| Seventh Star | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Black Sabbath | ||||
| Released | 28 January 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 at Cheshire Sound Studios, Atlanta | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal, hard rock[1] | |||
| Length | 34:55 | |||
| Label | Vertigo Warner Bros. (US/Canada) |
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| Producer | Jeff Glixman | |||
| Black Sabbath chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [2] |
| Rolling Stone | [3] |
Seventh Star is the twelfth studio album by Black Sabbath, released in January 1986.
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. Glenn Hughes, ex-Deep Purple bassist and vocalist, was lead singer but did not play bass on this release.
Contents |
As this album was not originally intended to be a Black Sabbath record, its sound is a drastic (and intentional) departure from trademark Sabbath sound, especially its predecessor, Born Again. Many of the songs have a very hard rock sound, while some contain a bluesy feel (especially "Heart Like a Wheel"). Seventh Star was the first album to feature long-time keyboardist Geoff Nicholls as an official band member.
The promo-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. Hughes was sacked five dates into the tour, and replaced by Ray Gillen, who completed both the North American and European legs of the tour, though several dates in the US were cancelled.
Glenn Hughes has performed "No Stranger to Love", "Seventh Star" and "Heart Like a Wheel" at some of his live concerts.
It peaked at number 78 on the Billboard 200 chart.[4]
As with Black Sabbath's previous album, Born Again, Seventh Star has never officially been released on CD by Warner Bros. for the US and Canada. However, it is offered for sale as a download by Apple's iTunes service in these regions.
Seventh Star was re-released in Europe on November 1, 2010, in a special edition 2 disc set. Disc 2 includes a concert recorded in 1986, with Ray Gillen performing vocals for the band. In addition, the single version of No Stranger to Love was included as a bonus track on disc 1.[5]
All music credited to Tony Iommi, though additional lyrics were written by Glenn Hughes, Geoff Nicholls and Jeff Glixman.
Recorded at Hammersmith Odeon in London, on 2 June 1986, featuring Ray Gillen performing vocals
| Region | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 28 January 1986 | Vertigo Records |
| United States | 1986 | Warner Bros. Records |
| Canada | 1986 | Warner Bros. Records |
| United Kingdom | 1996 | Castle Communications |
| United Kingdom | 2004 | Sanctuary Records |
| Book: Black Sabbath | |
| Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print. | |
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