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JULY 2003: The
Metal God returns!
As late as June 2003, Rob Halford made it clear that his
relationship with the rest of the members of Judas Priest still had a ways to go
and that no reunion with the band was anywhere near in sight:
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"Briefly, I want to apologize to my audience for
the numerous rumors being spearheaded by my former manager of approximately
two years, Rod Smallwood and his firm Sanctuary Music Management - whose
Companies have an interest in the three bands involved in the gossip.
"The visible intent in creating the multiple rumors
clearly is meant to disturb and confuse my audience, the North American
concert promoters, and others.
"I find the behavior appalling, for throughout my
30-year career, I have prided myself in being forthright with my audience.
You can trust the legal eagles from both sides will end the juvenile action
immediately.
"What I will affirm to each of you again is, I am not a
member of Judas Priest, and I have no plans to reunite.
"What I’m sure all of you will be pleased to know is, I
have been periodically working on my relationships with Ken, Glenn and Ian
since 1999, but we are certainly not at the stage where we see ourselves
working together any time soon. The 1992 break-up took a lot out of us, and
we are taking our time in mending our personal friendships.
"Finally, for the avoidance of doubt, I removed my
activity from Rod and Sanctuary last year due to artistic, business and
philosophical differences. Providing a perfect example, their recent action
falls within the latter of the just-noted. Thank you for allowing me to
express my thoughts..."
- Rob Halford, Halford Quorum, March 19,
2003 "There's three answers to the
question of what circumstances could bring me to record and tour with Judas
Priest again:
"As I've said for quite a few years now, if ever there
was an opportunity that we all agreed was worth pursuing, then we would look
at it. That's one way of looking at it. Secondly, they have a lead singer,
Tim, who's a friend of mine. He's doing a great job being the singer for
Priest, so that's what's happening right now. Tim is the singer for Judas
Priest.
"And on the level of building friendships and speaking
to one another, that's good, but it's nowhere near as close as it used to
be. We see each other about once or twice a year, and it feels good, but
it's a little bit strained. And I think even before any music is talked
about, you have to make sure you can just be friends, you know? I mean, just
get back on the track of being able to hang out without any questions that
need to be answered and asked of each other. Because I know that's
inevitable: 'Why did you do this? Why didn't this happen? Why didn't that
happen?' It's a healing process and you have to go through all that
psychology. So, that has to be dealt with. And how long would that take? Is
it going to be over in a conversation? A week? A month? A year? Who knows?"
- Rob Halford,
BayInsider, June 3, 2003 |
A month later, that question would finally be answered.
Indeed, it was over in a mere conversation, when the band met together in Rob
Halford's Birmingham home kitchen to discuss their 30th anniversary as a
recording band and the special boxset they wanted to put together in
celebration, and Judas Priest Management Co-ordinator Jayne Andrews popped the
question:
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"It happened in my kitchen, which is a bit like
the Camp David of heavy metal: Some of the great decisions we've made over
the years have taken place there."
- Rob Halford, Guitar World, October 2003
"We were over at my house in England, sitting in my
kitchen looking over what was going to be the concept for METALOGY. We were
all there except Scott, and we were talking about the box set. And I think
it was Jayne Andrews who brought up the subject - 'Well, what are we going
to do about the reunion? Are we going to get together again?' We all looked
at each other and went, 'Oh yeah, I guess we might as well. If we're not
going to do this now, we're never going to do it.'
"And that was it, you know? We all said, 'Okay, well,
let's get together at such and such a time.' And then, five-minutes later,
everybody was out of my house and driven off in different directions. And
I'm sitting there going, 'I'm back in the band, I'm back in the band.' Well,
that was a bit of an anticlimax! Of course, I just felt so great. It was
such a wonderful feeling of coming home, to be back in this band that I love
so much."
- Rob Halford, Revolver, August 2004 "It
was very emotional. When I saw Rob, we decided right then to reunite and go
back out there. It felt just like it did before he left the band. And
the world's just gone mad about it. It's very exciting.
"The most important thing for us to do now is to put
pen to paper. The old writing trio of Tipton, Halford and Downing will be
back together, and that should make for some classic songs."
- Glenn Tipton,
MTV, July 15, 2003
"...It was very
funny to see that the sarcastic humour and the individual characteristics
didn’t change over the years. It was like in the old times. And then there was
the moment of truth when we all decided, it's now or never."
- Rob Halford, Rock Hard magazine,
October 2003 |
The 4th of July: For Americans, it celebrates the day
independence from the British was finally won. But for the heavy metal nation
that stretches around the world, it is now a celebration that the British have
returned, for THE PRIEST IS BACK!
One week later, on July 11, the news was
officially announced, to an overwhelming response. CNN got exclusive rights to
break the news, with major news outlets and internet forums flooded with
overwhelming support:
THE METAL GOD RETURNS TO THE MIGHTY PRIEST!
July 11, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROB HALFORD REUNITES WITH JUDAS PRIEST
WORLD TOUR COMING IN 2004
SEVERAL PROJECTS ARE IN THE PLANNING STAGES
After more than 11 years apart Judas Priest and original lead vocalist Rob
Halford have reunited for a global live concert tour in 2004. The definitive
Judas Priest lineup of Rob Halford, lead guitarist Glenn Tipton, lead guitarist
K.K. Downing, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis is back.
