The early to mid-1980s marked one of the most keyboard-heavy eras in Ozzy Osbourne’s career, with albums like *Bark at the Moon* (1983) and *The Ultimate Sin* (1986) leaning heavily into a polished, synth-infused hard rock sound. While fans embraced the records, not everyone involved was satisfied with the end result — especially guitarist Jake E. Lee, who played a defining role on both albums.
In a candid interview with *Tone-Talk*, Lee revealed that *Bark at the Moon* was the album he was most disappointed with sonically. Despite contributing some of the record’s most memorable riffs and solos, he was unhappy with the way the mix buried his guitar work under dominant keyboard arrangements.
“I remember when I first heard it, when they mixed it,” Lee recalled. “Ozzy and Sharon \[Osbourne] asked me over to listen to it, and I listened to it, and \[Ozzy] said, ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘I hate it. Keyboards are loud. Guitars — they’re not driving the songs anymore. They’re too low. I hate it.’”
Ozzy, according to Lee, was immediately on board with remixing the album. But Sharon quickly shut down the idea, saying they were already too late in delivering it to the label. Her blunt response to Lee’s frustration was simply: *“Just get used to it.”*
The guitarist admitted the situation was frustrating, but that wasn’t the only blow he suffered during the making of *Bark at the Moon*. Lee says he was pressured into signing away his rights to the songwriting and publishing after the album was recorded. According to him, Sharon threatened to erase his guitar tracks and bring in another player if he didn’t sign.
At the time, the threat felt real enough to push him into compliance. “For a couple minutes, I was thinking, ‘I’m not signing, I’m not signing.’ And then I thought, ‘Oh shit, no, I have to. I can’t take the chance.’”
However, later that night, Lee realized the entire situation may have been a bluff. If there wasn’t time to remix the record, there certainly wouldn’t have been enough time to hire another guitarist and re-record all of his parts. “Later that night, I realized… that was a bluff. She was bluffing when she told me that. And I went, ‘Shit!’ But hey, it is what it is.”
The “artist-unfriendly” agreement Lee signed meant that despite his heavy contributions to the album — from its iconic title track to deep cuts that remain fan favorites — he received no publishing royalties. In hindsight, it was a hard lesson in the business side of rock ‘n’ roll.
Still, despite his grievances, *Bark at the Moon* remains one of the standout albums of Ozzy’s career and a fan favorite in his discography. It introduced Jake E. Lee as a fresh force in heavy metal guitar, helping fill the void left by the late Randy Rhoads. Lee’s sharp, aggressive playing style gave the record a distinct edge, even if the mix didn’t showcase it the way he wanted.
This wasn’t the first time a member of Ozzy’s band had publicly clashed with the Osbournes over creative or contractual disputes. Sharon Osbourne, as Ozzy’s manager, became known for making tough — and sometimes ruthless — business calls in order to keep Ozzy’s career moving forward. While some musicians have criticized her tactics, others credit her with keeping Ozzy in the spotlight during turbulent times.
For Lee, the experience was a mix of pride and frustration. On one hand, *Bark at the Moon* cemented his place in heavy metal history. On the other, the memory of feeling sidelined in the mix and strong-armed in contract negotiations has clearly lingered for decades.
“I hated the mix. I hated how the guitars were treated,” Lee reiterated. “But people love that album. And I’m glad they do. I just wish I could’ve been happier with how it came out.”
Today, Lee remains a respected figure in the rock world, with fans and fellow musicians alike praising his technical skill and contributions to the genre. While his time with Ozzy Osbourne was brief, it left an indelible mark on metal history — even if, behind the scenes, it came with a few bitter pills to swallow.
In the end, *Bark at the Moon* is a reminder that the music industry often involves compromises between artistry and deadlines, vision and business. For Jake E. Lee, it’s also a lesson learned the hard way: sometimes, even when you hate the mix, you have no choice but to “just get used to it.”
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