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December 20,
2001
TONY MARTIN UPDATE
I get a lot of requests for information on what's going on with Tony
Martin. Well, I decided to ask him. Here's an update on
what he's doing straight from Tony Martin himself (he actually sent me
this a couple of weeks ago, but I'm not posting it until now, as I
wasn't entirely clear if he meant for me to use it on the web site):
--------------------------------------------------
Sure thing buddy,
thanks for keeping in touch. I am flying to Italy tomorrow to finish
the new cage album, which I'm pretty sure we're going to call "Poison
Roses"
From there I fly to New York to sing on the new Rondinelli album.
From there, all being well, I fly back to the UK to start rehersals
for a small tour with the Bailey Brothers. They have released their
first album but have been let down by their singer so we've agreed to
put a show on the road featuring Tony Martin, including their material
off their new album which is kinda Celtic rock/ Thin Lizzy type stuff,
and material covering my past including Sabbath, Solo stuff, and the
Blue Murder album that I wrote with John Sykes.
If it comes off, it's going to be quite a show. Appearing with me and
the Brothers are a couple of guys from Saxon on bass and drums.
When the dates are arranged I'll let you know. So, It's time that I
was hitting the road again, and this is the beginning. I'm looking
forward to it.
Hope to see you guys out there - Thanks again for keeping in touch.
TM
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December 18,
2001
UPDATE ON NEW RONDINELLI CD
MTM's RONDINELLI CD RELEASE DUE UP SOON:
Press Release:
The new album by Rondinelli, is not the result of four people deciding
to make an album; it is an album, which needed to be made and four of
the most respected musicians in rock music, were brought together to
do so. This work is the brainchild of drummer Bobby Rondinelli, who is
joined by an array of equally talented musicians - Neil Murray (bass),
Tony Martin (vocals) and Teddy Rondinelli (guitar). Through different
bands their careers have criss-crossed and as a result, a respect for
each other's talents has been formed. So when the concept was created
for an aggressive hard rock album, with a rhythmic, bluesy and
sometimes progressive feel, the choices for the band members were
obvious.
Bobby Rondinelli, who is currently with Blue Oyster Cult, is one of
the most noted drummers in the industry today. He is a drummer's
drummer, whose resume includes, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Quiet Riot,
and Doro. In addition to critically acclaimed solo projects, Bobby has
recorded with the Scorpions on their multi-platinum Love at First
Sting, and toured with Aerosmith, when their drummer was ill. More
than just a drummer, Bobby is also an accomplished author on drumming
techniques.
To compliment Bobby and to complete the rhythm section, who else on
bass, but Neil Murray? Neil gained his notoriety with Whitesnake,
followed by Gary Moore, Black Sabbath and Brian May. Neil is clearly
recognized as one of the premier bass players in rock music, ever -
and his playing on this album will not only satisfy his loyal fans,
but will surely convert new ones. A third veteran of Black Sabbath to
join this line-up, is none other than lead singer Tony Martin. As
Black Sabbath's lead singer for eight years, Tony's vocals lead some
of their most heavy recordings including, Headless Cross, TYR and
Cross Purposes to name a few. Tony was the obvious choice for this
project.
But, the stirrer that mixes this hypnotic tonic is Teddy Rondinelli.
Felix Pappalardi (ex-Mountain bass player, and producer of Mountain
and Cream), chose Teddy as his lead guitar player for his new band,
which was cut short by Felix's untimely death. Teddy was also featured
on the first Rondinelli album (with Ray Gillen on vocals) and has
continued to master his craft. Think of the adjectives - heavy,
technical, bluesy, melodic..., they all apply and this album will
prove to be his signature work. This line-up alone, warrants any rock
fan to give a listen. However, a word of caution, no matter how
experienced a listener you are or what you've heard in the past, strap
your seat belt on, because this will prove to be one wild ride.
