From Ultimate Classic Rock.
Louisa Livingstone, the black-robed woman on the cover of Black Sabbath‘s debut, has spoken about the experience in recognition of the album’s 50th anniversary.
At the time, Livingstone was a model in her late teens, and photographer Keith “Keef” Macmillan chose her, in part because she was only five feet tall, thereby making the scenery around her look big. Macmillan chose Oxfordshire’s Mapledurham Watermill, a historic building that dates back to the 15th century, because he thought it fit the dark, gothic sound of the band, and the two went there one morning.
“I remember it was freezing cold,” she told Rolling Stone. “I had to get up at about 4 o’clock in the morning. Keith was rushing around with dry ice, throwing it into the water. It didn’t seem to be working very well, so he ended up using a smoke machine. It was just, ‘Stand there and do that.’ I’m sure he said it was for Black Sabbath, but I don’t know if that meant anything much to me at the time.”
“She wasn’t wearing any clothes under that cloak because we were doing things that were slightly more risqué, but we decided none of that worked,” he added. “Any kind of sexuality took away from the more foreboding mood. But she was a terrific model. She had amazing courage and understanding of what I was trying to do.”
Despite her work on the cover, Livingstone, now an electronic musician who works under the name Indreba, never gravitated towards the music. But for Macmillan, the cover shoot was an entry into a whole new world. “To be honest, it was the first time I really enjoyed that kind of heavy rock,” he said. “But that album made me a fan for life.”
Explore eil.com & 991.com sister – the world’s best online store for rare, collectable & out of print Vinyl Records, CDs & Music memorabilia since 1987.
EIL.COM Favourite Music Update Rare CDs, CD Singles, Rare Records, Vinyl Records, Albums and Music
- Black Sabbath - Never Say Die! - No inner - UK - vinyl LP - £30.00, $41.40, €35.10 (New Item) (arrived 23-Jul-2021 11:52)on July 25, 2021 at 2:50 pm
BLACK SABBATH Never Say Die! (1978 UK Vertigo 'spaceship' label 9-track LP, fully laminated picture sleeve. Although this copy does not include the inner, the vinyl and sleeve remain in near as new condition - a great play copy)
- Black Sabbath - We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'N' Roll + Insert - Japanese - 2-LP vinyl set - £150.00, $207.00, €175.50 (New Item) (arrived 30-Jun-2021 16:58)on July 25, 2021 at 2:50 pm
BLACK SABBATH We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'N' Roll (Rare 1976 Japanese-only 17-track double LP on the Vertigo 'spaceship' label, housed in a unique & deluxe gatefold sleeve with a selection of live on-stage artwork & lyrics printed inside & comes with the double-sided sheet music insert that gives you the exact musical low down on Sabbath's pioneering metal riffs. The sleeve displays just a little light general wear, the labels have just a couple of light spindle marks whilst the vinylremains clean with little evidence of play BT-5088~9)
- Black Sabbath - Live Evil - EX - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £25.00, $34.50, €29.25 (New Item) (arrived 15-Jun-2021 11:56)on July 25, 2021 at 2:50 pm
BLACK SABBATH Live Evil (1983 UK 14-track double live LP, featuring the band fronted by Ronnie James Dio thundering through a set that includes Neon Knights, War Pigs, Iron Man, Fluff and many more, glossy gatefold picture sleeve. The sleeve has some light edgewear, whilst the vinyl has just the odd light sign of play - a great play copy SAB10)
- Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath - 1st - UK - vinyl LP - £100.00, $138.00, €117.00 (New Item) (arrived 18-Jun-2021 17:39)on July 25, 2021 at 2:50 pm
BLACK SABBATH Black Sabbath (1974 UK first WWA issue of the classic 1970 7-track debut LP, gatefold Vertigo picture sleeve with new catalogue number stickered on the back. The sleeve shows just a little light shelfwear with a bit of edge scuffing and the vinyl remains in excellent condition with few signs of play WWA006)
- Black Sabbath - Paranoid - UK - 7" vinyl - £15.00, $20.70, €17.55 (New Item) (arrived 21-Jun-2021 12:33)on July 25, 2021 at 2:50 pm
BLACK SABBATH Paranoid (1980 UK issue of the classic 1970 7" single, also including Snowblind, card picture sleeve with matching picture label. The sleeve has the odd crease & edgewear, whilst the vinyl has a few light cosmetic surface scuffs,overall an excellent example BSS101)
Be the first to comment