The 1970s saw the rise of rock and metal as a force in record and ticket sales. Right there at the birth of this was Black Sabbath, whose first album came from nowhere to smash into the top of the charts in Britain and around the world. “Black Sabbath in the 1970s” covers the career of the original foursome - Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Bill Ward – from Polka Tulk, through Earth and their original nine years as Black Sabbath, when the band recorded such iconic albums as ‘Paranoid’, ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ and ‘Masters of Reality’.

This book includes new interview material from key figures including Rick Wakeman and engineers Mike Butcher and Robin Black, among others. It’s is a comprehensive roundup of the band's music in the decade. All of the albums and singles from “The Rebel” until “Never Say Die” are examined in detail, along with related archive releases. Also included is a section covering Black Sabbath's tours in the era, looking at key live recordings from every tour. Overall, this is the most comprehensive account of the fortunes in the band during this crucial decade yet written.

Sutton also gives us his theory behind the story of the song “Black Sabbath” and who that “figure in black” really is, tells the story of the time Tony Iommi gave him a ride home and a whole lot more about Black Sabbath!

Chris Sutton has been a fan of Black Sabbath since the early 70s. He manages and has written several publications for Smethwick Heritage Centre Museum. He’s also written several plays. “Black Sabbath In the 1970s” is his second book on music for Sonicbond Publishing, following on from “Alice Cooper in the 1970s”. You can listen to our interview with Chris about that book in episode 13 of Booked on Rock (www.spreaker.com/user/discoveryeric/chris-sutton-alice-cooper-in-the-1970s) Chris also writes for Power Play magazine and has contributed to a documentary on Alice Cooper. He joins us from his home in Great Malvern, UK.


Purchase a copy of “Bkack Sabbath in the 1970s” through Amazon in the US: www.amazon.com/Black-Sabbath-70s-Chris-Sutton/dp/1789521718/ref

Purchase a copy of “Black Sabbath in the 1970s” through Burning Shed in the UK: https://burningshed.com/chris-sutton_black-sabbath-in-the-1970s_book



Listen to a playlist of the music discussed in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3hAHR7jwSzppFefXtZeJtT?si=2a7280bdc6ea428f



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