Enough already. People can search “Tony Martin Sabbath” on YouTube and can find all they need without clogging up a thread with 24 videos in a row.
Just one more, then I am finished anyway I think. Interview featuring Tony Iommi, Tony Martin, Cozy Powell & Neil Murray, 1989 or 1990
You really are a boner killer... @blacksabbathrainbow thanks for the videos and to showing us there is great material that could have been used.
Pretty good description. While I think describing the era with Tony Martin as the “Tony Iommi era” is accurate, it does seem like Martin was at best a junior partner. The documentary on Dio doesn’t get into his finances during the Sabbath era (Wendy notes he had nothing to show for his Rainbow tenure) but I’ve never seen anything to indicate he was never less than a full band member. When Ozzy left, the band’s sales were low and they had earned the reputation of being blown off stage by their opening act, Van Halen. Joining Sabbath was hardly a lottery ticket for Dio and according to some reports the status of Geezer and Ward at the time was up in the air. The Dehumanizer reunion was also borne of desperation from both sides. Sabbath’s lineup was constantly in flux and Dio’s solo band had hit a commercial dead end. Wasn’t a whole lot of money either time to be argued about. By all accounts, the third time was the charm with everyone enjoying and respecting one another. I found it touching that Geezer often accompanied Dio to his chemo appointments.
Good list and that is about it. I'd add parts of "Electric Funeral" and "Spiral Architect." And it's not always as simple as "mimicking the riff." For example, on "Paranoid," he came up with a melody line in Dorian that absolutely makes the song, IMO. He's just amazing at coming up with vocal melodies, whether they mimic the riff, follow the riff, or soar on their own above the riff. Nobody has ever had a better touch than he does for that and its something he improved upon as he figured out how to use his Beatles influence within heavy rock. A melodic architect on another astral plane.
This story has become so ridiculously exaggerated over the years. I remember it being announced that Sabbath had sold out all 30 dates of their 1978 UK tour in a flash. It hadn't even been announced who the opening act was. Here they were playing the same huge arenas they had always played. Frankly it wasn't until Ozzy said later that Van Halen were upstaging them that I heard many people even talk about it and then over the years it became one of those over the top stories. I'm sure they had a some shows where a young and hungry band with the benefit of going on right when people were coming in and ready to hear some music stole the show for some people, but lots of bands that have been around and go through tough stretches have that happen in some people's eyes. And I'm sorry, but the notion that a band still headlining Madison Square Garden, the Philly Spectrum and so on was somehow "destitute" is just people trying to oversell what happened. Sharon Osbourne wrote to Eddie Kramer about possibly producing Sabbath circa 1979. That letter cited the problem perfectly; They were still a huge concert draw but they were having trouble selling records the way they used to in the US. Dio and Iommi definitely revamped Sabbath, resurrected them with a new sound and they hit the '80s with a ten ton bang, but this story has gotten just silly. Ozzy wanted to do a farewell tour before he was booted. Newsflash: Had they done that they would have been playing the same arenas yet again; hit album or no hit album. Sabbath even at their "lowest" was a bigger draw than Rainbow ever was here. Not saying that Dio scored a "meal ticket" or taking away any of his importance at all. But even Ronnie started overstating the issue through the years. He may not have even known because he was busy with Rainbow. But the post-NSD Sabbath was still a top act and playing Long Beach Arena in December of 1978 with no Van Halen even on the bill. The only weird thing about 1978 to me was when they went on second to Boston at Anaheim Stadium. Here was a band who were opening for them in '76 and now they agreed to open for them. But Boston's success at that point was so extraordinary that probably anybody would have had to open for them. I guess the Sabs decided they didn't care.
This won’t win any awards for journalism but has some good information on Tony Martin’s time in and out of Sabbath : Tony Martin Biography Including the bizarre origins of the “cat” moniker.
Tony Martin posted this on Facebook "I am REALLY thrilled that the Anno Domini collection is finally being released!!!... The guys have worked really hard to get it to this point. Thanks to BMG and everyone involved. I am assured there are further plans to extend the collection and I am not privy to the details but I was presented with the set at Tony Iommi's house and it really is a cool thing. A long time ago I gave away all my copies thinking at the time I would be able to get some more and it turned out that didn't happen so it's the first time in many years I have had these things in my hands. I truly hope you enjoy this collection it is re worked and re cared for and lifted into a much more Sabbath sound.... As we say here in Brum... it's bostin..!!! "
It’s fairly obvious that Martin wasn’t running the show. Iommi was the original member with the recording contract and the name. Unless there’s evidence that Dio was an equal partner, I have my doubts. Ronnie wasn’t under contract after Rainbow, and again here’s Iommi with a label, management contract and co-ownership of Sabbath. Maybe Dio got 10% but not 20-25%, just my opinion.
Wasn't there a Tyr show they could use for the boxset? I'm trying to remember if there was a soundboard recording (I'm sure there is plenty in iommi's collection)
My 2 cents: As major songwriters, Dio and Gillan were likely equal partners, with Iommi, Geezer, and Ward filling out the remainder in their respective line-ups. (With the Mob Rules lineup, Dio-Iommi-Butler likely made it thirds). When everyone left in 1984, Iommi just took it all himself - and the band name was to be theoretically retired. Thereafter, Iommi hired future band members on salary.
