The Wizard (Black Sabbath song)
| "The Wizard" | |
|---|---|
| Cover artwork for the Paranoid single, as used in the Netherlands | |
| Single by Black Sabbath | |
| from the album Black Sabbath | |
| Released | 24 March 1970 (France)[1] |
| Genre | Heavy metal [2] [3] |
| Length | 4:24 |
| Label | Vertigo |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Rodger Bain |
| Black Sabbath singles chronology | |
| Audio sample | |
"The Wizard" is a song by the English rock band Black Sabbath from their 1970 album Black Sabbath . "The Wizard" was selected as their debut single in France, backed by "Evil Woman" which was released as A-side in many other countries. It was also the B-side to the 1970 single "Paranoid", which reached number 4 on the UK singles chart and number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4]
Information
[edit ]"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 .[5]
Personnel
[edit ]- Ozzy Osbourne – vocals, harmonica
- Tony Iommi – guitar, slide guitar [6]
- Geezer Butler – bass
- Bill Ward – drums
Covers and influence
[edit ]The song was covered by Bullring Brummies, a short-lived project featuring Black Sabbath founding members Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, for the 1994 tribute album Nativity in Black .[7]
References
[edit ]- ^ "Black Sabbath singles".
- ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Black Sabbath | Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved 13 November 2019.
Flush with eventual [heavy metal] genre classics like 'The Wizard,' 'N.I.B.,' and the aforementioned title cut, Black Sabbath was initially dismissed by critics
- ^ Wilson, Scott A. (2015). Music at the Extremes: Essays on Sounds Outside the Mainstream. McFarland. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-47662-006-0.
- ^ Strong, M. C. (1995). The Great Rock Discography . Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd. p. 65. ISBN 0-86241-385-0.
- ^ "Black Sabbath (album) review". Metal Sludge.
- ^ "Black Sabbath (album) review". Rolling Stone . 31 May 2009.
- ^ Parisien, Roch, Nativity in BlackReview, Allmusic , retrieved 15 July 2011
- Black Sabbath songs
- Songs written by Tony Iommi
- Songs written by Geezer Butler
- Songs written by Bill Ward (musician)
- Songs written by Ozzy Osbourne
- 1970 songs
- Vertigo Records singles
- Warner Records singles
- Songs about drugs
- Songs about wizards
- British blues rock songs
- Song recordings produced by Rodger Bain