BLACK SABBATH - Self-Titled 12" Vinyl LP Album

- French Release from 1970

“Black Sabbath” isn’t just an album—it’s a goddamn thunderclap in the face of flower power. On a damp February day in 1970, four Birmingham factory mutants dragged their amplifiers through the smoke and Satanic panic, then recorded the *entire* birth of heavy metal in a single day's worth of haunted riffage and cheap studio tape. Ozzy shrieks like a prophet in withdrawal, Iommi drops guitar riffs heavier than a steel press, and Geezer's lyrics are medieval doom poetry bled through the Marshall stack. Forget love-ins—this is the soundtrack to your nightmares. And oh, that rainstorm intro? It doesn’t just set the mood—it *summons* it. “Black Sabbath” is the black mass that birthed a genre, and it still sounds like the end of the world, only now you can dance to it. Welcome to the funeral.

BLACK SABBATH – Self-Titled (1970 French Release) Album Description:

In the grimy, industrial heart of 1970, Black Sabbath unleashed their eponymous debut, a record that would shake the foundations of rock music and birth a new genre: heavy metal. This wasn't your parents' rock and roll; it was darker, heavier, and steeped in occult imagery that both intrigued and terrified.

The album emerged from a bleak, post-industrial Birmingham, England, its sound echoing the city's factories and smokestacks. Sabbath's musical exploration was a reaction to the prevailing psychedelic rock scene, a deliberate descent into a sonic abyss. They cranked up the distortion, tuned down their guitars, and channeled a primal energy that resonated with disaffected youth.

Their music was heavy, sludgy, and ominous, with Ozzy Osbourne's haunting vocals weaving tales of paranoia, war, and the occult. Tony Iommi's innovative down-tuned guitar riffs, Geezer Butler's rumbling bass lines, and Bill Ward's thunderous drumming created a sonic assault that was both mesmerizing and unsettling.

The album wasn't without controversy. Religious groups condemned its themes, parents feared its influence on their children, and some critics dismissed it as noise. But the controversy only fueled the band's notoriety, drawing in curious listeners and cementing their status as outsiders.

Produced by Rodger Bain, the album was recorded at Regent Sound Studios and Tanhouse Studios in London. Bain, known for his work with other hard rock bands, captured the raw intensity of Sabbath's sound, giving it a visceral edge that set it apart from their contemporaries.

Black Sabbath's self-titled debut wasn't just an album; it was a cultural earthquake. It challenged the norms of rock music, paved the way for heavy metal, and gave voice to a generation's anxieties and frustrations. Its influence reverberates to this day, making it a landmark record that continues to captivate and inspire.

Production & Recording Information:

Music Genre:

Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Music

Label & Catalognr:

Vertigo 847.903 847903

Media Format:

Record Format: 12" Vinyl LP Record

Year & Country:

1970 – Made in France

Producers:
  • Rodger Bain – Producer for Tuesday Productions / Tony Hall Enterprises
Explore how Rodger Bain shaped the sound of heavy metal with Black Sabbath, Judas Priest & UFO. Discover his raw studio magic and groundbreaking production style. Read more
Sound & Recording Engineers:
  • Tom Allom – Sound Engineer
  • Barry Sheffield – Sound Engineer
Tom Allom is a legendary British music producer and sound engineer born in London in 1946. Renowned for shaping the sound of heavy metal, he worked with bands like Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and Def Leppard. His innovative style defined an era of rock. Read more
Album Cover Design & Artwork:
  • Marcus Keef – Photography and Cover Design

Band Members / Musicians:

Band Members, Musicians:
Ozzy Osbourne – Lead Vocals
Step into the world of the Prince of Darkness. Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal legend, has lived a life as wild as his music. From his Black Sabbath days to his outrageous solo career, explore the triumphs, the controversies, and the music that shaped a generation. Get ready for a journey into the heart of metal!
Tony Iommi – Guitars
Discover how Tony Iommi shaped heavy metal with Black Sabbath and became one of rock’s most influential guitarists. Read more
Geezer Butler – Bass
Dive into the legacy of Terry "Geezer" Butler — the bassist & lyricist whose powerful riffs and haunting lyrics helped define the sound of Black Sabbath and the entire heavy metal genre. From his Birmingham roots to global rock icon, discover how Geezer shaped music history and continues to influence generations of metal musicians. Visit his full biography now. Read more
Bill Ward – Drums
Bill Ward is an English drummer and percussionist best known as a founding member of Black Sabbath. Born in Birmingham in 1948, he helped pioneer heavy metal with his thunderous, complex drumming style. A key force behind the band's groundbreaking sound, Ward's career spans decades of influential recordings, live performances, and collaborations within the rock and metal scenes. Read more

