Neon Knights
{{short description|Song by Black Sabbath}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Neon Knights
| cover = Neon Knights.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Black Sabbath
| album = Heaven and Hell
| B-side = Children of the Sea (live)
| released = June 1980{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/68/mode/2up?q=Black+sabbath|title=Great Rock Discography|page=68}}
| recorded = January 1980 at Studio Ferber (Paris, France)
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Heavy metal
| length = 3:49
| label = Vertigo
| writer = Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward
| producer = Martin Birch
| prev_title = Hard Road
| prev_year = 1978
| next_title = Die Young
| next_year = 1980
| misc = {{Audio sample
| type = single
| file = Black Sabbath - Neon Knights.ogg
}}
}}
"Neon Knights" is a song by English rock band Black Sabbath from 1980's Heaven and Hell, their first album with American vocalist Ronnie James Dio.
Overview
"Neon Knights" was the last song written by the band for the Heaven and Hell album.{{cite book |last=Iommi |first=Tony |title=Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath |url=https://archive.org/details/ironmanmyjourney00iomm_0 |url-access=registration |year=2011 |publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=978-0306819551}} It was quickly written and recorded at Studio Ferber in Paris during January 1980 simply to fill time on the album's first side. The lyrics were written by Ronnie James Dio. It is the only song on Heaven and Hell to definitely feature songwriting input from bassist Geezer Butler, the band's main lyricist during the Ozzy Osbourne era. Butler was absent for most of the songwriting process due personal issues as well as his own uncertainty as to whether he wanted to remain in the band. Dio occasionally performed the song during their live shows in later years.
The B-side of the 1980 single release features a live version of "Children of the Sea" from an unspecified date. The song reached number 22 on the UK charts, but failed to chart anywhere else.
In the UK, the first 25,000 copies had a picture-bag.
Track listing
7" single
- "Neon Knights" – 3:49
- "Children of the Sea" (live) – 6:30
Personnel
- Tony Iommi – guitars
- Bill Ward – drums
- Geezer Butler – bass
- Ronnie James Dio – vocals
- Geoff Nicholls – keyboards
Chart positions
| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1980) !Position |
| UK Singles Chart{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14136/black-sabbath/|title=UK singles charts}}
|align="center"|22 |
Covers
{{listen | pos = right |filename=Steel Prophet - Neon Knights.ogg|title="Neon Knights" (Steel Prophet cover)|description=Sample of "Neon Knights" as covered by Steel Prophet.}}
- Iron Savior covered the song on their 1999 album Unification.
- Steel Prophet covered the song on their 2000 album Genesis.
- Turbo covered the song on their 2001 album Awatar.
- Westworld covered the song on their 2002 album Cyberdreams.
- Queensrÿche covered the song on their 2007 album Take Cover.
- Sapattivuosi covered the song on their 2009 album Ihmisen merkki.
- Warrior covered the song in 2010 for the tribute album Neon Knights – A Tribute to Black Sabbath.{{cite news|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=135273|title=Warrior's Cover Of Black Sabbath Classic Posted Online|date=17 February 2010|publisher=Blabbermouth.net|access-date=18 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100219061833/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=135273|archive-date=19 February 2010}}
- Anthrax covered the song during live performances in tribute to Dio following his death in 2010. In 2014, the band recorded a studio version for the tribute album Ronnie James Dio – This Is Your Life.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Black Sabbath}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Tony Iommi
Category:Songs written by Geezer Butler
Category:Songs written by Bill Ward (musician)
Category:Songs written by Ronnie James Dio