The original band members have been re-establishing their personal and
professional relationships since 1999 along the way sparking hundreds of reunion
rumors.
Several exciting projects, in addition to the 2004 world tour, are in the early
planning stages.
The long-awaited reunion of Judas Priest and Halford will thrill fans around the
globe, and once again provide them with the opportunity to see and hear the band
that defined Heavy Metal as we know it today.
Judas Priest rose from the gritty, working-class steel town of Birmingham,
England, and quickly became one of the biggest bands in the world. Judas Priest
are considered the groundbreaking inventors of true Heavy Metal music. From
their debut release 'Rocka Rolla' through monumental albums such as 'Sad Wings
of Destiny,' ''Sin After Sin,' 'Stained Class,' 'Hell Bent For Leather,'
'Unleashed in the East,' 'British Steel,' 'Screaming for Vengeance,' 'Defenders
of the Faith' and 'Painkiller,' titanic songs like "Victim of Changes,"
"Sinner," "Exciter," "Hell Bent for Leather," "Living After Midnight," "Breaking
the Law" and "You've Got Another Thing Comin' '' were born. Judas Priest defines
and epitomizes both sonically and visually the Heavy Metal genre.
Next year's reunion tour will also celebrate the band's 30th anniversary of
their union.
Judas Priest and Ripper Owens, who replaced Halford, have parted amicably. The
band is thankful for Owens' work in bringing Judas Priest music to millions of
fans and they expect big things for him in the future.
Updates will be posted regularly at
www.judaspriest.com.
"This is a
reunification experience. We want to let people see Halford the Metal God back
in the band."
- Rob Halford, The Hartford Courant, July 8,
2004
"It's a
wonderful feeling; the family's back together again, the world's greatest
heavy metal band, and we're still out there, flying the flag of metal."
- Rob Halford, Entertainment Tonight, July
14, 2004 "The
whole reunion pivoted around the meeting that we took at my house for the box
set. I would like to think that the whole METALOGY box set experience played a
major part in the reunion. The last question that was asked is 'Are we going to
reunite?', are we going to do it. In an underplayed British way, we all looked
around and nodded at each other as if to say, 'I will do it if you do it'. Five
minutes later, I was sitting in my kitchen thinking that soon the world will
know about the reunion. As you know it was a piece on CNN, it was such an
important moment in the music world that it was covered on a major news outlet.
"So, I think in our hearts we all hoped and wished for
a reunion; the pieces were in the right place at the right time. Call it fate,
call it destiny, call it the Lord’s intervention - we are just thrilled to back
together again."
- Rob Halford,
Metal Exiles, July 25, 2004
"I went through all these different seekings, and really looked to see if
there was anything else that was calling me that would fulfill me as much as
Judas Priest. And quite frankly, there's not. Not on this scale. I'm back
where I belong."
- Rob Halford,
MTV, September 2, 2004 |
After a 12 year departure from the Birmingham band
that defined the look, sound and innovation of heavy metal - a band that unselfishly
aided the careers of many
aspiring bands and epitomized what it meant to be "for the fans", the
"Metal God" Rob Halford has returned to the fold to reclaim his rightful place, restoring
the unsurpassed magic and chemistry of Tipton/Halford/Downing that made the band
international superstars and provided some of the greatest groundbreaking metal
works to ever be recorded!
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"I think
it was very important to go and do what I did with Fight and Two, because it
focused me and brought me back home to be where I really needed to be. It
was a walkabout to see what other possibilities were out there for me as far
as a performer and a musician. I enjoyed those times, but at the same time,
as I was proceeding through that work, my yearning was to be back with
Priest; it is where I belong and it is where my best work comes from. It was
important because it brought me back to Priest.
- Rob Halford,
Metal Exiles, July 25, 2004
"None of us will deny that relationships were
strained for a long period of time. But that is now in the past. We're all
very happy to have Rob back with us, and as we look ahead to celebrating
Priest's 30th Anniversary as a band, we feel that we couldn't be in a better
place in our heads, or more focused on the task at hand."
- Glenn Tipton, Hit Parader,
February/March 2004
"We were crushed when Halford left the band. But
you have to get on with it. There is always good that comes out of bad.
After so many years of work, we all loved Judas Priest deeply and Judas
Priest music and at that point in time, we didn't see anyway to actually go
out there and perform it anymore. Now, it is just like we never have been
apart. It really is. It is so natural to have Rob back on stage with us. It
is just fantastic."
- Glenn Tipton,
El Paso Entertainment, August 3, 2004
"At the time of Rob's departure, we had all been
working very hard without any sort of break. We were going non-stop. There
was that and also I think Rob just wanted to explore other avenues and get
away from it all for a bit. And to be honest, given where we were then it
was about time for a break and that ultimately did the band a lot of good.
"We had a meeting some time back to discuss the current
release, METALOGY, and we sat and talked quite a bit. No one had thought
much about it going into the meeting; we hadn’t talked in a while, but we
thought it would only be just the one meeting to put the package together
and that would be that. But by the end of the meeting and the day, we had
reached the decision to get back together.
"I think the turning point was discussing the value of
Judas Priest and what it meant to the members of the band to be a part of
that. At the end of the day I think that what being in the band had meant
and did for all of us was really the impetus to work together and carry it
on again.
