by Jake E. Lee recently opened up about creative tensions with Ozzy Osbourne during the recording of The Ultimate Sin. He shared his experience in an interview with Guitar World.
The guitarist discussed his desire to experiment musically beyond traditional hard rock. This led to disagreements with Osbourne during the songwriting process.
When asked about his approach to Badlands after playing with Ozzy throughout most of the Eighties, Lee explained his creative frustrations.
“To be honest, by the end of my tenure with Ozzy, I wanted to branch out more,” he said. “I always like a hard rock edge to whatever I’m playing, but I wanted to experiment a little more.”
Lee then described specific conflicts that arose during the writing sessions for The Ultimate Sin.
“When I was writing new stuff for [Ozzy’s] The Ultimate Sin record, a lot of times Ozzy would say, ‘What’s that? That’s not Ozzy, that’s jazz,’” Lee recalled. “I’d say, ‘It’s not jazz, but it’s branching out a little bit.’ Ozzy would say, ‘No. This isn’t Frank Zappa, this is Ozzy Osbourne. Go back and write me something else.’”
These creative differences highlight the tension between Lee’s artistic ambitions and Osbourne’s commitment to maintaining his signature hard rock sound during a pivotal period in the band’s history.
Wikipedia reported that Lee was the primary songwriter for the music during much of the album’s development. He worked with basic equipment while Osbourne was in the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse treatment. Lee composed guitar riffs, song structures, and even drum and bass parts for about 12 songs. However, he intentionally avoided writing melodies and lyrics, anticipating that Osbourne would want to adapt those elements upon his return.
Before proceeding with the album, Lee insisted on a contract guaranteeing his writing credits and publishing rights for the new music. This assertiveness was likely in response to past authorship disputes, including the infamous “Bark at the Moon” credit situation. About half of Lee’s compositions made it onto the album. The final version was completed in collaboration with Osbourne and lyricist Bob Daisley.
The Ultimate Sin, released in 1986, became a commercial success despite the behind-the-scenes tensions. Wikipedia noted that the album achieved platinum status by May 1986 and double platinum by October 1994. It was Osbourne’s fourth studio album and the second and last to feature Lee on guitar.
The album marked the end of an era for Lee with Osbourne. Wikipedia documented that Lee was fired abruptly after the supporting tour in 1987 by telephone from Sharon Osbourne. This left him feeling blindsided. Internal band dynamics, including bassist Phil Soussan’s push for greater creative control, contributed to Lee’s dismissal. The comments shed light on the creative differences that ultimately influenced Lee’s departure and his subsequent formation of Badlands, where he could explore the musical experimentation that Osbourne had rejected.
