Judas Priest: British Steel (1980)

Judas Priest released their sixth album, "British Steel," on April 11, 1980. The album was recorded over 28 days in February in Ascot, with Tom Allom as the producer. Tom Allom was an experienced man. He had, among other things, worked as a sound engineer for Black Sabbath on their first three albums.

By Martin Johannessen

Allom also produced "Unleashed in the East," which was released the year before. Additionally, he produced the debut album of Def Leppard, "On Through the Night," which was recorded before "British Steel" and released in March 1980. He has since produced a long string of Priest albums.

The producer believed the band was ready to break through in the USA, and the album actually reached no. 34 on the Billboard chart.

“I think Judas Priest were ready for the big breakthrough in the States. They had steadily built up their following, and what they now needed, really, was a commercial album.”

The Recording

In the same week Iron Maiden released their debut album, Judas Priest achieved breakthrough success with the singles "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight".

They began recording at Startling Studios but weren't entirely satisfied. They then moved the recording to Tittenhurst Park, on the property of none other than Ringo Starr. They felt more at home in the house of the former Beatles drummer. (But Starr made sure to remove most of the valuable items before they moved in).

According to Rob Halford, the band found focus on this album:

“I think this is where we found our direction. Up until that point, although we’d done well, there was a feeling in the band that we really didn’t have a proper focus.”

Breaking After Midnight

"Living After Midnight" was the first single and was released a few weeks before the album. It reached 12th place in England. It's still a staple on the setlist.

Like many other classics, chance plays a role in how a song comes about. K.K. Downing tells:

“One night, Glenn and I were working on some guitar ideas, when all of a sudden Rob appeared in the doorway, in his dressing gown. ‘Do you mind?’ he said. ‘Some of us are trying to sleep. It’s after midnight’. That’s where the song came from.”

Watch the video for "Living After Midnight" below.

Sometimes it's just a hit on the snare drum that's needed to kick off a classic. The riff of "Breaking the Law" is as iconic as the band itself. So damn cool - one hit on the snare drum and we're off! The song is under two and a half minutes, but it has left a lasting mark on music history. Also reaching np. 12 in England. And the video is a delightful work of art in itself.

"United" was also released as a single, but it didn't perform as well as the first two. It's among the weakest on the album in my opinion.

The two toughest songs on the album are "Rapid Fire" and "Grinder," with "Metal Gods" coming in third. So, most of the gems are on side 1.

The Other Side

Side 2 opens with "You Don't Have to Be Old to Be Wise," which has had its rounds with the air guitar in front of the mirror. "Steeler," the closing track, is also cool, very cool indeed.

"You look at some of the song titles – ‘Breaking The Law’, ‘You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise’, ‘The Rage’ – they’ve got a real feel of youth angst about them. That’s why I believe what we made was a people’s album – it told their story," said K.K. Downing.

When Judas Priest embarked on the British Steel tour in Europe and the USA, they brought along Iron Maiden as support, and eventually Def Leppard. Scorpions and Saxon were also support on certain dates.