The Wizard (Black Sabbath song)

Last updated

"The Wizard"
Paranoid and The Wizard Dutch picture sleeve.png
Cover artwork for the single, as used in the Netherlands
Single by Black Sabbath
from the album Black Sabbath
A-side "Paranoid"
Released13 February 1970 (1970-02-13)
Genre Hard rock, blues rock [1]
Length
  • 4:24 (album version)
  • 4:46 (studio outtake)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Rodger Bain
Black Sabbath singles chronology
"Evil Woman"
(1970)		"The Wizard"
(1970)		"Paranoid"
(1970)
Audio sample

"The Wizard" is a song by the British hard rock band Black Sabbath, taken from their 1970 album Black Sabbath . It is the second track on the record. The song was composed by all four members of the group and was produced by Rodger Bain. "The Wizard" was the B-side to the title track of the band's second album Paranoid .

Hard rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music that began in the mid-1960s, with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. It is typified by a heavy use of aggressive vocals, distorted electric guitars, bass guitar, drums, and often accompanied with keyboards.

Black Sabbath British heavy metal band

Black Sabbath were an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968, by guitarist and main songwriter Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler and singer Ozzy Osbourne. Black Sabbath are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped define the genre with releases such as Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970), and Master of Reality (1971). The band had multiple line-up changes, with Iommi being the only constant member throughout its history.

<i>Black Sabbath</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is the debut studio album by the English rock band Black Sabbath. Released on 13 February 1970 in the United Kingdom and on 1 June 1970 in the United States, the album reached number eight on the UK Albums Charts and number 23 on the Billboard charts. Black Sabbath is widely considered the first heavy metal album. Additionally, the opening track of the album—Black Sabbath—is widely considered to be the first doom metal song.

Contents

Information

"The Wizard" is about a wizard who uses his magic to encourage people he encounters. In a 2005 interview with Metal Sludge, Black Sabbath bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler said the song's lyrics were influenced by the wizard Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings . [2] It was also believed to be about the band's drug dealer at the time.[ citation needed ]

Geezer Butler English musician, bassist and lyricist of Black Sabbath

Terence Michael Joseph "Geezer" Butler is an English musician and songwriter. Butler is best known as the bassist and primary lyricist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He has also recorded and performed with Heaven & Hell, GZR, and Ozzy Osbourne. He currently serves as bassist of Deadland Ritual.

Gandalf is a fictional character and a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He is a wizard, member of the Istari order, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West. In The Lord of the Rings, he is initially known as Gandalf the Grey, but returns from death as Gandalf the White.

<i>The Lord of the Rings</i> 1954–1955 fantasy novel by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 fantasy novel The Hobbit, but eventually developed into a much larger work. Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling novels ever written, with over 150 million copies sold.

Personnel

Ozzy Osbourne English heavy metal vocalist and songwriter

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English singer, songwriter, actor and reality television star who rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which he adopted the nickname "The Prince of Darkness". Osbourne was fired from the band in 1979 due to alcohol and drug problems, but went on to have a successful solo career, releasing eleven studio albums, the first seven of which were all awarded multi-platinum certifications in the United States. Osbourne has since reunited with Black Sabbath on several occasions. He rejoined the band in 1997 and recorded the group’s final studio album 13 (2013) before they embarked on a farewell tour which culminated in a final performance in their home city Birmingham, England in February 2017. His longevity and success have earned him the informal title of "Godfather of Heavy Metal".

Singing act of producing musical sounds with the voice

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice and augments regular speech by the use of sustained tonality, rhythm, and a variety of vocal techniques. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music that can be sung with or without accompaniment by musical instruments. Singing is often done in an ensemble of musicians, such as a choir of singers or a band of instrumentalists. Singers may perform as soloists or accompanied by anything from a single instrument up to a symphony orchestra or big band. Different singing styles include art music such as opera and Chinese opera, Indian music and religious music styles such as gospel, traditional music styles, world music, jazz, blues, gazal and popular music styles such as pop, rock, electronic dance music and filmi.

Harmonica free reed wind instrument

The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, rock. There are many types of harmonica, including diatonic, chromatic, tremolo, octave, orchestral, and bass versions. A harmonica is played by using the mouth to direct air into or out of one or more holes along a mouthpiece. Behind each hole is a chamber containing at least one reed. A harmonica reed is a flat elongated spring typically made of brass, stainless steel, or bronze, which is secured at one end over a slot that serves as an airway. When the free end is made to vibrate by the player's air, it alternately blocks and unblocks the airway to produce sound.

