Black Sabbath to reform

[The Pagemeister]

THE most closely guarded secret in rock music can be revealed – the original Black Sabbath line-up is getting back together.

Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward have begun rehearsing for a tour and new studio album.

In June this year vocalist Ozzy and guitarist Iommi wrote new material for a record that will be released next year.

‘‘We’re really looking forward to it and I think the stuff we’ve been writing is really good,’’ said 63-year-old Iommi. ‘‘It’s more back to the old original stuff.’’

He added that the reunion has been kept under wraps for some time.

‘‘It’s all been very hush-hush. Ozzy’s been the worst at trying to hold it back. He’s doing a lot of TV and he’s being asked stuff about a reunion and he’s going ‘well I never say never’.

‘‘He told me, ‘I don’t know what to say’.’’

Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne in 1997

Iommi's last version of Black Sabbath, called Heaven & Hell, came to an end when singer Ronnie James Dio died in May 2010.

‘‘I had umpteen number of people on the phone asking if I fancied getting together with a band but I couldn’t tell them what I was doing. I just had to say I was busy.’’

The classic line-up of Black Sabbath formed in Aston in 1969.

Ozzy was fired from the band in 1979 and there has since been many different members since.

Iommi said his only concern about the current reformation was the health of drummer Bill Ward who in the past has suffered a heart attack.

‘‘He hasn’t been 100 per cent. He had an operation a few months ago, so we’ll see how he is.’’

Read More http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2011/08/16/black-sabbath-to-reform-with-original-line-up-and-new-studio-album-97319-29245431/#ixzz1VCdtecYI

[Strider]

THE most closely guarded secret in rock music can be revealed

Ha! Don't make me laugh. This was as predictable and expected as Don Henley voting Democrat or Kiss going on another "farewell" tour.

[Zeppelin Led]

HELLS YES!

[sixpense]

Ozzy needs to fix his problems with the tax man. He needs the money.

[Zeppelin Led]

Who cares if its''For the Money''

When Zeppelin Toured I'm pretty damn sure it was for the money too.

Please god say BS come over to Ireland.

But on a more important matter JIMMY PAGE BETTER COME OVER.

[sixpense]

Who cares if its''For the Money''

When Zeppelin Toured I'm pretty damn sure it was for the money too.

Please god say BS come over to Ireland.

But on a more important matter JIMMY PAGE BETTER COME OVER.

By 73 Zeppelin had plenty of money and didn't need to tour. THe whole O2 thing only happened because Plant wanted to do a one off show for Ahmet. Page, Plant and Jones were offered TONS OF MONEY of the years to tour and they didn't.

Let's just see how "motivated" Ozzy is.

[dazedcat]

I thought there'd be more love for this. The original Black Sabbath might be the only old guy band worth seeing. I hope their album they're now recording is worthy of their legacy.

[luvlz2]

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has released the following statement regarding the reports of a reunion of the band's original lineup.

"I'm saddened that a Birmingham journalist whom I trusted has chosen this point in time to take a conversation we had back in June and make it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion."

"At the time I was supporting the Home Of Metal exhibition was merely speculating shooting the breeze on something all of us get asked constantly, 'Are you getting back together?'

"Thanks to the Internet it's now gone round the world as some sort of 'official' statement on my part; absolute nonsense. I hope he's enjoyed his moment of glory, he won't have another at my expense.'

"To my old pals, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill, sorry about this, I should have known better."

The original Sabbath lineup has not toured together since summer 2005, and last convened for their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in early 2006.

Sabbath did try to record a new album 12 years ago, their first since 1978, but abandoned the attempt after just a couple of songs.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=162068

[Zeppelin Led]

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has released the following statement regarding the reports of a reunion of the band's original lineup.

"I'm saddened that a Birmingham journalist whom I trusted has chosen this point in time to take a conversation we had back in June and make it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion."

"At the time I was supporting the Home Of Metal exhibition was merely speculating shooting the breeze on something all of us get asked constantly, 'Are you getting back together?'

"Thanks to the Internet it's now gone round the world as some sort of 'official' statement on my part; absolute nonsense. I hope he's enjoyed his moment of glory, he won't have another at my expense.'

"To my old pals, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill, sorry about this, I should have known better."

The original Sabbath lineup has not toured together since summer 2005, and last convened for their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in early 2006.

Sabbath did try to record a new album 12 years ago, their first since 1978, but abandoned the attempt after just a couple of songs.

http://www.roadrunne...wsitemID=162068

This just ruined my day.

[Strider]

This just MADE my day...and considering rokarolla already made it oncer earlier, my day has been MADE twice today. Cool!

