Bark at the Moon (song)

"Bark at the Moon" is a song by heavy metal vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. It was the first single released from his 1983 album of the same name. The music video produced for the song was Osbourne's first. It peaked at #21 on the UK Singles Chart and #12 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks.

"Bark at the Moon"
Single by Ozzy Osbourne
from the album Bark at the Moon
B-side"One Up the "B" Side"
ReleasedNovember 1983
Recorded1983
GenreHeavy metal
Length4:17
LabelJet
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Max Norman
Ozzy Osbourne singles chronology
"Iron Man/Children of the Grave"
(1983)		 "Bark at the Moon"
(1983)		 "So Tired"
(1983)

Overview

Writing

Though officially credited solely to Osbourne, "Bark at the Moon" was co-written with guitarist Jake E. Lee and bassist/lyricist Bob Daisley. Lee claims he was threatened with firing by Osbourne's wife and manager Sharon if he refused to sign a 1983 contract stating that he would relinquish his claims to writing and publishing.[1] In 2003, Daisley filed a lawsuit against the Osbournes, claiming lost royalties for his significant songwriting contributions.

Music video

Lyrically, the song deals with a creature of some sort who once terrorized a town, was killed, and later mysteriously returned to once again wreak havoc upon the villagers. The music video, however, borrows heavily from Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story, depicting Osbourne as a "mad scientist" who ingests a substance in his laboratory which causes him to transform into the werewolf depicted on the Bark at the Moon album cover. Thought to be insane, he is subsequently committed to a mental institution. Actress Emma Thompson portrayed Osbourne's wife/assistant in the video.

The music video for the song was partially filmed at the Holloway Sanatorium, outside London, England.[2] In the early 1980s infancy of the music video medium, the video, which was the first Osbourne had made, was highly anticipated due to his outrageous image. Drummer Tommy Aldridge played on the studio recording of the track, but the video features his replacement in the band, Carmine Appice.

Cover versions

Personnel

Charts
Chart (1983) Peak
position
scope="row"UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[3] 21
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[4] 109
gollark: What microcontroller thing *is* that?
gollark: Unofficial ones for 10^27 and 10^30 (and reciprocals).
gollark: ++remind 1d-7m
gollark: oops.
gollark: ++remind 1d-7mo

References
  1. "Jake E. Lee: Why I Gave Up Songwriting Credit for Ozzy Osbourne's 'Bark at the Moon'". Blabbermouth.net. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  2. http://simonfowlersarchive.com/ozzy-osbourne-bark-at-the-moon/
  3. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  4. "Ozzy Osbourne – Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
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