"We’re all very good friends and we always will be.
We’ve had our moments and some of it wasn’t very nice when we parted company
and overall we’ve all been through a lot with each other. We’ve had
management problems and record problems and much more, but now we’re closer
than ever. And we’ve had nothing negative as a result of how Rob feels. It’s
2004 - the music’s the only thing that matters, and I think people realize
that and don’t worry so much about irrelevant outside factors and just enjoy
the music and the band being back together."
- Glenn Tipton,
411 Mania, August 9, 2004 "The
reunion was kind of like riding a bike, really. We played Rob the new music
we were working on, and from that moment we were a band again."
- K.K. Downing, Guitar World, September
2004
"The genetics of a great band can never be recreated until you see
those same four or five people together again."
- Rob Halford, Guitar World, October 2003
"We really felt the loss of not being together and performing live. It's
like having
three wheels on a car instead of four - something's missing."
- Rob Halford, Spin, June 2004 "Obviously when
these things happen, a lot of questions and considerations run through people's
minds: ,What's it going to be like? Will it be as I remember it? Blah, blah,
blah...' So all I'm trying to do is reassure people that it is very much as
strong a metal band as it ever was. This is the first true original heavy metal
band in existence. It's as important as when Bob Dylan walks out on stage, when
the Rolling Stones walk out on stage - Judas Priest carries that on its
shoulders."
- Rob Halford,
Rolling Stone, July 23, 2003
"I think we can
still stand on that stage and be believed, you know, because that's what's kept
us alive and accepted, that this is real. Priest is a unique animal, if you're
fully aware of what we've been through and achieved. We've made so much music
over the years, and though we've never kind of dwelled on the how-great-they-are
kind of syndrome, we feel proud of what we've achieved, to be the first true
British heavy-metal band."
- Rob Halford, The Hartford Courant, July 8,
2004
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It all started a few years ago, when Rob was
faced with the realization that his true home was in heavy metal. More
importantly, Rob realized that he had walked out on a long-standing friendship.
So at the end of 1999, Rob sat down and wrote a letter of apology and
reconciliation to his former Birmingham mates:
"Rob Halford is not rejoining
Judas Priest as rumored", says his current manager, "but he has, at
least to a minor extent, made an attempt to kiss and make up."
Longtime Halford associate John Baxter [who in another statement
described the revamped Judas Priest as "silly and offending at the same
time"] reports on Halford's official Web site that while his client
hasn't requested a return to the band (or vice versa), the singer has sent
conciliatory letters to Priest's three original members in what's referred
to as an attempt to recapture a 20-year friendship.
The singer left under less than amicable circumstances almost nine years
ago, and he hasn't spoken to his band mates since the divorce.
Baxter, responding to faked reports on the rowdy (but official) Judas
Priest message board, took the opportunity to state his client's terms if
a reunion was ever to take place, bringing to mind the old "If elected, I
won't serve" joke. He wrote that Halford will never agree to return to
Judas Priest as long as the group's current representatives are looking
after the band's affairs, and that a mutually-agreed-upon management group
would have to be selected by all four original members.
Representatives for Judas Priest were not available for comment at press
time.
Oddly enough (or not), Baxter is stepping down from handling the music end
of Halford's affairs. He will stay on as the singer's business manager...
- MTV News by Sorelle Saidman, January 5, 2000
"You know what bands
are like. It's not really that uncommon to create that kind of divide, so I
wrote an extensive letter just telling them how I felt. I think that was
part of the very slow rebuilding process. I think you just go to the music,
because somehow it's bigger than everybody."
- Rob Halford,
Rolling Stone, July 23, 2003
"I can recall being back in San Diego at my favorite coffee shop, just
sitting there smoking a cigar and thinking about life, like you do, and I
thought to myself, this is crazy, because I missed the guys so much more
than anything else. So I started to put my feelings and my thoughts down on
paper, and that ended up being quite an important letter."
- Rob Halford, The Hartford Courant, July 8, 2004
"I can even recall that
from the early days, there was a lot of respect for each other, and just a
lot of camaraderie, a great kick from knowing that the chemistry was working
and we were making great music. So we never really hit that wall of a kind
of breakup that would never come back together, or if it came back together,
that it would be for the wrong reasons. The reason we were apart from one
another was just for us to go - well, for me personally to do a bit of
soul-searching musically, and of course I found my way back home with metal,
which is probably the greatest thing that's ever happened to me as a
musician, because it just grounded me so solid now to the music that I
love."
- Rob Halford,
Hartford Advocate, July 8, 2004
"There's nothing wrong
with saying, 'Sorry'. I don't think people say they're sorry enough. I felt
that I had to get a lot of these emotions out and connect with the guys. And
that's what I did. I wrote a letter and explained my feelings and basically
said how much I missed everybody. That was the start of the very, very slow
process of reunion."
- Rob Halford,
IndyStar, August 20, 2004 |
K.K. and Ian first hooked up with Rob in 2001 to attend the
50-year wedding anniversary of his parents:
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"When Ian and Ken showed up to a party for my
parents' 50th wedding anniversary, that was the initial moment of contact.
Glenn couldn't make it - he was in Spain - and I'd seen Ian on the odd
occasion because, of course his son Alex is my nephew. But I'd literally not
seen Ken since the time I walked offstage in Toronto."
- Rob Halford, Revolver, August 2004
"The main thing is that obviously we were very
close in the early days, family-like, really. Rob knew my family and I knew
his family well and it was actually Rob's mom and dad's 50th wedding
anniversary - which is obviously the big one, isn't it? - where we got
together. I was invited to that and of course Rob was there and that was the
first time I'd seen him in many, many years. And we didn't discuss anything
about anything at the time. It was just a celebration, a big bash."
- K.K. Downing, June 15, 2004
"Of course, we go back to 1999, when I took pen to
paper and thought it was time that I made the gesture to reach out to Ken
and Glenn and Ian and Scott, and basically just put my feelings and my
emotions down on paper as I thought was the most sincere and personal way of
making the first extension of an open hand of, 'Let's make the first move
and start to talk'. So really, it was that moment that opened the door very,
very slowly to this moment in 2003, so it's been a long time, and as you
know and your listeners know, we've been in each others' company off and on
since '99 and most of those times have been very, very short ones and it's
only really been in the last year or so that we've spent any considerable
time together, and it's been at my home in England and it's been that slow
process that we've let everybody know we had to go through, and the process
entailed rebuilding
the friendship and the trust that's important to any band before you even go
into the possibility of a musical reunion. We really had
to get back on track as buddies, as best friends, as family before we could
even consider the moments of walking out on stage
together. I don't think any of us expected it to be an overnight solution;
I think we all felt that because so much time had passed - and 12 years
is a hell of a long time to go by - there's no way we could have rushed into
this and patched things up as quickly as I know a lot of the Priest fans
were wishing and hoping for, but the hard-core Priest
fans have been incredibly supportive and understanding that it was
going to take time for this to happen, and now of course, there's just this
great feeling of joy in the metal community - not only here in the United
States, but worldwide. Millions of Priest fans are just thrilled that the
reunion has been announced!"
- Rob Halford,
Friday Night Rocks
(Eddie Trunk), July 18, 2003
"We've
always stayed friendly and built bridges and gotten together from time to
time. We've all known Rob for 30 years, since the band members were 17 or 18
years old, and they know each other's families, so they got
together to talk about old days and things just started to develop. The time
just felt right for them now."
- Jayne Andrews, Management Co-ordinator,
MTV.com, July 11, 2003
"Even though I felt okay doing all of that
Fight, Two and Halford stuff, at the end of the day, it was a bit deflating.
I used to lie awake at night thinking, 'What have I done?'
because the magic that we had in Priest was exclusive."
- Rob Halford, Guitar World, October 2003
"Rob and Priest fell out quite heavily in 1992 and
were fairly bitter enemies. When we began discussing the possibility of
working with Rob again, it was very important to re-establish the friendship
we had together. We were so glad to see each each other when we made up two
years after Rob sent a letter of apology in 1999. It was very emotional. We
hugged and all the nastiness and animosity began to repair itself right
away."
- Glenn Tipton, Guitar World, October 2003
"The
problems of the past are long gone - (don't start trying to say they were
between Rob and Glenn because this is not true!) - we have all moved on
- why don't you guys!! Forget trying to analyze what you think might or
might not have happened - it's past - long forgotten!! Things are great and
we have the 'family' back together again - let the music speak for itself!
Enjoy the reunion like we are going to!!"
- Jayne Andrews, Management Co-ordinator,
Judas Priest Noticeboard, August 1, 2003
"Three decades have all passed in a flash. But in
that time, we've all grown up and learned our lessons, and now we realize how much we've missed that classic
Priest lineup and sound. But we're fine now. I can't see any problems on the
horizon."
- Glenn Tipton, Guitar World, October 2003
"Realizing that we've lasted for 30 years made us see the importance of
getting back out there again. This is a
monumental point in time."
- Glenn Tipton, Revolver, November 2003 |
Then, around Christmastime, Rob got a chance meeting to see
the guys for the first time in 10 years when they met at Glenn's house to talk
about friends, family, music and
more:
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"Basically, around about two years ago, we all met up with Rob and he came
around to my house one afternoon, and it was very emotional; we hadn't spoke for
a number of years and it was great and we had a great afternoon, it was a nice
day. From that point on really, we sort of built the bridges back and renewed
the friendship."
- Glenn Tipton, Friday Night Rocks (Eddie Trunk), August 8, 2003
"We've been bonding our friendship
again with Rob over the last two years or so, and
we've had a lot of offers to reunite, but we've all been doing our own
things. We've only just come to a point where we felt everything's
right...Obviously when we split there was a lot of animosity and we didn't
speak for a number of years. I saw Rob for the first time in
years about two years ago, and it was very emotional. Anything that was said
or done was all forgotten. We've been together for 30 years and we've
been through a lot together in this band. It just needed time really. We all
did our own thing, and it ran its course. It's all about timing."
- Glenn Tipton,
Billboard, July 11, 2003
"When Glenn and I met again in 2001, we hugged
because we were so glad to see each other.
"People are saying, 'Can they
still do it? Will it have the same energy as before?'
The simple answer is, 'Yes, 100 percent - if not more!' "
- Rob Halford, Revolver, November 2003
"...It was very emotional when Glenn and I met for the first time and he came
towards me on the driveway. We’ve known each other for such a long time and
experienced so many things together – I mean, it’s quite natural that all these
feelings and memories came up."
