Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (1970)

The departure of Mick Abrahams left a glaring absence in the guitar slot of Jethro Tull's lineup. It was promptly (though briefly) filled by a young guitarist Tony Iommi. He was a member of the band long enough to be featured in "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus" (see Jethro Tull video clip) but left soon after due to leadership disagreements with Ian Anderson. Iommi then rejoined his old band Earth, which would rechristen itself as Black Sabbath.

Black Sabbath emerged from remnants of two fractured Aston bands. Tony Iommi (guitar) and Bill Ward (drums) came from the band Mythology while "Ozzy" Osbourne (vocals, harmonica) and Geezer Butler (bass) survived the band Rare Breed. The four merged in 1968 to form The Polka Tulk Blues Band, which would become Earth and finally Black Sabbath. They toured the West Midlands originally envisioning themselves as a heavy blues band, but as the band progressed in skill and style they began moving into uncharted territory. In particular, the ominous sound produced by the musical tritone and dark lyrics evident in their song "Black Sabbath" became the foundation for the sonic territory the band wanted to go in (which was counter to the prominent flower-pop of the time).

Signing to Phillips Records in late 1969, Black Sabbath released their first single in January the next year. "Evil Woman", a Crow cover, failed to chart. Sabbath was subsequently allotted two days in the studio with producer Rodger Bain to record their debut. Doing what they could with the limited time and budget, the band played the album live with minimal overdubbing and few second runs. The album Black Sabbath was released very quickly on Friday the 13th of February 1970 to surprising commercial success (23 on the Billboard 200).

Critics were not as favorable at the time, saying the band was a poor imitation of Cream and the "the worst of the counterculture on a platter" (Robert Christgau). Although this early Black Sabbath does not stack up in skill to Cream, reviewers failed to see the eponymous album as nothing but an imitation instead of as the divergence to a new style of rock and roll. Since then, the critical reaction to Black Sabbath's debut has improved dramatically, ranking with the best and most important recordings of all time. Despite the lingering heavy blues influences, the album's muddy sound, dark lyrics, and fascination with the occult mark its historical importance as the de facto origins of heavy metal.

Here is the discography surrounding Black Sabbath's debut album:

1969 Demo
Evil Woman (1970 single)
Black Sabbath





If you have a recommendation for what the next band in the Musical History Tour should be, please speak up.

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Jethro Tull - This Was (1968)

Pink Floyd gave the highlight performance for the first ever concert held at Hyde Park in London. The 1968 ticket also boasted three other young, talented bands of the time: Traffic, Fleetwood Mac, and Jethro Tull.

Jethro Tull officially formed in 1967, but Ian Anderson, the band's visionary, was active in Blackpudlian rhythm and blues bands since 1962 such as The Blades and The John Evan Band. These bands covered Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Wilson Pickett in their live sets, which they infused with a rough, edgy Rock. They also featured several artists that would later become members of Tull, but they remained in Blackpool when Anderson moved to London in search of more gigs.

Ian Anderson joined forces with Mick Abrahams to form Jethro Tull. Anderson played the flute (which he had recently picked up, forsaking his guitar), harmonica, and the piano. Abrahams added his skills on the guitar. The two shared the vocals. Clive Bunker on drums and Glenn Cornick on bass rounded out the group. From the influence brought on board by Mick Abrahams, Jethro Tull's style reflected a unique mix between blues-rock and jazz.

It took a while for the band to gain momentum, but they were eventually signed by the Ellis-Wright Agency. They released their first single "Sunshine Day" in February 1968. Their debut album This Was was released later that year on Island Records and was a strong showing of their style at the time. Although it was a relatively successful debut, Anderson and Abrahams would eventually clash on artistic differences. Abrahams felt the band was falling away from its blues-rock/jazz roots while Anderson wanted to push the band into the burgeoning progressive scene. "Love Story" would be the last single featuring Abrahams in the line-up.

Here is the discography surrounding Jethro Tull's debut album:

Live '66 (live 1966 recording as The John Evan Band)
Sunshine Day (1968 single)
A Song for Jeffrey (1968 single)
This Was
Love Story (1968 single)



If you have any suggestions for where the Musical History Tour should go next, give a shout. I'm open to anything as long as it follows an artist's chronological release history.

Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

While Simon Dupree & the Big Sound were exploring Abbey Road Studios and recording their debut album by the cover of night, three other bands were busy recording important moments in rock history at the same time. The Beatles recorded Sgt. Pepper's, The Pretty Things recorded S.F. Sorrow, and Pink Floyd recorded their 1967 debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

Pink Floyd began in 1963 with the friendship of Roger Waters and Nick Mason. They would head a constantly changing lineup of various band names until 1965 when The Pink Floyd Sound was solidified with Richard Wright on keyboards, Bob Klose on guitar, and Syd Barrett on vocals and as lead vocalist. Waters also sang and played bass (among other instruments) and Mason was on percussion. Bob Klose and "The...Sound" soon dropped. Pink Floyd stepped beyond their R&B roots and entrenched itself in the burgeoning underground psychedelic scene under the guidance of their managers Peter Jenner and Andrew King. Syd Barrett's performances as the frontman and lead guitarist imbued the group with a frenetic energy and extended the range of their musical experimentation.

As one of the leading bands of the underground music scene at the time, Pink Floyd soon perked the ears of the music industry and signed with EMI. Their first single "Arnold Layne", released early in 1967, reached number 20 on the UK Charts despite being banned by various radio stations for its references to cross-dressing. Their second single of that same year "See Emily Play" reached number six on the charts. Both songs were written by Syd Barrett whose life was now being affected by his regular use of LSD and bouts of depression. His influence was still enough to propel the band through their debut The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, considered one of the cornerstone recordings of the psychedelic sound. Although the album was able to capture the surreal elements of Pink Floyd's music, most fans at the time felt the recording didn't capture the band's energetic live performances.

Pink Floyd went on to record one more Syd Barrett penned single "Apples and Oranges" before realizing that they could no longer rely on him as they used to. Enter new member, guitarist David Gilmour (an old friend of Barrett's), who would make his first appearance on the 1968 single "It Would Be So Nice".

Here is the discography surrounding Pink Floyd's debut album:

Arnold Layne (1967 single)
See Emily Play (1967 single)
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Apples and Oranges (1967 single)
It Would Be So Nice (1968 single)
London '66-'67 (1995 EP of 1967 recordings)





If you like what you hear or have a good idea for where the musical history tour should stop next, feel free to holler. I'm open to any suggestions and any kind of music. Remember it has to be connected to this era Pink Floyd.

Pass the Headphones!!