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Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in 1969 in Birmingham. Originally formed by guitarist K. K. Downing and bassist Ian Hill, Judas Priest's core line-up consists of Downing, Hill, vocalist Rob Halford and guitarist Glenn Tipton. They have been cited as an influence on many heavy metal musicians and bands. Their popularity and status as one of the definitive heavy metal bands has earned them the nickname "Metal Gods," from their song of the same name.They have sold over 35 million albums worldwide.
K.K. Downing (Kenneth Downing Jr.) and Ian Hill knew each other since their early childhoods, as they lived nearby, attended the same nursery and school in West Bromwich. They became closer friends in their early teens, when they shared similar musical interests (Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Cream, the Yardbirds) and learned to play instruments. In 1970, after a local ensemble named Judas Priest (after Bob Dylan's song "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" from the John Wesley Harding album) broke up, the band's singer, Al Atkins, approached Downing and Hill and proposed that they form a band using his former band's name.
With Downing as leader, the band moved from their original bluesy tunes towards heavy rock and what would later come to be defined as early heavy metal. This trio played around Birmingham and the surrounding areas with various drummers until 1974, sometimes opening for bands such as Budgie, Thin Lizzy and Trapeze. Eventually, financial difficulties and problems with their management, Tony Iommi's company, IMA, led to the departure of Alan Atkins and drummer Alan Moore.
At the time, Ian Hill was dating a woman from nearby town Walsall who suggested her brother, Bob Halford[, be considered as a singer. Halford joined the band, bringing drummer John Hinch from his previous band, Hiroshima. This line-up toured in the UK, often supporting Budgie, and even headlined in some shows in Norway and Germany.
Before the band entered the studio to record their first album, the record company suggested the band add another musician. As Downing was reluctant to add a keyboard player or horn player, he chose to add a second guitarist, Glenn Tipton, from the Stafford-based Flying Hat Band. In August 1974, the band debuted with the single "Rocka Rolla", before releasing an album of the same name a month later.
There were technical problems during recording which led to problems with the sound quality. Producer Rodger Bain, whose CV included work with Black Sabbath, dominated the production of the album and made decisions the band did not agree with Bain chose to leave fan favorites from the band's live performances, such as "Tyrant", "Genocide", and "The Ripper", off the album. He cut the song "Caviar and Meths" from a 10-minute song down to a 2-minute instrumental.
Judas Priest, c. 1977. (left to right) Hill, Downing, Halford & TiptonWith their next album, the band participated more in the production and chose the producers. The result, Sad Wings of Destiny (1976), included a variety of old material, including the aforementioned stage favorites and the epic "Victim of Changes." This song combined "Whiskey Woman", a stage classic since the era of the first Judas Priest (Al Atkins' band) and "Red Light Lady" brought by Halford from his previous group, Hiroshima. This album and a strong 1975 performance at the Reading Festival helped to build their fanbase.
Three subsequent albums, 1977's Sin After Sin and 1978's Stained Class and Killing Machine (released in America as Hell Bent for Leather) used session drummer Simon Phillips and Les (James Leslie) Binks. Binks, who wrote the music for "Beyond the Realms of Death", was a very technically skilled drummer. Killing Machine had shorter songs that had more commercial appeal while still retaining their heavy metal punch. After Binks quit, in part because he disliked the band's simpler beats and sound, the band replaced him with Dave Holland, formerly from the band Trapeze.
With this line-up, Judas Priest recorded six studio and one live album which garnered different degrees of critical and financial success. Overall, the band has sold in excess of 30 million albums globally.
For further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_Priest
Author: Areallyman007
Keywords: heavy metal band 4) Judas Priest Touch Of Evil
Added: February 14, 2008
