As the low-end architect for Black Sabbath, Geezer Butler laid down the bass guitar lines that birthed heavy metal.
Yet, for a man who pioneered some of rock’s most formidable music, nothing struck terror into his soul quite like the prospect of angry Irish Catholic parents.
The band had already survived Tony Iommi’s nearly career-ending accident and brief, departure to play electric guitar with Jethro Tull. But when their self-titled debut dropped on Friday the 13th in February 1970, it carried a surprise that nearly gave Butler a heart attack.
As Butler told Steel City Con, the sleeve artwork was designed without the band’s input. And when he got a look at it, he was shocked to his core.
“We only saw it the day before it came out,” Butler said. “And in England, it was a gatefold cover. When you opened it, there was an inverted cross on the inside.
“And I went, ‘Oh no! If my dad sees this, he's gonna kill me!’
“My parents were ultra-Catholics, and I was still living at home at the time. So I sort of preempted them and left home. I just couldn't let them see the album cover.”
Butler also revealed the event that caused them to change their name from Earth to Black Sabbath.
“We turned up at this one gig, and it was all these old women and old men with suits and party dresses on,” he said. “We started playing all this heavy stuff, and a guy came up, and said, 'Stop! You're not Earth!’
“Apparently, there was another Earth, and they had a pop song in the charts. He said, ‘Here's your money, now piss off!’
“So, we knew that we had to change the name, and we'd just written the first song called Black Sabbath. And I said, 'Let's just call the band Black Sabbath,' and that was it.”
In related news, Tony Iommi, who promises that his highly anticipated solo album will be released in 2026, has been gifted a one-of-a-kind Red Special guitar from his friend, Brian May.
He's also spoken about the guitar he always coveted but could never get along with, facilitating his all-important switch to the SG.