Complete Track-listing:

Tracklisting Side One:
  1. Black Sabbath
  2. The Wizard
  3. Behind the Wall of Sleep
  4. N.I.B
Tracklisting Side Two:
  1. Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me
  2. Sleeping Village
  3. Warning
Front Cover Photo Of Black Sabbath Self-Titled Debut Album
The eerie front cover of Black Sabbath's self-titled 1970 debut album, showing a cloaked figure in black standing before a run-down English mill reflected in still water, surrounded by leafless trees and underbrush, under a sepia-toned sky. The Vertigo swirl logo appears top right.

The front cover of Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album features an unsettling, dreamlike photograph with rich, ominous detail. A lone, pale-skinned woman stands in the foreground, dressed in a flowing, all-black cloak. Her expression is unreadable—neither menacing nor welcoming—lending a supernatural ambiguity. She stands among a dense patch of fallen leaves and brittle, thorny undergrowth, beside the edge of a still body of water.

Reflected in the water is a weathered, old English mill with white stone walls and small, dark windows. The mill’s structure leans subtly, as if aging and decay have twisted its bones. Towering trees, their trunks thick and gnarled, rise on the right-hand side, partly framing the eerie figure and half-concealing the sky. The foliage bears the muted tones of late autumn or early winter—pinkish-browns and greys dominate the landscape.

In the top left, the band's name “BLACK SABBATH” appears in stylized, gothic lettering. Opposite, in the top right corner, is the iconic Vertigo swirl logo—subtle but distinctive in its psychedelic purple hue. The overall palette is subdued, with a haunted softness, as if the photo were lifted from a faded dream or 1970s occult film reel. The image evokes a mood of dread and timelessness, perfectly matching the music within.

Close-up photo of record label
Close-up of Side 1 record label from the 1970 French Vertigo pressing of Black Sabbath’s debut album, showing the Vertigo swirl logo, track listing, production credits, and catalog number 847.903 VTY.

This close-up image shows Side 1 of the original French pressing of Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album from 1970, released on the iconic Vertigo label. Dominating the top center is the hypnotic black-and-white spiral swirl—the Vertigo logo—evoking a dizzying sense of movement and depth.

Just below the logo, bold uppercase lettering spells out BLACK SABBATH, followed by the Side 1 track listing in clean sans-serif type: “Black Sabbath,” “The Wizard,” “Behind the Wall of Sleep,” and “N.I.B.”. Songwriting credits are listed below “N.I.B.” as (Iommi/Butler/Ward/Osbourne).

To the right, the catalog number 847.903 VTY is printed, along with BIEM and matrix code 847.903 1Y. Production credits at the bottom identify Rodger Bain of Productions Tuesday and engineers Tom Allom and Barry Sheffield. “Made in France” and “Side 1” are marked clearly on the left, while the bottom rim states rights and reproduction restrictions in a circular layout around the label’s edge.

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Ozzy Osbourne obituary tribute vinyl-records.nl
Obituary: Ozzy Osbourne (1948–2025)

The Prince of Darkness has passed. Ozzy Osbourne, a pioneer of heavy metal and cultural icon, left a legacy that reshaped rock music. From Black Sabbath to solo stardom, his voice, chaos, and charisma inspired generations. A true legend who blended mayhem with melody—and never looked back.

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 WWA 101 , 1975 , United Kingdom

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Thumbnail Of  BLACK SABBATH - Greatest Hits (1977) album front cover

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Thumbnail Of  BLACK SABBATH - Heaven and Hell  album front cover

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Thumbnail Of  BLACK SABBATH - Live Evil 2LP Netherlands album front cover

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Thumbnail Of  BLACK SABBATH - Live Evil 2LP Netherlands album front cover

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Thumbnail Of  BLACK SABBATH - Master of Reality album front cover

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Thumbnail Of  BLACK SABBATH - Master of Reality ( WWA Records )  album front cover

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Thumbnail Of  BLACK SABBATH - Never Say Die  album front cover

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Thumbnail Of  BLACK SABBATH - Paranoid ( Germany )  album front cover

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Thumbnail Of  BLACK SABBATH - Sabotage  album front cover

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Thumbnail Of  BLACK SABBATH - Vol 4 ( France )  album front cover

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Thumbnail Of  BLACK SABBATH - We Sold Our Soul for Rock and Roll album front cover

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