Page 50 - Metal Hammer Issue 334 - UK (May 2020)

JUDAS PRIEST
British Steel was released by
Columbia in April 1980, and lived up
to expectations on every level. Rolling
Stone magazine said at the time: ‘It rocks
with a classic heavy metal vengeance,
fuelled by the machine-gun rhythms
and crackling guitar attack of punk
offspring like the Ramones and The
Damned. The result is a collection of
killer cuts.’ The album stormed to No.4
in the British chart – still their highest
position – and smashed through to
No.34 in the US. Despite British Steel’s
success, the origin of the name was
shrouded in mystery.
K.K. Downing: “My recollection is that
we saw the cover artwork [done
e|#Urvôdz#V}d|er`#ehiruh#zh#kdg#wkh#
title. It may have been Ian Hill who
suggested the name and it could have
also been the fact that Glenn used to
work for the British Steel Corporation.
But the idea of calling it British Steel
definitely made sense.”
Tom Allom: “Who would have believed
there would be so many definitive
Priest songs on this one album? The
whole recording process was very
business-like, and looking back now it
all went like a dream. We were under a
wanted it out in April, so we had to have KNIVES UNTIL WE
little pressure, because the label
it wrapped up by the end of February.
But there were no crises or fall-outs.
We just got on with things.”
Glenn Tipton: “At the time, we knew it
was good, just not how special it would
turn out. You just don’t realise when
you’re in the middle of the process
what you have is a classic. Only later on,
when everyone tells you… that’s when
it really hits home.”
50 METALHAMMER.COM
here were three hit singles from
the album in the UK. Both
Breaking The Law and Living After
Midnight reached No.12, while United
peaked at 26. The videos for the first
two were directed by Julien Temple,
who says of the band: “There is
a definite comedic element to Judas
Priest, as I’m sure they know. We had
a lot of fun doing these shoots”.
By the time British Steel was released,
Priest had just completed 21 dates in
Britain supported by Iron Maiden – one
of the all-time great metal tours. They
subsequently went to the US, playing a
successful mix of headline and support
dates. Priest were also second on the
bill at the inaugural Monsters Of Rock
festival at Donington in August 1980
(headlined by Rainbow), with the final
show of the world tour happening on
August 23 at the Golden Summernight
festival in Nuremberg, Germany.
“WE SHOOK THE
SPOONS AND
GOT IT RIGHT”
GLENN TIPTON
There were a whole raft of classic
albums put out that year, including
releases from Black Sabbath, Iron
Maiden, Saxon, Ozzy, Motörhead and
AC/DC. And British Steel is among the
finest. So, how do the band rate it?
Feel the steel: K.K.
Downing, Glenn Tipton and
Rob Halford in March 1980
Rob Halford: “It’s right up with our
best. I think with every great album,
there’s a timeless feel. You listen to the
first Sabbath album, Led Zeppelin II or
any of the wonderful Pink Floyd records
and they don’t just belong to an era. If
I had a time machine right now, I could
take British Steel back or forwards, play
it to people and they would feel it
belonged to them. That’s the reason so
many big names in metal say they were
influenced by it. I think this is where
we found our direction. Up until that
point, although we’d done well, there
was a feeling in the band that we really
didn’t have a proper focus.”
K.K. Downing: “For me, it’s the
most important album we ever did.
Everything came together so well. We
were all in a great frame of mind, and
the results were as good as everyone
hoped. It elevated the band to the next
level and finally put us on the path to
where we wanted to be. We not only
found our sound, but also our image
with the leather and studs. I also
believe that with British Steel we opened
up a new era for heavy metal in general.
Bands like Iron Maiden and Saxon, who
supported us at various stages on the
1980 tour, went on to be very successful
in their own right and benefited from
what we did on this album. It was an
exciting time, and British Steel really
was the start of it all.” ADDITIONAL K.K. DOWNING QUOTES: NEW MUSIC NEWS, 1980
JUDAS PRIEST HEADLINE GLENN TIPTON QUOTES: TOTALROCK RADIO, 2002 ROB HALFORD QUOTES: TOTALROCK RADIO, 2002
BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL ON
AUGUST 9 – SEE P.107.
THEY CELEBRATE THEIR 50TH
ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR –
SEE HTTP://JUDASPRIEST.COM