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 - Mob Rules - 1st - Misprinted Label - French - vinyl LP - £95.00, $118.75, €110.20 (New Item) (arrived 25-Apr-2024 16:47)on April 25, 2024 at 6:16 pm
BLACK SABBATH Mob Rules (1981 First French pressed edition 9-track vinyl LP with TWO mis-spellings on the Side One black & silver 'spaceship' labels ['Bulter' instead of Butler and Track 5 is listed as 'Mob Brules' rather than Mob Rules'], later corrected & repressed - Their tenth studio album, the second to feature Ronnie James Dio on vocals and the first with Vinny Appice on drums. The glossy picture sleeve displays minimal wear and the vinyl shows very little evidence of play)
- Black Sabbath - Vol. 4 - Dutch - vinyl LP - £25.00, $31.25, €29.00 (New Item) (arrived 10-Apr-2024 16:36)on April 25, 2024 at 6:16 pm
BLACK SABBATH Vol. 4 (1976 Dutch Nems label issue of the 1972 10-track LP with black & white labels design without any mention of place of manufacture, including Wheels Of Confusion, Tomorrow's Dream, Changes & Supernaut, housed in a gatefoldpicture sleeve with 'Printed In Holland' inside. The sleeve has some noticable general wear mostly on the edges whilst the vinyl remains excellent with light signs of play NEL6005)
- Black Sabbath - Sabotage - 1st - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £175.00, $218.75, €203.00 (Back In Stock) (arrived 06-Mar-2024 11:27)on April 25, 2024 at 6:16 pm
BLACK SABBATH Sabotage (Rare 1975 UK first issue 9-track vinyl LP with 'Nems Records & Tapes' logo and catalogue number '9119 001', their sixth studio album was recorded in the midst of a legal battle with their former manager Patrick Meehan andwas co-produced by guitarist Tony Iommi with Mike Butcher; including the uncredited album closer 'Blow On A Jug'. The textured picture sleeve has the same catalogue number printed on the spine & the back and shows some light edge scuffing visible whilst the vinyl is in wonderful condition showing minimal signs of play!)
- Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell - UK - vinyl LP - £195.00, $243.75, €226.20 (New Item) (arrived 13-Mar-2024 12:19)on April 25, 2024 at 6:16 pm
BLACK SABBATH Heaven And Hell (Archive quality 1980 UK first issue 8-track vinyl LP, a return to form for Sabbath despite Ozzy's departure, with the former Elf and Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio proving a worthy replacement, housed in the glossy picture sleeve with an illustration of the four-piece on the back. The sleeve displays just a little light wear whilst the vinyl remains Near Mint, with no need to upgrade!)
- Black Sabbath - Greatest Hits - Smooth Sleeve - UK - vinyl LP - £30.00, $37.50, €34.80 (New Item) (arrived 13-Mar-2024 12:22)on April 25, 2024 at 6:16 pm
BLACK SABBATH Greatest Hits (1977 UK 10-track vinyl LP featuring a compilation of their classic hits including Paranoid, Changes and Sweet Leaf, smooth picture sleeve. The sleeve shows minimal shelfwear whilst the vinyl shows just light signsof play NEL6009)
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