[the chase]

Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has released the following statement regarding the reports of a reunion of the band's original lineup.

"I'm saddened that a Birmingham journalist whom I trusted has chosen this point in time to take a conversation we had back in June and make it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion."

"At the time I was supporting the Home Of Metal exhibition was merely speculating shooting the breeze on something all of us get asked constantly, 'Are you getting back together?'

"Thanks to the Internet it's now gone round the world as some sort of 'official' statement on my part; absolute nonsense. I hope he's enjoyed his moment of glory, he won't have another at my expense.'

"To my old pals, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill, sorry about this, I should have known better."

The original Sabbath lineup has not toured together since summer 2005, and last convened for their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in early 2006.

Sabbath did try to record a new album 12 years ago, their first since 1978, but abandoned the attempt after just a couple of songs.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=162068

I can't say I'm too surprised.. I couldn't really picture Tony Iommi doing this type of press. Seems very out of character for him.. He must be pretty pissed off.

I do hope they make a studio album.

[Jahfin]

From RollingStone.com:

Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath and the Art Of the Non-Denial Denial

Inside the furor over yesterday's Black Sabbath reunion news

By ANDY GREENE

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath.

Steve Thorne/Getty Images

Yesterday was a confusing day for Black Sabbath fans. In the morning, a new interview with Tony Iommi in the Birmingham Mirror hit in which he said that the original line-up of Black Sabbath was reuniting for a new album and tour. "It's all been very hush-hush," he said. "Ozzy's been the worst at holding it back…We're really looking forward to it and I think the stuff we're writing is really good. It's more back to the old original stuff."

This unleashed a flood of stories. We called Ozzy Osbourne's people for comment. They didn't deny anything, but refused to comment for now. Shortly after our own story went up, word came out that Tony Iommi's manager was claiming that the guitarist hadn't spoken to the paper since June. He didn't say the quotes were fabricated or inaccurate in any way. Then Iommi put out his own statement. Here it is in full:

"I'm saddened that a Birmingham journalist whom I trusted has chosen this point in time to take a conversation we had back in June and make it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion.

At the time I was supporting the Home of Metal exhibition and was merely speculating, shooting the breeze, on something all of us get asked constantly, "Are you getting back together?"

Thanks to the internet it's gone round the world as some sort of "official" statement on my part, absolute nonsense. I hope he's enjoyed his moment of glory, he won't have another at my expense.

To my old pals, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill, sorry about this, I should have known better.

All the best, Tony"

This appeared to throw cold water on the whole thing. Headlines started popping up like "Iommi Denies Sabbath Reunion." The only thing is, he did no such thing. In fact, his statement is the most perfect non-denial denial we've ever seen. He lashes out at the journalist for making the quotes seem new. He said they were "shooting the breeze" and he apologizes to his bandmates. He uses the term "absolute nonsense." He doesn't say that Black Sabbath aren't recording a new album and planning a tour. He doesn't say the quotes were fabricated out or out of context. He basically just says he's angry that the truth came out earlier than he wanted.

British journalist Andy Coleman spoke to Iommi at the Home of Metal exhibition in June. Both sides agree on that. After discussing the event, Coleman clearly asked about the future of Black Sabbath. Iommi may have thought his comments were off the record, and they definitely didn't appear in Coleman's original article. Over the past two months, there have been rumors that Black Sabbath were recording an album. I heard them myself, but didn't have nearly enough confirmation to file a story. Then two days ago, Metaltalk.net posted a story that Black Sabbath were rehearsing for a world tour.

It seems likely that post is what inspired Coleman to file his story yesterday. Iommi's manager Ralph Baker spoke to Coleman yesterday for a follow-up piece in the Birmingham Mail. He admits that Iommi never says the story is untrue. "We haven’t got anything in place," Baker said. "He’s not denying that the guys have been talking but there’s nothing in the way that’s been implied in the statements that you made. He made them to you in June and he felt that he made them to you off-the-record.”

Sometimes interviews hit a weird place where you exhaust the central topic and get into chit-chat with the artist. They may think what's being said is off the record, but they don't explicitly state that and the tape recorder is still running. That's often where they get into trouble, and is probably what happened here. I e-mailed Coleman to get his side of the story, but he wasn't willing to explain the circumstances of the June interview. "We're letting the stories speak for themselves at the moment," he wrote.

Tony Iommi has a memoir coming out in November. He will almost certainly go on an extensive promotional tour in the weeks leading up to the release. Every journalist is going to ask about the reunion. It puts him in a pretty awkward place. One imagines that Ozzy and Sharon weren't pleased the news hit yesterday either. Iommi had every incentive to dial it back, and he did a masterful job with that statement. If this whole heavy metal guitar thing doesn't work out, Iommi has a bright future as a political consultant.

[silvermedalist]

From RollingStone.com:

Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath and the Art Of the Non-Denial Denial

Inside the furor over yesterday's Black Sabbath reunion news

By ANDY GREENE

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath.

Steve Thorne/Getty Images

Yesterday was a confusing day for Black Sabbath fans. In the morning, a new interview with Tony Iommi in the Birmingham Mirror hit in which he said that the original line-up of Black Sabbath was reuniting for a new album and tour. "It's all been very hush-hush," he said. "Ozzy's been the worst at holding it back…We're really looking forward to it and I think the stuff we're writing is really good. It's more back to the old original stuff."

This unleashed a flood of stories. We called Ozzy Osbourne's people for comment. They didn't deny anything, but refused to comment for now. Shortly after our own story went up, word came out that Tony Iommi's manager was claiming that the guitarist hadn't spoken to the paper since June. He didn't say the quotes were fabricated or inaccurate in any way. Then Iommi put out his own statement. Here it is in full:

"I'm saddened that a Birmingham journalist whom I trusted has chosen this point in time to take a conversation we had back in June and make it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion.

At the time I was supporting the Home of Metal exhibition and was merely speculating, shooting the breeze, on something all of us get asked constantly, "Are you getting back together?"

Thanks to the internet it's gone round the world as some sort of "official" statement on my part, absolute nonsense. I hope he's enjoyed his moment of glory, he won't have another at my expense.

To my old pals, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill, sorry about this, I should have known better.

All the best, Tony"

This appeared to throw cold water on the whole thing. Headlines started popping up like "Iommi Denies Sabbath Reunion." The only thing is, he did no such thing. In fact, his statement is the most perfect non-denial denial we've ever seen. He lashes out at the journalist for making the quotes seem new. He said they were "shooting the breeze" and he apologizes to his bandmates. He uses the term "absolute nonsense." He doesn't say that Black Sabbath aren't recording a new album and planning a tour. He doesn't say the quotes were fabricated out or out of context. He basically just says he's angry that the truth came out earlier than he wanted.

British journalist Andy Coleman spoke to Iommi at the Home of Metal exhibition in June. Both sides agree on that. After discussing the event, Coleman clearly asked about the future of Black Sabbath. Iommi may have thought his comments were off the record, and they definitely didn't appear in Coleman's original article. Over the past two months, there have been rumors that Black Sabbath were recording an album. I heard them myself, but didn't have nearly enough confirmation to file a story. Then two days ago, Metaltalk.net posted a story that Black Sabbath were rehearsing for a world tour.

It seems likely that post is what inspired Coleman to file his story yesterday. Iommi's manager Ralph Baker spoke to Coleman yesterday for a follow-up piece in the Birmingham Mail. He admits that Iommi never says the story is untrue. "We haven't got anything in place," Baker said. "He's not denying that the guys have been talking but there's nothing in the way that's been implied in the statements that you made. He made them to you in June and he felt that he made them to you off-the-record."

Sometimes interviews hit a weird place where you exhaust the central topic and get into chit-chat with the artist. They may think what's being said is off the record, but they don't explicitly state that and the tape recorder is still running. That's often where they get into trouble, and is probably what happened here. I e-mailed Coleman to get his side of the story, but he wasn't willing to explain the circumstances of the June interview. "We're letting the stories speak for themselves at the moment," he wrote.

Tony Iommi has a memoir coming out in November. He will almost certainly go on an extensive promotional tour in the weeks leading up to the release. Every journalist is going to ask about the reunion. It puts him in a pretty awkward place. One imagines that Ozzy and Sharon weren't pleased the news hit yesterday either. Iommi had every incentive to dial it back, and he did a masterful job with that statement. If this whole heavy metal guitar thing doesn't work out, Iommi has a bright future as a political consultant.

Wow. I had read this thinking it was a done deal, set in stone. Now its a certainty it wont happen? That is how I am taking this. It did seem a bit far fetched. Feel free to bump your post back up. So others that were lead to believe they were reuniting will see this. I just had to respond. Thanks

Edited August 17, 2011 by silvermedalist

[Jahfin]

What I got out of the Rolling Stone article is that Tony Iommi never denied that Sabbath are reuniting in his statement. That's why they refer to it as a "Non-Denial Denial" in the headline.

Edited August 17, 2011 by Jahfin

[silvermedalist]

What I got out of the Rolling Stone article is that Tony Iommi never denied that Sabbath are reuniting in his statement. That's why they refer to it as a "Non-Denial Denial" in the headline.

Welll maybe Ozzie has had it with his wife getting all the headlines. Who knows. But to write new material, in the old Black Sabbath tradition? One wonders how it would go over? Is there another "Iron Man" in there? It cant be easy to do a tour once you are in your sixties. Not like it was back in the sixties and seventies.

[Jahfin]

It actually hasn't been all that long since Black Sabbath toured regularly as part of OzzFest or when they toured as Heaven & Hell with Ronnie James Dio. Dylan's still touring and he's 70. I think they're up to it. As for new, original material, that remains to be seen. Same for Van Halen who have been promising a new record for the past 2-3 years now.

[silvermedalist]

It actually hasn't been all that long since Black Sabbath toured regularly as part of OzzFest or when they toured as Heaven & Hell with Ronnie James Dio. Dylan's still touring and he's 70. I think they're up to it. As for new, original material, that remains to be seen. Same for Van Halen who have been promising a new record for the past 2-3 years now.

I saw Ozzie not that long after Blizzard from Oz was out but Rhodes had already met his tragic fate. It was a great show. I dont think Iommi is quite the guitarist Rhodes was but who knows. Wasnt it Lee that took over for Rhodes? Not sure.

I might pay just to see them do Mr Crowley

Edited August 17, 2011 by silvermedalist

[Jahfin]

When and if they tour, I'd like to hear some Black Sabbath. Some solo stuff from Ozzy would be fine but wouldn't be the impetus for getting me to the show.

[the chase]

I saw Ozzie not that long after Blizzard from Oz was out but Rhodes had already met his tragic fate. It was a great show. I dont think Iommi is quite the guitarist Rhodes was but who knows. Wasnt it Lee that took over for Rhodes? Not sure.

I might pay just to see them do Mr Crowley

Don't hold your breath waiting for that.... The original Sabbath will play Mr Crowley the day Ozzy Osbourne sings Heaven and Hell.

Did you see him on the Bark at The Moon tour? If so it was Jake E Lee.

Brad Gillis filled in briefly before Jake joined..

[silvermedalist]

Don't hold your breath waiting for that.... The original Sabbath will play Mr Crowley the day Ozzy Osbourne sings Heaven and Hell.

Did you see him on the Bark at The Moon tour? If so it was Jake E Lee.

Brad Gillis filled in briefly before Jake joined..

It was I believe. In Rochester NY

[kirchzep27]

well if they do tour, or recorded, then thats cool...and maybe thats hope for some heavy music in the near future.

[DavidZoso]

IOMMI: SABBATH REUNION REPORTS ARE “ABSOLUTE NONSENSE”

Brought To You By VH1’s Dave Basner

Black Sabbath fans should be pretty upset with the Birmingham Mail, which reported that the original line-up of the band would officially be reuniting. Apparently, it’s not true. Guitarist Tony Iommi released a statement, calling the report “absolute nonsense.” He explained that he spoke to the paper in June and was “merely speculating shooting the breeze” and now it’s coming out as something “official,” when it is not. Tony apologized to his former bandmates and promised he won’t ever again speak with the journalist who reported this. Read more at Iommi.com.

[Jahfin]

IOMMI: SABBATH REUNION REPORTS ARE “ABSOLUTE NONSENSE”

Brought To You By VH1’s Dave Basner

Black Sabbath fans should be pretty upset with the Birmingham Mail, which reported that the original line-up of the band would officially be reuniting. Apparently, it’s not true. Guitarist Tony Iommi released a statement, calling the report “absolute nonsense.” He explained that he spoke to the paper in June and was “merely speculating shooting the breeze” and now it’s coming out as something “official,” when it is not. Tony apologized to his former bandmates and promised he won’t ever again speak with the journalist who reported this. Read more at Iommi.com.

Did you read this post? Even in the statement Iommi issued, he never denied a Sabbath reunion.

[luvlz2]

Ozzy Osbourne wasn't in Hollywood last night (Monday, August 22) for the premiere and special MusiCares screening of his movie, "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne", which was filmed and produced by his son Jack. His absence was conspicuous and lends credence to the rumors that Ozzy is in England working on material for a new Black Sabbath album with other members of the band's original lineup.

Artisan News asked Ozzy's daughter Kelly at last night's event where her dad was and she sort of let the cat out of the bag while her brother was better able to keep the secret.

"My dad is... I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you," Kelly said. "But he's doing something that is very, very exciting. He's just finished a tour. But he's doing something very exciting. I'm not allowed to talk about it, though."

When asked if there is any truth to the reports that Ozzy is in England working on a new Sabbath album, Jack replied, "I can neither confirm nor deny who he is with or where he is."

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=162346

Edited August 24, 2011 by luvlz2