Headless Cross
Encyclopedia
Headless Cross is the fourteenth album by heavy metal
band Black Sabbath
, released in April 1989.
This is the band's second album to feature singer Tony Martin and the first to feature drummer Cozy Powell
.
played bass on the recording on a session-basis but was never an official band member. Cottle did appear in the video for the title track, but was not featured in any promotional photos.
Headless Cross was praised among critics and fans, being considered the best Sabbath album in years and is an album that both Martin and Tony Iommi
are very proud of. The lyrics on the album have predominantly Satanic
and occult
elements, the only time in the band's career where an entire album is based on such ideals rather than select songs. Sales-wise, the album and tour did very well in the U.K. and Europe. Sales in the U.S. were low leading to the curtailment of the tour. In interviews, the band cited lack of promotion of the live dates to have been the problem. It spent eight weeks on the Billboard 200
chart where it peaked at number 115.
The track "When Death Calls" has a guitar solo by Queen
guitarist Brian May
. He is the only guitarist to guest on a Black Sabbath song.
According to the sleeve notes, the cover was designed by Kevin Wimlett. The U.K. sleeve was in black-and-white, whilst the German release added colour.
The song "Call of the Wild" was originally going to be titled "Hero", but when Ozzy Osbourne
used that title on his album No Rest for the Wicked
, Tony Iommi opted to change its title. "Devil & Daughter" also had the original title "Devil's Daughter", but was changed for the same reason.
"Call of the Wild" and "Devil & Daughter" are also the only songs that do not end slowly fading out with Tony Martin ad-libbing (though "Nightwing" has only the band performing fading out with no ad-libbing on Martin's part).
For the live show in support of this album, "Ave Satani", the main theme from Jerry Goldsmith
's Oscar-winning soundtrack for The Omen
, was used as the intro tape, beginning as the house lights went down. This would then segue into a taped recording of "The Gates of Hell" before the band would begin the show with "Headless Cross". This intro-tape of "Ave Satani/The Gates of Hell" was used as many times during various tours over the years up until the Reunion shows. "Headless Cross" would be played on all subsequent tours when Tony Martin was in the band but the only other track from the "Headless Cross" album to last beyond that tour was "When Death Calls".
"Headless Cross" yielded two radio singles; an edit of the title track and "Devil & Daughter". The former was available as a 7", personally signed by Iommi, and a 12" poster-sleeve, this latter being limited to 2,500 copies.
"Devil & Daughter" was released as a 7" picture disc, a 12 picture-sleeve, and a 7" box-set, containing the single, some postcards and a stencil of the band's logo.
The bonus track "Cloak and Dagger" was the B-side to the "Headless Cross" single, and was later on the vinyl picture disc
edition. At this time, the only CD versions of the "Headless Cross" edit and of "Cloak and Dagger" were on separate promotional CDs.
The first recording of "Black Moon" was a B-side to a single of The Eternal Idol
, performed in a different key.
Reportedly, according to Tony Martin, the vocals on "Nightwing" were actually the original guide vocals but for whatever reason were kept in the final recording.
"Headless Cross" is about a part of a town south of Sabbath's native Birmingham
, Headless Cross in Redditch
, and is reportedly named after all the church crosses were defaced during the plague that struck the town's inhabitants centuries earlier. (See: Districts of Redditch
)
The disc is currently out of print. However, the album will be re-released in deluxe format "in due course" once a new record deal has been negotiated covering all the albums formerly released through I.R.S. Records
.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, released in April 1989.
This is the band's second album to feature singer Tony Martin and the first to feature drummer Cozy Powell
Cozy Powell
Colin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:...
.
Album information
Laurence CottleLaurence Cottle
Laurence Cottle is an electric bass guitarist and composer.-Career:His solo recordings have been mostly in the jazz and jazz-fusion vein, with such notable releases as Five Seasons, Laurence Cottle Quintet Live and others....
played bass on the recording on a session-basis but was never an official band member. Cottle did appear in the video for the title track, but was not featured in any promotional photos.
Headless Cross was praised among critics and fans, being considered the best Sabbath album in years and is an album that both Martin and Tony Iommi
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
are very proud of. The lyrics on the album have predominantly Satanic
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
and occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
elements, the only time in the band's career where an entire album is based on such ideals rather than select songs. Sales-wise, the album and tour did very well in the U.K. and Europe. Sales in the U.S. were low leading to the curtailment of the tour. In interviews, the band cited lack of promotion of the live dates to have been the problem. It spent eight weeks on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart where it peaked at number 115.