Covers

The song was covered by Bullring Brummies for the Black Sabbath tribute album Nativity in Black.. [4]

The song was covered by Zakk Wylde's band Pride and Glory on the second disc of the reissue of Pride and Glory . Wylde had also been a member of Ozzy Osbourne's solo band at the time.

Zakk Wylde American musician

Zachary Phillip Wylde is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and occasional actor, best known as Ozzy Osbourne's lead guitarist and as the founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. His signature bulls-eye design appears on many of his guitars and is widely recognized. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory, who released one self-titled album in 1994 before disbanding. As a solo artist he released Book of Shadows and Book of Shadows II.

Pride and Glory (band) American band

Pride and Glory was a side project for Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde. This was Wylde's first self-fronted project, before releasing his first solo-album, Book of Shadows, in 1996. After that he formed Black Label Society in 1998, which remains his current band.

<i>Pride and Glory</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Pride & Glory

Pride and Glory is Zakk Wylde's first self-fronted album. It has more of a Southern rock sound than Zakk Wylde's other albums incorporating the likes of banjo, harmonica and mandolin.

The song was sampled on Fatboy Slim's "The Weekend Starts Here", from his 1996 album Better Living Through Chemistry.

Fatboy Slim British DJ, musician, and record producer

Norman Cook, known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English DJ, musician, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist for the Hull-based indie rock band the Housemartins, who achieved a UK number-one single with their a cappella cover of "Caravan of Love". After the Housemartins split, Norman Cook formed the electronic band Beats International in Brighton, who produced the number-one single "Dub Be Good to Me". Cook joined acts including Freak Power, Pizzaman, and the Mighty Dub Katz to moderate success.

The phrase "Better Living Through Chemistry" is a variant of a DuPont advertising slogan, "Better Things for Better Living...Through Chemistry." DuPont adopted it in 1935 and it was their slogan until 1982 when the "Through Chemistry" part was dropped. Since 1999, their slogan has been "The miracles of science".

Related Research Articles

<i>Master of Reality</i> 1971 studio album by Black Sabbath

Master of Reality is the third studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released on 21 July 1971. It is widely regarded as the foundation of doom metal, stoner rock, and sludge metal. It was certified double platinum after having sold over 2 million copies. Master of Reality was Black Sabbath's first and only top 10 album in the US until 13, forty-two years later.

<i>Live & Loud</i> 1993 album recorded by Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne

Live & Loud is a live album recorded by then former Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne, released on 28 June 1993. At the time, it was to be Osbourne's final album following Osbourne's final tour before retiring, aptly titled "No More Tours". The track "Black Sabbath" featured the original line-up of Black Sabbath, the members of which were invited to join Ozzy as guest stars for the Costa Mesa Reunion shows.

<i>Sabotage</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1975 studio album by Black Sabbath

Sabotage is the sixth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released in July 1975. It was recorded in the midst of litigation with their former manager Patrick Meehan and the stress that resulted from the band's ongoing legal woes infiltrated the recording process, inspiring the album's title. It was co-produced by guitarist Tony Iommi and Mike Butcher.

<i>Vol. 4</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1972 studio album by Black Sabbath

Vol. 4 is the fourth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released in September 1972. It was the first album by Black Sabbath not produced by Rodger Bain; guitarist Tony Iommi assumed production duties. Patrick Meehan, the band's then-manager, was listed as co-producer, though his actual involvement in the album's production was minimal.

<i>Sabbath Bloody Sabbath</i> 1973 studio album by Black Sabbath

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is the fifth studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released in December 1973. It was produced by the band and recorded at Morgan Studios in London in September 1973.

Iron Man (song) song by Black Sabbath

"Iron Man" is a song written and performed by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released on their 1970 album Paranoid. The lyrics tell the story of a man who time travels into the future and sees the apocalypse. In the process of returning to the present, he is turned into steel by a magnetic storm. He is rendered mute, unable verbally to warn people of his vision of impending destruction. His attempts to communicate are ignored and mocked. This causes Iron Man to become furious, and drives his revenge on mankind, causing the apocalypse seen in his vision.

