Children of the Sea (song)

1980 song by Black Sabbath

"Children of the Sea"

Song by Black Sabbath
from the album  Heaven and Hell
Released| 18 April 1980
Recorded| October 1979 at Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, Florida
Genre| Heavy metal
Length| 5:34
Label| Vertigo
Songwriter(s)| Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward
Producer(s)| Martin Birch

"Children of the Sea" is a song by heavy metal band Black Sabbath, from their ninth studio album, Heaven and Hell (1980).[1]

## Overview

[edit]

"Children of the Sea" was the first song written by the band following the 1979 departure of original lead singer Ozzy Osbourne. The song's melody and lyrics were composed by new singer, Ronnie James Dio, and the music was written largely by guitarist Tony Iommi.[2]

After first meeting Iommi in 1979, Dio arrived at the guitarist's Los Angeles house for a jam session, and on that occasion the duo wrote the song.[2] "Tony had this great riff he played me but nothing to go with it," recalled Dio. "I said, 'Gimme a minute' and went into the corner and started writing down the words." Iommi recalled the moment as a turning point in Black Sabbath's career, saying "It was exciting and challenging because we were doing things that quite frankly would have been beyond us with Ozzy. He wasn't that sort of singer."[2] Iommi claims to still possess a very early demo recording of the song with Osbourne on vocals, though with a different melody and lyrics.[3]

Once Dio had joined the band, a new demo recording of the song was produced featuring Geoff Nicholls on bass. The band's longtime bassist, Geezer Butler, was going through a divorce and wasn't able to commit to the band. "In the end though, Geezer sorted himself out and Geoff stayed with us to play keyboards", said Iommi.[2]

The song was recorded live at Deeside Leisure Centre on 20 May 1980 and appears as the B-side of the single "Neon Knights".[4]

"Children of the Sea" was ranked the 18th best Black Sabbath song by Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check.[5]

## Covers

[edit]

* List of cover versions of Black Sabbath songs.

## Personnel

[edit]

Black Sabbath

* Ronnie James Dio – lead vocals
* Tony Iommi – guitar
* Geezer Butler – bass
* Bill Ward – drums
* Geoff Nicholls – keyboards

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Children of the Sea - Black Sabbath | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
2. ^ a b c d Hotten, Jon. "The Dio Years" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-01-24. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
3. ^ Iommi, Tony (2011). Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0306819551.
4. ^ "Black Sabbath Deeside Leisure Centre 20/05/1980".
5. ^ Rehe, Christoph (2013). Rock - Das Gesamtwerk der größten Rock-Acts im Check: alle Alben, alle Songs. Ein eclipsed-Buch (in German). Sysyphus Sysyphus Verlags GmbH. ISBN 3868526463.

* v
* t
* e

Black Sabbath

* Tony Iommi
* Bill Ward
* Geezer Butler
* Ozzy Osbourne
* Dave Walker
* Ronnie James Dio
* Geoff Nicholls
* Craig Gruber
* Vinny Appice
* Ian Gillan
* Bev Bevan
* Ron Keel
* David Donato
* Eric Singer
* Dave Spitz
* Glenn Hughes
* Ray Gillen
* Tony Martin
* Cozy Powell
* Neil Murray
* Bobby Rondinelli

Studio albums|

* Black Sabbath
* Paranoid
* Master of Reality
* Vol. 4
* Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
* Sabotage
* Technical Ecstasy
* Never Say Die!
* Heaven and Hell
* Mob Rules
* Born Again
* Seventh Star
* The Eternal Idol
* Headless Cross
* Tyr
* Dehumanizer
* Cross Purposes
* Forbidden
* 13

Extended plays|

* The End

Live albums|

* Live at Last
* Live Evil
* Cross Purposes Live
* Reunion
* Past Lives
* Live at Hammersmith Odeon
* Live... Gathered in Their Masses
* The End: Live in Birmingham

Compilations|

* We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll
* The Collection
* The Sabbath Stones
* Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978
* Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978
* Greatest Hits 1970–1978
* The Dio Years
* The Rules of Hell
* Greatest Hits
* Iron Man: The Best of Black Sabbath
* The Ultimate Collection
* Anno Domini 1989–1995

Unofficial albums|

* The Sabbath Collection
* The Ozzy Osbourne Years
* Under Wheels of Confusion
* The Best of Black Sabbath
* Club Sonderauflage

Singles|

* "Evil Woman"
* "The Wizard"
* "Paranoid"
* "Iron Man"
* "Children of the Grave"
* "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
* "Am I Going Insane (Radio)"
* "Neon Knights"
* "Trashed"
* "Psycho Man"
* "God Is Dead?"
* "End of the Beginning"

Other songs|

* "Black Sabbath"
* "N.I.B."
* "War Pigs"
* "Planet Caravan"
* "Hand of Doom"
* "Fairies Wear Boots"
* "Sweet Leaf"
* "After Forever"
* "Into the Void"
* "Changes"
* "Supernaut"
* "Hole in the Sky"
* "Symptom of the Universe"
* "Children of the Sea"
* "Heaven and Hell"

Videos|

* Never Say Die
* Black and Blue
* The Black Sabbath Story, Vol. 1
* The Black Sabbath Story, Vol. 2
* Cross Purposes Live
* The Last Supper
* Inside Black Sabbath - 1970–1992
* Hangin' with Heaven and Hell
* Live... Gathered in Their Masses
* Black Sabbath: The End of the End

Tours|

* Technical Ecstasy Tour
* Never Say Die! Tour
* Heaven & Hell Tour
* Mob Rules Tour
* Born Again Tour
* Ozzfest
* lineups
* Black Sabbath Reunion Tour
* The End Tour

Related|

* Discography
* Members
* List of cover versions of Black Sabbath songs
* In These Black Days
* Nativity in Black
* Heaven & Hell
* tour
* The Devil You Know
* Jeff Fenholt
* Bob Daisley
* Terry Chimes
* Jo Burt
* Laurence Cottle
* Mike Bordin
* Adam Wakeman
* Tommy Clufetos
* Brad Wilk
* Mythology
* Velvett Fogg
* GZR
* Rainbow
* Dio
* Deep Purple
* Electric Light Orchestra
* Kiss
* Badlands
* Whitesnake

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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