Black Sabbath's Early Demos Put on Hold Amid Family Feud
A batch of early Black Sabbath demos recorded in 1969 under their former moniker Earth is set to be released, but the project has been derailed due to a family feud over ownership and copyright.
In June, the band's first manager Jim Simpson announced plans to officially release the recordings made at Zella Studios in Birmingham, England. However, just weeks before Black Sabbath's End of the Beginning concert and Ozzy Osbourne's passing, Sharon Osbourne revealed that she disapproves of the plan due to legal wrangling between Simpson's Big Bear Music and the band itself.
Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward recorded the demos just months before changing their name from Earth to Black Sabbath. However, the release has been put on hold amid tensions over who owns the demo recordings and whether they are out of copyright in the US.
Sharon Osbourne criticized Simpson's motives, stating that the band does not want the tapes released and have expressed concerns about them being shared despite promises to provide copies long ago. She warned Simpson that if he proceeds with the release against the band's wishes, Black Sabbath will take action to protect their rights both in the US and America.
The family feud has pushed back the release of the recordings, which were initially due out in July. Various online vendors are now offering pre-orders for the album, but no official release date has been set.
A batch of early Black Sabbath demos recorded in 1969 under their former moniker Earth is set to be released, but the project has been derailed due to a family feud over ownership and copyright.
In June, the band's first manager Jim Simpson announced plans to officially release the recordings made at Zella Studios in Birmingham, England. However, just weeks before Black Sabbath's End of the Beginning concert and Ozzy Osbourne's passing, Sharon Osbourne revealed that she disapproves of the plan due to legal wrangling between Simpson's Big Bear Music and the band itself.
Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward recorded the demos just months before changing their name from Earth to Black Sabbath. However, the release has been put on hold amid tensions over who owns the demo recordings and whether they are out of copyright in the US.
Sharon Osbourne criticized Simpson's motives, stating that the band does not want the tapes released and have expressed concerns about them being shared despite promises to provide copies long ago. She warned Simpson that if he proceeds with the release against the band's wishes, Black Sabbath will take action to protect their rights both in the US and America.
The family feud has pushed back the release of the recordings, which were initially due out in July. Various online vendors are now offering pre-orders for the album, but no official release date has been set.
. First off, can't they just sort out their differences and let the music speak for itself? These early demos sound super rare and cool, but now it's all about who gets to control the narrative? It's like, can't we just appreciate the music without all the drama? 
And what's with Sharon Osbourne being all protective of her fam's legacy? I get it, you want to keep their memory alive, but not at the expense of artistry and creativity. Can't they just find a way to work together and make this happen? This whole thing is giving me major " music industry stress" 
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what's up with this fam drama tho? I feel like Ozzy and Sharon should just sort it out before we get all excited about these old demos 
And now the whole thing is being held up because of some lame family feud over ownership and copyright. Get with the times, Sharon! It's not like these recordings are gonna sell for millions or anything. They're just old demos. Can't they just let it go? 
This is crazy... I mean what's a little family drama when it comes to some iconic Black Sabbath demos? 
The band's history is full of ups and downs, but this takes the cake. Sharon Osbourne's got some serious nerve throwing down the gauntlet on her brother Jim Simpson - "if you do that" ...yikes. The tension between the band members now seems way more complicated than just a simple case of ownership rights. I'm surprised no one thought through the implications before announcing the release plans 
. With Ozzy gone, it's like his legacy is still tied up in this mess 
. Can't wait to see how this all plays out... or not 
Can't we just leave the past alone and enjoy the music already out there? The fact that Sharon Osbourne is speaking out against the release just adds to the drama - it's like she's trying to keep them under wraps for some reason. I'm not buying into the "we don't want these tapes released" thing, sounds like a convenient excuse if you ask me... 
meanwhile i'll just be over here listening to sabbath's masterpieces on my vinyl collection 
Just when you're hyped about getting your hands on those rare Black Sabbath demos, now there's this mess going on. Family feuds can be so messed up, especially when it comes to important things like music history. It's not just the fans who are affected, but also the band's legacy and all the collectors out there who've been waiting for this release... 
like cant they just agree on something already!!! i mean sharon osbourne's got a point tho, its not right that jim simpson would just go ahead and release demos without the band's blessing...i've been waiting for these to come out for ages! 
but idk what to do, part of me wants them to be released so we can finally hear some of ozzy's earliest vocals 
... family drama at its finest 
... I don't get why they can't just chill out and let the music speak for itself 
. On one hand, you've got Jim Simpson, the band's former manager, who wants to make a quick buck off those ancient recordings. And on the other, Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's wife, who's fighting to protect her family's legacy and reputation 
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. But at the end of the day, it's all about power and control 
. Who gets to decide what happens to those recordings? The band members, or some greedy manager trying to cash in on their fame? It's a classic case of politics playing out in the music industry 
. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that someone will figure out a way to release the demos, but if not, there are plenty of other awesome metal bands to discover 
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