Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath

Happy Early Halloween Everyone!

It doesn’t get much more Halloween than this song. Black Sabbath was a hard rock band that gets credited a lot for influencing heavy metal. That is perplexing to me…what is heavy metal and what is hard rock? When I think of heavy metal I think of some of the many heavy 80s bands with a huge processed sound on guitar. That probably isn’t what others think of though.

The song was inspired by a series of ominous and eerie experiences. According to bassist Geezer Butler, the concept for the song emerged from a frightening incident he had after reading an occult book given to him by Ozzy Osbourne. Butler claims that after leaving the book on a shelf, he saw a dark figure standing at the foot of his bed that disappeared suddenly. This experience led him to write the lyrics. The song is credited to Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward.

The album cover. It has to be the spookiest album cover ever. On one hand it looks real and on another it looks like a horror movie poster but better. At the center of the album cover is a mysterious, cloaked woman dressed in black. Her identity has been the subject of speculation for decades. Some have claimed she symbolizes a witch or an occult figure, which fits the band’s early associations with the dark arts. It’s one of rocks most iconic album covers.

Louisa Livingstone was a model that was hired for the cover. No one knew who she was until Rolling Stone tracked her down in 2020. Turns out Mrs. Livingstone is not much a fan of Black Sabbath after she finally listened to the album. It just wasn’t her type of music. She now records electronic music under the name of Indreba. Keith Macmillan is the photograhper who shot the album cover.

The album peaked at #23 on the Billboard 200, #29 in Canada, and #8 in the UK in 1970.

Keith Macmillan: “She was a fantastic model. She was quite petite, very, very cooperative. I wanted someone petite because it just gave the landscape a bit more grandeur. It made everything else look big. She wasn’t wearing any clothes under that cloak because we were doing things that were slightly more risqué, but we decided none of that worked. Any kind of sexuality took away from the more foreboding mood. But she was a terrific model. She had amazing courage and understanding of what I was trying to do.”

Louisa Livingstone: I had to get up at about four o’clock in the morning, or something as ridiculously early as that. It was absolutely freezing. I remember Keith rushing around with dry ice, throwing that into the pond nearby, and that didn’t seem to be working very well, so he was using a smoke machine. It was just, ‘Stand there and do that.’ I’m sure he said it was for Black Sabbath, but I don’t know if that meant anything much to me at the time.”

If you want to know about Black Sabbath’s album Black Sabbath VOL 4 cover… go to The Press Music Reviews.

Black Sabbath

What is this that stands before me?
Figure in black which points at me
Turn around quick, and start to run
Find out I’m the chosen one
Oh no

Big black shape with eyes of fire
Telling people their desire
Satan’s sitting there, he’s smiling
Watches those flames get higher and higher
Oh no, no, please God help me

Is it the end, my friend?
Satan’s coming ’round the bend
People running ’cause they’re scared
The people better go and beware
No, no, please God help me

Unknown's avatar

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

38 thoughts on “Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath”

  1. Awesome post! I never knew the back story of the cover. Its hilarious that she’s into electronic music as you would never know by that cover. She should record the whole Sabbath album with a electronic vibe.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  4. Well, interesting! Two big things I didn’t know – one, this song (there’s some other song by them that I have heard a good few times that I thought was their title one but apparently isn’t) and two, the cover… seen it, to be sure, but never really LOOKED at it. Quite a good one and I do appreciate album art. As for the genre, they and LZ seem to be the ones most say started heavy metal but I understand what you’re saying . To me they are both maybe a bit too nuanced and talented to fit the ‘heavy metal’ room, but that’ s just me. I think of heavy metal and I think a lot simpler songs, fewer chords, fewer instruments, few if any time changes…. BS were loud but obviously had a fairly good musical background and knowledge. But that’s just my take

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Yea both of those bands…deny the term. Same with Power pop…when did it begin? It just slowly evolved I guess out of many bands. Some have said it was Helter Skelter also that helped it.

      Like

      Reply

  7. I, too, struggle with the fine line between hard rock and heavy metal. This was heavy metal, for sure. For me, I think it’s the darker themes and more minor chords. I also accept Rob Halford’s statement that Judas Priest were the first heavy metal act because they were the first to embrace the “heavy metal” title.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. The line IS blurry; hard rock, heavy metal? For me I put ‘Black Night’ Deep Purple as the first one I’d definitively lump in the heavy metal pile, but hey, tomato, potato tomayto potahto whatever works for the listener. This one has a moody broody start, the typical testosteroney heavy hard hitting amped up heavy metal push comes later. ‘Black Night’ just goes hard out straight from the start to the last pounded out note. Sorry, I prattled/rattled on a bit there.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  8. This is a simply great album cover. What you see is what you get. On first sight, If you were browsing the racks of your local record store you might suspect ‘hmmmm, maybe this is no showtunes album?’ Reading the name of the band would be just cause for more second thoughts. Should put paid to any lingering hopes that this might be one of those ‘ooh, neato, something for all the Walton family to sit around the radiogram and sing along to on a Saturday night’ albums. Putting it on the turntable and listening to it on the store headphones- third one’s the charm.

    Apt post for Halloween Max.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      2. Totally!!!!! My 4th World Series win as a fan in my lifetime…so yea I’m really happy! With all of the injuries…it makes it special.

        Liked by 1 person

  14. How amusing that a model for a Black Sabbath album cover would be into electronic music! 😄 I adore Black Sabbath and Ozzy and enjoyed the background info you have provided here. Most fun I ever had at a concert was Black Sabbath. Ozzy was an expert at pumping up the crowd. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment