Heavy metal history is about to get a remarkable new chapter. A trove of early Black Sabbath recordings from 1969 – back when the iconic band was still called Earth – will be released for the first time as Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes. The album, due out July 25 via Big Bear Records, captures Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward in their blues-rock infancy, years before they pioneered heavy metal.
The recordings were produced by Jim Simpson, the band’s first manager, who recently unearthed the long-lost tapes. Simpson, now 85, expressed pride in the youthful band’s raw talent. “These recordings clearly demonstrate what fine music they produced right from the very beginning,” he said in a statement, explaining that he recorded Earth live in a Birmingham studio but shelved the tapes as the group’s style rapidly evolved. “Now, some 57 years later, the recordings assume a greater importance,” Simpson added, noting they show four young Brummies “fully deserving of all the success that was to come their way.”
Fans can expect a fascinating tracklist. The Lost Tapes start with Earth’s gritty takes on blues classics like “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Evenin’,” and “Wee Wee Baby.” Also included are early originals – two versions of a jam named “Song For Jim” (a nod to Simpson, featuring Iommi on guitar and even flute in one take), plus embryonic versions of heavy tracks “Free Man,” “Wicked World,” and “Warning.” These songs hint at the dark, heavy sound that soon birthed Black Sabbath’s debut album in 1970.
This release offers a rare glimpse into Black Sabbath’s origins. For lifelong fans, The Legendary Lost Tapes will be a time capsule to the band’s bluesy roots – and for newer listeners, it’s a chance to hear rock legends finding their footing on the road to revolutionizing music.