- Rob Halford, Rock Hard magazine,
October 2003 "I was talking to Ken
yesterday. We speak to each other on the phone - we usually end up
reminiscing... But he did say, 'Tell me what songs you're doing, so we don't do
the same ones when we go out...'
"I don't think that what I do, or what Priest
represents, is nostalgia. I think it's very current, very fresh, very important,
very much a 'now' feeling musically. I'm happy that I can still maintain my
friendship with Ken and Glenn and Ian and we can be civil and polite and give
support."
- Rob Halford,
Launch,
July 23, 2002
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Though the rebuilding of family friendships was a few years
in the making, the actual time involved in reuniting Rob with Judas Priest was
short and sweet...
It wasn't until both parties were for once, at the same time,
free from their tour and recording schedules, that they came together on the 4th
of July, 2003 at Rob's house in Walsall, England and sealed the reunion:
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"We don't want
anybody to have a feeling that this was some kind of deceitful ploy that
we've been working on because it really is the fact that this became real,
this became an absolute certainty, just a few short days ago. All of the
things we needed to do to rebuild those bridges came to a head and we were
sitting in my kitchen at my home in England last week, and we talked about
what was left to do and of course the overwhelming thing that's looming
towards us is the 30th Anniversary of the band next year - 30 years since
the release of ROCKA ROLLA - so that, amongst everything else, was primary
in making the decision."
- Rob Halford,
Friday Night Rocks
(Eddie Trunk), July 18, 2003
"One day, we had a meeting at Rob's house. We were
just sitting there with no intention of talking about reunions. By the end
of the afternoon, the subject came up and we thought it was now or never,
and we all wanted it. We walked out of that meeting and we were reunited. It
was that simple."
- Glenn Tipton,
El Paso Entertainment, August 3, 2004
"It's just a testament to the great love and
power of the music of Judas Priest. This has been wanted and pleaded for for
so many years. And obviously, with us all being in our separate worlds
musically, we haven't really been able to seriously consider it until now.
It's been almost a five-year process of rebuilding our friendship and
musical bridges, so this reunion has taken a lot of love and repair work and
obviously we're thrilled that it's finally happened now.
- Rob Halford,
MTV, July 15, 2003
"It
was very emotional. When I saw Rob, we decided right then to reunite and go
back out there. It felt just like it did before he left the band. And
the world's just gone mad about it. It's very exciting.
"The most important thing for us to do now is to put
pen to paper. The old writing trio of Tipton, Halford and Downing will be
back together, and that should make for some classic songs."
- Glenn Tipton,
MTV, July 15, 2003
"We had to work on our
friendship, but all the bridges have been rebuilt and we put that animosity
behind us. We had a lot of offers to reunite, but Rob was committed to his
projects, and we were doing our own thing. But we met two weeks ago and it
seemed like the right thing to do. I think we all knew deep down that if we
didn't do it now, we'd never do it."
- Glenn
Tipton,
Rolling Stone, July 23, 2003
"We actually made the decision in a meeting about
the British box set. We went into the meeting with no intention of discussing
reformation and when we came out, we decided to do it. It was a completely
spur-of-the-moment decision. We had offers for two or three years and as you
know, Rob was doing his solo thing and Priest was touring with Ripper, so we
turned them down. But then we just realized that if we didn't do it now, we'd
never do it. It was that simple."
- Glenn Tipton,
Billboard.com, June 28, 2004
"In
February and March, we were offered tours to reunite and we turned them down; for this summer, we
had no intention of any reunion - and then just really, totally out of the
blue, like I said, two weeks ago, we had a meeting at Rob's and everything
just seemed right and I think really we realized that if we didn't do it
now, we probably never would do it. And I think that's when it just clicked
and we said, 'We've got to do this; it just seems logical'...I can only
repeat that really, we had no intention of a reunion until this meeting two
weeks ago and it just sort of fell into place and it seemed right, it seems
very right to do at this point in time...
"We
called the meeting a month or six weeks before Rob happened to be in the UK,
and we said, 'Look, let's all get together'. And I think as that meeting
neared, it became apparent to us really why we were having the meeting. We
had to plan the destiny from that point on for Priest, so it was a very
appropriate time to have a meeting and as we set the meeting, it just became
obvious that this is the way forward...
"Again, once we
made the decision to go forward with the reunion, we've announced it
straight away. We felt that that was fair, to let everyone know immediately
what our plan was, but that does mean that it's a little premature at the
moment and in exactly the final plan, the way forward, set lists, etcetera,
it's very early days in that sense...
"We shall start to put pen to paper in
September; we're sort of all going to take a break through August and then
we shall start work, start to write in September. There's no doubt at all
we'll be out on the road next year and for a long time, and the bonus to
that would be hopefully a brand new Judas Priest album, and that's exciting
- it excites me anyway to think that we can have a brand new Judas Priest
album out there, all being well. I presume we shall be out on tour next
spring, from next spring onward. That's supposition, but that's what we'd
like to do."
- Glenn Tipton, Friday Night Rocks (Eddie Trunk), August 8, 2003 |
The band got a kick when they were asked if they put Rob through
an audition to rejoin the band:
"That's a good one! Oh my God...
