Rob Halford Lobbied A Perfect Circle to Release "Judith" as Debut Single

A Perfect Circle blew a lot of people away when it arrived on the radio and on MTV in 2000 with the edgy alt-metal anthem "Judith."

But APC guitarist Billy Howerdel says it almost didn't happen that way. Not to say his band wouldn't have been as enduring in the alternative genre had it gone with its first idea of releasing the ballad "3 Libras" as its debut, but you have to wonder how the APC's career might have been different if it got off on a different foot.

Howerdel credits Judas Priest frontman and self-proclaimed heavy metal god Rob Halford with giving the band some sage advice on a first single. 

During a round of Loudwire's "Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?" Howerdel recounted Halford's part in the pre-release brainstorm during a hangout at singer Maynard James Keenan's house. 

"We played Rob about eight songs and we said, you know, 'We want to do '3 Libras,'" Howerdel recalled telling Halford. "He asked to play..."Judith"...to hear that song again...His exact words were, 'You'll sell a million records if you release that song first, but do whatever you want.' So we went with wisdom and went with the Rob Halford rout."

And Halford was exactly right; APC's debut, Mer de Noms, went platinum within a few months and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.  

APC released "3 Libras" second.

A Perfect Circle will tour again starting this October to support its latest album, Eat the Elephant, released this past spring. 

Photos: Getty Images