Despite reports around the world that the original line up of Black Sabbath had reformed and were rehearsing for a tour with the view to working on new material, guitarist Tony Iommi has stated that the comments the story was based on were not official statements.
Journalist Andy Coleman, writing in the group’s hometown newspaper, the Birmingham Mail, quoted Iommi as saying “‘‘We’re really looking forward to it and I think the stuff we’ve been writing is really good, it’s more back to the old original stuff. It’s all been very hush-hush. Ozzy’s been the worst at trying to hold it back. He’s doing a lot of TV and he’s being asked stuff about a reunion and he’s going ‘well I never say never”.
However, Iommi has now posted a statement on his website denying that he made such claims, arguing that he was merely ‘shooting the breeze’ with a journalist he once trusted several months ago. His statement says:
I’m saddened that a Birmingham journalist whom I trusted has chosen this point in time to take a conversation we had back in June and make it sound like we spoke yesterday about a Black Sabbath reunion.
At the time I was supporting the Home of Metal exhibition and was merely speculating, shooting the breeze, on something all of us get asked constantly, “Are you getting back together?”
Thanks to the internet it’s gone round the world as some sort of “official” statement on my part, absolute nonsense. I hope he’s enjoyed his moment of glory, he won’t have another at my expense. to my old pals, Ozzy, Geezer and Bill, sorry about this, I should have known better.
All the best, Tony
Interestingly, not once in the statement does Iommi deny that the band is reforming with their original line up to tour and record. Did he let the cat out of the bag and get rapped over the knuckles for it by promoters?
