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Help us to the answer
Tony Iommi made an appearance on SiriusXM’s Eddie Trunk show on May 22, 2024, and was asked about the remix of Born Again. The master tapes for the album have been found nearly 3 years ago, yet we haven’t heard much of the progress. His answer didn’t shed much light on the matter either.
Well, eventually we got the tapes, but we couldn’t find them for years. We didn’t know where they were. And [my manager] located somebody, and they were in a record [company’s], in their archives tucked away somewhere in one of the record companies. I don’t know how they got them, but they did. And so eventually we got them, and then we’ve had them, or [we are] having them transferred, ’cause obviously it’s tape. And so we’re having them transferred so we can have a look at that. And that’s sort of a plan as well; I’d like to do that. And I know Ian would like that to happen as well. Well, Geezer [Butler, SABBATH bassist] would as well, I’m sure.
So, apparently everybody wants it to happen, yet here we are…
Thanks to Blabbermouth for the info and the quote.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
BA super realise!
May 26th, 2024 at 20:00When Iommi said this, I was very excited, but today I don’t care if it’s remastered or not. If it happens, I will be pleased, and if not, I already love this album. Actually Born Again is the only Sabbath album I love.
May 26th, 2024 at 20:24Yo,
Good news for those that love the album, but I think since it’s such a controversial album, it may not see a re-mix / re-release due to poor sales…And you can also get it on a pretty good complete Black Sabbath Boxed-set of everything that they’ve released, including “13” on mini-album CD for all of $100:00…
And the fact that it’s available in this boxed-set explains why the masters disappeared a long-time-ago, simply for tape to digital transfer. And it’s also likely available as a single purchase on CD too in a jewel case. Plus some “lost” songs found their way onto the “Who Cares” set around 10-years ago.
But you never know, the record company may ask Dweezil Zappa to have-a-crack at this one too in a full re-mix.
Peace !
May 26th, 2024 at 22:52It sounds like the riff Meister is a little unsure about it all. I suppose now that the Tony Martin era is finished & about to be released, the Born Again album could now be the main focus for Iommi, possibly. I listened to a new remix song from Forbidden online the other day. At least thats what it said it was & it sounded terrible, his guitars were awful & Cozy’d drums still sounded muffled & down in the mix. It was online so there is a little doubt in some aspects to the quality, however we can usually hear enough to notice any difference, for better or for worse. Sometimes were better off letting sleeping dogs lie. But on the other hand we will never know if it isn’t remixed, will it improve it? Time will tell. It is a curiosity when Gillan in that older interview says it sounds too bassy. It could sound worse the way certain people have things these days. Cheers.
May 26th, 2024 at 23:11Just a biological observation: If they don’t finally remix this album anytime soon, the potential consumer group buying it will be severely depleted for mere mortality reasons! 😂
May 27th, 2024 at 02:22Yes good point Uwe, but on the brighter side of things, then we can all be Born Again…………..sorry but someone had to say it. Cheers.
May 27th, 2024 at 08:50Well, eventually we got the tapes …blah blah blah… we couldn’t find them for years…blah blah blah…And so eventually we got them…blah blah blah… and then we’ve had them…blah blah blah…so we’re having them …blah blah blah…so we can have a look at that…blah blah blah…that’s sort of a plan…blah blah blah…I’d like to do that…Ian would like that to happen…blah blah blah…Geezer would as well…blah blah blah…
Based on that there will be nothing happening with it. Not very high in Toni Iommi’s priorities …blah blah blah…or anybody else’s for that matter….blah blah blah…
May 27th, 2024 at 09:06Wise words, Herr MacGregor (now don’t get carried away, even drummers can’t be wrong ALL the time), the sonics of Born Again were unheard of at the time for a commercial release, but they were a harbinger of production values a few years later when Seattle Grunge hit full force.
They could always ask fellow Brummie Jeff Lynne to remix it! 😂
https://youtu.be/eVSTVGUQMs4
Much as I dug the production for the one-of-a-kind unsettling, dystopian atmosphere it created, Gillan is right with one thing: It wouldn’t have worked with FM radio!
May 27th, 2024 at 09:22MacGregor, you darn heathen, satanists being born again? Unholy-smokin’-pram-certainly-not!!!
Your words are disturbing the priest!
May 27th, 2024 at 12:14@5
May 27th, 2024 at 12:30😂
@ 9- You called me Lord? Just repeating Gillan’s lyrics for Born Again, that should keep me in the good books for little while, he he he. Cheers.
As you look through my window
May 27th, 2024 at 23:51Deep into my room
At the tapestries all faded
Their vague and distant glories
Concealed in the gloom
The icy fingers of forgotten passions
Softly brushing my lips
At the tips of my primitive soul
As you look through my door
Deep into my room
Can you feel the mighty wall of power?
It’s waiting, waiting in the gloom
The distant shadows of forgotten champions
Those who live in me still
And will rise when we challenge and kill
Born again
You’ll be born, born again
Oh, oh
Look at this prince of evil
Fighting for your mind
Fighting all the priests of shame
For the thrust of my challenge is aimed
At the hearts of mutant gods
Who think we’re all the same
They’re controlling our minds
And they use us for fortune and fame
As you look through my window
Deep into my room
At your future and freedom
The gray and plastic retards all floating in circles
And as you taste the fruits of new sensations
Softly brushing your lips
As we rise when we challenge and kill
Born again
You’ll be born again
Oh, oh
Born again
You’ll be born again
If you want to be a king for a day
Just do what I say
Born again
You’ll be born again
Everybody’s got to think like a hunter
Just search for your prey
Born again
Born
Be alive through the night and the day
Just do it my way
That lyric is sheer bloody poetry. Showing again how Big Ian is in a league of his own.
