Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard Of Ozz

Originally released on September 12, 1980 in the UK, with catalog number "JETLP234," red and white band logo, featuring a photo on the back sleeve showing all the band.

Half a year later, on March 27, 1981, it was released in the US, with catalog number "JZ 36812," red band logo, featuring a live photo on the back sleeve (not showing Lee Kershlake).

It was recorded on a 16-track analog tape multitrack in six weeks. The recording began on March 22, 1980 at Ridge Farm Studios in rural Surrey, a residential facility based around a 17th-century farmhouse.

The initial producer, Chris Tsangarides, was relieved of his duties after a week, and the four band members would go on to co-produce the album, with Ridge Farm staffer Max Norman as engineer, recording in the converted barn that served as the main studio.

Witnessing the singer's self-destructive binges, Daisley was inspired to write the lyrics to what became one of the album's most famous songs, Suicide Solution. Ozzy wrote the opening line, 'Wine is fine but whisky's quicker' in reference to Ogden Nash's 'Candy is dandy but liquor is quicker.' Ozzy claims it was about AC/DC singer Bon Scott, who had died of acute alcohol poisoning on February 19, 1980. But Daisley says, "Bon Scott was a mate of mine, and he happened to die around about that time, but the lyrics were about Ozzy, because he was always getting out of it." This much, Ozzy does not deny. "I was going the same way as Bon Scott," he admits.

Title "Blizzard Of Ozz" refers to cocaine.

In 1983, less than a year after Sharon Osbourne fired him, Daisley worked on Ozzy's album Bark At The Moon. It resulted, Daisley says, from Sharon assisting him and Kerslake in a lawsuit against her father Don Arden and Jet Records. Daisley would also play bass on Ozzy's 1991 album No More Tears. But in 1997 he and Kerslake would sue the Osbournes for alleged non-payment of performance royalties. Sharon responded by having both Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman remixed in 2002, with Daisley and Kerslake's contributions replaced with new recordings from Ozzy's then-rhythm section bassist Robert Trujillo and drummer Mike Bordin.

With the 2011 reissues of the albums, the original mixes have been restored. "I'm glad about that," Ozzy says. "I don't give a fuck if you've got Jesus Christ and Moses playing bass and drums, it ain't the same."

RIAA certification: 5x Platinum since February 4th, 2019.

Vinyl releases:

1980
Aston Clinton I Aston Clinton I Aston Clinton I Aston Clinton I UK I UK
EU I EU I EU
Greece

1981
Pitman I Pitman I Santa Maria I Hybrid I
Inverse Hybrid I
Terre Haute Ι US I US
Canada I Canada
Mexico
Venezuela
El Salvador
Brazil
Colombia
Japan
Australia
Spain

1982 South Korea I promo

1986 UK

1987
Spain Discos CBS I Discos CBS
UK

1990 South Korea

2003 (remastered and remixed in 2002, also some parts were replaced with new recordings from Ozzy's then-rhythm section bassist Robert Trujillo and drummer Mike Bordin)
UK

2011 (30th anniversary remaster and restored from the original tapes)
US I test
US picture
EU

2020 red / black swirl bestbuy exclusive

2021
smoke / black splatter
silver / red Swirl