Black Sabbath Lyrics Latest News

Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics

Vol 1

Available Soon!

Free sample chapter PDF here!

For those of you left wondering what these songs are like and what my thoughts are on them, I've posted a breakdown on my FB page, which I'll migrate here to the Supplementary page. A longer analysis of each song will appear in the new edition of Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics, Vol 1, which should be out after the holidays.

Out of professional courtesy, I'm not going to take either side, except for the fans' side, which is to say that this material is excellent and absolutely must be made available to the fans, along with all the other unreleased material they're sitting on.

I've spoken to Jim and Sharon in the past and they've always been polite and kind. I like them both. However, when it comes to business, people can get ruthless and tell untruths in order to win public support. It's enough to know that this is the case so that I don't have to unpack this like we did with the whole back-and-forth Bill Ward fiasco that happened in 2013.

I will say this, however: I don't care for the smear tactics that I'm seeing on Sharon's part. It was Jim who got screwed when the band left him for the Meehans (who proceeded to thoroughly rip them off), not the other way around. As Ozzy once said of Jim, "He's as honest as the day is long."

It sounds to me like Sharon wants their distribution channels involved and for her and Iommi (both of whom now own the Black Sabbath name) to have a large share in the profit pie. I understand that. But if the four band members declined to be involved, then it's Jim's right to release the material he owns. He never kept it secret that he had these. That's how many of us knew of their existence over the last thirty years.

Not going to lie: the reticence on the part of Iommi, Butler, and Osbourne (Bill has been positive about the unreleased material) to release these incredible songs strikes me as perverse.

But since Sharon will potentially sue in case Jim doesn't have the receipts to prove he owns these recordings means he'll have to do so in court. And that's an expensive prospect--and while Sharon has deep pockets, I'm not sure if Jim does. But maybe. For his part, he seems to want to talk it out and make an arrangement.

Worst Case Scenario: Sharon indefinitely blocks the release of these recordings in physical media. That would be a major blow to hardcore fans. But it's not the end of the world, as digital copies are--thank God--available and floating around. Sharon could attempt to have them released under the Black Sabbath banner and cut Jim out, but then she'd be subjecting herself to a lawsuit (and Jim has also mentioned defamation).

Bottom line: it would be a shame to not get physical copies of this album, but at least you'll get to hear the material.

Best Case Scenario: Jim and Sharon work out a mutually beneficial agreement and release not only the Legendary Lost Tapes, but ALL of the lost recordings: "The Rebel," "The Wizard" (alt version), "When I Came Down," "Fairies Wear Boots" (alt version), "Behind the Wall of Sleep" (extended version), "It's Alright" (Vol 4 version), Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (quad version), "Children of the Sea" (Ozzy version), and probably much, much more.

Bottom line: at the very lease, the Earth album will be released, and it might even be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unreleased material. Many of us have been waiting for this for a very long time.

Under the "Black Sabbath" name, the Earth album would sell considerably more copies. Under the Earth name, not so much. In that, Sharon makes a good point. I just wish they had hashed this out earlier, but Ozzy was sick for awhile, so that might have been a factor. Fingers crossed that the fans win this time--and that could be done without either Jim or the band being left out of the equation or having to fight a pointless and costly legal battle in court that can last years.

Words fail to convey the sadness at the news that Ozzy Osbourne passed today at the age of 76.

For the world, he was a singer, the creator of Heavy Metal, an icon, or even a villain, but to us--his fans--he was much more.

Jim Simpson via his Big Bear Records is releasing the Earth demo tapes that Iommi, Butler, Osbourne, and Ward recorded in 1969 at Zella Studios on July 25 (though I'm seeing July 11 in the UK).

This is HUGE! I have long talked about the importance of these recordings to the history of Black Sabbath and to music in general. Black Sabbath/Earth were an extremely proficient, exciting, and powerful blues band with a jazzy edge, and it's long overdue that these amazing songs were released (and if you've listened to any of the early live shows that feature some of these, you'll know why I say that).

