In 1974, Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill, KK Downing, and John Hinch entered the studio on the night shift as Judas Priest to record what would become Rocka Rolla. The five lads from Black Country, having signed a record deal, would have a lot to learn in a short space of time.
Though a record deal had been struck, there were limited funds. The record label brought in producer Roger Bain, who had worked with Black Sabbath, but ultimately, Judas Priest were not involved in the mixing, the mastering process or any final approvals.
Recorded during nighttime sessions to save costs, over a few weeks in June and July 1974, on a shoestring budget, Rocka Rolla was always going to have its flaws,” Ian Hill told us. “But walking into my local record store and seeing it on a shelf amongst all your idol’s records was the proudest feeling in the world, and I thought, whatever happens now, nothing can change that.”
Judas Priest – Rocka Rolla: “I was so disappointed with the way it was sounding,” Rob Halford says. “All of us were.”
Over time the band would share how they felt positive about the Rocka Rolla recording experience, but the disappointment when the finished copy of the album arrived was massive.
“I took the record,” Rob Halford said, “and I put the needle onto the groove, and I sat back. And I just slowly started to deflate, deflate. I was so disappointed with the way it was sounding. All of us were.
“We had all worked so hard to get to this place. And now, this music that we know when we play live is roaring. Heavy Metal is roaring even in those early primitive days. None of that was coming out of the speakers.”
Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings Of Destiny would remain out of reach for Judas Priest until 2022 and the 50 Heavy Meta Years tour.
Gull Records and its owner David Howells, who wigned Judas Priest in 1974, decided to sell the masters and publishing rights for the two albums the label owned. Howells contacted Glenn Tipton’s music publisher, Michael Closter of Reach Music Publishing.
Following discussions, which included Judas Priest manager Jayne Andrews, an agreement was made and Reach Music and its label Exciter Records acquired the rights to Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings Of Destiny.
The original multitrack tapes were recovered from storage. That they still existed and had been kept in usable condition for all these decades was very well received. The task of working with these was passed to Tom Allom, known in the Judas Priest world for producing the iconic albums British Steel and Screaming For Vengeance.
“What we did with the multitracks is quite unusual,” Tim Allom told us, “to completely remix an album from that era, from scratch. So, to clarify what we’re doing, we’re not adding anything musically. We’re not re-recording any of the musical parts.
“We’re remixing them, rebalancing them using the technology we have, the modern tools we have now, to sonically upgrade them and make them sound more powerful.”
For the first time, the Judas Priest Approved version of Rocka Rolla will be released on digital on 13 September 2-24 and CD/Vinyl on 22 November 2024.
“This is where it all started for us,” Glenn Tipton said, “and 50 years later, we have a great re-mixed and re-mastered version of the original…and the band are still going strong.”
KK Downing is equally ecstatic. “At last! This!,” he said. “The first Judas Priest album can be listened to and enjoyed in the way it was always intended to be.”
“I’m just thrilled,” Rob Halford sais. “Because it just goes to show you when you get an expert involved in a project, it’s likely that you have a second chance. And I think that Tom Allom is giving us a second chance here with the way that a lot of the elements were lost in Rocka Rolla.
“It’s also nice, like a really nice feeling, especially to attach it to what will be a 50th anniversary moment. It’s just a beautiful feeling.”
For more details, visit judaspriest.ffm.to/rockarolla.
“It’s great to look back and see our future unfurl,” Rob Halford says. “From little Metal acorns, mighty Metal oaks do grow. One small step for Metal, one giant leap for Metalkind — a lifelong Metal journey began with these songs.
“This album lit the eternal Metal flame, as real and fresh as ever five decades on.”
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Judas Priest Reclaim Rocka Rolla And Sad Wings Of Destiny first appeared on
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