One of the most curious phases of the legendary heavy metal band was the one that brought the also iconic singer of Deep Purple into the lineup.
One of the most emblematic periods of black Sabbath happened when Ian Gillan took over the band’s vocals. The singer was there for a short period, between 1983 and 1984, and agreed to join after a night of drinking with the guitarist. Tony Iommi and the bassist Geezer Butler — proof that we cannot make decisions under the influence of alcohol.
The only album from the partnership, Born Again (1983), divides opinions. There are even more fans enjoying the album these days, but the questionable production choices undeniably affected the final result — even though good songs are part of that work.
In addition to the album, the group went on a full tour with Gillanwhich would return to Deep Purple at the end of that excursion. Besides him, Iommi and Butlerthe shows featured Bev Bevan (ELO) on the battery, replacing Bill Wardwho recorded the album, but decided to leave (for the second time) because he didn’t feel comfortable without the original singer, Ozzy Osbourne.
The tour, held in four stages between August 7, 1983 and March 4, 1984, contained some peculiar stories. One of them involves stage scenography: the musicians asked for a replica of the Stonehenge stones (a structure located in England) to be made, but the decoration item was too large to be transformed and placed in the performances.
However, the most curious element — and, in this case, recorded on audio — occurred in the repertoire. In addition to the opportunity for many fans to hear songs from Sabbath originally performed by Osbourne or Ronnie James Dio be sung by Ian Gillanthe tour offered something unique: the legendary metal band playing, perhaps out of obligation, “Smoke on the Water”classic of Deep Purple much more oriented towards what is today called classic rock.
Black Sabbath and “Smoke on the Water”
A recording available online shows the heavy execution of the black Sabbath for “Smoke on the Water”. The striking bass of Geezer Butler and the strong grip of Tony Iommi they made the version very heavy. The vocals of Ian Gillan were experiencing their peak, although their previous years were of low popularity — without the Deep Purplehe embarked on a discreet solo career.
The classic song was the moment when Gillan he felt more comfortable at shows, by the way. In a 2022 radio interview Rock FM (via Igor Miranda website), he admits:
“In addition to the songs from ‘Born Again’, we had to present the ones they did with Ozzy at the shows. I never felt comfortable, even though they were great and I could sing them. But I’m not him, it didn’t feel right.”
Listen to Black Sabbath perform “Smoke on the Water” below.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
