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.”
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- Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality - 1st + Poster - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £595.00, $743.75, €666.40 (Back In Stock) (arrived 10-Jul-2020 17:49)on July 16, 2020 at 6:53 pm
BLACK SABBATH Master Of Reality (Rare 1971 UK first pressing 8-track vinyl LP on an inverted black 'swirl' label, with machine stamped 1Y1/2Y1 matrices & an inverted 'swirl' die-cut inner, fully laminated & embossed box picture sleeve completewith the incredibly rare fold-out poster. See 'More Info' for condition details...)
- Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality - 1st - UK - vinyl LP - £195.00, $243.75, €218.40 (New Item) (arrived 09-Jul-2020 12:48)on July 16, 2020 at 6:53 pm
BLACK SABBATH Master Of Reality (Rare 1971 UK first issue 'swirl' label 8-track LP with unusual reversed white on black label, matching reverse 'swirl' inner, fully laminated & embossed box sleeve with lyrics on reverse. We tend to find these covers in less than desirable condition, however this example remains in superb shape with just a little laminate rippling at the edges, the Swirl inner has a few creases but remains fully intact and the vinyl too remains in excellent condition with little sign of play & just a couple of light surface scuffs to show for over forty nine years - A gem!)
- Black Sabbath - Paranoid - UK - 7" vinyl - £15.00, $18.75, €16.80 (New Item) (arrived 02-Jul-2020 16:06)on July 16, 2020 at 6:53 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 is Excellent with the odd crease & edgewear, whilst the vinyl still looks seldom played BSS101)
- Black Sabbath - Mob Rules - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £40.00, $50.00, €44.80 (New Item) (arrived 30-Jun-2020 12:35)on July 16, 2020 at 6:53 pm
BLACK SABBATH Mob Rules (1981 UK 9-track LP with black & silver 'spaceship' labels, pressed in France for the UK market. The tenth studio album, the second to feature Ronnie James Dio on vocals & the first with Vinny Appice on drums, picture sleeve featuring artwork by famed artist Greg Hildebrandt. The sleeve has some age related general wear mostly to the edges whilst the vinyl has a few light scuffs and remains in excellent condition)
- Black Sabbath - Live Evil - EX - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £25.00, $31.25, €28.00 (New Item) (arrived 30-Jun-2020 10:13)on July 16, 2020 at 6:53 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)
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