“Jimmy Page said, ‘If you want to go work straight away, do the Ozzy gig. If not, we’d love to have you’”: Phil Soussan is one of the ultimate bass journeymen – he looks back at his storied career, and why he picked Ozzy Osbourne over Jimmy Page

Phil Soussan.

At the age of 25, Phil Soussan was jamming with Jimmy Page and being offered a place in his new band, The Firm. At the same time he was also presented a place in Ozzy Osbourne’s band. He chose to go with Ozzy, replacing Bob Daisley, and appeared on 1986 album The Ultimate Sin, gaining a co-writing credit on hit track Shot in the Dark.

It had been a fast rise through the music scene in London, England. “It was a very small musical community,” Soussan tells Bass Player. “The minute people started to know you, your name got around pretty quick. I started to get a reputation as someone who was pretty solid.”