Re: Black Zeppelin Tapes

["john tyra" <green_acres1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sorry if this posts twice but I forgot to set the format to plain text the 
first time so thought it might get bounced

Not sure if this has been discussed on the list before but if it has I 
apologize for the redundancy but thought some might find this of interest...

I just started reading a new book about  Black Sabbath titled "Doom Let 
Loose" by Martin Popoff which after 100 pages is pretty good so far...

According to interviews with the Sabbath boys it seems they were quite 
friendly with Robert and Bonzo. They used to hang out quite a bit in the 
early 70's and according to the interviews even jammed together on several 
occasions. The story goes on for several pages and I am too lazy to type all 
the text so here are some interesting excerpts which I had never heard 
before....

Tony Iommi mentions they were very friendly with Robert and Bonzo as they 
were from the same town. He remembers when Bonzo used to play with a lot of 
local bands and was always getting fired for playing too loud. Bonzo was 
even the best man at Tony's wedding.............

There is a rumour of the so called "Black Zeppelin" tapes existing. 
Supposedly a book publisher was visiting an ex manager of Sabbath and 
noticed a box in the corner of his office marked "Black Zeppelin" The 
curious publisher was told that the bands were both rehearsing down the road 
from each other and as a lark switched singers for a bit of fun and the 
sessions were supposedly recorded. Ozzy, in another interview claims this 
never happened but remembers a jam session with Sabbath, Robert, Bonzo and 
JPJ which he says might have been recorded.

According to the book the  Zep SwanSong label was trying to sign Sabbath and 
Geezer claims they did have a jam session, minus Jimmy, and remembers it was 
mostly blues stuff  but doesn't believe it was recorded. Sabbath's manager 
recorded everything in those days but Geezer does not remember these 
sessions being recorded but does say they were probably stoned and does not 
remember what they played.

Bill Ward remembers Geezer Butler and Robert being very tight. He claims 
they worked on songs and arrangements together with the thought of doing 
something together but this evidently never went anywhere and he does not 
remember any recordings of the material being done.

During the recording of Black Sabbath Vol 4. at London's Morgan Studios 
Bonzo and Plant came down to jam. Bonzo really loved the Sabbath song " 
Supernaut" and sat in and played with the rest of the band. Bill mentions 
Bonzo really had the song down and it sounded "really cool" with Bonzo on 
drums but doesn't remember it being recorded..............

Hey it may be a long shot but how cool would it be if all these tapes really 
existed!!!

That's it for the first 100 pages.............

Not Zep related but I thought was funny...The coughing at the beginning of 
"Sweet Leaf " from the Masters of Reality album was Tony Iommi who had just 
taken a hit off of  monster spleef Ozzy had handed him during the recording 
so they left it in the song...I must have listened to that song a million 
times in my younger days so I thought that was a great story..............

And Oner, with all due respect my friend, as much as I like Wolf Mother and 
think they are one of the better new bands, they should be paying Zeppelin 
and Sabbath royalties for inspiring their music...........

Remember one thing, I love Zeppelin and no disrespect meant,............but 
........................................Black Sabbath invented Heavy 
Metal!!!