May 28th, 2024 at 09:28The BA song is by far my favourite on that album, everything works to a tee. That was one of the first things I was always thinking about when that lineup was initially announced. What will the lyrics be like, meaning will they fit the genre. Disturbing The Priest works well & a couple of others in a lesser & not as ‘darker’ light. I have always liked certain Gillan lyrics, the rebellion, cynical & anarchic etc. Cheers.
May 28th, 2024 at 12:23Gimme that Digital Bitch anytime, one helluva album!
May 29th, 2024 at 16:19I have just finished watching the Bill Ward ‘the genius of’ a youtube retrospective drumming video. Born Again hardly had a mention, about 10 seconds of Zero the Hero. Same with Heaven & Hell & only a little of the title song & Lonely Is The Word. No doubt as Bill wasn’t happy in those situations & also the ‘it isn’t really Sabbath’ scenario. Not that the guy doing the video suggested that & he is good at highlighting everything & also playing it himself. It was good overall & plenty of references to Ward’s jazz & swing & that should please a few aficionados here, well one at least, he he he. The Mitch Mitchell video was good also, again that swing & improvising free form & all that jazz. Those were the days & that is mentioned in regards to the liberal swinging between time & not actually being ‘perfect’ etc. Good to hear that mentioned as being irrelevant & that that is missing in todays music amongst other things. Cheers.
May 29th, 2024 at 21:42@15…
Nothing is ever “perfect”, but the concept of going into a studio to record an album means that the “click-track” dictates the time, & everyone grooves to that beat, as close as possible. The main advantage apart from a stellar & balanced performance, is that you can edit by bar-numbers, & / or add tracks / repairs etc etc knowing that everything will be “on-time”, & in the right spot, according to the charts & counters.
Ever song is different, & the idea of forming a groove around the “click-track” is in the consistency of your playing. You can remain “on-top-of-the-beat” or lag a little behind & swing with it, as long as your consistent. Modern-day recording techniques are generally taken one-instrument-at-a-time, or the band plays along as a guide track only, to be redone later.
The live arena is where minor drifts-in-time occur for many & varied reasons, often to enhance the emotion of the moment. That’s why I like a good live album, for its freedom & energy found within a moment.
The “clicker-track” / metronome is everyone’s best friend, & if not, you should make your best friend, or your playing will always be below-par, regardless of what you may think. As a drummer, everyone relies on your ability to keep good time. It makes life easier, since you have a perfect point-of-focus to work with, & around with.
Peace !
May 30th, 2024 at 12:34You’re not alone, I’ve always appreciated Bill Ward for his swing. He made a perfect musical contrast to the heavy sludge of Iommi’s and Butler’s riffing – a similarly heavy drummer would have been too much, hence I never really cared for Vinnie Appice’s or Cozy’s drumming in BS. They made Sabbath sound leaden and stiff – something Ward never did.
May 30th, 2024 at 13:11I would love to hear a remsater/Re mix of Born Again the most “satanic” heavier (maybe behind Dehumanizer).I am one of the fans that would like to have a chance and listen to “separated instruments) instead of that classic “muddy” moufled sound,But what do i know? some complete live set maybe? but knowing the business side of it that would love to bleed us fans out of our money with issues and editions later on
June 1st, 2024 at 18:20@3 Born Again reached no.4 in the UK charts on it’s release, I believe the first Sabbath album to do that since the Ozzy era, so it didn’t sell too badly at the time.
Gillan’s vocals are superb, just hope they do the remix before anyone associated with it passes away, which would be vey sad indeed.
June 1st, 2024 at 19:33@19…
Oh for sure it did well-at-the-time in the UK, & I personally like it a lot. In fact, IG to my ears sits quite well with the band, & he seems a better fit than RJD…And the cover-art is unforgettable.
I believe that since so many years have past, the lack-of-follow-up material, along with what was apparently a tour full-of-hassles, makes the whole circumstance historically appear less than focused, & simply a stepping-stone for IG to go & re-join the revived Mk-II DP line-up.
And when you then consider how shaky in the years afterwards that Black Sabbath would become, the IG era sadly reflects back now, as being a part of that turmoil…Poor Tony appeared like RB in Rainbow, to be a complete ass-hole…And then with all the cross-over musicians from one-band-to-the-other, & the poor press that the band made themselves in the name of the “Record Company made us do it”, sets the scene for poor reception…And yet imo, all the Black Sabbath albums offer something good, regardless of who’s doing what, & “Born Again” is one of the better post Ozzy efforts imo.
Peace !
June 2nd, 2024 at 10:43In the interview I heard with Ward, Billy spoke well of the album and did not hide his admiration for Gillan.
https://youtu.be/bZEfcpCgyuU?si=yWznXlQixFHmE2qD&t=260
June 2nd, 2024 at 16:12