Editing Black Sabbath (section)

===1968–1969: Formation and early days===
Following the break-up of their previous band, [[Mythology (British band)|Mythology]], in 1968, guitarist [[Tony Iommi]] and drummer [[Bill Ward (musician)|Bill Ward]] sought to form a heavy blues rock band in [[Aston]], Birmingham. They enlisted bassist [[Geezer Butler]] and vocalist [[Ozzy Osbourne]], who had played together in a band called Rare Breed, Osbourne having placed an advertisement in a local music shop: "OZZY ZIG Needs Gig – has own PA".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/black-sabbath-farewell-interview/|title=Black Sabbath's Farewell Interview|website=Kerrang!|date=7 June 2018 }}</ref> The new group was initially named the Polka Tulk Blues Band, the name taken either from a brand of talcum powder{{sfn|Osbourne|Ayres|2010|p=63}} or an Indian/Pakistani clothing shop; the exact origin is confused.{{sfn|McIver|2006|p=35}} The Polka Tulk Blues Band included slide guitarist Jimmy Phillips, a childhood friend of Osbourne's, and saxophonist Alan "Aker" Clarke. After shortening the name to Polka Tulk, the band again changed their name to Earth (which Osbourne hated){{sfn|Osbourne|Ayres|2010|p=84}} and continued as a four-piece without Phillips and Clarke.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dwyer |first=Robert |url=http://www.sabbathlive.com/timelines.html |title=Timelines |publisher=Sabbathlive.com |access-date=9 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120194400/http://www.sabbathlive.com/timelines.html |archive-date=20 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Black Sabbath member history">{{cite web|last=Siegler|first=Joe|url=http://www.black-sabbath.com/theband/timeline/|title=Black Sabbath Online: Band Lineup History|access-date=17 January 2016}}</ref> Iommi became concerned that Phillips and Clarke lacked the necessary dedication and were not taking the band seriously. Rather than asking them to leave, they instead decided to break up and then quietly reformed the band as a four-piece.{{sfn|Iommi|2012}} While the band was performing under the Earth moniker, they recorded several demos written by Norman Haines such as "The Rebel", "When I Came Down" and "Song for Jim",<ref name="Guitar World">{{cite news|last=Gill|first=Chris|title=The Eternal Idol|magazine=Guitar World|date=December 2008}}</ref> the latter of which being a reference to [[Big Bear Records|Jim Simpson]], who was a manager for the bands [[Bakerloo (band)|Bakerloo Blues Line]] and Tea & Symphony, as well as the trumpet player for the group Locomotive. Simpson had recently started a new club named [[Henry's Blueshouse]] at The Crown Hotel in Birmingham and offered to let Earth play there after they agreed to waive the usual support band fee in return for free T-shirts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/i-gave-sabbath-their-first-gig/|title=I Gave Sabbath Their First Gig|last=Rockwell|date=29 July 2011|website=Vice|access-date=25 March 2019}}</ref> The audience response was positive and Simpson agreed to manage Earth.<ref name=Simpson>{{cite web|title=Tony Iommi Interview|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/hit_the_lights/tony_iommi_id_like_to_remember_black_sabbath_as_a_groundbreaking_album.html|work=Ultimate Guitar|access-date=24 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020001048/http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/hit_the_lights/tony_iommi_id_like_to_remember_black_sabbath_as_a_groundbreaking_album.html|archive-date=20 October 2012}}</ref><ref name=Simpson2>{{cite web|title=Brumbeat-Black Sabbath|url=http://www.brumbeat.net/blacksab.htm|work=Brum Beat|access-date=24 October 2012}}</ref>