Those of you who've read Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 1 (set for a new edition next month) knew they had "secret" demo recordings from before even "The Rebel." I call them secret because the band never wanted to talk about that period, and for years no one knew these recordings even existed. It wasn't until the Black Sabbath documentary that seconds of a snippets were heard. Jim Simpson talked about them in interviews and Bill confirmed, but the rest of the band seemed to have no interest. Why they would ignore these is a puzzle to everyone since they have nothing to be ashamed of--and from what little has leaked, we know these are excellent!

Sadly, neither "The Rebel" nor "When I Came Down" is on this release, though there are some surprises! There is an oddly untitled song that may be a new composition. Given Simpson's extremely well-versed knowledge in blues and jazz music, it's not likely to be "Let Me Love You Baby," "Blue Coat Man," which they played regularly, or even "Stormy Monday." Further, there's an additional surprise in a nine and a half minute song called "Free Man" which is either an original composition or the "Bunny" Sigler composition that later became a hit in 1975 with South Shore Commission. The latter is a seven-minute track, but the 12" mix is 9:55, and putting aside the stylistic disco rhythm that South Shore Commission recorded, it has a somewhat sinister riff that runs throughout it (almost a sped up Jaws theme, though if I'm right this would have preceded John Williams' composition.) I'm thinking Simpson had Sigler's unrecorded composition (which would've been conceived with a bluesier groove) which he had Earth record at Zella in 1969.

I am VERY excited to hear a clean version of "Wee Baby Blues" (or the alternate title "Wee Wee Baby" that Jim is going with), which is a really rocking song, and am thrilled to finally hear their cover of Jimmy Rushing's "Evenin'," which we've never heard before anywhere, as well as the guitar version of "Song for Jim." Note that the flute version is NOT the same as the one played at Dumfries, which was basically used as an introduction to Bill's extended drum solo (that was later shortened to "Rat Salad.")

And it appears that this version of "Wicked World" and "Warning" are the extended versions containing missing sections that were cut by Rodger Bain for the self-titled album! I'm over the moon to get clean versions of those!

I don't know if there's more out there that he's saving for a second release. I'll reach out to Jim to see if that's the case. But this is HUGE! And it could not have come at a more appropriate time with the original lineup finally at peace and playing together for one final show in Birmingham.

Track Listing (w/times)

Side A
1 - Blue Suede Shoes (With Spoken Intro): 2.27
2 - Evenin’: 4.21
3 - Wee Wee Baby: 3.15
4 - “Untitled”: 3.52
5 - Free Man: 9.48

Side B
6 - Song For Jim (Guitar Version): 2.25
7 - Song For Jim (Flute Version): 3.21
8 - Wicked World (Demo): 5.57
9 - Warning: 12.57

The release date is July 25. Check online for retailers that will be stocking these. I see it listed on independent record shops online and Amazon UK and Deep Discount. These is an extremely exciting release that all hardcore Sabbath fans are going to love!Jim Simpson via his Big Bear Records is releasing the Earth demo tapes that Iommi, Butler, Osbourne, and Ward recorded in 1969 at Zella Studios on July 25 (though I'm seeing July 11 in some listings).

Co-written by me and the great Alan Berry, the Black Sabbath Vol 4 Documentary is out now, and currently available for free on Youtube here! This is the second documentary on Black Sabbath that I co-wrote (you'll find the Master of Reality one on the same channel above--be sure to like and subscribe). Alan's first was the excellent Sabotage, which I also highly recommend! Alan Berry is one of the very, very few Sabbath historians who follows the same journalistic principles that I do, and doesn't rely on idiotic sensationalism the same tired stories that "entertainment journalists" have been regurgitating for decades. Alan also digs deeper into the subject matter and has discovered things that even I was unaware of! And to add a cherry to the top, Alan's also a super-nice guy who has a deep passion for Black Sabbath and interest in their legacy as one of (if not THE) greatest bands to have ever graced this Earth!

Also: I'm working on a second edition of Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 1. Because the printer--after nine years--has demanded a reformatting, I might as well go in and update some of the text while I'm at it. For example, we now know that Charles Ward composed "The Rebel," not Normain Haines (though Haines did play piano on it). I expect/hope to have it available again in about a week.