The track "When Death Calls" has a guitar solo by Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
guitarist Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
. He is the only guitarist to guest on a Black Sabbath song.
According to the sleeve notes, the cover was designed by Kevin Wimlett. The U.K. sleeve was in black-and-white, whilst the German release added colour.
The song "Call of the Wild" was originally going to be titled "Hero", but when Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
used that title on his album No Rest for the Wicked
No Rest for the Wicked (Ozzy Osbourne album)
No Rest for the Wicked is the fifth studio album by Ozzy Osbourne. It was released on October 22, 1988 and was re-issued / remastered on August 22, 1995 and again on June 25, 2002. The album was certified gold in December 1989 and has since gone double platinum. No Rest for the Wicked is the first...
, Tony Iommi opted to change its title. "Devil & Daughter" also had the original title "Devil's Daughter", but was changed for the same reason.
"Call of the Wild" and "Devil & Daughter" are also the only songs that do not end slowly fading out with Tony Martin ad-libbing (though "Nightwing" has only the band performing fading out with no ad-libbing on Martin's part).
For the live show in support of this album, "Ave Satani", the main theme from Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
's Oscar-winning soundtrack for The Omen
The Omen
An original score for the film, including the movie's theme song Ave Satani, was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, for which he received the only Oscar of his long career. The score features a strong choral segment, with a foreboding Latin chant...
, was used as the intro tape, beginning as the house lights went down. This would then segue into a taped recording of "The Gates of Hell" before the band would begin the show with "Headless Cross". This intro-tape of "Ave Satani/The Gates of Hell" was used as many times during various tours over the years up until the Reunion shows. "Headless Cross" would be played on all subsequent tours when Tony Martin was in the band but the only other track from the "Headless Cross" album to last beyond that tour was "When Death Calls".
"Headless Cross" yielded two radio singles; an edit of the title track and "Devil & Daughter". The former was available as a 7", personally signed by Iommi, and a 12" poster-sleeve, this latter being limited to 2,500 copies.
"Devil & Daughter" was released as a 7" picture disc, a 12 picture-sleeve, and a 7" box-set, containing the single, some postcards and a stencil of the band's logo.
The bonus track "Cloak and Dagger" was the B-side to the "Headless Cross" single, and was later on the vinyl picture disc
Picture disc
Picture discs are gramophone records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or coloured vinyl.-Development:...
edition. At this time, the only CD versions of the "Headless Cross" edit and of "Cloak and Dagger" were on separate promotional CDs.
The first recording of "Black Moon" was a B-side to a single of The Eternal Idol
The Eternal Idol
The Eternal Idol is the thirteenth studio album by Black Sabbath, released in December 1987. It is the first of several Black Sabbath albums to feature longtime vocalist Tony Martin. It spent six weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at 168. It was also the last full album of new material by...
, performed in a different key.
Reportedly, according to Tony Martin, the vocals on "Nightwing" were actually the original guide vocals but for whatever reason were kept in the final recording.
"Headless Cross" is about a part of a town south of Sabbath's native Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Headless Cross in Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
, and is reportedly named after all the church crosses were defaced during the plague that struck the town's inhabitants centuries earlier. (See: Districts of Redditch
Districts of Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England.The town is divided into separate districts.All street-name signs in Redditch have the street name in white lettering on a blue background and the district name in black lettering on a white background at the...
)
The disc is currently out of print. However, the album will be re-released in deluxe format "in due course" once a new record deal has been negotiated covering all the albums formerly released through I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records
I.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
.
Track listing
Personnel
- Tony Martin – lead vocals
- Tony IommiTony IommiAnthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
– guitars - Geoff NichollsGeoff NichollsGeoff Nicholls is a musician and keyboardist, who is best known as the longtime sideman for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Nicholls also played in the NWOBHM band Quartz before joining Black Sabbath...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Laurence CottleLaurence CottleLaurence Cottle is an electric bass guitarist and composer.-Career:His solo recordings have been mostly in the jazz and jazz-fusion vein, with such notable releases as Five Seasons, Laurence Cottle Quintet Live and others....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Cozy PowellCozy PowellColin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Brian MayBrian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
– guitar soloGuitar soloIn popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
on "When Death Calls"