Freewheel Burnin' - Judas Priest Collectors Blog: April 2017

Produced by Roger Bain, who had made a name for himself as producer of Black Sabbath's first three albums, Rocka Rolla was released in 1974 while Steve Miller's "Joker" was peaking at No.1.
The album was recorded "Live" in the studio, and according to band members there were technical problems resulting in poor sound quality and a "hiss" throughout the album. The band further claims that the producer had too much control over the track selection, and omitted their more popular stage numbers.
The songs were eventually included on the next album. Many of the songs were written before Rob Halford had joined the band. The track "Caviar and Meths" was originally a 14 minute epic penned by Halford's predecessor , Al Atkins, but due to time constraints, only the intro is recorded for the album. A longer version of the song appears on originalsinger Al Atkins' 1998 album "Victim of Changes." Though not the full-length version, it is notably longer than seven minutes. Tha album also contains covers of the songs "Winter" and "Never Satisfied."

At this point of the band's carrer they had not yet developed their signature look of leather and studs. They had appeared on a British television programme called "The Old Gry Whistle Test" in 1975 performing "Rocka Rolla" and "Dreamer Deciever", and their wardrobe was very "Hippified" as writer Malcom Dome put it. This footage was included on the "Electric Eye" DVD. In addition, the album has some slight "progressive rock" influences that would continue through to Stained Class, but to a lesser extent, and would be abandoned in later releases. Over all, the album was quite typical sounding for the time.

Drummer John Hinch would be dismissed in 1975, before the next record was to begin production, for what Glenn Tipton would later call him being "musically inadequate."

The album was re-issued in 1987 with a different cover. Reportedly the band was unhappy with the original cover art and logo, as it didn't fit in wit they're being a heavy metal band. There are also rumours that the Coca-Cola company brought legal pressure because the original album art resembled too closely their most famous brand. The re-issue cover art (by artist Mel Grant, and originally used as the cover for the novel "The Steel Tsar" was also used as the US cover of "Ballistix" for the Turbo Grafx 16 and Commodore Amiga.

Since the album was released during the period when K.K. Downing was the band's frontman, this remains the only album on which he is the primary songwriter. Judas Priest have rarely performed any of the songs from Rocka Rolla live since the mid-late 70's. However, "Never Satisfied" was brought into the band's setlist for the 2011 Epitaph tour.

