Black Sabbath Online: Seventh Star

Released January 28, 1986 (US)
Released February ??, 1986 (UK)
Re-Released April 22, 1996
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[ Album lyrics | Tour dates ]

[ View my 20th anniversary look back at the Seventh Star album ]

Track Listing

In for the Kill (3:40)
No Stranger to Love (4:28)
Turn to Stone (3:28)
Sphinx (The Guardian) (1:11)
Seventh Star (5:20)
Danger Zone (4:23)
Heart Like a Wheel (6:35)
Angry Heart (3:06)
In Memory ... (2:35)

Writing Credits

Music/Lyrics by Anthony Iommi
Additional Lyrics by Geoff Nicholls, Glenn Hughes, & Jeff Glixman

Other Credits

Tony Iommi - Lead Guitar
Glenn Hughes - Vocals
Dave Spitz - Bass
Eric Singer - Drums
Geoff Nicholls - Keyboards
Gordon Copley - Bass on No Stranger to Love
Produced & Engineered by Jeff Glixman
Recorded at Cheshire Sound Studios, Atlanta
Originally Mastered at Artisan Sound Recorders, Hollywood by Greg Fulginiti

Catalogue Numbers

CASS Warner Bros 4-25337 (US 1986)
LP Vertigo VERH 29 (UK 1986)
LP Vertigo 826 704-1 (NL 1986)
MC Vertigo VERHC 29 (UK 1986)
MC Vertigo 826 704-4 (1986)
CD Vertigo 826 704-2 (UK 1986)
CD Essential/Castle ESMCD335 (UK 1996) - Remastered
CD Sanctuary SMRCD076 (UK 2004)

Notes

There is a music video for No Stranger to Love with Denise Crosby (Granddaughter of Bing and Star Trek actress) in it.
Glenn Hughes was fired about 5 dates into the tour and was replaced by Ray Gillen.
This was originally supposed to be a Tony Iommi solo album. Record company pressure forced Iommi to call it a Black Sabbath album, hence the official name of the band on this album being "Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi".
This album was never formally released on CD in the US.
There's a fan site dedicated to the Seventh Star album. You can check it out here.
I was sent this story regarding the Antony Aristovolou in the fall of 2002 regarding the artwork on the album. Very interesting stuff...

You probably know this, but since you haven't mentioned this on your site, (maybe you don't see the info as being too important), I thought, just in case you don't, I'd let you know that the back cover artwork on 'Seventh Star' is a copper-plate engraving print by the German painter and engraver Lucas Cranach the Elder. It is the appropriately titled 'The Torment of Saint Antony', and was made in 1506. St. Antony the Great, (otherwise known as St. Antony of Egypt), was a 4th century Egyptian, who first developed Christian monasticism, leading the ascetic life of a hermit in the desert, in his endeavour to rid himself of the temptation to sin and attain spiritual peace and oneness with God. It seems that Mr. Iommi himself was going through much torment by record company execs to call his solo project a Sabbath album, and also, maybe, due to more personal reasons. Seeing Iommi looking quite distressed on the album cover, standing in the middle of a desert, one cannot help but see striking parallels with the mental torment faced by Iommi's holy namesake in the deserts of Egypt. 'Sphinx (The Guardian)', and 'Seventh Star' seem to be Iommi's tribute to St. Antony and Egypt, where both he and his namesake await the end of this world, ("...let my spirit go, lead my burning soul to rest...a thousand chanting souls, waiting judgment from God's hand...the pyramids will fall...), and the coming of the new, (...the star will rise again, until destiny is done). I hope I have demonstrated that the relationship between the front cover photo of Iommi, the Cranach engraving on the back, and the two feature tunes on the album, are more than just co-incidental.

Artwork/Images

The images below are from a 1986 cassette release of this album by Warner Bros in the US I scanned myself

This is a promotional ad sent to me by Murillo Mathias:

Here is another piece of promotional artwork for Seventh Star, I am unsure of it's origin:
The following is cover art for the 12" single for No Stranger to Love

The following are pictures of the acetate version of Seventh Star when it was really obvious that it was going to be just a Tony Iommi solo album, not a Black Sabbath record. Photos are (c) Mitchell Foy. Click the "Seventh Star Review" image below to see a story from Mitchell about the acetates.

Here is an autographed copy of Seventh Star by Tony Iommi.

Here is an article about the band's feelings regarding itself. It was obvious this was done before the tour started, as everything was happy. When this was actually in the newspaper it appeared in, Glenn was already gone from the band.


