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Because the bassist and driving power behind Swedish doom heavyweights Candlemass, Leif Edling doesn’t cover the debt he owes to Back Sabbath, and their landmark 1970 debut album specifically.
“Black Sabbath’s first album was so vital,” says Edling, whose personal band helped form the fashionable doom scene by way of such classics as 1986’s Epicus Doomicus Metallicus and 1987’s Dusk. “It had an impression on everyone at the moment. If you happen to had been fascinated by onerous and heavy rock music, you couldn’t ignore it. I grew up with it, and it had a huge effect on me. Nothing sounded prefer it on the time. Nothing sounds prefer it now. It’s a beast!”
Besides Edling’s admiration of Black Sabbath goes above and past the decision of responsibility. The place most individuals are content material to personal a duplicate or two on CD or LP, the 60-year-old owns a staggering 71 totally different vinyl variations of that one report, from unique copies to reissues to worldwide variations. His dedication to the album is ironic, given it’s not even his favorite Sabbath album.
“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is my favorite,” he says. “It’s obtained all the things. The songs, the sound, the manufacturing… it doesn’t have one lame second on it.”
Nonetheless, we’re right here to speak about that debut and Edling’s spectacular, if barely odd obsession with it. So, what is that this that stands earlier than us?
What made you need to gather 71 totally different vinyl variations of Black Sabbath’s debut album?
A few years in the past I went to a buddy’s place to purchase some Rush data off him. I purchased their first album, on the Moon label, and the Not Fade Away single. However what actually caught my eye was his Sure assortment. Not solely did he have an enormous variety of Sure data, however he additionally collected Relayer particularly. I assumed it was insanity, however a bit good too, so I stole his loopy concept and began to purchase the primary Sabbath each time I noticed it. It was the one which began metallic so to talk, and intensely groundbreaking. Good cowl too.
When did you first hear Sabbath?
Truly, it began with Paranoid. My mom gave me a duplicate after I was eight or 9 years outdated – this was someplace round 1971 or 1972. A buddy that lived a couple of homes away from me performed it and I used to be hooked instantly. His massive brother owned it, and he additionally had the primary Black Sabbath album. It scared the shit out of me with the duvet, the rain and bell within the intro, the ominous ambiance. I used to be spellbound. Couldn’t resist it!
I didn’t personal my first copy of Black Sabbath till years later. After I was 14, in 1977, I began to take the prepare to Stockholm and the report outlets there. I purchased a used crushed up copy of it that I nonetheless have. A few years later, when the NEMS variations turned up, I purchased a type of. They had been low-cost however sounded higher than my scratched and soiled unique.
How did you go from proudly owning one copy of Black Sabbath to proudly owning 71 copies?
I’ve collected Sabbath just about all my life. Again within the day, I may solely afford to often purchase the albums once they got here out, however I moved to Stockholm from the suburb of Upplands Väsby after I was 25 and began to go to report fares and second hand outlets. My assortment additionally began to develop once we had been out on tour with Candlemass. Each time we got here dwelling from the States I had a massive heap of data with me.
I nonetheless go to report festivals, nonetheless go to the second hand outlets in Stockholm, nonetheless purchase vinyl on our travels overseas, to not point out ebay. I nonetheless take pleasure in shopping for data, and take Saturdays off typically to go across the report outlets of Stockholm. I don’t discover a lot Sabbath that I don’t have already, however it’s good to go report digging and there’s at all times stuff to purchase.
Do you particularly gather totally different pressings of Black Sabbath – worldwide variations, reissues, colored vinyl variations? Or do you simply purchase any outdated copy of the album you come throughout in a second report store?
Effectively, after some time I couldn’t keep in mind what I had or not, so after I noticed a duplicate of the Black Sabbath album, I purchased it. In fact I ended up with a bunch of the identical pressings after some time. However most of these I simply swapped away on the following report tour, so no massive downside. I nonetheless have some additional copies however I actually don’t care. Most of them are distinctive anyway – pressings from Singapore, Taiwan, South America, Israel, Spain, Australia, Korea, Russia, and so on. I’ve obtained many of the pressings of the primary album, however I’m certain there’s nonetheless pressings on the market that I don’t have. So I’m not gonna loosen up simply but.
What’s the rarest or most uncommon model of the album you personal?
Possibly the primary UK urgent with the Phillips credit score. Some years in the past, they found {that a} true first press ought to have “A Phillips report product“ written beneath ‘Vertigo’ on the label. Not that many data exist with this credit score. The Vertigo label didn’t precisely imagine in Sabbath once they launched the primary report, and I’m certain they didn’t press too many. However when it began to promote, they want extra vinyls quick, and the Phillips credit score obtained omitted from the label of the report on the pressings that adopted.
Do you will have a selected favorite?
I’ve obtained two new favourites, truly. One US radio promo in tremendous form. It value me €700 final 12 months. And one Japanese pink label promo. That one I obtained for my sixtieth birthday and it value round €1200. It’s very, very uncommon. It’s thought of one of many Sabbath holy grails. I really feel very lucky to have it.
