(various) original release 1987 by Polygram


LABELS :
USA     : Warner Bros - LP / compact disc - 25548-1/2
Europe : Polygram/Phonogram/Vertigo - LP / compact disc / MC - 832 708-1/2/4
Europe : Castle/ Essential Records - compact disc - ESM CD 336 (remastered;  April 1996)
UK       : Universal Music / Sanctuary - 2CD Deluxe Expanded Edition - 2752460 (2010)

Track 5 and 8 (of CD1) :
also released on Black Sabbath; "Blackest Sabbath 1971-1987" (Best Of);
UK : Polygram/ Vertigo - compact disc / LP / MC - 838818-2/1/4



musicians CD 1:
Tony Iommi (guitars)
Eric Singer (drums, except on track 7)
Tony Martin (vocals)
Bob Daisley (bass)
Dave Spitz (bass on  “Some Kind Of Woman”)
Geoff Nicholls (keyboards; bass on  “Black Moon”)
Bev Bevan (drums on track 7)



musicians CD 2:
Tony Iommi (guitars)
Eric Singer (drums)
Ray Gillen (vocals)
Bob Daisley (bass)
Geoff Nicholls (keyboards)



NOTES CD 1:
Producers: Jeff Glixman at Air Studios, Montserrat; Vic Coppersmith at Heaven Air Studios, London; Chris Tsangerides at Battery Studios, London.
Mixed by Chris Tsangerides at Battery Studios, London.
Recorded at Air Studios, Montserrat and Battery Studios, London, England.



EXTRA NOTES :
By September 1986 the recording of the "The Eternal Idol" album had commenced and the majority of the backing tracks have been completed by mid-October that year.
Eric Singer would depart the band in January 1987, having already completed his drumtracks. By March 1987 vocalist Ray Gillen had quit the band.
They shortly thereafter hooked up with ex-Ozzy guitarist Jake E. Lee to form BADLANDS. 
The remaining Sabs (Iommi, Nicholls & Daisley) moved the recording sessions from Monserrat to London. Cash flow troubles forced the band to halt recording during the spring of ’87 and Bob Daisley left the band around this time. Recording resumed in August ’87 with Iommi bringing in vocalist Tony Martin to re-record Ray Gillen’s vocal tracks in just 8 days! Martin’s stiff performance was a result of having to mimic Gillen’s performance as closely as possible. The only remaining trace of Ray Gillen’s vocals left on the album was the laughter during the mid-section of “Nightmare”.

For the album Eric Singer’s drums were left almost completely intact, even though was no longer playing with Sabbath. Nevertheless, Bev Bevan is given credit for playing drums on the album, even though he only contributed his sticks to “Scarlet Pimpernel”, which was tacked on to the record during the final sessions in London!

The bass playing that you hear on the record is all Bob Daisley. Dave Spitz can be heard on the “Some Kind Of Woman” and Geoff Nicholls gets the bass credit for the “Black Moon” demo. Both of these cuts appear on some European maxi-single pressings of “The Shining”.
Thanks to Robert Dwyer for final details.

September 15, 2010 : Black Sabbath CD box reissues From: www.black-sabbath.com According to BLACK SABBATH News, the next two reissues in the Deluxe Edition series are the highly overlooked Seventh Star (1986) and Eternal Idol (1987) albums that featured Glenn Hughes (ex-DEEP PURPLE) and Tony Martin respectively on vocals. After just a handful of dates on the 1986 Seventh Star Tour, Hughes was let go, and Ray Gillen was brought on board. He finished the tour, and work began on the next album, and it was mostly completed. Gillen left to found BADLANDS (with now KISS drummer Eric Singer also from Sabbath), and this left Black Sabbath with a mostly completed album, and no singer. Tony Martin was brought in and re-recorded all the vocals in two weeks. The album came out with Tony Martin, and the only remaining bit of the Ray Gillen original vocals was some laughter in the track 'Nightmare'. The original Ray Gillen version of The Eternal Idol has been traded in bootleg circles for ages now. Sanctuary/Universal UK will be releasing The Eternal Idol Box Set on November 1st. The additional tracks include 'Some Kind Of Woman' and 'Black Moon' (demo) on Disc 1. Disc 2 will comprise the Ray Gillen Eternal Idol album! Complete tracklisting is as follows:   Disc 1: 1. The Shining 2. Ancient Warrior 3. Hard Life To Love 4. Glory Ride 5. Born To Lose 6. Nightmare 7. Scarlet Pimpernel 8. Lost Forever 9. Eternal Idol 10. Black Moon (demo) 11. Some Kind Of Woman Disc: 2 1. Glory Ride 2. Born To Lose 3. Lost Forever 4. Eternal Idol 5. The Shining 6. Hard Life To Love 7. Nightmare 8. Ancient Warrior Sanctuary/Universal UK will also release the Seventh Star Box Set on November 1st. The first disc of Seventh Star will include the album as well as the remixed version of 'No Stranger to Love', which appears in the music video of the same. Disc 2 is a live concert recorded on June 2, 1986 and has Ray Gillen on vocals. The complete tracklisting is as follows: Disc 1: 1. In For The Kill 2. No Stranger To Love 3. Turn To Stone 4. Sphinx (The Guardian) 5. Seventh Star 6. Danger Zone 7. Heart Like A Wheel 8. Angry Heart 9. In Memory 10. No Stranger To Love (alternate version) Disc: 2 1. Mob Rules 2. Danger Zone 3. War Pigs 4. Seventh Star 5. Die Young 6. Black Sabbath 7. N.I.B 8. Neon Knights 9. Paranoid

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