INTERVIEW: For his new project, Billy Morrison didn’t even know he was making an album
Photo: Billy Morrison’s new solo album is called The Morrison Project. Photo courtesy of @JaneStuartPhotos / Provided by O’Donnell Media Group with permission.
Billy Morrison, the longtime guitarist for Billy Idol and a celebrated songwriter, recently released his solo album entitled The Morrison Project, featuring collaborations with Ozzy Osbourne (his best friend), Al Jourgensen of Ministry, John 5 of Motley Crüe, Steve Vai, Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Idol, Linda Perry, Steve Stevens, D.M.C. and Persia Numan, among others. The well-received record, out now from TLG|ZOID / Virgin Music Group, features such songs as “Crack Cocaine,” a collaboration with Osbourne and Stevens; “The Ayes Have It,” with Jourgensen and John 5; and “Incite the Watch,” featuring Taylor and Vai.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox talked with Morrison about the recording project and how he cobbled together all of these moving parts (and guest artists) to create one of the most talked-about albums of the year. Here’s what he had to say …
On his overall impression of The Morrison Project …
“I’m the guitar player that plays guitar for the guy, you know what I mean, so to be the guy is a little weird.”
On how the project first began …
“This project wasn’t in the works. I didn’t know I was making an album. I was just making music [during] COVID for no reason because you get locked up for a couple of years, that’s what most creatives are going to do. I was just using my recording studio at home to throw ideas down, so I believe that’s why the album is so successful. And it’s so eclectic and honest because I wasn’t planning an album. It came together when people started hearing what I was doing and saying, ‘This is an album.’ Then I was like, ‘OK, fine.’ I never intended this to be what it’s become.”
On when he figured out he may have an album on his hands …
“It was about seven [songs in], and I’ll tell you why it was seven. I sung the first six. The songs that I sing on the album, I obviously did my own vocals at home in my studio, and then I started arriving at songs that I loved the music for but clearly weren’t for me. I mean, if you listen to the ‘The Ayes Have It,’ that started life as a Ministry riff. I’ve written a bunch of songs for Ministry, and that was a Ministry riff that never made the album. So once I finished it, it was clear that it wasn’t me that should be singing that.
“So I called Al, and I said, ‘Look, I’ve got this song. I don’t really know what I’m doing with it yet, but will you sing on it?’ And he sung on it. … I already had the ‘Crack Cocaine’ song, and Sharon [Osbourne] had been saying you should put that out. And I started adding up. Well, that’s eight songs. I may as well just finish this as an album with some of my friends on it, but I was trying to serve the song, not my ego. No one wants to hear me sing a piano ballad like the Linda Perry song [‘Chasing Shadows’].”
On when the work was recorded and mixed, given his commitments to Billy Idol …
“Most of the work was started during the pandemic. I have my own studio here, so I would just spend my days throwing 90 seconds of an idea. They weren’t complete songs. Erik Eldenius, Idol’s drummer, and Jeordie White, who is Marilyn Manson’s bass player, they would come over from time to time. They had some great ideas. I was just messing around. Once COVID finished, and I was into the idea of completing this project and putting it out, then I was recording in amongst Billy Idol tours, which had been challenging. But we got it done.”
On what it was like collaborating with his best friend, Ozzy Osbourne …
“We were just messing around together, and we came up with that riff. And Steve [Stevens] just looked at me. Obviously everyone knows Ozzy is my best friend, so I can call him. I don’t really ask him to do too much musically because that’s not our friendship. We’re just best friends. But I said, ‘Ozz, I’ve got a riff, and I think you should hear it. And I think you should come and sing it.’ And of course he did. The great thing about that song was there were no egos in the room because again we didn’t know we were making a record. It’s just me, Steve and Ozzy hanging out in a room, and it was one of those moments in time where we obviously were granted the ability to come up with an amazing Ozzy Osbourne song.”
On what it was like working with John 5 and Steve Vai …
“I’ve known John for years. We have a mutual love and respect for each other. He’s a wonderful human being, and that [collaboration] came from when Al finished his vocal [on ‘The Ayes Have It’]. We sat there listening to it, and Al looked at me and went, ‘Do you know who would be good on this? John 5.’ I said, ‘Well, as it happens,’ and I picked up the phone right there with Al in the room. I said, ‘John, I’ve got this song. Al Jourgensen from Ministry sings it, and would you play some lead on it?’ He went, ‘I’m a huge Ministry fan. Absolutely.’
“Look, I didn’t say to myself, how many famous people can I get on this record? That’s not what happened. I started one by one putting the people on songs that felt right, and so just as John 5 appears on that song because Al said, ‘John would be great,’ Steve Vai appears on ‘Incite the Watch’ because that solo section is a long, complicated, multiple-chord-changing, key-changing section of music. Well, who comes to mind when you think of lead guitar about long complicated sections of music? Steve Vai. And Steve is just another friend that I’ve known for many years that I can call and go, ‘I’ve got this section of music. Will you play a solo over it?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ It was organic is what I’m saying.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Billy Morrison’s new solo album is called The Morrison Project. Click here for more information.