The truth is, no, we didn't have any kind of
'audition'. I'm sorry, that's just so funny. No, it all came quite naturally
really."
- Glenn Tipton, Guitar World, September
2004 "We should have, that would
have been fun!"
- K.K. Downing, Guitar World, September
2004
"I suppose they wouldn't have been out of line
entirely, now would they? Goodness knows, I'd be disappointed if I didn't
pass the test."
- Rob Halford, Guitar World, September 2004 |
Of course, with Rob returning, there was the issue of Ripper
Owens, who had remained loyal and was a major factor in Judas Priest even
continuing after Rob's departure. But it turned out that Owens was just as much
for the reunion and even made the suggestion for the move several months back:
|
"I knew in the past that eventually there was going to be a reunion.
Everybody knew there was going to be a reunion; I know there was talks and I
know they were offered money and I know it was a thing that was always
lingering while I was in the band, and no matter how good I could sing or
whatever was being done, it was going to be lingering there, and I really
thought to myself, 'This has to stop.' So I've said to the band, 'You know,
it's going to happen, so let's let it happen.'
I kinda let this thing be known months ago. Both of us have realized
that Priest needs to get Rob back; let's get it goin' on, let's do the
reunion thing, and you know what? I need to go out and do my thing because I
wanna tour! You know, and I don't want to be at home for two years straight
and not do anything.
"Both parties decided that the best thing for this
band is to let me go do my thing and let the band get Rob back - and I'm all
for it. And really, I cannot be happier, to a certain point. It's a pretty
devastating day that I'm not the singer of Judas Priest anymore - that kinda
sucks. But on the other hand, I'm free to do anything, and I've had a lot of
offers while I was in Judas Priest, and now I'm just going to wait for the
offers to come in now that I'm not in Judas Priest... I guess if I wasn't
ready to move on and I didn't want to do something else, I probably would be
pretty devastated, and if the band and I wouldn't have been ready to move
on, I mean if they just all of a sudden said, 'Alright, you're gone' - like
the rumors in the past were, that would have been pretty devastating. But I
think now that it was a mutual decision, and we decided as a band that it
was time to make this decision, I'm all for
it...I just hope it lasts.
"My fear is - I hope that it's not a Judas Priest
record, tour and then they're done. Glenn's a workaholic. I think the
difference was they knew with me vocally, I'm just getting to the prime or
just past the prime really, but I think they want to see the legacy of
Priest to go out and they've worked hard for a long time and they very well
are ready to go out and I'm definitely not, so I would have liked to go out
with them and then went on to do my own thing, but this is just as well for
me and I think that they probably are like, 'Let's get Rob back and let's do
a tour'. You know, everybody's gonna want that and they did want it and I'm
happy for it.
"You know, I am so ready to go on; I just recorded some vocals
on a side project that I have coming out. Of course I can't mention anything
about it, but it's phenomenal. Old-school metal. Very old-school metal, very
Maiden-ish. This is very, very good. Now this
is before we'd come to this conclusion now, so I've got things on the
side I'm working on...
"I was given the word
probably a few days ago; the decision came down that it was time just a few
days ago. And you have to move swift, 'cause once you make that decision,
it's going to get out. And I think with all the rumors that have happened in
the past, we didn't want this to happen, so I think we decided, 'Tim, here's
what we're going to do, this is what we all want' and I was with them and I
said, 'Okay, this is exactly what we want' and we discussed the way to
release it and I agreed this is how we should release it and that's what we
did. It's a business decision and we're all friends, and I include that with
Rob. Sometimes I just feel like a big weight was lifted of my
shoulder and I get to go out and do a career now. The big thing about being
in Judas Priest was, you live all your dreams: I make my favorite band of my
whole lifetime, I get a Grammy nomination on my first record, I've toured
the world, I play in front of hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people
and it was like going to college for free! My world right now could not be
any better!
"Maybe I'll be on the road with Priest next time - maybe I'll
be in a band and we'll be supporting Priest - that'd be a hell of a tour
there! I'm not just going to do one thing: My goal is to do a project, to
get in another band and have a side project to do my own solo thing, so I'm
gonna stay busy!
"It was sad because the moment did
come when it was done and they are my friends - I actually emailed Glenn and
I said, 'Glenn, you know, if it made you that mad that I beat you at golf
the whole tour, I wouldn't have beat you!' "
- Ripper Owens,
Friday Night Rocks
(Eddie Trunk), July 11, 2003
"I discussed it about five months before,
saying, 'Listen, if you're going to get Halford back, get him back,
because you have my blessings to do it. I needed it. I had talked to
Ronnie Dio on the phone about what I should do. I said, 'Should I quit
the band?' His suggestion was that I should quit if I have feelings of doing
my own thing. But I would have never quit Priest.
"Judas Priest and I are the best of friends still. I
just talked to Glenn and Ken the other day. They were in the studio writing,
and we just laughed. It's like nothing's different."
