In 1989, Faith No More released their album “The Real Thing” – a critically acclaimed album that is still one of their most successful records to date. The success of the album led to the group being named “Band of the Year” by RIP Magazine in 1990, with them being invited to perform a short set at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
Faith No More’s performance saw them cover Black Sabbath’s “War Pig” alongside Metallica frontman James Hetfield and Black Sabbath legend Ozzy Osbourne.
“We couldn’t believe it!” drummer Mike Bordin recalled in a recent interview with Metal Hammer. “We got up and played with Hetfield and Ozzy and it was incredible.”
Following the awards ceremony, the band attended an afterparty in Hollywood that was brimming with rock and metal icons. It was there that Bordin was approached by Ozzy, who had some critical thoughts on the cover of “War Pig” featured on Faith No More’s album “The Real Thing.”
“He said to me, ‘Why did you guys do ‘War Pigs’ on the album? Are you taking the piss?'” Bordin remembered. “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.”
At this point in time, Ozzy was struggling in his personal life. He had recently been arrested for attempted murder after strangling his wife Sharon in a drunken daze – which he claimed to have no memory of. Sharon eventually forgave him and dropped the charges, and Ozzy went into rehab.
Bordin recalls it being obvious to him that Ozzy was struggling.
“He’d been through some rough times and looked so sad, man,” Bordin said. “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 f*cking hit him. I had to tell him what he meant though.”
While Ozzy may not have been a fan of Faith No More’s cover, he later recruited Bordin to be his drummer, recording two albums with him and taking him on tour multiple times.
