On a frigid October night in 1983, Ozzy Osbourne, still reeling from the death of guitarist and friend Randy Rhoads the previous year, was covered in hair and prosthetic werewolf makeup, and squatting on a fallen tree to boot. The occasion was the photo shoot for Bark at the Moon, the Prince of Darkness’ third solo studio album.
The location chosen for this hirsute happening was Shepperton Studios, a facility just outside London that had hosted the filming of Ridley Scott’s Alien, two Pink Panther movies, and Led Zeppelin’s fake live concert film, The Song Remains the Same, among many other productions, but on this particular night it was commandeered by British rock photographer Fin Costello and his crew. Costello had already made a name for himself by shooting the covers for Ozzy’s two previous solo albums, 1980’s Blizzard of Ozz and 1981’s Diary of a Madman, not to mention Kiss’s quadruple-platinum 1975 live album, Alive!, but the Bark at the Moon shoot required more extensive preparation than most… read more >
