Guitarist Jimi Bell recently opened up about his complicated history with Black Sabbath, reflecting on how a track he wrote ended up on one of the band’s albums without him receiving credit or payment. Despite the setback, he says he has “made peace” with the experience.
In the late 1980s, Bell was a rising star on guitar, even auditioning to join Ozzy Osbourne‘s band after Jake E. Lee‘s departure. The role ultimately went to Zakk Wylde, but Bell went on to find steady success with Autograph and House of Lords. Before then, though, he crossed paths with other key figures from Black Sabbath.
As Bell recalled, it was Sharon Osbourne who steered him toward a new project with Geezer Butler (via Ultimate Guitar): “Even after the Ozzy gig didn’t happen, Sharon still believed in me. That belief led directly to Geezer and what became a whole new chapter in my career. Geezer wanted to explore a more melodic sound than Sabbath, but still heavy. We had an amazing lineup: Carl Sentance on vocals, now in Nazareth; Jezz Woodruff from Robert Plant‘s band on keys; and Gary Ferguson on drums – his resume is unreal.”
The guitarist also detailed his setup during that time, emphasizing the challenge of matching Butler‘s unmistakable bass tone: “We rehearsed in a killer studio in London, and I used Marshall 800 heads – they were essential to match Geezer‘s massive low-end tone. Watching him play up close was wild. His thunderous attack on the bass is next level.”
One of Bell‘s contributions from this period eventually surfaced on Dehumanizer, the 1992 reunion album that brought together Tony Iommi, Butler, and Ronnie James Dio. That track was “Master of Insanity,” but Bell admitted he never saw recognition or compensation for it.
“In ’91, I got a call from Geezer‘s wife, Gloria. She told me Sabbath was reuniting with Ronnie James Dio and wanted to use ‘Master of Insanity’ on the new album. I was thrilled – until I found out I wouldn’t get songwriting credit. Tony Iommi apparently didn’t want a song by another guitarist on a Sabbath record.”
“Geezer did thank me in the liner notes, and he promised me payment after the tour. I never saw the money. But hearing Dio perform a song I wrote was unforgettable. Ronnie even mentioned our collaboration in his book, and Geezer wrote about it in his autobiography, so I’ve made peace with it.”
Interestingly, another track from Dehumanizer bears a connection to Bell, albeit only in name. As he explained: “We did have a song called ‘Computer God’, but it was totally different – more of a melodic hard rock track. There’s a rehearsal video of it on YouTube. Only the title made it to the Sabbath version; musically, they’re worlds apart.”
Despite never getting the recognition he might have deserved, Bell‘s fingerprints are (allegedly) quietly present in the Black Sabbath legacy.
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