The Eternal Idol

The album sleeve erroneously credits Dave Spitz as bass player: the bass was actually played by Bob Daisley. Eric Singer played the drums, with the percussion credit for Bev Bevan being for a few cymbal overdubs on "Scarlet Pimpernel".{{cite book | last1 = Sharpe-Young | first1 = Garry | title = Black Sabbath: Never Say Die! 1979–1997 | chapter = 10 | publisher = Cherry Red Books | date = 1 September 2003 | location = London, UK | isbn = 978-1901447163}}

The album was originally to be recorded with Spitz and vocalist Ray Gillen. The former was replaced by bassist/lyricist Bob Daisley during initial sessions on Montserrat with producer Jeff Glixman. According to Daisley, Gillen had struggled with the lyrics, and management was not paying him{{cite book |last1=Stolz |first1=Nolan |title=Experiencing Black Sabbath: A Listener's Companion |date=2017 |publisher=Rowman and Littlefield |location=Lanham, MD |isbn=978-1-4422-5691-0 |page=131}} or the rest of the band. Gillen quit shortly after their return to England.{{cite AV media notes |title=The Eternal Idol |others=Black Sabbath |year=1996 |first=Gilmour |last=Hugh |page=9 |type=CD Booklet |publisher= Castle Communications ESM CD 336 |location=England }} Daisley worked on the album as a session player, turning down an offer to join the band as he was already committed to working with Gary Moore.{{cite web|url=https://www.black-sabbath.com/theband/timeline/|title=Black Sabbath Timeline}} Gillen and Singer, who left the band right after he finished his drum parts to join Daisley in Moore's touring band, later joined the band Badlands with bassist Greg Chaisson and guitarist Jake E. Lee, the latter of whom had recently been fired from original Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne's solo band.{{cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/jake-e-lee-says-he-found-out-he-was-fired-from-ozzy-osbournes-band-from-his-guitar-tech|title=JAKE E. LEE Says He Found Out He Was Fired From OZZY OSBOURNE's Band From His Guitar Tech|publisher=Blabbermouth.net|date=26 October 2018|access-date=23 February 2024}}

A number of singers auditioned for Black Sabbath, including Jon Oliva of Savatage and a then-unknown Tony Martin.{{cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/jon-oliva-recalls-nearly-auditioning-for-black-sabbath-i-would-have-been-the-best-singer-for-them-besides-ozzy-osbourne|title=JON OLIVA Recalls Nearly Auditioning For BLACK SABBATH: 'I Would Have Been The Best Singer For Them Besides OZZY OSBOURNE'|publisher=Blabbermouth.net|date=3 May 2023|access-date=23 February 2024}} Martin was hired and reconstructed the vocals under the guidance of Chris Tsangarides at Battery Studios shortly before production ended. Most tracks were written by Tony Iommi and Bob Daisley (the vinyl version states that all songs were written by Iommi) although some lyrics were modified by Geoff Nicholls. Martin said he "only sang on, and had no part in writing" The Eternal Idol, but nonetheless "thought [it] was one of the better albums of the band."Southern Cross No.10, May 1993

The song "Nightmare" was initially written for the 1987 film A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.{{cite book |last=Stolz|first=Nolan |year =2017 |title=Experiencing Black Sabbath |publisher =Rowman & Littlefield}}

After Daisley's and Singer's departure, bassist Dave Spitz returned and drummer Bev Bevan, who had previously been a member of Black Sabbath during mid 1983–early 1984, was hired for a 1987 tour in support of the album; however, soon Bevan backed out on learning that Sabbath had booked dates in South Africa during the apartheid crisis.

Bevan was replaced by former Clash drummer Terry Chimes, who appears in the music video for "The Shining". Spitz played bass for a few shows before Jo Burt (formerly of Virginia Wolf) was hired as the new bass player.

The tour was one of Sabbath's shortest, totaling 20 dates: 1 in Greece and 6-7 each in South Africa, Germany and Italy{{Cite web |title=Search for setlists: tour:(Eternal Idol) {{!}} setlist.fm |url=https://www.setlist.fm/search?artist=33d6806d&query=tour:(Eternal+Idol) |access-date=2024-01-06 |website=www.setlist.fm}}

The video for "The Shining" was filmed in-between Spitz's departure and Burt's arrival. In 1993, Martin recalled, "The bass player in the 'Shining' video was some guy that we dragged off the street. I can't remember his name but he looked the part (In another interview Martin claims the musician's name was "Steve"). He said that he was a guitarist. I remember he was always talking about how he was a Red Indian, thus all the turquoise he wore! We never saw him again."{{cite magazine|first=Thierry|last=Bauwens|title=Interview: Tony Martin|magazine=Thank God It's Sabbath |date=February 1993}}