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December 5,
2001
OZZY'S TOUR CANCELS TWO
DATES
Saw a news
story this morning about some cancelled Ozzy shows. Here's
the report I saw:
The much-beleaguered Ozzy Osbourne
and Rob Zombie Merry Mayhem tour has suffered two final setbacks. The
last two shows of the year -- scheduled for December 28th and 29th in
Los Angels and San Diego, California, respectively -- have been
canceled due to routing problems.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks
of September 11th, the tour's New Year's Eve show in Phoenix was
scrapped, and in November the tour was sidelined for three weeks when
Ozzy suffered a fractured tibia. The tour will now wrap up on the 23rd
in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Meanwhile, Ozzy's latest release, Down to Earth, was certified gold by
the Recording Industry Association of America last week for sales of
500,000. This is Ozzy's twenty-fourth consecutive gold record,
including recordings with Black Sabbath.
The next single from Down to Earth will be the ballad "Dreamer,"
Ozzy's favorite track on the new album. Zombie directed the song's
video, which was filmed in Los Angeles on November 27th and 28th.
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November 19,
2001
WIN A
FREE COPY OF OZZY'S NEW CD!
 In
celebration of the new Ozzy CD, I've gotten Ozzy's label to send me a
few copies of the CD to use as free giveaways. So here I am with four
new sealed copies of "Down to Earth" to give away.
As long timers of my mailing list know, I usually run a trivia
contest, and this time is no different. Anyone who answers the
following questions correctly will be put in a random drawing to win
the CD.
Questions:
1) Who immediately replaced Randy Rhoads as lead guitarist in Ozzy's
solo band?
2) Who are the lyrics of the song "Junior's Eyes" written about?
3) Which are the only two songs released during Ozzy's tenure with the
band that he didn't sing (that also weren't an instrumental)?
4) Who was the song "Suicide Solution" was written about?
5) What is Zakk Wylde's real name?
Please send your answers to
ozzy@black-sabbath.com - Please note that ANY EMAILS SENT
ANYWHERE ELSE THAN OZZY@BLACK-SABBATH.COM WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE
CONTEST, AND WILL BE DELETED. The contest will run till Friday,
November 30th.
FYI, all these questions were generated by looking for the info on the
web, either on my site or elsewhere. The answers are out there,
they're not that impossible to find out. :)
And also, in the free CD department, keep your eyes peeled, I have
some other giveaways, including Tony Iommi's solo album, NIB 2, Bill
Ward's When the Bough Breaks, & Rainbow's Live in Germany CD. Not all
new albums, I know, but if you don't have it, and it's free, what the
hell? :)
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November 14,
2001
OZZY OSBOURNE TRADING
CARDS AVAILABLE!
This week, I received some news about some Ozzy Osbourne trading cards
that are available. Check it out:
OZZY OSBOURNE Trading Cards!
In the 1960s and 1970s Ozzy Osbourne fronted Black Sabbath, the
heavy-metal band that forever changed Rock and Roll. Ozzy's subsequent
solo career established milestones in music history. Twenty years
after Ozzy’s departure, the original Black Sabbath reunited claiming
their rightful place as the Masters of Metal. Now Ozzy is back and
ready to conquer the world once more with a new album and titanic tour
with Rob Zombie! Now you can read and see Ozzy's complete story in
this all-new 72-card series, authorized by the Ozz himself!
*The first-ever trading cards featuring the Ozz!
*Biographical text with new and classic photos!
*Discography cards!
*7 cards per pack
*36 packs per box!
*72 cards per set!
*SPECIAL OFFER* For a limited time, boxes of OZZY OSBOURNE trading
cards are available for $69.95 + $5.00 s/h domestic, $12.00
international. Please check or money order to: Studio Chikara, 244
Fifth Avenue #2464, New York, NY 10001.
Below is a look at a few of
the cards. You can click on the image for a larger photo, which
has shots of more of them to check out. If you order these
cards, make sure and tell 'em Joe Siegler sent you. :)
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November 9,
2001
OZZY BREAKS LEG - SOME
TOUR DATES POSTPONED
This
afternoon, I received a press release about Ozzy having broken his
leg, and having to postpone some of the Merry Mayhem tour dates.
