5 Near Collaborations, Dave Walker #4
 

Houston Press
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/...almost_hap.php

By Corey DietermanWed., Sep. 26 2012

Yes and Zeppelin? 5 True All-Star Near-Collaborations

#4 Ok, you probably didn't think of this one, but if you were a blues-rock fan in the '70s, it might not have sounded like a bad proposition. Dave Walker was a long-term member of Fleetwood Mac in their serious blues-rock days before they got Stevie Nicks and went pop. When Ozzy quit Sabbath in 1978, Sabbath hired Walker, who had been recording solo since getting bucked (get it?) from Fleetwood Mac.

They only managed to make a few recordings for what would eventually become Never Say Die. You can listen above to an early version of "Junior's Eyes" featuring Walker on vox. Unfortunately for Walker, Ozzy wanted back in when he saw the band was going on without him, so Dave was out and Oz was back in (at least until he left again the next year).

"Dave Walker was a long-term member of Fleetwood Mac [snip]"

In what parallel universe?

Yeah really, 9 months? Naturally I love Dave but can't say "long term member" for him. They also goofed on the dates. Ozzy left Nov 77 then came back in Jan 78. and I take their statement of "They only managed to make a few recordings for what would eventually become Never Say Die" as insinuating that they recorded more than they did and that Dave is on Never Say Die, neither of which is accurate. Only 2 tracks on the Look Hear TV show. That's the only recorded work of Dave with Sabbath and Dave said so, not only in his Q&A here but on an interview someone put on YouTube. He even said that was their only public appearance, no gigs or anything. I think the link was pasted here but if not I'll find it and repost. Dave said they did write a lot of stuff but he said (again, here and there) that none of it was ever used. So aside from the fact a track from NSD is Juinor's Eyes it's been stripped of anything DW related. Apart from that, I guess the article is OK. :)

Edit: Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkbpMu2CqYs

Sorry i don't know how to embed these (blush).

John

I don't know which parallel universe but if I find it then I'm moving there! ;)