The album cover features two models in bronze paint re-enacting Auguste Rodin's 1889 sculpture "The Eternal Idol". Due to the paint's toxicity, the models were hospitalized after the shoot. A photograph of the original sculpture was intended as the cover art, but permission could not be secured.{{cite book | last1 = Iommi | first1 = Tony| title = Black Sabbath: My Journey through Heaven and Hell }}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo |url={{AllMusic|class=album |id=r2012 |pure_url=yes}} |title=The Eternal Idol – Black Sabbath |website=AllMusic |access-date=2 August 2011}}

| rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev4Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/black-sabbath/albumguide |title=Black Sabbath: Album Guide |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=5 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427215415/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/black-sabbath/albumguide |archive-date=27 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}

| rev2 = Classic Rock

| rev2Score = 4/10{{cite book | last1 = Elliott| first1 = Paul | title = Classic Rock | chapter=Black Sabbath – Reissues| volume = 153 | publisher = Future plc | date = January 2011 | location = London, UK | pages = 112| title-link = Classic Rock (magazine) }}

| rev3 =The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal

| rev3Score = 10/10{{cite book | last1 = Popoff | first1 = Martin | author-link1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = 1 November 2005 | isbn = 978-1-894959-31-5}}

| noprose = yes

}}

The Eternal Idol was released in November 1987. The album spent six weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at 168. A three-minute and fifteen second studio outtake titled "Some Kind of Woman", written by Tony Martin shortly after joining the band, appeared as a B-side of "The Shining" single. An early version of "Black Moon"—a song that would ultimately appear on the 1989 album Headless Cross—was released as a B-side of the "Eternal Idol" single.

In 1997, reflecting to Sabbath fanzine Southern Cross, Iommi stated, "I'd like to have seen some of the stuff off The Eternal Idol be a bit more credited, because I think there's some good tracks on that album"; he cited "Ancient Warrior" as one of those tracks.Southern Cross, No.19, March 1997

The album was rereleased on 1 November 2010 in Europe as a two-disc expanded set. Bonus content includes the aforementioned b-sides "Some Kind of Woman" and "Black Moon" on disc 1. Disc 2 contains the session for the album recorded with Ray Gillen on vocals.{{cite web |last=Siegler |first=Joe |url=http://www.black-sabbath.com/news/2010/09/ray_gillen_eternal_idol_to_be_released.html |title=Ray Gillen Eternal Idol to be released – FOR REAL! |publisher=Black-sabbath.com |date=15 September 2010 |access-date=2 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611134811/http://www.black-sabbath.com/news/2010/09/ray_gillen_eternal_idol_to_be_released.html |archive-date=11 June 2011 }}

In February 2025, it was announced that The Eternal Idol would re-issued for the first time on limited edition, ruby red vinyl as an exclusive for Record Store day.{{cite web |last=Siegler |first=Joe |url=https://www.black-sabbath.com/2025/02/eternal-idol-2025-re-release/ |title=Eternal Idol 2025 Re-Release |publisher=Black-sabbath.com |date=7 February 2025 |access-date=20 April 2025}}

Music by Tony Iommi; lyrics by Bob Daisley, Ray Gillen and Geoff Nicholls. "Black Moon" and "Some Kind of Woman" lyrics written by Tony Martin and Nicholls.

{{tracklist

|headline = Side A

|title1 = The Shining

|length1 = 6:01

|title2 = Ancient Warrior

|length2 = 5:35

|title3 = Hard Life to Love

|length3 = 5:00

|title4 = Glory Ride

|length4 = 4:50

}}

{{tracklist

|headline = Side B

|title5 = Born to Lose

|length5 = 3:43

|title6 = Nightmare

|length6 = 5:21

|title7 = Scarlet Pimpernel

|note7 = instrumental

|length7 = 2:07

|title8 = Lost Forever

|length8 = 4:03

|title9 = Eternal Idol

|length9 = 6:34

}}

{{tracklist

|headline = 2010 deluxe edition disc 1 bonus tracks

|title10 = Black Moon

|note10 = single B-side

|length10 = 3:39

|title11 = Some Kind of Woman

|note11 = single B-side

|length11 = 3:15

}}

Disc 2 of the 2010 deluxe edition consists of the earlier recording sessions, with Ray Gillen on vocals.

{{tracklist

|title1 = Glory Ride

|length1 = 5:21

|title2 = Born to Lose

|length2 = 3:41

|title3 = Lost Forever

|length3 = 4:17

|title4 = Eternal Idol

|length4 = 6:48

|title5 = The Shining

|length5 = 6:30

|title6 = Hard Life to Love

|length6 = 5:19

|title7 = Nightmare

|length7 = 4:49

|title8 = Ancient Warrior

|length8 = 4:54

}}

Black Sabbath

• Tony Iommi – guitars
• Tony Martin – vocals
• Eric Singer – drums
• Bob Daisley – bass
• Geoff Nicholls – keyboards

Additional personnel

• Bev Bevan – percussion and cymbal overdubs on "Scarlet Pimpernel"
• Ray Gillen – sinister laugh on "Nightmare", vocals on 2010 deluxe edition Disc 2

Technical personnel

• Jeff Glixman – producer, engineer at Associated Independent Recording Studios Montserrat
• Vic Coppersmith-Heaven – producer, engineer at Associated Independent Recording Studios London
• Chris Tsangarides – producer, engineer and mixing at Battery Studios, London

{{Reflist}}

• {{Discogs master|type=album|90090|name=The Eternal Idol}}
• [http://www.black-sabbath.com/discography/blacksabbath/eternalidol/ Eternal Idol at Black Sabbath Online]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090114082233/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/322607 Sample tracks] at Rolling Stone

{{Black Sabbath}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eternal Idol}}

Category:1987 albums

Category:Black Sabbath albums

Category:Albums produced by Chris Tsangarides

Category:Vertigo Records albums

Category:Warner Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Jeff Glixman

Category:Albums recorded at AIR Studios