No.88 Czech & Speake: The True Scent of Rock 'n’ Roll
From Henry’s Blueshouse at The Crown in Birmingham in the late 60s, where Black Sabbath — ńee ‘Earth’ — played their inaugural shows as a band, to Ridge Farm Studio in Rusper, West Suzzex in 1980, where Ozzy Osbourne recorded his first solo studio album, ‘Blizzard of Ozz’… One can only imagine the aromas that hung in the air as music history was made, in a hazy era of rolling tobacco, sub-pound pints, pot and patchouli.
Czech & Speake No. 88 Prince of Darkness limited-edition fragrance
But when it comes to the true scent of rock and roll, an accoutrement to Ozzy Osbourne’s armoire known only to his inner circle was found on Jermyn Street, London, in the late 1980’s. Now, with the honoured Czech & Speake No. 88 Prince of Darkness limited-edition fragrance, this esoteric detail of music history is celebrated.
“Czech & Speake has been a big part of our lives for it's got to be 30… 35 years. I remember coming in here one day, I smelled the No. 88 and thought, ‘Ozzy, will love that,’” recalls Sharon Osbourne.
Indeed, he did, with Sharon reflecting, “I’ll never forget that as soon as he smelled it, he said to me, ‘I’d like to smell like this for the rest of my life!’”
Whilst the tropes of sweaty music venues, sticky dance floors and stale recording studio sound booths give way to images of less tempting aromatics, Sharon explains it wasn’t like that at all.
“People would always say, ‘How come you smell so good? You don't expect him to smell like that!’ But I would say, “Why can't he smell like that? He loves fragrance.”
For some, an aroma becomes an autograph, and for Ozzy, it was always No. 88.
Sharon Osbourne signs a limited-edition fragrance.
“Of everything that I ever got him, from every fragrance house in the world, he loved his ‘88. When he would go and do TV shows, TV hosts would go, “Ozzy’s in the building, we can smell him!”, Sharon reminisces. “Fragrance brings back memories to everybody.”
“At Ozzy's funeral, we gave away Czech & Speake so people could take a little bit of Ozzy away.”
As part of the collaboration, £50 from each bottle sold will be donated to Cure Parkinson's, the chosen charity of the Osbourne family, in memory of Czech & Speakes' most loyal fan. Sharon muses, “They've been so generous as to do this for Ozzy. I know he's chuffed as shit right now, he’s like, “I’ve got my own bottle now!”
“He's proud, I know. I am, it's very special.”
Of the collaboration, Helen Matthews, CEO of Cure Parkinson’s, shares a profound message.
“All of this effort is really helping us to power research into a cure, which, quite frankly, can't come soon enough for the 10 million people affected with Parkinson's globally.”
“This effort is hugely important; it adds flavour, colour, and texture to everything. It's a brilliant way of talking about a cure for Parkinson's in a very different medium,” she enthuses, “It really is a perfect collaboration, and the thing I like best about it is that we all get to smell like Ozzy.”
Not only the signature scent for Ozzy, but No. 88 is also the signature of the brand.
“It takes its name from Number 88 Jermyn Street,” explains Christopher Dunn of the brand. A historic street for British tailoring and menswear, this address was home to Czech & Speake’s original showroom.
Sharon Osbourne signs a limited-edition fragrance.
“It was our first fragrance and our signature scent, and it has remained our best seller for over 40 years. It is unique, it is sophisticated. It is modern, but has wonderful classic elements.”
Alongside a crisp, floral geranium and heady rose otto, a bright top note of bergamot creates a genderless balance. Warming yet powdery cassie and indulgent frangipani, combined with dry down notes of vetiver and sandalwood, create a silky overall scent. Puckish, unique, powerful and enduring, just like the music of its greatest patron.
No. 88 Prince of Darkness Limited Edition; 100ml EDP Spray, £250.00
Discover more information about Cure Parkinson's, a charity that funds and supports research that could slow, stop, or reverse Parkinson’s.
Event imagery by photographer Cam Dickson.
