A stunning artifact from rock history has come back into the light, giving fans a thrilling peek behind the curtain of one of heavy metal’s most pivotal moments. A rehearsal tape from early 1980 featuring Ozzy Osbourne, mastermind guitarist Randy Rhoads, and bassist Bob Daisley — long thought lost — has been rediscovered after sitting forgotten for decades.
A Forgotten Cassette Steps Back Into the Spotlight
Earlier this year in the quiet English countryside of Ilketshall, Suffolk, an old cassette labeled by hand was found tucked away in an attic. The tape, kept safe in storage since the early days of Ozzy’s solo career, was played for the first time in years by David Jolly, a friend who knew Ozzy around the time he was building his first solo band.
When Jolly pressed play, what emerged was a short, gritty rehearsal jam — not a polished song, but a raw musical snapshot. Listeners hear Ozzy’s familiar voice flowing freely over a blues-inspired groove, with Rhoads weaving expressive guitar lines and Daisley locking in solid bass rhythms. It’s the sound of musicians creating on the spot, feeling their way into ideas that would soon define a new era for Ozzy.
The Players and the Moment
This recording was captured just after Ozzy had moved on from his work with Black Sabbath and was beginning to forge his own path. At this point, drummer Lee Kerslake had not yet joined; the lineup on the tape is essentially Ozzy, Rhoads, and Daisley feeling out sounds together. The result feels intimate and exploratory, almost like a private musical conversation rather than a structured performance.
Why This Matters to Rock Fans
For fans of classic metal, the tape is a treasure because it reveals something you won’t hear on any official album: the early chemistry between Ozzy and Rhoads in a relaxed, unrefined context. You can sense a band finding its voice — experimenting, reacting to one another, and building the foundation for the powerful music that would follow.
The discovery also brings a human dimension to Ozzy’s story. Known across the world for larger-than-life performances and legendary moments, here he comes across simply as a musician in his element, collaborating and exploring ideas with fellow players.
A Piece of Unfiltered Rock History
While the rehearsal session on the tape doesn’t directly correspond to any released song, its value lies in capturing the spirit of creation — a rare document of iconic artists at a formative point in their journey together. For collectors and historians alike, it’s a compelling reminder that sometimes the most meaningful musical moments happen before the spotlight ever finds them.
