1970Released
6:17

Did You Know?

Interesting facts and trivia about Black Sabbath. By Songfacts®.

This is the song that became the name of the band. They were playing clubs in Germany and using the name "Earth" when they realized another band had the same name. "Black Sabbath" was lifted from the title of a 1963 horror movie starring Boris Karloff directed by the Italian filmmaker Mario Bava. The group's lead singer, Ozzy Osbourne, and bass player, Geezer Butler, had seen the film and decided to write a song with that title. When it became clear the band needed a new moniker, they named themselves after this song. The name change coincided with a new sound and image for the group. They had been playing blues (mostly covers), but started writing more original material and found a darker, heavier sound that defined them throughout their Hall of Fame career. Eschewing anything resembling R&B or psychedelia, they found a fan base hungry for something fiendish and new. Critics derided the band, but they quickly became one of the most popular and enduring acts of their time.

From Black Sabbath: The Ozzy Osbourne Years: "While rehearsing new material, the band formerly known as Earth experienced a supernatural experience. Geezer and Tony were playing new riffs for Ozzy and Bill when, much to everyone's surprise, they both strummed the same notes at the same tempo - although neither had ever before heard the other one play the piece! Convinced that this was an omen, Geezer christened the song and the group Black Sabbath (after the movie)."

This was the first song on the first Black Sabbath album. The album cost $1200 to make and took about eight hours to record.

Song Analysis

Key, BPM (tempo) and time signature of Black Sabbath.
DKey
MajorMode
4/4Time Signature
132BPM

Album

The album Black Sabbath is released on.

Released By

The record label that has released Black Sabbath.
Minos - EMI SA
(C) 2009 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd.
(P) 2009 Sanctuary Records Group Ltd.

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