This is a little collection of songs from the West Midlands , 1970s Rock group Black Sabbath, led by the Rock n Roll icon Ozzy Osbourne. This video features a selection of songs from 1975 til 1978.
Black Sabbath 1975-78
The Original Black Sabbath formed in 1968 and had a successful run of Hits and Tours for a while decade. They released Eight Hit Studio albums and a string of Top 40 hit singles between 1970 and 1978 when lead singer Ozzy left and the band experienced various changes in members coming and going.
This video shows a selection of Live performance from the LL after half of the bands career when they were at their height of fame.
Songs;
1. Killing yourself to Live
2. Hole in the Sky
3. Paranoid
4. Rock n Roll Doctor
5. A HG rad Road
6. Superstar
7. War Pigs (Live,1973)
8. Black Sabbath
Who were The Black Sabbath?
Black Sabbath were an English Rock band from Birmingham in the West Midlands of England. They were Tony Iomi on Guitar, Geezer Butler on Bass, Bill Ward on drums and of course Ozzy Osbourne on Vocals. Often known as the pioneers of Heavy metal music, the Black Sabbath helped define the genre with their style. They wore Black and all had long hair with some members also having Black beards and moustache. Their music was what some nowadays call Satanic with references to the devil being their master.
The pioneers of metal music
In 1970, Black Sabbath would release their First and Second albums. The first album was the self titled Black Sabbath Paranoid. It was released on the 13th of February,1970 in the UK and on the 1st of June,1970 in the U.S.A. They released their Second and probably most famous album Paranoid in Britain on the 18th of September,1970. However this wasn’t released in the States til early the next year on the 7th of January,1971.
It was these Two albums, especially Paranoid that contain some of the bands best known hits. However, their Thirds album Masters of Reality is often referred to by fans and metal heads as the foundation of Doom Metal. I guess you could also say that the Black Sabbath were the foundation for the style which we today call ‘Goth’.
Their music was quite heavily criticised at first. But by the time they released their Fourth Album ‘Volume 4’ in 1972 the critics were starting to come around to them Their Fifth Album ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath got good reviews when it was released in November,1973. By this time, the mainstream were starting to come around and Black Sabbath were getting good reviews.
Sabotaged
Even their 1975 album, the aptly named ‘Sabotage’ got good reviews. This album was recorded during a stressful and bitter legal dispute between the band and former manager Patrick Meehan who was suing the band. They felt they were being sabotaged from all directions. Group members all admit that the stress of what was going on certainly infiltrated the album. Drummer Bill ward explains ‘We were the only band I the world with Lawyers in the Studio’.
Technical Ecstasy
Their Sixth album ‘Technical Ecstasy ‘ was released on October, 1976 on Vertigo records. The band were just getting over the stress of their legal battle and chose Criteria Studios in Miami to record the album.. The group were trying to move away from the dark, doing sound that has became their trademark. Iomi produced the album himself and it was a successful seller. It reached Number 13 in the UK Album Chart.
On the 29th of September,1978, Black Sabbath Released ‘Never Say die. This album reached Number 12 in the UK.Album Chart. This was the Eighth and final studio album from the original Black Sabbath. The Original line-up was starting to fall apart by this time.
Never Say Die
By the late 1970s most of the band members had got quite heavily into drink and Especially lead Singer Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy had been caning it for some time by 1977. But with his father dying, he left the group for about Three Months . He was replaced by Dave Walker of Humble Pie who had also recently played guitar with Fleetwood Mac. For a short time, this new line up played a few gigs and Dave Walker wrote a few songs with Black Sabbath.
However Walker wasn’t there for long as Ozzy returned to Black Sabbath a few months later and the band recorded ‘Never say Die!’ in 1978. But he refused to sing any of the songs Dave Walker had written and only sang his own. Walkers song ‘Breakout’ ended up an Instrumental. ‘Juniors Eyes” however, was completely hijacked and rewritten by Ozzy about the recent death of his father.
The New Sabbath
Ozzy was replaced eventually by Ronnie JH Ames Dio. Dio had been the lead singer for British Heavy Rock group Rainbow and had a slightly different style of singing and performing than Ozzy. So the band had a bit of a change in style. The group also had another little change when Geezer had to take some time out in 1979 to deal with his divorce.. He was temporarily replaced by Craig Gruber of Rainbow and Elf. But he was soon replaced by Geoff Nichols of American Metal band Quartz. Nichols moved over to Keyboards when Butler returned from his leave in 1980.. So this also helped give the band a new sound.
Over the years since the original line-up disbanded, Black Sabbath had a range of different Lead singers including Ian Gillen of Legendary 70s Rock group Deep Purple. Ward and Butler left the band and Tony Iomi put the band on Hiatus to work on a solo project in 1985.
But the original band done a Reunion gig for the 1885 Live Aid. This was a Rock concert organised by ex Boomtown Rats frontman, Bob Geldof to raise money for FD amine relief on Ethiopia. Sabbath played the Philadelphia Show on July the 13th, 1985. But Black Sabbath have continued over the years to tour and churn out albums. They released 19 Studio Albums in Total between 1970 and 2015.
Black Sabbath & The Occult
Due to their music, style and general aesthetic, Black Sabbath have always been referred to as a ‘Satanist’ band. In some quarters, they’ve even been referred to as ‘Satanic’. But the group have always disowned that idea. “Not that remember or am aware of” replies Ozzy Osbourne when asked about whether the group had ever practiced Black Magic or Worshipped Satan the Devil.
When the group toured America in their early days, Instead of touring the northern states that year where they’d have been welcomed, Black Sabbath played the Bible belt and played across the deep South. On these states, they received a bitter reception. In Texas, it wasn’t just the protesters that we’re on their. Case, but also the police.
Their dressing rooms had Cops standing guarding each of the doors not to protect the band, it to protect Against them. I Dunno what exactly they are expecting to happen. If their ludicrous fears turned out to be true, what were they gonna do? Maybe their guns are loaded with silver bullets..
Satanic messages
Incidents like these along with a little creativity from both the press and rumour mongers have led to alsorts of weird and wonderful tree ales about the group. Ozzy especially. Stories of the group sacrificing babies, worshiping Satan Several times a day and recording Satanic records that have Satanic messages through them if you play them backwards. (I’ve always wondered just how many records have been worn out and had to be repurchased due to that old chestnut.)
But as the band members all agree, they’re show men. Performers. . They put on a show for an audience just like all performers do. However there’s is a little bit Occult themed with lyrics along the same lines. So you can see why that sorta thing mat be presumed. But sadly, it’s not that exciting. It’s all just an act. Would you believe it? Rock stars putting on a show huh?
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