- Ripper Owens,
Cleveland Scene, December 17, 2003
"Ripper's such a tremendous guy, and a tremendous singer, and there is
no one else on this planet that could have done what he did. And
we just felt it had run its course. And when we told Ripper
we were considering the reunion tour, he was great. He said, 'I don't blame
you,' and he actually agreed that it would be a good time to do it. Both Ripper and ourselves have expressed a real desire to
maintain a friendship and we will - he will remain a friend of mine, you
know? I've got to beat him at golf a few times - I haven't beat him yet, so,
'I can't die until I beat you at golf.' "
- Glenn Tipton,
Launch Media, July 16, 2003 "There is no one who could have stepped into Rob's
shoes except Ripper. He's been fantastic. We told him last week, and
basically, he said, 'Look, I've got to agree with you.' He's a big Priest
fan and he's been a real gentleman about it. "
- Glenn Tipton,
Billboard, July 11, 2003
"I wish I could have been in town, but I didn't know exactly when they
were going to make the announcement. I discussed it with them
months back, so I wasn't upset that they were going to do it.
"Halford was out there doing things, but it wasn't as big
as he probably wanted and it probably wasn't as big as Priest wanted either.
And money eventually talks, so my feeling was, 'Why not now, when it's best
for all of us?' I wanted to go out on package tours. Nobody goes out
alone nowadays but us. You'll see four, five, six bands touring together and
they all have platinum records. Even those tours draw only 8,000 to
10,000...
"Obviously, I didn't get to really write, but I was all right with
that. In the last year, I've kept every idea for myself. Now the good thing
is, I didn't write anything. If people consider that things with Judas
Priest failed with me, it's not mine. Everything you heard would have been
there anyway.
"I won't sing Judas Priest material without the guys,
except in a local band. But I think there are people who will want to hear
those songs. You never know what would happen if they play Cleveland... I
know I'll be backstage - I know where they keep their beer!
"If you hear
the live CDs, you'll hear those songs sung as well as they've ever been sung
live. They're not overdubbed like a lot of live recordings were in those
days. And since I've joined the band, I've gotten remarried and had a son.
I'll always be indebted to Priest for my lucky break. This is a happy
ending. Life goes on and I go on."
- Ripper Owens,
The Ohio Beacon Journal, July 15, 2003
"We have really no choice in releasing Owens. If
we wanted the band to continue, this is what we had to do. He stepped aside
like a gentleman. He gave us his support, and we all phoned him individually
and said our own things to him. He was great about it."
- Glenn Tipton,
El Paso Entertainment, August 3, 2004
"Ripper was told of course and did know about everything
BEFORE we made the announcement - he purposely went on a road trip out of
town so he wasn't around when the news hit the press - it was his choice to
do that. He asked us to let him know when we were making the announcement
and he made plans to be out of town."
- Jayne Andrews,
Management Co-ordinator, Judas Priest Noticeboard, September 22, 2003
"We were quite happy being out with Ripper. He was the
only person that could have stepped into Rob's shoes. We've all been
enjoying ourselves and we've been relaxed, but we all feel the time is right
now to go back out with Rob again, and Tim understands that."
- Glenn Tipton,
MTV, July 15, 2003
"There had been talk of
Halford rejoining for a while. There had been so many big-money offers for
them to reunite. I knew the reunion was going to happen; I knew this
wouldn't last. Rob is the original singer, and so he should also be the one
there at the end.
"When I joined, they had been broken up
for about five years. The band had lost a lot of momentum, and it was hard
to make up for lost time. Some people were disappointed, but they can't
blame me. My vocals are right on. I just sang the songs they gave me. I
had no control over decisions. At the same time, I couldn't pursue other
projects because I was the lead singer in Judas Priest. It was frustrating,
especially when we stopped touring this year. I even considered quitting,
but I couldn't. I figured something would happen.
This was the best solution, for them and me."
- Ripper Owens,
Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 20,
2003
“I’d known about it for weeks. I pushed them to get Halford back. I’m a
Judas Priest fan, so I’m glad they can get along and do this. People have
been calling up like there’s been a death in the family but I’m actually
happy with the decision. My run was done...You don’t make any money when
you’re not on the road,” Owens says. “Taking a year or two off between
albums is a long time. I’ve got a family to support...My phone has been
ringing nonstop.”
- Ripper Owens,
Canton Repository, August 8, 2003
"I think the comeback of Rob with Priest is great.
It's a real good thing, both for Priest and for me. It should work better
for them now, and I'm in a situation that works best with me. I'm still
their friend. Rob needed to come back to Priest, and they needed Rob. I hope
that the new album and the tour will have success. It would be really great
if we could be their opening act. In August, they'll play in Cleveland, and
I will see them. I don't have a single reproach to give to them..."
- Tim Owens, Rock Hard, June 2004
"We consider the Ripper years to be great years. We
did two fantastic albums and it proved a lot to ourselves and to the fans,
and it proved to be very interesting, a slightly different angle to the
band. And it was certainly commendable, from Ripper's point of view
particularly, and I think important for the band's survival through
difficult years. So, I think it does make the reunion, I suppose, more
nostalgic in that sense."
- Glenn Tipton,
Billboard.com, June 28, 2004
"Well, from our point of view we had to listen to
those rumors that were totally unfounded for a long time! And then suddenly,
for a very short space of time - and it was very short really - they were
actually true. But we didn't know what was happening until we met up to
start discussing business matters, mainly the METALOGY box set which is out
now, and a few other things. And basically it was Rob indicating that he'd
wrapped up his other commitments and was available to do some work. It was
just getting the timing right.
