HEAVY METAL, ROCK N' ROLL
Black Sabbath, Snowblind and the great COKE-Cola Company of Los Angeles
Mar
Black Sabbath Ozzy Osbourne snorting cocaine in the 1970s
“Whether you can believe him or not, the record cost, I think, $65,000, and the cocaine bill was $75,000.”
— Geezer Butler, about the recording of Black Sabbath Volume 4 in 1972
Black Sabbath’s fourth studio album, Black Sabbath Volume 4, is considered a legendary heavy metal album, and one of the tracks that stands out is the song Snowblind. The song’s lyrics and meaning have been a topic of discussion for years, and the provided search results shed some light on its significance during the album’s recording in 1972.
According to Songfacts, Snowblind Friend is actually a song by Hoyt Axton, which Steppenwolf covered on their Steppenwolf 7 album. The song tells the story of Axton’s friend, whose drug abuse ultimately led to his death. Black Sabbath’s Snowblind, on the other hand, was inspired by the band’s own experiences with cocaine during their rise to success in the early 1970s.
In LA Weekly’s interview with Black Sabbath’s drummer Bill Ward, he explains that the song Snowblind was about their experiences with cocaine while recording the album. The song’s haunting melody and lyrics paint a vivid picture of the destructive effects of drug abuse. The band members were caught in a cycle of drug use and excess that was fueling their creativity but also endangering their lives. Snowblind was a warning to themselves and others about the dangers of drug addiction.
In a Rolling Stone interview with Black Sabbath’s frontman Ozzy Osbourne, he reflects on the meaning behind the song Snowblind. He explains that the band wrote the song because they believed that their success was linked to their drug use. However, they soon realized that their addiction was their worst enemy, and they needed to break free from its grip. Snowblind was a way for the band to confront their demons and take control of their lives.
In conclusion, Snowblind is a powerful song with a deep meaning that speaks to the destructive nature of drug addiction. During the recording of Black Sabbath Volume 4 in 1972, the band members were struggling with their own addiction to cocaine, and the song was a reflection of their experiences. Snowblind serves as a warning about the dangers of drug abuse and a testament to the band’s determination to overcome their addiction and create music that would stand the test of time.
COCAINE
Eventually we started to wonder where the fuck all the coke was coming from…I’m telling you: that coke was the whitest, purest, strongest stuff you could ever imagine. One sniff, and you were king of the universe.
— Ozzy Osbourne in his autobiography, I Am Ozzy.
“We were the kings of the planet” Ozzy Osbourne about the loose deadline and infinite drugs surrounding the recording of their masterpiece, Black Sabbath Vol 4.
The album was supposed to be named Snowblind but the record company executives didn’t wanted to tell with the potential controversy of such a title.
However, as you can see on the back cover of the album. Black Sabbath not so subtly thanked “the great COKE-Cola Company of Los Angeles”.
“We wish to thank the great COKE-Cola Company of Los Angeles”
“We wrote ‘Snowblind’ because it was the most amazing discovery of our lives”
— Ozzy Osbourne
Black Sabbath performing “Snowblind” live on June 19, 1978 at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. Taken from the Black Sabbath “Never Say Die” – Live in 1978 dvd available here.
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