How Tony Lommi Joining Jethro Tull in 1968, was the Making of Black Sabath

Black Sabbath, the iconic rock band, played a pivotal role in shaping the music industry and influencing numerous rock bands.  From Nirvana to Metallica to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Royal Blood, the impact of Black Sabbath cannot be overstated. They not only pioneered a new genre of music that brought heavy, intense riffs into the mainstream but also established a standard for generations to come. It is thanks to Tony Iommi, the guitar icon and creative force behind Sabbath, that the band didn’t take a different path.

In the late 1960s, when Black Sabbath was still known by different names such as The Pulka Tulk Blues Company, The Earth Blues Company, and Earth.  Tony Iommi was offered a chance to join Jethro Tull. At that time, Jethro Tull was in need of a new guitarist after the departure of Mick Abrahams. Despite the encouragement from his bandmates, Iommi still had reservations about joining.

Iommi reluctantly accepted the offer and performed with Jethro Tull for the filming of The Rolling Stones’ film Rock And Roll Circus in December 1968. Using a white Stratocaster instead of his later iconic Gibson SG, Iommi mimed Abrahams’s part in the song “A Song For Jeffrey,” which had similarities to Black Sabbath’s own “The Wizard.” Although the footage of Jethro Tull performing “Fat Man” was excluded from the final film released in 1996, it remains the earliest known footage of the band.

However, Iommi quickly realized that Jethro Tull wasn’t the right fit for him. The band lacked the camaraderie and spirit that he had experienced in his previous group. Anderson, the frontman of Jethro Tull, seemed distant from the rest of the band. Recognizing this, Iommi made the decision to leave Jethro Tull and reunite with his old bandmates.

“He’d sit on one table and they’d sit on the other,” Iommi recalled. “It just didn’t feel like a proper band to me. So I talked to Ian and said: ‘Look, I’m gonna leave. I miss my old band.’ But I tell you what, it changed our career. I said to Geezer: ‘Let’s get back together again and f****** get some work done and make this happen. We can become big too.’”

Iommi drew inspiration from Ian Anderson’s work ethic and determination, realizing that they needed to write their own material and put in the effort to succeed.

Little did Iommi know that Black Sabbath would go on to change the world of music. Their drive, combined with their unique sound and influential songwriting, would leave an indelible mark on the rock genre and inspire countless bands to follow in their footsteps.