Have you ever obtained any signed copies of the album?
I by no means met Black Sabbath earlier than they broke up with Ozzy, so I had to purchase a signed copy on ebay. I did it a few years in the past and it didn’t value me an excessive amount of. Nevertheless it’s fantastically signed and appears nice. I do have properly signed copies of all of the Sabbath albums as much as [1992’s] Dehumanizer.
Has anyone come as much as you after a gig or on the street and given you a duplicate of Black Sabbath as a result of they knew you collected them?
Not but, however hopefully some day. I’m not Michael Åkerfeldt from Opeth! He will get distinctive and costly data thrown at him for subsequent to nothing when he’s on tour. I’m not in his league. I’ve obtained extra Sabbath than him, however he’s obtained a large onerous rock/prog assortment.
The place do you retain these albums? Are they in show instances?
I’ve a room in my home stuffed with vinyl. It’s my favorite place on the planet. There’s two massive cabinets there and some small ones, plus a bunch of crates on the ground as a result of I don’t have room for all of the vinyl I’ve. So I’ve to have the remainder of the data within the basement and a separate storage unit.
Have you ever performed all of them, or are some off limits?
No, I hate that. No white laboratory gloves right here! In fact I play all of the data – even my first pressings, They do sound a bit higher than the later pressings. The primary urgent of Master Of Reality that I’ve sounds incredible. Huge! Afterward they misplaced a number of the heat within the sound, however these days they’re restored to its former glory. I like to put these first pressings on – Sabbath, Rainbow, Heep, Zeppelin. Love them on vinyl, man.
Are you want a wine connoisseur – if you happen to hear a duplicate of Black Sabbath‘s first album, are you able to inform which nation it was from or what 12 months it’s a reissue from?
Possibly. Nevertheless it’s troublesome. Each the US variations and the German variations sound practically pretty much as good because the UK variations. However the Japanese pressings are simple. All of them lack a little bit of bass. Possibly bass wasn’t stylish in Japan within the 70s. I can sing the notice of which key the following track begins in although, when the present one fades away. Does that rely?
You’ve met the members of Black Sabbath through the years. Did you inform them that you just collected their first album?
I’ve met all of them, however by no means talked about this particular ‘curiosity’ of mine. I met Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler at a resort in Stockholm once they had been doing promo for Dehumanizer and I did point out that I had a giant Sabbath assortment. I introduced some stuff that they signed and had been baffled about a number of the rarest stuff I had. Geezer signed some bootlegs as effectively, and laughed about the truth that they get a bit ripped off when folks press these illegal data. He didn’t appear to have an issue with it. He was completely nice to hold with and had an excellent sense of humour. Tony was extraordinarily cool too.
Care to share how a lot you you’ve spent on the albums in complete?
I do not know and I don’t care. Folks restore vehicles, purchase costly garments. I gather data and Sabbath. I purchased a giant a part of my Black Sabbath assortment within the late 80s and within the 90s, when vinyl was low-cost, so most data I’ve obtained for not a lot cash – all the primary pressings, promos, bootlegs, singles, posters. After I discover one thing as we speak that I don’t have, will probably be costly. It’s OK – the opposite data had been low-cost!
One other factor with my Black Sabbath assortment is that the worth of it goes up on a regular basis. The costs of Sabbath stuff are insane now. Not very sensible if you happen to ask me. However alternatively, the cab meter I’ve put in on my assortment is consistently ticking and going up…
What do you household and pals consider you assortment?
My spouse is a DJ and he or she’s obtained practically as many data as I’ve, so thankfully she’s in favour of the report insanity. We’ve obtained data just about in all places in the home. I took a bathe the opposite day and needed to throw out a bunch of report bins from the lavatory.
Isn’t it bizarre to gather so many copies of the identical album? You recognize that different albums are in the stores, proper?
Yeah, I do. I’ve many variations of Paranoid, Vol.4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and so on. I simply purchased some US first pressings of Vol. 4, Born Once more and Heaven And Hell, in even higher situation. My Judas Priest, Motörhead, Scorpions, Hawkwind, B.Ö.C., Lizzy and Zeppelin collections are OK too, however not large.
You lately celebrated your sixtieth birthday. What are your plans to your assortment whenever you’re gone?
Considered one of my mates requested me the opposite day what I’m gonna do with the gathering after I am useless. The query completely took me off guard and I did not know what to reply. I want I may take it with me just like the outdated pharaohs took their treasures with them on their remaining journey. Think about being in your coffin completely surrounded by your favorite report. Not unhealthy! That may be heaven to me! However I am unsure that will be potential.
However my spouse noticed on the web you can ship your ashes to a sure place they usually’ll make a report out of it. Your favorite track pressed together with your burned ash! That is so superior!! I would simply try this! I can not take my assortment with me after I die, so that is the following neatest thing, Music? A touch: ‘Please let me die in Solitude‘ [a lyric from Candlemass’s doom classic Solitude]. Or possibly Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath from Black Sabbath…
Candlemass’s newest album, Sweet Evil Sun, is out now
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