In the latest issue of Metal Hammer, Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin recalls meeting Ozzy Osbourne for the first time - and some personal words he shared with the singer about how much his work had meant to him.
The year was 1990, and Faith No More were seriously blowing up off the back of the previous year's The Real Thing, thanks in no small part to breakout single Epic. It was a sign that things were changing in the music industry; a full year before grunge blew up, alternative rock and metal was tearing its way into the mainstream.
To cap off the year, FNM were named by RIP Magazine as "Band Of The Year" and invited to a star-studded awards ceremony in Los Angeles where they'd perform a short set. As part of their performance, FNM were asked if they'd like to bring out Ozzy Osbourne to sing on their cover of Sabbath classic War Pigs.
"We couldn’t believe it!" Bordin laughs. "We got up and played with [James] Hetfield and Ozzy and it was incredible."
After the performance, the band went on to a Hollywood party filled with rock and metal icons. Exhausted from the heavy touring they'd been doing to promote The Real Thing, Bordin recalls sitting back in a corner to relax, only to be approached by Ozzy.
"He said to me, ‘Why did you guys do War Pigs on the album? Are you taking the piss?’" Bordin says. "It caught me off guard. It was the last thing I’d ever think for someone who’s responsible for such iconic music might say."
Osbourne had certainly had a rough 12 months (and change). In September 1989 he was arrested for attempted murder after strangling wife Sharon in a drunken stupor, later coming to in a jail cell with no memory of the incident. Eventually forgiven by Sharon - and getting charges dropped - Ozzy underwent rehab at the start of the 90s and was working towards comeback album No More Tears when he ran into Faith No More.
"He'd been through some rough times and looked so sad, man," Bordin recalls. "I launched into this long story about how when I was young my mom killed herself, I didn’t have much of a family… Things changed for me when I heard Sabbath. I found this music that wasn’t singing about stuff that was pleasant – it’s powerful, dark and the message is you’re not alone. So I told him, ‘You saved my life.’ It really fucking hit him. I had to tell him what he meant though."
It was a connection that clearly made an impact. Bordin and Ozzy's paths would cross again a few years later when they shared a bill in South America. With Faith No More activity winding down, Bordin was recruited as the new drummer in Ozzy's band in '96 and toured with him frequently over the next decade, drumming on 2001's Down To Earth and 2007's Black Rain.
You can watch the 1990 Faith No More performance of War Pigs with Ozzy Osbourne and James Hetfield below and read the full feature of Ozzy Osbourne's miraculous comebacks as a solo artist in the new issue of Metal Hammer.
Mike Bordin plays the Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath Back To The Beginning event on July 5.
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