At last we have the answer to the age-old question 'How would Judas Priest sound with James Brown on vocals?'

James Priest, aka Judas Priest with James Brown
(Image credit: Bill McClintock YouTube)

With Judas Priest set to receive the Musical Excellence Award at next month's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, finally the Brummie Metal Gods are getting some long overdue R-E-S-P-E-C-T. 

Perhaps - and we're aware we may be over-stretching here, but bear with us - it was an idle musing such as 'Wouldn't it have been great if Aretha Franklin could have fronted Judas Priest for just one show?' which has led mash-up maestro Bill McClintock to pair Britain's finest exponents of studs, leather and classic metal with the late, great Godfather Of Soul, Mr James Brown for his latest gobsmackingly fine piece of sonic suturing. Perhaps. We may never, ever know for sure though.

What we do now know though, is a pretty damn definitive answer to a a conundrum which has been troubling musicologists for... oh... maybe 5 seconds... namely,  'How would Judas Priest sound with James Brown on vocals?'  

We've all pondered upon that exact question at some point in our lives, right?

Well, take a bow Mr Bill McClintock, because this is, to use the language of the streets, 2022, The Shit.

So, here's what's gone into this sonic stew, you ask? Well, consider a generous chunk of Judas Priest's Electric Eye, spiced up with a thick coating of James Brown's Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine, and then sprinkle on some moments from Metallica's Creeping Death and Megadeth's Tornado of Souls for good measure. Tasty!

It rocks, and its funky. What more could anyone require from these men?  This is everything, clearly.

If this inspired McClintock mash-up floats your boat, may we suggest you set sail towards a handful of his earlier elite creations which answer never-asked questions such as how Judas Priest would sound with Rick James on vocals, how Metallica might sound if they covered Huey Lewis and The News or what madness might result from pitting Slipknot against The Spice Girls.

What a time to be alive.

The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony is being held on November 5, in Los Angeles.

Paul Brannigan
Contributing Editor, Louder

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.