The Wizard (Black Sabbath song)
"The Wizard" is a song by the British rock band Black Sabbath, taken from their 1970 album Black Sabbath. "The Wizard" was the B-side to the 1970 single "Paranoid", which reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4]
"The Wizard" | ||||
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Cover artwork for the single, as used in the Netherlands | ||||
Single by Black Sabbath | ||||
from the album Black Sabbath | ||||
A-side | "Paranoid" | |||
Released | 13 February 1970 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:24 | |||
Label | Vertigo | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Rodger Bain | |||
Black Sabbath singles chronology | ||||
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Audio sample | ||||
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Information
"The Wizard" is about a wizard who uses his magic to encourage people he encounters. In a 2005 interview with Metal Sludge, Black Sabbath bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler said the song's lyrics were influenced by the wizard Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings.[5]
Personnel
- Ozzy Osbourne – vocals, harmonica
- Tony Iommi – guitar, slide guitar[6]
- Geezer Butler – bass
- Bill Ward – drums
Covers
The song was covered by Bullring Brummies, a short-lived project featuring Black Sabbath founding members Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, for the 1994 tribute album Nativity in Black.[7]
The song was covered by Pride and Glory, featuring guitarist Zakk Wylde, on the second disc of the 1999 reissue of the band's 1994 self-titled debut album.
The song was sampled by Fatboy Slim in the song "The Weekend Starts Here" from the 1996 album Better Living Through Chemistry.
References
- Monger, James Christopher. "Black Sabbath | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
Flush with eventual [heavy metal] genre classics like 'The Wizard,' 'N.I.B.,' and the aforementioned title cut, Black Sabbath was initially dismissed by critics
- Wilson, Scott A. (2015). Music at the Extremes: Essays on Sounds Outside the Mainstream. McFarland. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-47662-006-0.
- Grow, Kory (18 August 2016). "See Revealing, Lost Black Sabbath Items From UK Auction". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- Strong, M. C. (1995). The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books Ltd. p. 65. ISBN 0-86241-385-0.
- "Black Sabbath (album) review". Metal Sludge.
- "Black Sabbath (album) review". Rolling Stone.
- Parisien, Roch, Nativity in BlackReview, Allmusic, retrieved 15 July 2011