"We'd just done two albums and two world tours with
Ripper Owens and so everything just kind of came together. We'd be traveling
the world and we'd always get a massive amount of people wanting to know if
Halford was coming back. And it seemed to be intensifying rather than
diminishing, the demand from the fans.
"So we thought even though we're making great records
and sounding great and Ripper's a brilliant singer - there's no two ways
about that - it just seems the people want the original. And as I've said
before, it's a historical fact that that's what people want. And I think
they've got a point really, when they've gone out and dedicated themselves
to a band for so many years: bought the albums and bought the t-shirts and
stayed loyal. Then they want that original line-up back and feel they're
entitled to it.
"In the end, people just wanted THE Priest. I'm a firm
believer that every band with any sort of status, just like they have the
musicians and the sound of the band, they also have the voice of the band.
And Halford is the voice of Judas Priest as far as everybody is concerned.
"And why shouldn't he be, having worked on so many
albums and songs? And it's difficult to top that, even with a great vocalist
like Ripper, because everyone is so used to the sound, which I think is the
most important part, but it's also the performance, the personality and the
charisma.
"I think people were very good to us with Ripper, but a
lot of people could have given Ripper a bit more leeway in the sense that
Rob had twenty years of experience with the band - and most of that on big
stages - where Ripper had never had any experience on that level. But you
know, at the end of the day, it's just the trademark line-up is what people
wanted.
"If we hadn't been known as Judas Priest and were a new
band, I believe that group would have been big. But it seemed to be pushed
down a little bit because it was Judas Priest that wasn't Judas Priest in a
lot of people's eyes."
- K.K. Downing,
BayInsider, July 2004
"We have a great relationship with Timmy, he did a
wonderful job at keeping Priest alive for the '90s and we are very happy
that he is focused on his own new projects now."
- Rob Halford,
Metal Exiles, July 25, 2004 |
Exit The Ripper
Members of Halford's own band also saw the inevitable coming:
|
"I realized very early on that a reunion would happen, so it was always
in the back of my mind. To be honest, I'm happy. I think it's
the best thing that could have happened to Rob at this point in his career.
I got involved with Halford because I was a Priest fan. Rumors
didn't affect us on stage. Off stage however, it always felt like it had an
expiration date on it, we just didn't know when it was. The facts were
always kept from us. Management made us feel expendable and replaceable and
tried to keep some kind of distance between Rob and the band. Just look at
the constant line-up changes. I assume all that was due to the fact that a
reunion was in the planning stage from the beginning. The quote from CNN
was, 'Rob and the other Judas Priest members are so happy this is all a go',
the management team member said. 'We've worked so hard over the last four
years to make this happen.' Four years, huh? I guess that says it all. Rob
was always great to us though. We're still friends and we still keep in
touch..."
- Patrick Lachman, Halford guitarist,
Judas Priest Shrine, July 13, 2003
"Over time, as the
possibility of a Judas Priest reunion loomed, I spoke often with Mike C.,
Pat, Bobby, Ray, Mike D. and of course Roy, and as I expected, they were full
of encouragement. Their reaction and continued support
provided a constant reminder of their professionalism and integrity towards
me, at a time when I was facing several significant choices in my life and
career. On many levels, they each
were a vital part of what has now materialized. I
extend my sincerest thanks and love to them, and I'm confident they will
continue to make great music as each continues their own career path.
"I
may be home to stay, but I promise I will not close the door entirely on the
thought of working with the 'Halford' lineup in the future. I am truly
blessed to have worked with some of the finest people and artists on the
planet!
"John Baxter's unyielding
tenacity and belief helped steer this moment toward reality, and I'm
grateful for his assistance. John will continue to manage my businesses and
deal directly with related creative ideas outside of Judas Priest, and Bill
Curbishley and Jayne Andrews will manage my Judas Priest activities. Both
Management teams are respectful of one another, and this has made for a very
comfortable environment.
"Finally, it all comes back
to you - the fans. Many of you wished over-and-over for an opportunity to
experience the original Judas Priest, and it is a comforting thought to know we
all get to ride the reunion side-by-side. I can't wait!"
- Rob Halford,
Halford Quorum, July 15, 2003
"I personally, as well as the current members of Halford, am
very thankful to have John Baxter looking after us. We marvel at the
knowledge, confidence, energy and endless ideas he brings forward and
solicits from us - he's truly one of the best in the biz and he's not afraid
to take you lot on while also mapping out what you'll see weeks and months
from now. Bill and Jayne are more than qualified to handle Judas Priest biz
and they don’t deserve outsiders second guessing them either.
"JB was pursuing other dates for the band
after The Metal God tour stopped, but met with me and realized the intensity
of the Judas Priest issue was overwhelming and he shut Halford down so I
could have discussions with Glenn and Ken; he also
took the heat on last year's visa matter. Again he was unphased, for the
reunion may not have taken place had I not made that trip.
"The Halford
band is a great band; it’s a heavy machine, and I sense everyone’s passion
for the band to succeed. You’ve put a challenge in front of me and one day
I’ll honor it, but now it’s time for me to have my fun as the lead singer of
Judas Priest... Things couldn’t be better right now - let’s focus on the
reunion and move away from past events."
- Rob Halford,
Halford Quorum, July 18, 2003 |
|
