Judas Priest - You've Got Another Thing Comin' (Electro-Pop Version)

What if...Judas Priest went Euro-Disco? Not the halfway compromise of their ill-fated 1988 Stock, Aitken & Waterman collaboration, but full-on Moroder-esque Hi-NRG electropop? Imagine, if you will, 1982 in an alternative universe, not unlike our own. Judas Priest have been on a strong run through the late '70s and into the turn of the decade, but their most recent LP, 1981's 'Point Of Entry' is regarded by many as something of a disappointment. They have written a strong set of songs for the follow up, but nervous executives at their label feel that the album needs a sure-fire crossover hit. Having witnessed the success that Kiss achieved by going disco on 'I Was Made For Lovin' You' back in 1979, the label decides to pair the band with a popular Italian producer, whose high energy synth-driven sound is currently all the rage. Although initially wary, the session goes well, and the band are happy with how the song is sounding by the end of a day's initial tracking. However, by the time they return to the studio the next morning, Tipton, Downing, Holland and Hill are dismayed to find that their contributions have been completely discarded, replaced by synths and drum machines. Only Rob Halford's soaring lead vocal remains intact. The outraged instrumentalists refuse to allow the single to be released, but Halford disagrees, excited by the creative possibilities offered by this new medium. An acrimonious split ensues, and Priest return to their metal roots with a new singer (albeit with less success), while Halford goes on to be recognised as an iconic figure in the world of electronic music!
Written by Halford/Downing/Tipton. I do not own the copyright to te song, Rob's vocal or any of the clips used. Backing track performer, arranged and produced by me, using GarageBand and a tiny midi keyboard!
After syncing the vocal to the grid and pushing the tempo up to a more disco-friendly 145 BPM, I started by programming the drums, using element s from three different drum machines. I added a couple of arpeggiated synth bass patterns for a Moroder-like hypnotic throb, then piled on loads more synths, keeping the verses relatively-sparse, but making the choruses a big as possible. For the breakdown section, I dropped out two of the drum machines, and used a tape delay to loop a section of vocal. Overall, I think the steady, menacing drive of the song translates really well to this genre, and Rob Halford would sound great in any setting!
There's a companion video, with nerdy discussion and recording insights here: • Giving Judas Priest th...
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