Here's the press release, once I get more info, I'll post it.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2001
OZZY OSBOURNE
FORCED BY DOCTORS TO POSTPONE
SOME DATES ON MERRY MAYHEM TOUR
Ozzy Osbourne has been
forced by doctors to postpone ten dates on the Merry Mayhem tour due
to a stress fracture in his leg. The fracture occurred when Ozzy fell
coming out of the shower before the Tucson show on 10/31. He was
unaware that the leg was fractured and continued to perform each night
until the pain became unbearable. It was only yesterday that Ozzy went
to the doctor and discovered that his fall had resulted in a stress
fracture injury to his leg. The doctor immediately ordered Ozzy to
stay off his leg and to cease touring to prevent further injury.
Ozzy is flying back to Los Angeles today to consult with his personal
physician to assess the extent of his injuries and to determine when
he can resume touring. The dates will remain postponed until otherwise
notified.
The dates immediately affected are as follows:
11/9 Houston, TX / Compaq Center
11/10 Bossier City, LA / CenturyTel Arena
11/12 Knoxville, TN / Thompson Boling Arena
11/14 Nashville, TN / Gaylord Entertainment Center
11/15 Cleveland, OH / Gund Arena
11/17 Cincinnati, OH / Firstar Center
11/19 Birmingham, AL / BJCC
11/21 West Palm Bch, FL / Mars Music Amphitheater
11/23 Greensboro, NC / Greensboro Coliseum
11/24 Atlanta, GA / Philips Arena
Further news regarding Ozzy Osbourne’s condition, and the rescheduling
of the dates postponed, will be forthcoming as soon as it becomes
available.
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October
4,
2001
NO NEW BLACK SABBATH
ALBUM?
There's
a wire story going around right now (here's
a local copy in case it's expired) that quotes Ozzy as saying that
the prospects of no new Sabbath music are likely. It's
getting a lot of carry on the news services, and I wasn't even going
to cover it, but I've gotten a bunch of panicy emails about it.
Here's my thoughts on the matter.
The word was originally
that they were going to record this past September for possible
release before the end of the year. That got shelved when Ozzy's label
insisted that he finish his solo album. Well, that's coming out in a
couple of weeks, and he's doing promo and a tour for that. Obviously,
it's gonna delay Sabbath recording. This is directed at everyone
who panics and thinks the sky is falling. "Oh god, no new
Sabbath album!!!" I've heard NOTHING concrete to say that
there still won't be a new Sabbath record. Everyone seems to
think that is the case just because Ozzy has to spend some time
promoting a new album. Does that mean a new Sabbath record is a 100%
lock? No, of course not - it could yet be cancelled, but as of this
time, it's not been. Furthermore, I've hearda lot of calls about
Sharon O wanting to not make a Sabbath album. Look folks, Sharon
Osbourne, despite what you may think of her is one thing - a smart
business woman. If anything, she knows that a new Sabbath record
(with her husband on it) will bring in a lot of $ for everyone
involved, and there's one thing a good businessperson does - is make
money. Personally, I think this press release is a way to
divert attention away from the clamor for a new Sabbath album so that
folks will pay attention to Ozzy's impending solo release - I still
think they will record come next year. Everything I said
above is as much news as I have on this issue.
OZZY APPEARANCES
Here's a couple of upcoming Ozzy appearances coming shortly.
Friday, October 5th, midnight VH1 - Rock Show
Kick off the weekend with hard rockin' videos from Ozzy,
Accept, Rush, Soundgarden, Tool.
Friday, October 12th, 11:35pm, NBC - The Tonight Show
with Jay Leno - Ozzy Osbourne
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September 25,
2001
WE'RE BACK
Well, I've
got the site's bandwidth restrictions removed - at least for now.
The problem I'm having is that the site has gotten too popular, and
was eating into my limit at my host. For now, I've got them to
return it to the way it was before, but I suspect that it'll be an
issue in the future. If you'd like to help the site
continue, please consider
donating
via the link to Amazon's Honor System on the front page.
Since
I've last updated, a lot of things have happened, here's a summary of
most of the bigger issues.
NEW SABBATH ALBUM STUFF
Ozzfest
2001 is over, and as expected, Ozzy is in final prep for his new album
release. He's gonna tour this fall, and my info says that when
Ozzy is done with his solo stuff, Sabbath will record in early 2002.
More details when I get them.
