Videography from 1985

[GUITARIDOL5682]

This was printed in an Ozzy fanzine back in 1985 it mentions what video's are available and other bootleg related concerts from the time.

The earliest Ozzy video i have come across is an American TV show called 'After Hours'.this was recorded on the first US tour in 1981 and is approx 25 mins long.It consists of four songs played Live in the studio 'I Don't Know' ,'Crazy Train','Mr Crowley', and 'Suicide Solution' with small snippets of interviews between the songs.The quality is not very good,but as far as i'm aware it is the only video featuring Randy Rhoads.

The American 24 hour cable TV channel MTV recorded a live show to be broadcast on Halloween in 1982.This was at Irvine Meadows in California on the 21st June with the 'Diary of a Madman' stage show- a medieval stage setting of a huge staircase and three massive gothic arches.This is an impressive show,Ozzy manifests mysteriously atop a satanic throne enhanced by criss-crossing lasers and images of bats which metamorphose into 'Ozzy'.This video lasts aboput 80 minutes and contains 13 songs including the hanging of 'Ronnie the Midget' during 'Goodbye to Romance'.For the encore Ozzy is sprung from a trap door in the staircase while an explosion bursts forth from his hand,and at the end of the show he even sprouts fangs! The quality of this is quite good as these things go and it can be found at record fairs for as little as £15.00.

Two festivals were videoed in 1983,the first being the US festival in San Bernadino California on a scorching hot day in May.This was edited to just three songs and an interview,but even so graphically portrays the crowd's reaction to Ozzy's set.Again this was shown on MTV,also on Irish Republic's channel RTE.The Dortmund Festival in Germany on the 18th December is edited as well though this time to six songs and Carmine Appice's drum solo.This is usually found on tape with five other bands for anything between £15-£30.Both are reasonable good quality.

Ozzy has been interviewed on quite a few American TV shows and consequently some have made found their way across the channel.the best one i've laid my eyes on was recorded in the middle of '83 (on MTV yet again ) and also a very funny Ozzy/$haron interview just before the last US tour,even though it only lasts five minutes or so.

In contrast Ozzy's British TV appearences have been few and far between.Interview with John Allen (the dwarf) on TVS at the end of '82; miming 'Bark at the Moon' on 'Top of the Pops' to crowds of flag waving 'Duranies' (fans of pop band Duran Duran).Standing in a coffin and dropping his teeth into his drink on 'The Tube' another interview on 'Entertainment USA' which includes Ozzy's amazing entrance at Longbeach California and,probably his best of all,a 10 minute appearence on 'Earsay' shot at his villa in the South of France.Finally on the subject of interviews,Many people have managed to get hold of a short Swedish TV on,shot in December '83.

Ozzy has shot two promotional videos,both of which have been well documented in the music press for different reasons.'Bark at the Moon' shows him made up as a hideous werewolf, chasing after himself in a disused lunatic asylum in deepest Surrey,while 'So Tired' has him playing eight different characters (including a brilliant Abraham Lincoln) in her Majesty's Theatre London.These can both be found on a compilation video called 'Molotov Cocktail',and on another compilation tape called 'Metal Edge' is a video (i use the term hesitantly) for 'Diary of a Madman' - strange,psychadelic images intercut with stills from the 'BATM' video.WEIRD!!

There are one or two bootleg videos about,such as the Glasgow '83 and Donnington '84.these are shoddy recordings done with hand held cameras in the crowd and are most definately NOT RECOMMENDED STAY WELL CLEAR! Ozzy's first official video,a great concert shot at Salt Lake City in March last year,is due for imminent release.He also appears on another compilation,this time at the 'Rock in Rio' festival held in January,but only available in Brazil..

To finish off with a few points to note.There are many Black Sabbath videos with Ozzy that span from an amazing one hour long gig in Paris in 1970,To the one hour long official release from the show at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1978.Best of the bunch are a legendary rendition of 'Blue Suede Shoes' at the Beat club (even though Ozzy claims he has never sung that song in his life),and one of my all time favourite Sabbath tracks- 'Children of the Grave' live at the enormous California Jam in April 1974.I've also found a short bootleg of Quiet Riot with Randy Rhoads from L.A. despite the fact that it is bad quality it is undoubtedly something well worth looking for.....

[rice_pudding]

interesting

cheers for posting that. things sure were different back then Imagine if After hours was the only footage of Randy that would really suck.

speaking of such things when did the other randy videos and boots begin emerging?

[Trigger]

Thanks for this Shaun


As a collector for the last 25 years I have never seen video of Glasgow 83 or Doninngton 84, if they were out there I am sure I would have them. However they did come out as Bootleg audio and I do have both the audio's.

[Fozzy41]

The Donington '84 video is definatley out there somewhere Trigger. I remember attending a record fair back in the mid 80's and watching some footage from Donington 1984 shot from the crowd which was been played at one of the stalls. It was crap quality big style otherwise I'd have snapped it up. You could hardly see Ozzy or the band and the audio was shite.

[Sarab]

I remember watching the show on Halloween, and the US festival! That's when I had to prove to Mom & Dad that Ozzy wasn't the devil. BAD MOVE!!

[Trigger]

The Donington '84 video is definatley out there somewhere Trigger. I remember attending a record fair back in the mid 80's and watching some footage from Donington 1984 shot from the crowd which was been played at one of the stalls. It was crap quality big style otherwise I'd have snapped it up. You could hardly see Ozzy or the band and the audio was shite.

I would still like to have it! I never saw it at any record fair and I used to go to everyone. I have the 96 Ozzy show from Donington on video and its very bad indeed, strange though considering that the 84 and the 96 shows are almost 20 years apart.

[Trigger]

I remember watching the show on Halloween, and the US festival! That's when I had to prove to Mom & Dad that Ozzy wasn't the devil. BAD MOVE!!

I had to buy those video's at record fairs here in Britain, my mum and dad were not bothered about all that devil thing they realised it was only image and hype.

[Fozzy41]

[:lol: I never saw it at any record fair and I used to go to everyone. I have the 96 Ozzy show from Donington on video and its very bad indeed, strange though considering that the 84 and the 96 shows are almost 20 years apart.

When you say its very bad indeed do you mean the quality of the video or the quality of the performance. I remember been there in '96 and even though I was a wee bit pissed I thought Ozzy was struggling quite a bit, and I thought he was gonna collapse at one point. Ozzy has played Donington several times over the years and the one which is considered the best is 1984, the only one which I missed, what a bummer.

[Trigger]

HI Gaz

The quality of the video recording is bad, I was at all the Donington shows and the 84 show is the best that I ever saw him!
I thought that the song set he played was too long fior him to cope with,they went on and on and on!!!!!!
I was glad to have seen t though