The Wizard (Black Sabbath song)
| "The Wizard" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover artwork for the Paranoid single, as used in the Netherlands | ||||
| Single by Black Sabbath | ||||
| from the album Black Sabbath | ||||
| Released | 24 March 1970 (France)[1] | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal[2][3] | |||
| Length | 4:24 | |||
| Label | Vertigo | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Rodger Bain | |||
| Black Sabbath singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"The Wizard" is a song by the English heavy metal[2][3] rock band Black Sabbath from their 1970 album Black Sabbath. "The Wizard" was selected as their debut single in France, backed by "Evil Woman" which was released as A-side in many other countries. It was also 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]
Information[edit]
"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[edit]
- Ozzy Osbourne – vocals, harmonica
- Tony Iommi – guitar, slide guitar[6]
- Geezer Butler – bass
- Bill Ward – drums
Covers and influence[edit]
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]
References[edit]
- ^ "Black Sabbath singles".
- ^ a b 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
- ^ a b Wilson, Scott A. (2015). Music at the Extremes: Essays on Sounds Outside the Mainstream. McFarland. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-47662-006-0.
- ^ 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. 31 May 2009.
- ^ Parisien, Roch, Nativity in BlackReview, Allmusic, retrieved 15 July 2011