A long time since the last update! Apologies for the delay. I've recently worked with the great Alan Berry on another Black Sabbath documentary, this time for Master of Reality, which is appropriate since that is the book that is overdue from me. I'm considering doing that album together with Vol 4 for the next book. That way you guys won't have to wait so long for the next installment. I'll begin working on it in April. The delay of the last two years was caused by work I did on a Star Wars book that was quite involved and extensive. But this March, the third edition of that is out, and I can refocus my efforts on Black Sabbath. Also, if you haven't already seen it in the Supplements section, but we've confirmed that the composer of "The Rebel" is Charles Ward (no relation to Bill), not Norman Haines. Fingers crossed that we eventually get all of those pre-Black Sabbath recordings released.

December 25, 2022: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! This coming year, after overcoming health issues and ancient projects that took a long time to complete, I resume work on Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 3, which covers the iconic Master of Reality! Keep the Sabbath!

December 7, 2020: An uncut, 32-minute live version of "Warning" has been found along with the only live version of "Sleeping Village" (with added lyrics)! Check out my article about this, while listening and downloading the song here!

August 2, 2020: Just letting you all know I haven't vanished. I've had to finish up other writing projects, but am nearing the end of that. 2021 will see the long-awaited release of Vol 3. After that, I hope to get back to an annual schedule of releases per volume.

May 14, 2019: Welcoming onboard amazing illustrator Marc Fishman! Meanwhile, work on Vol 3 is beginning in June with the intent of seeing publication by year's end!

February 6, 2018: Some new material for the errata section. It turns out, according to Jim Simpson, that "The Rebel" was actually composed by Charles Ward (amongst others), co-founder of Rockfield Studios. For more info, go here. Jim also confirms there is an earlier version of the debut album (with the extended tracks) that has yet to see release, along with the four or five cover songs they recorded in Birmingham (as detailed in Vol 1). See here for the full Jim Simpson interview.

October 12, 2017: Copies of Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 1 and Vol 2 are now available on Ebay.com! Click the links to be redirected there.

July 5, 2017: Click here for the Press Release for Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 2: Songs of Protest & Apocalypse.

July 3, 2017:

Available now! Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 2. Save $5.00 off Createspace.com with coupon code QFDHRDB!

June 6, 2017: Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 2 will be available in a few days. A $5.00 coupon will also be available. Stay tuned!

I'm also happy to welcome artist Toshio Ebine to the fold! Check out his site and amazing art!

May 5, 2017: New artists onboard: Jaroslaw Datta, Natalia Drepina, and Fernando Martin! Welcome all!

Vol 2 is nearing completion! I'll be ordering a final proof copy by tonight, and if all goes well, the book will be ready to ship by the following week! Stay tuned!

April 8, 2017: After some setbacks (e.g., illness, computer crash, etc.), Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 2 is back on track for what will now be a May release, which will amount to basically the 37th anniversary of the Paranoid album.

September 4, 2016: Here is a free sample chapter PDF of Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 1! https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AE92X8DBspNzjIQ&cid=047CE7244ECF5FB8&id=47CE7244ECF5FB8%21371&parId=root&o=OneUp

May 5, 2016 Update: There will not be copies available for the next day or so, as the second revised edition of Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 1 is being printed. Apart from the information below, I've also seen fit to change up a few illustrations and add a few others. A complete list of changes can be found here.

May 4, 2016 Just wanting to let everyone know that there is a second printing being prepared that will correct some of the minor typos, as well as partly incorrect compositional information on the song "Evenin'" (see Supplements). To offset this for early buyers, you guys will be rewarded by having something potentially collectible, as the second printing will acknowledge that in the interior and the cover will sport a different typeface for the title.

May 3, 2016 New video exploring Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 1: Supernatural Horror in Literature:

April 12, 2016 Martin Popoff Review of Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 1

If you haven't heard it yet, head over to my Sabbathy Stuff page to listen to Black Sabbath's amazing cover of Blue Coat Man--not from Dumfries '69 (also on that page)--but from Switzerland in 1970! The band are so incredible on this song, it has to be heard to believed! Check it out here.

Signed copies of Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 1 are now available with no additional charge at the retail price of $34.95 (with free shipping in the U.S.). Contact me here and I'll send out a Paypal invoice. International orders: contact me for shipping costs. Personalizations accepted.

