Black Sabbath
The Eternal Idol


Tracks:

CD 1:

1. The Shining
2. Ancient Warrior
3. Hard Life to Love
4. Glory Ride
5. Born to Lose
6. Nightmare
7. Scarlet Pimpernel
8. Lost Forever
9. Eternal Idol
10. Black Moon (Single B-side)
11. Some Kind of Woman (Single B-side)

CD 2:

1. Glory Ride
2. Born to Lose
3. Lost Forever
4. Eternal Idol
5. The Shining
6. Hard Life to Love
7. Nightmare
8. Ancient Warrior

Line up:

Tony Martin – vocals
Tony Iommi – guitars
Bob Daisley – bass
Eric Singer – drums
Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
Bev Bevan – percussion

Record Label / Year of Release:

Universal Music/Sanctuary Records 2010

Notes:

The Eternal Idol is the thirteenth studio album by Black Sabbath, released in December 1987. It is the first of several Black Sabbath albums to feature longtime vocalist Tony Martin.

Black Sabbath began work on new material in October 1986 at Air Studios in Montserrat with producer Jeff Glixman. The recording was wrought with problems from the beginning, as Glixman left after the initial sessions, and was replaced by producer Vic Coppersmith-Heaven. Bassist Dave Spitz quit over "personal issues", and ex-Rainbow bassist Bob Daisley was brought in.

While the album credits Dave Spitz as playing bass, all the bass on the album is Bob Daisley. In January of 2009, Bob said this, “By the way, the question as to why Dave Spitz is credited on the album in the bass credits is answered by the fact that I wouldn’t join the band and Spitz stayed, so to give some sort of continuity to the album and live performances, his name appears on the record.”

Daisley re-recorded all of the bass tracks, and wrote the album's lyrics, but before the album was complete, he left to join Gary Moore's backing band, taking drummer Eric Singer with him. After problems with second producer Coppersmith-Heaven, the band returned to Morgan Studios in England in January 1987 to work with new producer Chris Tsangarides.

While working in the UK, new vocalist Ray Gillen abruptly left Black Sabbath to form Blue Murder with John Sykes. The band enlisted ex-Alliance vocalist Tony Martin to re-record Gillen's tracks, and former drummer Bev Bevan to complete a few percussion overdubs. After nearly a year in production, The Eternal Idol was released on 8 December 1987

Originally released in 1987 on Vertigo.

Deluxe Edition Disc 2 has Ray Gillen on vocals.