OZZY'S SOLO ALBUM &
OTHER OZZY STUFF
Ozzy's long awaited new
studio album, "Down to Earth" is going to be released on October 16th.
It'll be his first album of new material from Ozzy since 1995's
Ozzmosis. I've created a page for it in my discography.
Check it out. Here's
some promo text from the record label about this promotion:
Die-hard fans of rock icon OZZY
OSBOURNE don't have to wait until October 16 to buy his new CD DOWN TO
EARTH. Instead they can log on to www.getozzynow.com beginning Monday,
September 24 to purchase the CD and receive their copy up to three
weeks before it hits stores.
As OZZY enters his fourth decade as one of the major rock musicians of
our time, he releases his first solo album in six years, DOWN TO
EARTH, in stores on October 16th. Produced by Tim Palmer DOWN TO EARTH
features Zakk Wylde on guitar, Robert Trujillo on bass, and Mike
Bordin on drums. The album is bursting with OZZY's signature brand of
hard-hitting rock laced with driving melodies and crunching guitars.
There's no rest for the wicked as the listener is faced with 11
powerful tracks leading off with the first single, "Gets Me Through",
a song Ozzy wrote as an open letter to his fans. "Dreamer", "Junkie"
and "Running Out of Time" are just a few of the standout tracks on
DOWN TO EARTH. A limited edition 'CD Extra' with a video montage
featuring rare footage of Ozzy with Randy Rhoads ('Mr. Crowley',
'Crazy Train'), among other retrospective highlights from Ozzy's
legendary career, is also included on this special offer.
The video for
the first single "Gets me Through" on Sunday the 30th on
The video will air during WWF Heat
which runs from 7-8pm EDT/PDT. Check it out. I also got
word from Sharon's office that the official tracklisting is:
- gets me through
- facing hell
- dreamer
- no easy way out
- that i never had
- you know...
- junkie
- running out of time
- black illusion
- alive
- can you hear them
- b-side: no place for angels
In other Ozzy video news, he's
recorded some new footage to amend the VH1 "Behind the Music" special
that's been playing for a time now. There's a new 90 minute
version that includes the old show, and the new footage. That
will air in October.
Finally, I should be giving away
some free copies of Down to Earth the week that the album is released.
More details when that gets closer.
Yeah, it's good to be back.
I should be updating more regularly again.
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July 9, 2001
POST OZZFEST DATES
CANCELLED
I've gotten
enough emails on this, so hopefully you'll stop emailing me if I put
it here. :)
The dates that were on
sale for a short while on Ticketmaster have been cancelled. The
reason I can put together is that they were done so due to pressure
from Ozzy's record label to finish up the studio album he's been
working on forever (his last studio album was in 1995).
That's the reason, as best
I can tell. However, since they were never officially announced,
I never listed them here. I will only list dates once they're
officially announced by the band.
NEW SABBATH ALBUM NOT IN
2001
When the fact was first announced that Sabbath was going to be
recording a new album, it was hoped that it would be out by Xmas 2001.
That will NOT be happening now - as I spoke with someone on the
Sabbath tour who said that the band won't be going into the studio
until January 2002.
As for
when it will come out now? Who knows, but I'd say Summer/Fall
2002 is a possibility (which is total speculation on my part), I would
think. More news when I hear it.
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June 22, 2001
OZZFEST IS
UNDERWAY
As I'm sure you have already realized, the
current Ozzfest is underway. So far there hasn't been any major
news surrounding it - no one is sick, so far no shows cancelled or
postponed. :)
I will be posting tour
reviews once the Ozzfest is over, so make sure and send in some.
If you've attended an Ozzfest show, or will do so, please email in a
concert review, I'll use it on the site. Send it to
list@black-sabbath.com.
Thanks!
NEW
SABBATH TRACK
The Sabbath set during the current Ozzfest is relatively short - only
9 songs on the bulk of the gigs. One of the songs is a new one,
entitled "Scary Dreams". It's supposedly going to be on the new
studio album the guys are working on, but anything can change between
now and then.
