The career of Black Sabbath came to a close with a picture-perfect farewell in 2017 at a sold-out hometown arena concert in Birmingham. However, their story includes numerous significant setbacks that diverted them from their intended destination.
When Ozzy Osbourne left the band in 1979, Black Sabbath was able to secure the talents of Ronnie James Dio. He filled a void that once appeared irreplaceable. Dio was an excellent addition to the heavy rock band. Initially, it seemed like a match made in heaven, but the good times did not last forever. In 1982, there was a power struggle over the mixing of Live Evil, and Dio eventually left the band.
He would later return to the fold, the rest of the 1980s proved to be an unusual period in Black Sabbath’s history. During that time the band struggled with identity. During this era, their singer’s role was similar to a conveyor belt. Unlike many others who took the position, former Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan was able to complete a studio album.
Gillan contributed to their 1984 album Born Again, intending to usher in a bright new era in their career. He had a track record in the music industry that seemed to make a natural fit. Tony Iommi never felt convinced, and his fears were confirmed by the final product.
Years later, while reviewing the album for Guitar World, the guitarist revealed, “When we first put that lineup together [Ian Gillan, Iommi, Butler, Ward], it was only on paper – done entirely by lawyers.” Ian is a fantastic singer. But he comes from a very different background [Deep Purple]. And it was difficult for him to come in and sing Sabbath songs. To be honest, I didn’t enjoy some of the songs on that album, and the production was terrible.”
Iommi isn’t the only one who dislikes the Born Again production, which Gillan also despises. Before hearing the final mix, the singer was excited and thought they had made a magical record, but those hopes vanished quickly.
During an interview with Spain’s Rock FM, Gillan voiced his disappointment about the album. He stated, “Look, I was disappointed.” I didn’t have the same mentality as the rest of Black Sabbath. I loved it, I had a fantastic year that was insane. However, when we finished the mixes… I still have a cassette of Born Again’s monitor mixes at home, and it sounds great — even though it’s on a cassette. And that was the last sound that resonated in the recording studio. When I heard the album, I said, ‘What is this?‘ The bass rumble was a little too much for me.
The former Deep Purple frontman compared the final mixes to a scene from Spinal Tap, claiming they were “unplayable on the radio“.
He expressed disappointment with the final production mix. I’m not sure what happened between the studio and the factory, but something occurred. So that was disappointing.
Handling the production mixes differently in another universe could have led Black Sabbath to include Gillan in their long-term plans. However, after the disaster of Born Again, a change was necessary, and they put Gillan’s head on the block.
