In a recent chat with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station, Ian Hill said a remixed version of Judas Priest’s debut album ‘Rocka Rolla’ is coming soon.
“It’s just been re-engineered by [longtime Priest producer] Tom Allom after all of these years,” the bassist revealed. “The multi-tracks were in remarkably good condition, and he’s changed some of the sounds, made it more modern and obviously remixed it.”
Hill continued, “And he’s done a great job. It’s just coming out shortly, I believe. It’s only a few weeks away, I’m sure it is. Yeah, but he’s redone it. It’s gonna be re-released, which is great news. It’s finally got the production it’s always needed.”
In April 2023, Reach Music Publishing bought the rights to ‘Rocka Rolla’ and ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ albums from Gull Entertainments. Reach is working with Judas Priest on these albums and plans special releases for the 50th anniversary of ‘Rocka Rolla.’
“The acquisition of the masters and publishing for the albums ‘Rocka Rolla’ and ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ was a monumental opportunity for Reach Music, coming not long after Judas Priest’s induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame,” president and owner of Reach Music, Michael Closter, said at the time.
He added, “This deal happened with the approval of Judas Priest and their manager Jayne Andrews, and I’m so excited to begin working closely with them on a variety of special projects, including releasing high-quality reissues.”
In 2021, Rob Halford talked about how it felt to perform the song ‘Rocka Rolla’ live for the first time in 45 years at last month’s Bloodstock Open Air festival in the UK. He stated, “I threw that out. We all had a list. I threw that out, and Glenn [Tipton, guitar] went, ‘I don’t think that’s gonna work.’ I said, ‘I don’t think it’s gonna work either.’”
“I said, ‘But wouldn’t it be so cool if we did it, because there is the title track of the first album this band ever made?’ And so when we got up into rehearsals and we jammed it, and then Richie [Faulkner, guitar] put a bit of a twist on it — double tempo and made this little bit of an arrangement adjustment — I thought, ‘Oh, man. This is definitely gonna work,’” the singer noted.
‘Rocka Rolla’ arrived in September 1974. The band recorded the whole album live together in the studio instead of each musician recording separately.