Yes,
there is an MP3 of it floating around the net - and no, I won't be
posting it. I value my relationship with Sharon's people and
Sabbath management. :)
SOME SOLO ALBUM / SIDE
PROJECT NEWS
I've been
informed by Dario Mollo that there has been a deal struck for the Tony
Martin / Dario Mollo "Cage"
project to have a new record deal. Here's Dario's email to me on
the subject:
From: "Dario Mollo" <Email
withheld>
Subject: Mollo-Martin news
Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 18:10:57 +0200
Frontiers Records and Now & Then Productions can finally announce that
they have secured a worldwide multi album deal with the duo formed by
Italian guitar-hero Dario Mollo (of Voodoo Hill fame) and ex Black
Sabbath singer Tony Martin, namely, The Cage.
The two have already produced a self titled album two years ago which
had a very strong impact on the critics and the public in the hard
rock/metal world.
The CD is already taking shape at the world renowned Damage Inc.
Studios in Ventimiglia, Italy (The Cage; Anathema; Giuntini Project;
Voodoo Hill etc.) and tracks are being laid down by Roberto Gualdi on
drums, Dario Patti on keyboards and none other than Tony Franklin (The
Firm, Blue Murder) appearing as guest on bass.
Tony Martin is already busy recording his vocals and says: "This album
will include some of the most outstanding vocal work that ever came
from myself. The song Terra Toria has the highest note that I've ever
sung on an album: G#4!".
Dario Mollo adds: "It is going to be slightly more aggressive and
powerful than the previous The Cage album and the Voodoo Hill one, but
still it contains possibly some of the best melodies I have ever
written in my life!"
The release date is not scheduled yet, but the label aims to have the
album out before the end of this year.
In other news, the first
Badlands CD, "Badlands" has been
reissued. A news report from hardradio.com says this:
"Koch Records has reissued
BADLANDS' famous self-titled debut. Featuring former OZZY OSBOURNE
guitarist Jake E. Lee, KISS and current ALICE COOPER drummer Eric
Singer, bassist Greg Chaisson, and vocalist Ray Gillen, Badlands was
originally released in 1989. The album was produced by Paul O'Neill,
noted for his work with SAVATAGE and the TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
Bassist Greg Chaisson reminisces: "Badlands was the best band and best
musical experience of my career, and while it wasn't the easiest album
to make, it is good album and we had a good time touring on it.
Besides, Ray was the best singer of his time, Jake is a genius and
Eric (as his career speaks for itself) is one of rocks all time great
drummers! Jake's music gave me the chance to be my most creative, and
I'll always be grateful for that chance!!" The album charted on the
Billboard Top 200 at a respectable #57, and remained on the charts for
26 weeks. Videos were produced for 'Winter's Call' and 'Dreams In The
Dark' which assisted in the success of the record."
OZZY SOLO ALBUM NEWS
At the current Ozzfest,
some info has been divulged about the first studio Ozzy solo album
since 1995.
An ad announcing his
impending solo album adorned Ozzy's tour bus at Friday's festival
kickoff in Tinley Park, Illinois, and Black Sabbath's performance was
preceded by, essentially, a commercial for it. Ozzy's first solo album
since 1995's Ozzmosis, scheduled for release October 16, is described
by producer Tim Palmer (U2, Robert Plant) as "a contemporary rock
record" reflecting influences ranging from the Beatles to some new
bands that may have got their start on past Ozzfests.
Thanks to
ozzyhead.com for
that text.
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May
24, 2001
RONDINELLI GETS NEW
VOCALIST
Picked up this small news piece...
"Drummer Bobby Rondinelli has changed the vocalist for his
currently-in-recording studio project called simply, Rondinelli. Joining
Bobby will be rock legend Neil Murray and vocalist Tony Martin, in for Glenn
Hughes who will not be a part of the project."
As I have contacts with
Bobby, Neil, & Tony, I'm firing off some emails to ask them if
there's anything they'd like to add to this.
ME AGAIN
Well, I again missed
out on some updates, but this time it was work related. I was
out of town on a business trip, and I had prep work before and clean
up work afterwards. Today's the first day I've had to update the
site again. :)
Don't forget to check out
the site revision history page for a
detailed summary of what's changed.
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May
3, 2001
 ME & THE SITE
Sorry for the big delay
again in updates. I had some family in visiting me, and then
I've hit a new round of health issues that has drained me mentally and
physically, I just didn't feel like working on anything.
