Seventh Star
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Seventh Star is the twelfth studio album by the British heavy metal band Black Sabbath. It was originally written, recorded, and intended to be the first solo album by guitarist Tony Iommi, but due to label pressures and the prompting of band manager Don Arden, the record was billed as Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi. This seems a bizarre choice for many fans, as Iommi was in fact the only original band member to feature on the album. As such, some fans do not consider this to be a "true" Sabbath album. Glenn Hughes, ex-Deep Purple bassist and vocalist, was lead singer but did not play bass on this release.
As this album was not originally intended to be a Black Sabbath record, its sound is drastically different from previous releases. Many of the songs have a very bluesy feel, and it is notably less heavy than its predecessor, Born Again. Seventh Star was the first album to feature longtime keyboardist Geoff Nicholls as an official band member.
The single and video version of "No Stranger to Love" had additional harmony vocals added by Hughes to make it more "radio-friendly". Actress Denise Crosby, who would later portray Tasha Yar in Star Trek: The Next Generation was in the video.
There was a tour for the album, but Hughes only performed at the first few shows. His voice had noticeably deteriorated after a fight with Sabbath's Production manager had left the singer with an injury to his sinuses and throat. Heavy cocaine use also contributed to his inability to properly perform live. At the band's early 1986 Detroit concert, Hughes' voice had deteriorated to the point where keyboardist Geoff Nicholls provided "ghost" vocals from backstage and had Hughes lipsynch along. Due to Hughes' inability to sing properly, he was sometimes omitting entire verses of songs. Hughes was sacked thereafter and replaced by Ray Gillen, who completed both the North American and European legs of the tour, though several dates in the U.S. were cancelled.
This album has not been formally released on CD in the US, although it has been in the UK. It is available online to US customers and in the iTunes music store.
Glenn Hughes has performed "No Stranger to Love" at some of his live concerts.
Track listing
All music credited to Tony Iommi, though additionally lyrics were written by Glenn Hughes, Geoff Nicholls and Jeff Glixman.
- "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
Credits
- Glenn Hughes - vocals
- Tony Iommi - guitar
- Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
- Dave Spitz - bass guitar
- Eric Singer - drums
- Gordon Copley - bass guitar (on No Stranger to Love)