**Title - Label - Cat.# - Format - Country - Year**

Rocka Rolla - Gull- GULP1005, LP, UK, 1974
Rocka Rolla - Gull- MC GULP 1005, Cass, Italy, 1974
Rocka Rolla - Gull- 25 597-5, LP, Germany, 1974
Rocka Rolla - Gull- 6.22 017, GULP 1005, LP, Germany, 1974
Rocka Rolla - Gull- 2033 703, LP, France, 1974
Rocka Rolla - Gull- GULP22000, LP, France, 1974
Rocka Rolla - Gull- 6.22017, 6.22 017 (AS), LP, Germany, 1974, (promo)
Rocka Rolla - Gull- GP479, LP, Japan, 1977
Rocka Rolla - Gull- GP479, LP, Japan, 1977, (promo)
Rocka Rolla - Gull- VIP-6554, LP, Japan, 1978, (promo) Repress
Rocka Rolla - Gull- GULP 1005, LP, UK, 1978, Repress
Rocka Rolla - Gull- VIP6554, LP Japan, 1978, Repress
Rocka Rolla - Gull- INT 148.304, LP, Germany, 1978, Repress
Rocka Rolla - Visa- IMP7001, LP, US, 1979, Repress, (1st. US release)
Rocka Rolla - Passport- PB 2030, LP, Canada, 1980, Repress, (1st. Canadian release)
Rocka Rolla - Gull- GULP 1005, LP, Italy, 1981
Rocka Rolla - Friends Records- FRLP 9906, LP, Netherlands, 1981, Repress
Rocka Rolla - Milan- PD201, LP (Pic. Disc), France, 1983, Repress
Rocka Rolla - SPI- PD201, LP (Pic. Disc), France, 1983, Repress
Rocka Rolla - Milan- A201, LP, Germany, 1983, Repress
Rocka Rolla - S.P.I. Milan, LP, France, 1983, Repress
Rocka Rolla - Heldion, 7.151462, Cass, Yugoslavia, 1984
Rocka Rolla - Fame- FA 41 3137 1, LP, UK, 1984, Repress
Rocka Rolla - RCA/Victor- AYL 1-5041, LP US, 1984
Rocka Rolla - High Stereo Light, ST. 0. 53, LP, South Korea, 1985, Unofficial Pirate copy
Rocka Rolla - Victoria- VMC-123, 50.650, Cass, Spain, 1985
Rocka Rolla - Ariola- 206473, LP, France, 1985
Rocka Rolla - Victoria, VLP-123, E-30.650, Spain, 1985, Repress
Rocka Rolla - Victoria, VLP-123, 50.650, Cass, Spain, 1986, Repress
Rocka Rolla - Festival Records Pty. Ltd., Gull- LP, Australia, 1986, Repress
Rocka Rolla - Penquin- 30.001, LP, Greece, 1986, Repress
Rocka Rolla - Line- LICD 9.00101O, CD, Germany, 1987
Rocka Rolla - RCA- 5041-2-R, CD, US, 1988
Rocka Rolla - Heldion, Fame- 7.551462, LP, Yugoslovia, 1989
Rocka Rolla - Gull, Metal Mania- TECP 25387/GULP1005, CD, Japan, 1990
Rocka Rolla - Gull, Gull- GULP 1005/SUPR 001, LP South Korea, 1990
Rocka Rolla - Gull, Metal Mania- TECX-20608, CD, Japan, 1995
Rocka Rolla - Go On Deluxe- 3007-2, CD, Scandinavia, 1996, Remastered
Rocka Rolla - Paradoxx Music- 1309085-1, CD, Brazil, 1997
Rocka Rolla - Snapper Music- SMMCD 561, CD, UK, 1998
Rocka Rolla - Imperial Records (13)- TECI-24073, CD, Japan, 2001, Paper sleeve
Rocka Rolla - Victor- VICP-61650, CD, Japan, 2002, Remastered, Digipak
Rocka Rolla - Koch Records- KOC-LP-4581, LP, US, 2008, Ltd. Gatefold, 180 gram vinyl
Rocka Rolla - Back on Black- BOBV251LP, LP, UK, 2010, Ltd. White Translucent 180 gram vinyl, Remastered.
Rocka Rolla - Back on Black- BOBV251LP, LP, UK, 2010, Remastered Ltd. 180 gram Black vinyl.
Rocka Rolla - Repertoire- REP 5236, CD, Germany, 2011, Remastered, Digipak
Rocka Rolla - Victor- VICP-75044, CD, Japan, 2012, Remastered
Rocka Rolla - Victor- VICP-78019, CD, Japan, 2014. Remastered, Platinum SHM with K2 HD mastering. HD cutting. Comes in a CD sized paper sleeve album replica, with obi strip and insert of notes mostly in Japanese.
Rocka Rolla - Repertoire- V129, REP 2234, LP, UK, 2015
Rocka Rolla - Victor- VICP-65425, CD, Japan, 2016, Ltd Re-issue, with K2HD mastering.
Rocka Rolla - Transluxe- 57801-2, CD, US, (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Transluxe- TLCD 7801, CD, US, (Date unknown) Columbia House Record Club Edition.
Rocka Rolla - Metal Hammer, Heavy Metal- 100298/CD 100298, CD, Greece (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Repertoire- REP 4307-WY, CD, Germany (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Attic Records Limited- ACDM 1179, CD, Canada (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Top Masters Ltd./Seagull Records Co. Ltd.- CD 100298, CD, Greece (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Victor- VICP 61650, CD, 8-Page booklet, Russia (Date unknown) Unofficial release.
Rocka Rolla - Koch- KOC-CD-8068, CD, US, Remastered (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Repertoire- REP 4305-WY, CD, Germany (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - CD Media Rcords- none, CD, Russia (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Attic- CAT 1179, Cass, Canada (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Milan- C 201, Cass, France (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Attic- CAT-1179, Cass, Canada, Dolby, Columbia House Record Club Edition (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - RCA- AYK1-5041, Cass, US (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - North American Records- NAC-026, Cass, Canada (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - not on label- none, Cass, Bulgaria (Date unknown) Unofficial.
Rocka Rolla - Elbo- 0437, Cass, Poland (Date unknown) Unofficial.
Rocka Rolla - Gull- GULP 22 000, LP, France (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Attic- LAT 1179, LP, Canada (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Attic- LAT-1179, LP, Canada, (Date unknown) Columbia Record Club Edition.
Rocka Rolla - Gull, Planet Records- GULP1005, LP, Sweden (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - TelaegRecords- 6.61523, Scandinavia (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Import Records- 9356-7001, LP, Canada (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Import Records- IMP7001, LP, US, (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - North American Records- 026, LP, Canada (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Gull- OLLP 5371 AP, LP, Germany, Orange vinyl (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Line Rocords- LILP 4.00101, LP, Germany, White vinyl (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Gull- INT 138.300, LP, Germany (Date unknown)
Rocka Rolla - Visa- IMPC-7001, Cass, US, (Date unknown)