	In for the Kill Thunder shattered the dawn Raging with fury, the king has come The power of terror will reign There is no mercy in pleading In for the kill, no quarter be shown Live for the thrill of battle alone Blessed by the will to die for the throne In for the kill In for the kill Freedom is taken by storm The blood on his hands is still running warm The power of terror will reign There is no mercy in pleading In for the kill, no quarter be shown Live for the thrill of battle alone Blessed by the will to die for the throne In for the kill For the kill Thunder shattered the dawn Raging with fury, the king has come Death and destruction riding the storm Blood on his hands still running warm In for the kill The king has come


	No Stranger to Love Cold is the night Lonely till dawn Cry for the light For the love that won't come You said that you'd never Leave me alone I gave you my heart You cried for my soul An angel won't come This devil won't go Something is wrong I just can't get away Living on the street, I'm no stranger to love Why can't you see I'm no stranger to love But I'm a stranger in your arms Yes, I'm a stranger in your arms Maybe it's right But I just can't understand The hurt that I feel For my love second hand I know I should leave But I just can't walk away Living on the street, I'm no stranger to love Why can't you see I'm no stranger to love Living on the street, I'm no stranger to love I'm a stranger in your arms Living on the street, I'm no stranger to love Why can't you see I'm no stranger to love


	Turn to Stone She came from the past She was never meant to last Her destiny was fatal From the start A messenger from hell She cast a deadly spell On all of those who dare To cross her heart Ain't no use in you trying to run Fate has taken it's toll Just one look and the damage is done Burn your eyes Turn your heart into stone History foretold of a circle Cast in gold An evil seed of power Sealed within But fate has lent a hand Destroyed the golden band And freed her soul To wash the land with sin Ain't no use in you trying to run Fate has taken it's toll Just one look and the damage is done Burn your eyes Turn your heart into stone She cast a deadly spell She put a spell on you She's got evil in her heart Turn your heart into stone Turn your heart into stone

Sphinx (The Guardian)

Instrumental

Seventh Star

There's a vision in the sands
Rising from the ancient past
Crying let my spirit go
Lead my burning soul to rest

Hear the sound of distant ages
It's the call of the seventh star

There's no shelter from the heat
There's no mercy from this land
Hear a thousand chanting souls
Waiting judgement from God's hand

Hear the sound of distant ages
It's the call of the seventh star
Hear the sound of fallen angels
It's the call of the seventh star

The pyramids will fall
Turn to dust before the sun
And the star will rise again
Until destiny is done

Hear the sound of distant ages
It's the call of the seventh star
Hear the sound of fallen angels
It's the call of the seventh star


	Danger Zone Midnight, something don't feel right It's been too much, too far away from home Hard life, living the hard life I can't resist, I'm falling To the danger zone All day long I'm pushed and shoved I just can't get enough In the danger zone Red light, don't stop for no red light You know I'm always trouble on my own Lonely, ever so lonely I've got too much time I'm heading for the danger zone All day long I'm pushed and shoved I just can't get enough In the danger zone I'm eager, eager to please I can't stand no more It's got me on my knees Ain't gonna feel no hurt Ain't gonna feel no pain I got nothin' left to lose I ain't got no shame Don't try to stop me Just leave me on my own I'm gonna live or die In the danger zone I'm living in the danger zone In the danger zone Hard life, I'm living the hard life I'm gonna take a chance In the danger zone Lonely, ever so lonely I'm gonna live or die In the danger zone Midnight, can't wait until midnight Help me I'm falling to the danger zone


	Heart like a Wheel In the days of confusion You've turned angry and cold You say it's an ilusion There's no fire in your soul Say you don't love me Say you don't care But don't leave me standing here Your heart's like a wheel Just waiting to roll It's longing for freedom To get out on the road You're hungry for something That you may never find So many reasons Your love has made you blind You say you don't love me You say you don't care So don't leave me standing here Don't leave me standing here You say you don't love me You say you don't care Don't leave me Don't leave me standing here Life ain't been easy Full of passion and pain Told me no reason Why I was to blame Don't leave me standing Don't leave me standing Don't leave me standing On my own


	Angry Heart I still remember how it used to be I thought the only thing That mattered was me You always told me it was just insane To feel such joy while others feel pain There's no way to change this angry heart Cause when love goes it will tear you apart And it's been this way since time began It's a desperate search for a promised land And the years slip by like so much sand So many people who are dying to live It tortures my heart they've got so much to give I never saw it as a battle before To win the fight There has to be more And there's no way to change this angry heart Cause all these fears Will tear you apart And it's been this way since time began It's an endless journey, it's the fate of man To live each day and never understand And it's been this way since time began It's a desperate search for a master plan And the years slip by like water through your hands


	In Memory... No one told me the way I should feel You left an aching heart Lost and lonely, the feeling goes on You were the one friend I had You gave me so much love Now the tears remind me you're gone It still haunts me there's a silence Where you used to be It still haunts me Just an empty space in history It still haunts me But life must go on, on and on It's still haunting me It's still haunting me Haunting me Haunting me