However, I'm back, as you can
see. Check out the site revision page
for details.
My site was picked as
"Fan site of the week" over at musictoday.com. Check
out the image to your right - this is what their site showed for my
'award'. You can visit musictoday by checking out http://www.musictoday.com.
OZZY'S
MOTHER DIES
On or about April 10th,
Ozzy's mother passed away. Ozzy had the following to say:
"Mum
died of Diabetes and kidney problems. She went peacfully in her sleep,
unlike dad who had cancer and died in pain. I'd been to see her a week
before and she's seemed fine. I never thought I'd be affected, I
wasn't affected when my dad died. But it's different with mum, it
knocks the stuffing out of me. I didn't go to the funeral. They f***
me up to much. I've been to enough funerals to last a lifetime. It
might have pushed me over the edge. I thought I was going nuts last
year. I was driving around with spears. I was near the dark side. It
was like I was waking up with the worlds worst hangover but I hadn't
had a drink. I'm glued together with medicaction. I'm on everything
proper psychotic medication. If I don't pop pills I lose it. I'm a
f***ing nutter, I won't last to 85."
OZZFEST TV
If you head over to the
Ozzfest web site, you can check out a new feature there called "Ozzfest
TV". There you can view what they call "Beat Club
2001", which is a video of Black Sabbath's sound check
performance for the recent ESPN Action Sports & Music Awards
show. Here's a cool still shot from the show. Click on it
to go to the page where you can watch the video in several formats.
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April
10, 2001
NEIL MURRAY & COMPANY
OF SNAKES MEMORABILIA AUCTION
I got this about a week
ago, but haven't had a chance to put it online till now. Check
this out..
Hello Joe,
Starting on Sunday,
April 15th we will have a Neil Murray auction on the COS web page!
Neil Murray is going to auction 6 Whitesnake shirts, plus 6 Black
Sabbath, 6 Brian May and a couple of Bernie Marsden, Guns N' Roses
and Gary Moore items.
Neil is willing to sign
all shirts and it is probably possible for Micky Moody and Bernie
Marsden to sign them too...
A list of all items and
auction details will be on the Company of Snakes web page (http://www.companyofsnakes.com)
very soon.
Probably around the same
time, Neil Murray will do an auction of magazines on e-bay. details
for this will also be on the COS web page!
Please do me/us a very
big favor and put this on your page, spread it in every discussion
board, sent it to every magazine and any person you can think of!
Thanks!
Best regards, Michael
http://www.companyofsnakes.com
SABBATH ON ESPN AWARDS
SHOW TONIGHT
Sorry for the lack of
delays, that thing called "my real job" has been taking a
lot of my time lately. :) Seriously, tonight on ESPN
is their Music & Sports Awards Show. Sabbath plays, and is
introduced by Rob Zombie. Check your local listings for times.
Also, last night was a
chat with Geezer Butler on the ESPN site. Details on that to
come.
ZAKK WYLDE & OZZFEST
Zakk Wylde's (former
Ozzy guitarist) band, Black Label Soceity, has been moved from the
second stage to the main stage on Ozzfest 2001. I felt he didn't
really deserve to be on the second stage anyway - not unless he was
headlining.
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March
14th, 2001
TONY, OZZY, GEEZER, &
BILL TO RECORD A NEW STUDIO BLACK SABBATH ALBUM!
This is the news that I
think just about every Black Sabbath fan has been waiting for for a
long long time. There was a Kerrang article that came out today
that talked about Sabbath being in a recording studio working on
material. Well, I spoke with Sharon's office today, and I can
officially confirm..
BLACK
SABBATH WILL BE RECORDING A NEW ALBUM IN 2002!
The lineup will by Tony
Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, & Bill Ward (along with Geoff
Nicholls, as far as I know). Anyway, the guys are currently in a
studio in the UK writing and rehearsing new material along with
producer Rick Rubin, although the bulk of the album will be recorded
in Los Angeles, from what I can tell.
