Black Sabbath

'An epic tale, told the way it should be' RECORD COLLECTOR 'The book he was born to write' CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE 'An entertaining read for long-standing fans and newcomers alike' GUITARIST The final word on the only name synonymous with heavy metal - Black Sabbath. Way back in the mists of time, in the days when rock giants walked the earth, the name Ozzy Osbourne was synonymous with the subversive and dark. Back then, Ozzy was the singer in Black Sabbath, and they meant business. A four-piece formed from the ashes of two locally well-known groups called The Rare Breed (Ozzy and bassist Geezer Butler) and Mythology (guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward), all four founding members of the original Black Sabbath grew up within half-a-mile of each other. This biography tells the story of how they made that dream come true - and how it then turned into a nightmare for all of them. How at the height of their fame, Sabbath discovered they had been so badly ripped off by their managers they did not even own their own songs. How they looked for salvation from Don Arden - an even more notorious gangster figure, who resurrected their career but still left them indebted to him, financially and personally. And how it finally came to a head when in 1979 they sacked Ozzy: 'For being too out of control - even for us,' as Bill Ward put it. The next 15 years would see a war break out between the two camps: the post-Ozzy Sabbath and Ozzy himself, whose solo career overshadowed Sabbath to the point where, when he offered them the chance to reform around him again, it was entirely on his terms. Or rather, that of his wife and manager, daughter of Don Arden - Sharon Osbourne.

'An epic tale, told the way it should be' RECORD COLLECTOR 'The book he was born to write' CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE 'An entertaining read for long-standing fans and newcomers alike' GUITARIST The final word on the only name synonymous with heavy metal - Black Sabbath. Way back in the mists of time, in the days when rock giants walked the earth, the name Ozzy Osbourne was synonymous with the subversive and dark. Back then, Ozzy was the singer in Black Sabbath, and they meant business. A four-piece formed from the ashes of two locally well-known groups called The Rare Breed (Ozzy and bassist Geezer Butler) and Mythology (guitarist Tony Iommi and drummer Bill Ward), all four founding members of the original Black Sabbath grew up within half-a-mile of each other. This biography tells the story of how they made that dream come true - and how it then turned into a nightmare for all of them. How at the height of their fame, Sabbath discovered they had been so badly ripped off by their managers they did not even own their own songs. How they looked for salvation from Don Arden - an even more notorious gangster figure, who resurrected their career but still left them indebted to him, financially and personally. And how it finally came to a head when in 1979 they sacked Ozzy: 'For being too out of control - even for us,' as Bill Ward put it. The next 15 years would see a war break out between the two camps: the post-Ozzy Sabbath and Ozzy himself, whose solo career overshadowed Sabbath to the point where, when he offered them the chance to reform around him again, it was entirely on his terms. Or rather, that of his wife and manager, daughter of Don Arden - Sharon Osbourne.

Many bands may lay claim to inventing or popularising the term `heavy metal’, but few would deny that Black Sabbath have defined the genre in the minds of many, and have come to embody its popular image. From the `classic’ first decade with singer Ozzy Osbourne, through the Ronnie James Dio period and the oft-overlooked later albums, the Sabbath name has always been a trademark of quality, despite some less celebrated, though often fascinating, periods. To commemorate the final retirement of the band, lifelong devotee Steve Pilkington takes the reader through every song on every one of the band’s studio albums, taking in the highs and occasional lows, as well as looking at the cover artwork and stories behind the albums. He also discusses live recordings and DVD releases. The result will surely be regarded as the most exhaustive guide to the band’s music yet produced, as critical opinion rubs shoulders with facts, trivia and anecdotes to provide the ultimate guide to this legendary band. Whether you are a hard core fan, or simply want a guide to what lies beyond `Paranoid’, this book is for you.

Many bands may lay claim to inventing or popularising the term `heavy metal’, but few would deny that Black Sabbath have defined the genre in the minds of many, and have come to embody its popular image. From the `classic’ first decade with singer Ozzy Osbourne, through the Ronnie James Dio period and the oft-overlooked later albums, the Sabbath name has always been a trademark of quality, despite some less celebrated, though often fascinating, periods. To commemorate the final retirement of the band, lifelong devotee Steve Pilkington takes the reader through every song on every one of the band’s studio albums, taking in the highs and occasional lows, as well as looking at the cover artwork and stories behind the albums. He also discusses live recordings and DVD releases. The result will surely be regarded as the most exhaustive guide to the band’s music yet produced, as critical opinion rubs shoulders with facts, trivia and anecdotes to provide the ultimate guide to this legendary band. Whether you are a hard core fan, or simply want a guide to what lies beyond `Paranoid’, this book is for you.

Black Sabbath: The Day I Was There is the story of the pioneers of heavy metal in the words of over 350 fans. From 1970 to 1975, Black Sabbath released six epoch-defining albums, including such songs as ‘war Pigs’, Iron Man’ and the hit single ‘Paranoid’. Their story has been told many times before, but never from the perspective of the front row. Until now. Starting with memories from their pre-Sabbath shows in the north west of England, when they were named Earth, the book charts Sabbath’s gigging history through the drug-fuelled seventies and a relentless touring schedule on the back of the first six Sabbath albums that cast the die for heavy metal with the classic line up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. Encompassing numerous personnel changes since, including vocalists Ronnie James Dio, Tony Martin, Ray Gillen and Ian Gillan, this is a fan’s eye view of how Black Sabbath went on to become the greatest metal band of all time, selling over 70 million records worldwide.

Black Sabbath: The Day I Was There is the story of the pioneers of heavy metal in the words of over 350 fans. From 1970 to 1975, Black Sabbath released six epoch-defining albums, including such songs as ‘war Pigs’, Iron Man’ and the hit single ‘Paranoid’. Their story has been told many times before, but never from the perspective of the front row. Until now. Starting with memories from their pre-Sabbath shows in the north west of England, when they were named Earth, the book charts Sabbath’s gigging history through the drug-fuelled seventies and a relentless touring schedule on the back of the first six Sabbath albums that cast the die for heavy metal with the classic line up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward. Encompassing numerous personnel changes since, including vocalists Ronnie James Dio, Tony Martin, Ray Gillen and Ian Gillan, this is a fan’s eye view of how Black Sabbath went on to become the greatest metal band of all time, selling over 70 million records worldwide.