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Ok.Ok. Downing has disputed Glenn Tipton‘s declare that Ok.Ok. “by no means approached” any of the members of JUDAS PRIEST about returning to the band previous to Glenn saying his retirement from touring.
In a latest interview with Guitar World journal, Tipton stated that he and the remainder of PRIEST‘s present lineup weren’t conscious of Downing‘s want to return again to the band once they made their choice to rent producer Andy Sneap to play guitar on the “Firepower” tour. “[K.K.] by no means approached any of the band and requested to rejoin, so for all we knew, he did not need to rejoin,” Glenn stated. “He stated he needed to go away the band after which go away the music trade. He instructed us he was determined for a brand new sort of life.”
When Guitar World author Jon Wiederhorn requested Tipton straight whether or not Downing expressed an curiosity in rejoining PRIEST for the “Firepower” tour, Glenn stated: “No. Proper earlier than we acquired Richie [Faulkner to replace K.K. in 2011], [bassist] Ian [Hill] stated, ‘In the event you actually need to come again, you’d higher come again now’ as a result of we had been transferring on. However he did not do something. He did not ask to return again.”
The identical day that Phoosi.com revealed a few of Tipton‘s feedback from the Guitar World interview, Downing launched an audio assertion to this site disputing a few of Glenn‘s assertions, together with the suggestion that Ok.Ok. would have been accepted again into the JUDAS PRIEST camp for the “Firepower” tour.
Downing stated: “There was not a place for me within the band till Glenn retired. And when he did, I shortly, clearly, acknowledged that I used to be shocked and shocked to not obtain a cellphone name [asking me to return to the band]. At that time, earlier to that, working backwards, they had been all in love with Richie, [as] posted on [Phoosi.com], stating that not one of the followers are lacking Ok.Ok. and Richie has introduced a brand new power to the band. Additionally Ian instructed me straight in individual that Richie was a fantastic man and a fantastic songwriter, regardless of solely attaining two albums within the final 12 years. However that is curious.
“And on high of that, actually, what the world does not know, actually, [is] that the farewell tour [in 2011] that we had been all planning to retire on and finish the band, the ‘Epitaph’ tour, that was what I made a decision to not take part in,” he continued. “That was it. That is what I believed I used to be doing — not leaving the band. As a result of we had been all leaving the band; we had been all going to complete the band and retire. So I believed that that is the one factor that I used to be doing — was not taking part within the farewell tour, fairly just because I actually did not assume, with every part that was occurring, that I used to be going to benefit from the tour from a musical standpoint. And I did not need to finish my lengthy, credible historical past and legacy doing a tour for the followers that I wasn’t really having fun with.”
Downing added: “What individuals do not know is in April that yr [2011], and I’ve the e-mails, I used to be chatting with Ian in April about altering my thoughts, ‘trigger all of my pals had been encouraging me to simply do the tour, saying, ‘You began the band. It’s good to end it.’ So I used to be speaking to Ian, on and off, over per week, and I really instructed him that I used to be reconsidering and requested him to ship me over the setlist, which he did. And I referred to as him again and stated, ‘It seems nice,’ as a result of setlists had been at all times a bone of competition within the band, actually. And the subsequent day they launched a press launch that I retired from the band. That is what individuals do not know. So, clearly, I took from that they did not need to embody me. They’d already sort of, clearly, anointed themselves and acquired acquainted with Richie and it was a household and I used to be out. So, actually, I think about myself ousted as a lot as the rest, as a result of nobody apart from Ian acquired again to me, referred to as me — nobody from the administration, nothing. So I felt fairly dejected about all of that, actually. So if that was the way in which it was gonna be, that was the way in which it was gonna be. However, clearly, Glenn retiring was a really perfect alternative [for me to come back], as a result of the musical factor and every part, the strain between me and Glenn on stage, extra so than something musically, I wasn’t proud of. So [this would have been a chance for] me [to] play alongside, clearly, a really competent participant like Richie.”
In keeping with Downing, he has written to his former bandmates in JUDAS PRIEST “on two or three events now — just lately, most likely since about 2017 — asking to be reinstated. However even once they selected to go as a four-piece [this past January, only to change their minds five days later], they by no means gave me any consideration, a possibility to return again into the band,” he stated. “And I completely am completely satisfied they by no means would beforehand, regardless of what Glenn says.”
Ok.Ok. went on to say that a number of business-related points have arisen between him and JUDAS PRIEST which have contributed to the elevated rigidity between the 2 camps.
“Since about 2017… Beforehand they upheld their promise, although they by no means gave my any accounts, they might make disbursements to me for what I used to be promised — you recognize, a part of what I used to be entitled to from every part that I used to be part of; clearly merchandise, et cetera,” he stated. “After which that each one stopped. I began to get authorized letters. And I implored them, ‘Do not go down this route. Let me come down. I am completely satisfied to take a seat round a desk and focus on any points that should be mentioned.’ They usually stated no. And so the authorized letters stored coming. They’ve ousted me as a director [of the PRIEST company Judas Priest Music Limited]. They’ve kicked me off the board, because it’s three of them and one in every of me. I am nonetheless a 25 % shareholder, however they stated it is nugatory, it is not price something, they usually do not pay me something of something that I used to be concerned with — interval. So anybody that goes out and buys the Fiftieth-anniversary field set, I don’t get something from it. I’ve requested them if I am gonna get something from it they usually have not returned my e-mails. And it is the identical with any of the merchandise that you simply see on sale on the venues or in retail or anyplace else.”
Downing additionally as soon as once more stated that PRIEST tried to forestall him from utilizing the KK’S PRIEST title for his new band, during which he’s joined by ex-JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim “Ripper” Owens, guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE), bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE). “Each me and my file label and administration acquired authorized letters once they tried to cease me going ahead with my band, KK’S PRIEST,” he stated. “We selected to disregard the correspondence, taking the danger that they would not take it any additional. I am glad to say that they have not. However I am not completely satisfied that they tried to cease me doing what I do, particularly once they denied me the chance.”
Within the Guitar World interview, Tipton stated that he was okay with JUDAS PRIEST and KK’S PRIEST current on the identical time. “I simply want [K.K. would] develop up a bit and cease saying ridiculous issues,” Glenn stated. “I might prefer to see each bands go on and revel in heavy steel, as it is best to do. It will be good to see our careers out collectively, even when we’re in numerous bands.”
Ok.Ok. left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band battle, shoddy administration and declining high quality of efficiency. In 2018, Downing revealed that he despatched two resignation letters to his bandmates when he determined to stop JUDAS PRIEST. The primary was described as “a swish exit be aware, implying a clean retirement from music,” whereas the second was “angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with particular events.” Downing later stated that he believed the second letter was “a key purpose” he wasn’t invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton‘s choice to retire from touring.
In his 2018 autobiography, “Heavy Responsibility: Days And Nights In Judas Priest”, Downing wrote that he instructed Tipton and PRIEST co-manager Jayne Andrews that he had “hated” them each “since 1985.” Final yr, he defined his outburst to Traditional Rock journal: “I used to be indignant. Glenn had shaped a relationship with Jayne from day one, and it felt a bit like a John-and-Yoko state of affairs. I did not like that.”
Downing has referred to as Faulkner his “clone” and revealed that he “by no means discovered” Tipton “to be notably straightforward to get together with. Very early on, I used to be absolutely conscious of the restricted circumstances beneath which he operated,” Ok.Ok. wrote in his ebook. “In the event you had been going to narrate to him, you’d accomplish that fully on his phrases.”