Artists: Comp copies to all the artists who contributed to this volume will be on their way in the coming weeks!

Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics Vol 1: Supernatural Horror in Music is available now on Amazon.com! The official press release can be found here.

Check out the cover of Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics: Vol. 1: Supernatural Horror in Music. Release date is this week!

Hard to believe that after many, many years of working on this project, Vol 1 is ready to go! I have to say, with admitted bias, that it's a gorgeous looking book, and I think some of will agree. I'm going to do a press release on Friday, but as a heads-up, it includes every song from the self-titled Black Sabbath album, as well as the "lost" songs, the usual suspects like "The Rebel" and "When I Came Down," along with some early covers that the band covered as Earth (and as Black Sabbath, as they were still playing these songs after they changed their name). There are over 170 illustrations and photographs in the book, and a big shout-out is due the amazing artists who were gracious enough to contribute images to this book! Your complimentary copies will soon be on their way!

Artists are streaming in! This time we have the amazing psychedelic art of John Hurford! Check out his site here!

We have a new artist onboard, Vergvoktre, whose brilliant dark art can be seen here! In the meantime, the layout is proceeding apace and the book is looking quite nice, if I do say so myself! By the end of the February, it should be out!

This is the temp cover of Black Sabbath: The Illustrated Lyrics: Vol. 1: Supernatural Horror in Music. It is NOT the final cover! I put it together to print out a copy of the final draft, which has at last been completed! With a print copy in hand, I'll be better able to catch all of the minor mistakes that my first twenty proofreads on the computer didn't!

Vol. 1 will come with a lengthy introduction, and in fact, each of the eight volumes will include in-depth introductory material, some of which will explore the band's influences, their critical demonization, their break-up, their early days, the lyrics' themes, etc. One volume will feature all of the extant bootlegs (what's on each and what the quality is), one will feature an extensive timeline, and there will be other matters of interest. My goal is to make these books the definitive word on Black Sabbath, specifically regarding their lyrics.

As to a deadline, my plan is to have this first book out by this February. I'm currently awaiting exclusive interview material from Black Sabbath manager Jim Simpson and keyboardist/songwriter Norman Haines, which should answer some long-standing questions about the Earth era of the band.

In the wake of Black Sabbath's final tour, "The End," going on sale, the Holy Grail of live Black Sabbath recordings, the Dumfries '69 show, has been mysteriously released online! You can download the flac files from Guitars101. Go here for a link, full description of each song, and an MP3 Youtube version to hear them!

In book news, I'm closing in on the final draft of Book 1! And it will include lyrics and discussions of the songs played at the Dumfries show!

Accountable Beasts, the new album from Bill Ward is out on CD! You won't yet find it on Amazon, but it's available from his new site here: http://www.astoncrossmusic.com/

As promised, Bill Ward's Accountable Beasts album is available on iTunes. Those who do physical media, like myself, will have to wait a little longer. Will keep you posted, but definitely great news on the release of his new album (which I know some of you were skeptical about). Word on the street is that for those of you liked his first solo release Along the Way (and really, who didn't?), we're in for a treat.

Bill Ward has announced the release of his third solo album Accountable Beasts, and there's a very good article on Rolling Stone in which Bill explains much about the recent exchange between himself and Ozzy and what his motivations were for speaking to the public. How things will shape up in the future remains to be seen, but it doesn't look good for a full reunion. It will be great to at least get a new album from Mr. Ward. And as sad as this is for many, particularly since what we're looking at is the dissolution of a long friendship, for fans it's important to remember that no matter what's going on, nothing will ever take the original eight Black Sabbath albums away.

Welcome Ben Upham, an amazing rock photographer, who is contributing to the book several incredible and rarely seen images of Black Sabbath from 1977!

Also, as to the news of Black Sabbath breaking up after their final show in Japan (in November), please don't believe everything you read on the internet. The band has not individually, or collectively, posted any news of this kind. As far as we know, there is still another album and tour on the horizon (likely after the guys have gotten some well-deserved R&R), hopefully with Bill in tow.