Watch Rare Late-’70s Footage Of BLACK SABBATH Performing Without OZZY OSBOURNE

When metallic followers speak concerning the large turning factors in Black Sabbath historical past, the headline second is clear: Ozzy Osbourne out, Ronnie James Dio in. That’s the origin story of Heaven and Hell, of a brand new, slicker however nonetheless crushing model of the band.

What will get neglected is that Ozzy Osbourne had already walked as soon as earlier than that well-known cut up. In late 1977, with the traditional lineup battered by medicine, burnout, and inside stress, he stepped away simply as Black Sabbath have been gearing as much as lower their eighth studio album, By no means Say Die!.

For a band already wobbling creatively and personally, dropping their frontman at that second was brutal timing. They nonetheless had a file to ship. In order that they went looking for a brand new voice.

Their resolution was as sudden because it was short-lived: Dave Walker, a seasoned singer with credit in Fleetwood Mac, Savoy Brown, and different outfits, was introduced in to entrance Black Sabbath. On paper, it’s a captivating transfer. You’ve acquired the godfathers of heavy metallic teaming up with a vocalist rooted in British blues-rock and exhausting rock – not the plain selection, however positively not a light-weight.

For a quick second, this was the lineup: Tony Iommi’s riffs, Geezer Butler’s bass, Invoice Ward’s drums, and Dave Walker on the mic, making ready to usher within the By no means Say Die! period.

Then actuality hit. Ozzy Osbourne had second ideas about his exit and determined to come back again. When he did, he made it clear he wasn’t going to sing any of the fabric Black Sabbath had put along with Dave Walker. No matter songs had been written in that in-between chapter have been successfully erased from the official story.

The consequence? Dave Walker’s time in Black Sabbath turned a type of half-mythical footnotes metallic nerds argue about on boards: it occurred, however no person might actually hear it.

Earlier this month, YouTube person Brian Schaefer uploaded what’s being described as the primary identified footage of Black Sabbath performing with Dave Walker on the UK tv programme “Look! Hear!”.

On the clip, the band eases into the intro of “Conflict Pigs” – one of the vital sacred songs within the Black Sabbath catalog – with Dave Walker on the mic. In addition they roll out an early model of the By no means Say Die! observe “Junior’s Eyes”, giving us a uncommon glimpse into how that tune sounded earlier than Ozzy Osbourne reclaimed the frontman position and the band reshaped the fabric round him.