Paranoid (Black Sabbath song) song by Black Sabbath

"Paranoid" is a song by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, featured on their second album Paranoid (1970). It is the first single from the album, while the B-side is the song "The Wizard". It reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978</i> 2004 box set by Black Sabbath

Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978 is a collection of the first eight albums by the heavy metal band and a DVD of 4 videos. The set contains the albums recorded with original singer Ozzy Osbourne, who was fired in 1979 after completion of the band's Never Say Die! tour. This marked the end of the group's original line-up that featured Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward. All eight albums are digitally remastered and repackaged in mock vinyl LP packaging, including an 80-page booklet with liner notes written by Henry Rollins, Chris Welch, and Brian Ives. The discs included in the set are as follows:

"Black Sabbath" is a song by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, written in 1969 and released on their self titled debut album. In 1970, it was released as a four-track 12-inch single, with "The Wizard" also on the A-side and "Evil Woman" and "Sleeping Village" on B-side, on the Philips Records label Vertigo.

"Fairies Wear Boots" is a song by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, from their 1970 album Paranoid. It was released in 1971 as the B-side to "After Forever".

Nativity in Black are two Black Sabbath tribute albums that came out in the 1990s and 2000s. The albums were recorded with various heavy metal bands paying tribute to Black Sabbath for their influence on the heavy metal genre of rock music.

<i>Greatest Hits 1970–1978</i> compilation album

Greatest Hits 1970–1978 is a compilation album from Black Sabbath, released in 2006.

"Symptom of the Universe" is a song by the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, from their 1975 album Sabotage. The song was an early influence on the development of thrash metal.

Children of the Grave song by Black Sabbath

"Children of the Grave" is a song by British rock band Black Sabbath, from their 1971 album Master of Reality. The song lyrically continues with the same anti-war themes brought on by "War Pigs" and "Electric Funeral" from Paranoid, adding in Geezer Butler's pacifist ideals of non-violent civil disobedience. Two previously unreleased versions of this song are released on the deluxe edition of Master of Reality. The first is a version with alternate lyrics, the second an instrumental version.

After Forever (song) song by Black Sabbath

"After Forever" is a song by English rock band Black Sabbath. The song was released on their third studio album Master of Reality in 1971, and later the same year it had been released as the first single from the album, but failed to chart anywhere. The lyrics were written by Geezer Butler while the music was written by Tony Iommi.

<i>The Collection</i> (Black Sabbath album) 1992 compilation album by Black Sabbath

The Collection is a compilation album released by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath in 1992. The album was released on the label Castle, who released two CD versions of this album in the UK, both with the same cover art and songs. The album includes greatest songs of Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne prior to his dismissal in 1979, from the eponymous album to Never Say Die!. The album has 15 tracks, two from Black Sabbath, two from Paranoid, one from Master of Reality, two from Black Sabbath Vol. 4, two from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, two from Sabotage, two from Technical Ecstasy and two from Never Say Die!.

"Hand of Doom" is a song by the English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, originally appearing as the sixth song on their second album Paranoid, released in 1970. It has been performed in many of Black Sabbath's live concerts. The lyrics were written by Geezer Butler while the music was written by the four members. "Hand of Doom" is accepted as one of the best songs on the album by many fans of Black Sabbath. It is the second longest song on the album behind "War Pigs". The song was conceived after the band had observed a growing number of US soldiers arriving in England in the late 1960s from the Vietnam War with severe drug addictions. It is about them taking drugs to forget the atrocities of war, only to see it catch up on them and slowly destroy them from the inside.

<i>The End</i> (Black Sabbath EP) 2016 EP by Black Sabbath

The End is an extended play by English rock band Black Sabbath, and is their final release as a band. It was released on 20 January 2016. The exclusive, limited-edition CD was only available for purchase at tour dates for their final tour The End Tour. The first half of the album is leftover tracks from the 13 sessions, and the second half is live tracks recorded on tour between 2013 and 2014.

References

  1. ↑ Grow, Kory (18 August 2016). "See Revealing, Lost Black Sabbath Items From UK Auction". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  2. ↑ "Black Sabbath (album) review". Metal Sludge .
  3. ↑ "Black Sabbath (album) review". Rolling Stone .
  4. ↑ Parisien, Roch, Nativity in BlackReview, Allmusic , retrieved 15 July 2011
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.