Earth - The Legendary Lost Tapes 1969

Earth — The Legendary Lost Tapes 1969 remastered

Long before they reshaped rock history, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward were four teenage Brummie boys playing in a blues-powered band called Earth. Formed in the mid-1960s as the British blues boom was fading, Earth stood out as something different-darker, heavier, and more powerful. Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes captures that crucial moment just before they became Black Sabbath, presenting a fully restored collection of rare recordings from 1969 that chart their transition from blues purists to the inventors of heavy metal.

All tracks featured have been carefully restored from the original masters, pulled from long-lost tapes and acetates. Overseen by their original manager Jim Simpson — founder of Big Bear Records and a key early supporter — this release includes both covers and original songs recorded at Zella Studios in Birmingham. The set includes raw, urgent versions of "Blue Suede Shoes," "Evenin'," and "Wee Wee Baby," alongside formative originals like "Free Man," "Wicked World," and "Warning." Two striking versions of "Song for Jim" showcase early experimentation, with one take featuring Tony Iommi on flute.

These recordings are more than historical artifacts — they capture Earth as a fully formed, blues-rooted powerhouse, already winning over crowds with red-hot performances. Their chemistry, confidence, and sheer weight were unmistakable even then. And while the name change would soon mark the beginning of an era, The Legendary Lost Tapes makes it clear: they were exceptional from the start.

In the decades that followed, Black Sabbath became the most important and most-copied of all heavy metal bands, spawning subgenres from Black Metal to Nu Metal. Yet their extraordinary origin story as Earth has long been overlooked-until now. This release rights that wrong and gives fans a rare, front-row seat to the genesis of a revolution.

Meticulously remastered and finally available for the first time, Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes is essential listening for anyone who wants to hear the moment the world changed — before it even knew it had.

 

Side A

1. Blue Suede Shoes

2. Evenin’

3. Wee Wee Baby

4. 'Untitled'

5. Free Man

Side B

1. Song For Jim (Guitar Version)

2. Song For Jim (Flute Version)

3. Wicked World

4. Warning

Be the first to write a review for this item OR just rate it