The idea is to work on the
new material a little longer, then go out and do the Ozzfest 2001
dates, and after that's done, go back into the studio in early
September to record and finish the thing. The idea
is to have it out and available for this coming Christmas. I
repeat, THAT IS THE PLAN - you never know how these
things change.
(UPDATE: It changed.
Ozzy's solo album got in the way - Sabbath should start recording in
early 2002).
Also, how this will impact
the three studio albums currently under way (and near completion too,
from what I can tell) by Ozzy, Bill, & Geezer, I don't know.
Here's some text I was
sent that will be appearing on the Ozzfest site shortly..
SABBATH MIXING AND TOSSING NEW RAT
SALAD
The black cat is out of the bag: Black Sabbath - Ozzy Osbourne, Tony
Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward - have not only been rehearsing on
an English soundstage, they've been collaborating, riffing, and
brainstorming new songs, too. The Prince of Darkness, Tony Iommi,
has been stockpiling riff after mighty riff since putting the
finishing touches on his solo album last year, bringing with him a
heavy hand of doom to the rehearsals and inviting Ozzy's mirthless
melody lines and Geezer's gloomy wordplay to the writing table. With
recording sessions planned for the Fall and Rick Rubin slated to
produce this may well be the story of the year! The original
Black Sabbath has not recorded a full album of new material since
1978's 'Never Say Die'. All hail Black Sabbath!
This is all the news I
have on this situation for now - once I get more information on this,
believe me, I'll be sure and pass it on. :)
OZZFEST 2001 TOUR DATES
RELEASED!
Sharon's office has
released the official list of 2001 Ozzfest tour dates. They're
up now on my Ozzfest 2001 tour page
- check 'em out!
SABBATH TO PLAY ESPN
AWARDS SHOW!
In an odd bit of news,
Sabbath will be playing the ESPN Awards Show on April 10th. The
actual name of the show is "ESPN's Action Sports & Music
Awards Show". Check your local listings for more info.
MORE OZZFEST INFO
I just found out that
the second stage/first stage stuff will be playing out slightly
differently this time around than in the previous Ozzfests. All
of the second stage bands will play before the first main stage band
goes on. Also, the rest of the second stage acts have been
announced:
Distrubed (headliner), The Union Underground, Systematic, Drowning Pool, Nonpoint, American Head Charge, Beautiful Creatures, Hatebreed, Black Label Society, Pure Rubbish, Mudvayne, Cold, & Taproot.
That's rather a lot of
bands, if you ask me. :) They join the main stage bands Marilyn
Manson, Slipknot, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Crazy Town and festival headliners Black Sabbath.
THE OZZFEST "THE
PIT" PROMOTION
Here's some information on "The Pit"
promotion for Ozzfest 2001...
Listed below are the markets with enough balls take on the Pit! The rest either couldn't or wouldn't do it!! Some shows are already general admission so the whole venue (or at least the floor) is already a swirling mad vortex. There is nothing we can do to change a venue's decision not to take part.
Here's how it works: visit Ozzfest.com during the times listed below, fill out a short form, and get the link to the purchase page. THIS IS AN INTERNET-ONLY PROMOTION BROUGHT TO YOU BY OZZFEST.COM and will ONLY be available during the set 12 hour time window. An exclusive t-shirt for Pit Pass holders will be included and sent with your ticket(s).
Pre-sale for Friday, March 16 10am Pacific Time till 10pm
San Bernardino, Calif.
Bristow, Va.
Pre-sale for Friday, March 23 time TBD
Charlotte, N.C.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Pre-sale for Monday, March 23 time TBD
Atlanta, Ga.
Pre-sale for Thursday, March 29 time TBD
Dallas, Tex.
Pre-sale for Friday, April 6 time TBD
St. Louis, Mo.
Kansas City, Mo.
Pre-sale for Wednesday, May 4 time TBD
San Antonio, Tex.
NOTE: the pre-sale applies ONLY to the Pit! Pavilion and lawn seating will be available for purchase starting on the general on-sale date.
If you have further questions, send e-mail to administrator@ozzy.com.
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February
27, 2001
THE LAST SUPPER TO BE ON
VH-1
Last year, Black
Sabbath released a concert video of their Reunion Tour entitled
"The Last Supper". Well, if you haven't bought it (or
if you just want to watch it again), check out the US music channel
VH-1 this Friday night.
