Rudy Sarzo recently sat down for an interview with Jeremy White and reflected on the 1970s-1980s rock music.
When White pointed out the lack of bass sound in some records from that time, Sarzo shared, “When it comes to mixing, and I’m gonna tell you this from experience, not that I experience it myself, but being in the music industry, I understood there were certain people, engineers, mixers, that would partake, that would do blow cocaine in the studio.”
“Cocaine will shut down your high end and will make everything sound bassier, because it has something to do with the blood flow,” the bassist explained. “It cuts the blood flow to your ear canal. Google it. So, that’s why you hear around that time—late ’70s, early ’80s, you can listen to a record, and you go, ‘Wow, it sounds like a frying pan!’ Sizzle. [Makes sizzling noise] No low end. It’s a cocaine mix.”
Back in the day, cocaine was popular in the music industry. Several musicians themselves also used it, including the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, whom Sarzo worked with for years.
Osbourne’s drug addiction became a well-known issue in the 1980s, causing trouble both in his personal life and on the road. Sarzo and others who worked with the Black Sabbath vocalist have spoken about how the addiction affected both his music and relationships with band members.
Decades later, the bassist also noted that Osbourne’s drug use caused him to be misunderstood. “He could have gone off the deep end with drugs and alcohol, but within every day was definitely an intervention, until recently,” he told For Bass Players Only in 2012. “He’s been sober and clear for a few years now. So yeah, he’s misunderstood. He’s pretty much a product of the environment and of its time.”
He added, “Ozzy is also incredibly astute. He’s always been amazing at recognizing great talent. So many incredible musicians have gone through his band, from Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde to Robert Trujillo and Mike Inez and, you know, people like that. He’s got a great talent for discovering great talent.”
Rudy Sarzo left Ozzy Osbourne’s band in the early 1980s after the death of guitarist Randy Rhoads and due to Osbourne’s increasing struggles with alcohol and drugs.