Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi names his favorite song by another legendary…read More.
Tony Iommi, the legendary guitarist of Black Sabbath, has long been recognized as one of the most influential figures in heavy metal. His riffs and compositions shaped the sound of the genre, and alongside iconic frontman Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath created a legacy that still resonates with fans of heavy music. However, Iommi’s influence wasn’t limited to Sabbath alone, as he himself was inspired by other major bands, including one of the most iconic hard rock acts of the 1970s, Deep Purple.
In an interview with Classic Rock magazine earlier in 2024, Iommi revealed his admiration for Deep Purple, particularly their 1970 album In Rock. He expressed his appreciation for the band’s unique style and musicianship, which helped define the sound of early hard rock and heavy metal. Iommi went on to identify his favorite song from the album, Speed King, a track that stands out for its powerful energy and the distinct contributions of each band member.
“I always liked Deep Purple,” Iommi stated. “My favorite album of theirs is In Rock. It has one classic song after another. They always used to come up with great riffs, and ‘Speed King’ is hard to beat. It’s a great, energetic song that shows every member of the band doing what they did best. (Ian) Gillan’s vocals and the keyboards of Jon Lord… They were such great musicians.”
This praise from Iommi highlights the mutual respect between the pioneers of heavy music during the early 1970s. Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin are often referred to as the “unholy trinity” of heavy rock from that era. While each band had a distinctive sound, they all played a key role in shaping the future of hard rock and metal. Sabbath leaned toward the dark and doom-laden, Zeppelin was more blues-infused, and Deep Purple found a middle ground with virtuosic musicianship and powerful compositions.
Interestingly, Iommi’s connection to Deep Purple went beyond just admiration from afar. In the early 1980s, after Black Sabbath’s lead singer Ronnie James Dio left the band, Iommi reached out to Ian Gillan, Deep Purple’s frontman, to join Sabbath as their new vocalist. This collaboration, however, was short-lived and fraught with issues.
Gillan later admitted that before joining Black Sabbath, he had never actually listened to their music. Despite this, he accepted Iommi’s offer and became the band’s singer for a brief period. Unfortunately, the partnership didn’t work out as expected. Gillan had trouble learning the lyrics to Sabbath’s songs and famously wrote them down to reference during live shows. This led to further complications, especially during concerts, where the dry ice used on stage obscured his view of the notes, forcing him to leave the stage multiple times to refresh his memory.
Ultimately, Gillan’s stint with Black Sabbath lasted only a year, and he soon returned to Deep Purple. Despite this hiccup in their careers, the mutual respect between Iommi and Deep Purple remained strong, with Iommi continuing to express his admiration for Gillan and his bandmates’ contributions to rock music.
Iommi’s praise for In Rock and Speed King speaks to his deep connection with the music of his era, reflecting how even the greatest legends of metal are fans of the art that shaped them.
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