They will be running a
shortened version of the concert footage. The program is in a
one hour time slot, and it ran longer than that - so some songs will
be dropped. What they're showing - I have no idea.
However, if you get VH-1
(I'm pretty sure the VH-1 in Europe isn't carrying this - at least not
now), check it out. Current scheduled air dates:
- Friday March 2nd @ 11PM
EST & PST
- Tuesday March 6th @ 2AM
EST & PST
- Wednesday March 7th @
2AM EST & PST
Confirm with your local TV guide
information for further details - this info comes from the VH1 site
& Yahoo's TV listings.
If you'd like to purchase
the video, you can do so either on NTSC
VHS or a Region
1 DVD. (NTSC means North American VCR's).
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February
9, 2001
THE NEW SITE IS HERE!
Yes, it's finally
here! My new site redesign is here! I'm very proud of the new
look. My Sabbath site has been around in some form or another since early
1995, and for the first time ever, it's got a cohesive, professional look!
For the moment, there isn't any new content - the content is the same as before,
but it was a big project rewriting all the pages with the new look.
Some typos and various text related issues have been corrected, however. I
have a huge pile of pictures to go online, and now that the site's
done, I'll be getting to work on getting them online immediately.
The site looks best at 1024/768
(full screen, of course), but looks pretty good at 800/600. If you are
still using 640/480 in 2001, spend some money and get a bigger monitor. I
make no attempt for text based browsers such as Lynx - this is a graphic look,
obviously.
Take a look around, and let
me know what you think. I'd love to hear what you have to
say.
DIO NEWS
Right now Ronnie is
finishing up a month of vacation but will continue the Magica tour
this month. Some US dates are apparently planned, as well as
apparently bigger tours in Europe and South America, possibly also
Japan. Also, the Deep Purple concerto tour will also have a few dates
in the USA if everything goes fine.
Ronnie's also working on a
sequel to the Hear 'N Aid project, titled as Children Of The Night.
Supports kids living on the streets in LA. Then, the Elf reunion
project is still under work, something will most likely happen this
year.
Dio'll apparently go to
studios in the summer and the new album is tentatively (very
tentatively I'd guess) scheduled for October release. It won't be a
concept piece "but a real rocker instead."
Thanks to Tapio
for the Dio news.
 DAVE
DONATO & WHITE TIGER
Back in mid 1984, Dave
"Donut" Donato was one of the people who was associated with
the band for a brief time. He never recorded or toured with
Sabbath, but hard cores know his name. (Check out Donato's bio page
here for more info).
Anyway, after his
association with Black Sabbath, he went and formed a band called White
Tiger (with Mark St. John, ex of Kiss). They made an album, but
it's been out of print for a long time.
I was looking through some
old mail, and found someone had emailed me awhile back telling me it
was available. I checked, and it appears you can still get
it. Check out http://www.emcrecords.net
if you'd like to order it. I still have a cassette of this that
I bought back in 1985 - sure it's mid 80's (check out the hair), but
his voice is pretty good, I thought.
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February
2, 2001
BLACK SABBATH TO HEADLINE OZZFEST
2001
I received this email
from Sharon Osbourne's office today about Ozzfest 2001. Check it out.
:)
-----
There's no need for hype,
hoopla, and puffery. The Ozzfest 2001 will showcase the heaviest
line-up yet. The Main Stage bill is confirmed.
BLACK SABBATH
Marilyn Manson
Slipknot
Papa Roach
Linkin Park
Disturbed
Tour dates, venues, second stage line-up, ticket on-sale dates, and
other announcements to follow in the coming weeks.
-----
The last time that Ozzfest
tried to take Marilyn Manson out on tour, there were a lot of problems
with places not wanting the gigs there. Let's see if that
happens again - especially a double bill of "Black Sabbath &
Marilyn Manson".
I placed a call to
Sharon's office today, and confirmed - the Black Sabbath that will
play will be Tony, Ozzy, Geezer, & Bill. No word on Geoff
Nicholls, but I can't imagine they'd go out without Geoff at this
point. :)
More news when I get it.
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