In December 1968, Iommi abruptly left Earth to join [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Melody Maker 21 December 1968 |url=http://www.sabbathlive.com/sabtours/earth/mm211268 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070604013639/http://www.sabbathlive.com/sabtours/earth/mm211268 |archive-date=4 June 2007 |work=[[Melody Maker]] Magazine |access-date=14 February 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Although his stint with the band would be short-lived, Iommi made an appearance with Jethro Tull on ''[[The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus]]'' TV show. Unsatisfied with the direction of Jethro Tull, Iommi returned to Earth by the end of the month. "It just wasn't right, so I left", Iommi said. "At first I thought Tull were great, but I didn't much go for having a leader in the band, which was [[Ian Anderson]]'s way. When I came back from Tull, I came back with a new attitude altogether. They taught me that to get on, you got to work for it."{{sfn|Rosen|1996|p=34}}

While playing shows in England in 1969, the band discovered they were being mistaken for another English group named Earth, so they decided to change their name again (this name change would give rise to the well-known debate about the alleged aesthetic influence of [[Coven (band)|Coven]], which the British band always denied).<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 August 2021 |title=The Forgotten Mother of Metal Music and Birth of the "Devil's Horns" |url=https://atomicredhead.com/2021/08/18/the-forgotten-mother-of-metal-music-and-birth-of-the-devils-horns/ |access-date=19 June 2023 |website=Atomic Redhead |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=24 February 2020 |title=TRACK TO HELL / La historia oficial y la blasfema: Black Sabbath y Coven |url=https://tracktohell.com/la-historia-oficial-y-la-blasfema-black-sabbath-y-coven/ |access-date=19 June 2023 |website=TRACK TO HELL – Web Oficial de TRACK TO HELL}}</ref> A cinema across the street from the band's rehearsal room was showing the 1963 Italian horror film ''[[Black Sabbath (film)|Black Sabbath]],'' starring [[Boris Karloff]] and directed by [[Mario Bava]]. While watching people line up to see the film, Butler noted that it was "strange that people spend so much money to see scary movies".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyrock.com/interviews/2002/ozzy_int.asp |title=Ozzy Osbourne: The Godfather of Metal |publisher=NYRock.com |access-date=14 February 2008 |date=June 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031000904/http://www.nyrock.com/interviews/2002/ozzy_int.asp |archive-date=31 October 2013}}</ref> Following that, Osbourne and Butler wrote the lyrics for a song called "[[Black Sabbath (song)|Black Sabbath]]", which was inspired by the work of horror and adventure-story writer [[Dennis Wheatley]],{{sfn|Strong|2006|p=97}}{{sfn|Wilson|2004|p=51}} along with a vision that Butler had of a black silhouetted figure standing at the foot of his bed.<ref>''Ozzy Osbourne: Behind the Music'' by [[VH1]]; first aired 19 April 1998.</ref> Making use of the musical [[tritone]], also known as "the Devil's Interval",{{sfn|Lewis|2001|p=72}} the song's ominous sound and dark lyrics pushed the band in a darker direction,<ref name="Black Sabbath's song review">{{cite web|last=Torreano|first=Bradley|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/black-sabbath-mt0030286828|title=Black Sabbath – Review|website=AllMusic|access-date=9 February 2013}}</ref>{{sfn|Koskoff|2005|p=356}} a stark contrast to the popular music of the late 1960s, which was dominated by [[flower power]], [[folk music]] and [[hippie|hippie culture]]. [[Judas Priest]] frontman [[Rob Halford]] has called the track "probably the most evil song ever written".<ref name="Attention Deficit Delirium">{{cite web |last=Reesman |first=Bryan |url=http://www.bryanreesman.com/2011/11/16/digital-playlist-rob-halford/ |title=Digital Playlist: Rob Halford|publisher=bryanreesman.com}}</ref> Inspired by the new sound, the band changed their name to Black Sabbath in August 1969,<ref name="MusicMight">{{cite web|last=Sharpe-Young|first=Garry|url=http://www.musicmight.com/artist/united+kingdom/west+midlands/birmingham/black+sabbath|title=MusicMight.com Black Sabbath Biography|publisher=MusicMight.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052617/http://www.musicmight.com/artist/united+kingdom/west+midlands/birmingham/black+sabbath|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref> and made the decision to focus on writing similar material in an attempt to create the musical equivalent of horror films.