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Mapledurham Mill
“Sabbath were a hippy band. We were into peace.”
Ozzy Osbourne, singer of Black Sabbath
This is the story of a chance encounter. Three musicians from the suburbs of Birmingham and a striking singer known as Ozzy, who was initially recruited because he was one of the few to have his own microphone and amp. His unusual voice immediately won over his fellow students. The band formed and initially decided to call themselves Earth before changing their minds when they realized how much the public loved horror movies. It then becomes Black Sabbath and quickly, its look evolves towards something more twilight, even occult. Tony Iommi’s guitar sound, impacted by the accident in which he lost two of his fingertips, Geezer Butler’s bass and Bill Ward’s punching power, coupled with Ozzy Osbourne’s unique voice and charisma shape modern heavy metal, taking inspiration from the Beatles and bands like Blue Cheer. Recorded at lightning speed, the first disc includes a photo session near Mapledurham Mill to illustrate the cover. Keith MacMillan’s frightening photograph is a memorable one. It is claimed that the woman in the foreground only appeared when the photo was being developed. Rock and roll is made up of these kinds of legends. Of course, this is not the case. The woman in question is a model named Louisa Livingstone. She is only 18 years old at the time of the session. The mill is not at its best but the effect is even more effective.
The members of Black Sabbath took only one day to record their first studio effort.
Mapledurham House
Visited by many Black Sabbath fans, the Mapledurham Mill is still in use today.
Built on the Thames in Oxfordshire in the 15th century, this watermill was subsequently extended several times. Grade II listed and still in working order, it now houses a micro hydroelectric power station capable of supplying 140 homes. Made famous by Ozzy Osbourne’s band, the Mapledurham Mill is also featured in the 1976 John Sturges film The Eagle Has Landed and appears in Exploits at West Poley, a Children’s Film Foundation production starring Sean Bean, the future Ned Stark of the cult series Game of Thrones.
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Cult! music: 100 mythical music places [French Edition]
Embark immediately on an exhilarating world tour with some of music’s most iconic bands and artists!
Head to Melbourne, Australia for a stroll along AC/DC Lane before crossing the iconic Abbey Road pedestrian crossing in the company of The Beatles. Visit Janis Joplin‘s home in San Francisco and find out how Johnny Cash ended up playing his greatest hits to a crowd of prisoners in San Quentin. Travel the winding roads of Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and stop in Japan to catch up with Deep Purple, Phil Collins and Daft Punk. Drive down the Tina Turner Highway before entering some of the most legendary studios in music history. Go back to the troubled origins of Billie Holiday and make a pact with Robert Johnson at the famous crossroads in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Embark immediately on an exhilarating world tour with some of music’s most iconic bands and artists! Relive the Jimi Hendrix concert on the Isle of Wight before paying tribute to Bob Marley in Jamaica.
Produced by a team of pop-culture specialists and enhanced by numerous anecdotes, Cult! musictells the secrets of the places that made the history of music.
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Discover all the places Black Sabbath on our map
By Gilles Rolland
Passionné de cinéma, de rock and roll, de séries TV et de littérature. Rédacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinéma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dépareillées. Adore également voyager à la recherche des lieux les plus emblématiques de la pop culture.