album, “God Shaped Hole“, released in 2015. His debut solo effort, ‘Stimulator”, came out in 2008.
