Because the bassist and driver at the back of Swedish doom heavyweights Candlemass, Leif Edling doesn’t conceal the debt he owes to Again Sabbath, and their landmark 1970 debut album specifically.
“Black Sabbath’s first album used to be so necessary,” says Edling, whose personal band contributed to shaping the fashionable doom scene by means of such classics as 1986’s Epicus Doomicus Metallicus and 1987’s Dusk. “It had an have an effect on on everyone at the moment. In the event you had been involved in laborious and heavy rock track, you couldn’t forget about it. I grew up with it, and it had an enormous have an effect on on me. Not anything sounded love it on the time. Not anything sounds love it now. It’s a beast!”
Apart from Edling’s admiration of Black Sabbath is going above and past the decision of accountability. The place the general public are content material to possess a replica or two on CD or LP, the 60-year-old owns a staggering 71 other vinyl variations of that one document, from authentic copies to reissues to global variations. His determination to the album is ironic, given it’s no longer even his favorite Sabbath album.
“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is my favorite,” he says. “It’s were given the whole lot. The songs, the sound, the manufacturing… it doesn’t have one lame 2nd on it.”
Nonetheless, we’re right here to speak about that debut and Edling’s spectacular, if relatively bizarre obsession with it. So, what is that this that stands earlier than us?
What made you wish to have to assemble 71 other vinyl variations of Black Sabbath’s debut album?
A few years in the past I went to a pal’s position to shop for some Rush information off him. I purchased their first album, at the Moon label, and the No longer Fade Away unmarried. However what in reality stuck my eye used to be his Sure assortment. No longer simplest did he have an enormous choice of Sure information, however he additionally gathered Relayer in particular. I assumed it used to be insanity, however a bit of good too, so I stole his loopy concept and began to shop for the primary Sabbath each time I noticed it. It used to be the one who began steel so as to discuss, and very groundbreaking. Great quilt too.
When did you first pay attention Sabbath?
If truth be told, it began with Paranoid. My mom gave me a replica when I used to be 8 or 9 years previous – this used to be someplace round 1971 or 1972. A chum that lived a couple of homes clear of me performed it and I used to be hooked straight away. His large 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 setting. I used to be spellbound. Couldn’t withstand it!
I didn’t personal my first reproduction of Black Sabbath till years later. When I used to be 14, in 1977, I began to take the teach to Stockholm and the document retail outlets there. I purchased a used crushed up reproduction of it that I nonetheless have. A few years later, when the NEMS variations became up, I purchased a kind of. They had been reasonable however sounded higher than my scratched and grimy authentic.
How did you pass from proudly owning one reproduction of Black Sabbath to proudly owning 71 copies?
I’ve gathered Sabbath just about all my existence. Again within the day, I may just simplest have enough money to every now and then purchase the albums after they got here out, however I moved to Stockholm from the suburb of Upplands Väsby when I used to be 25 and began to visit document fares and 2nd hand retail outlets. My assortment additionally began to develop once we had been out on excursion with Candlemass. Each and every time we got here house from the States I had a large heap of information with me.
I nonetheless pass to document festivals, nonetheless pass to the second one hand retail outlets in Stockholm, nonetheless purchase vinyl on our travels out of the country, to not point out ebay. I nonetheless revel in purchasing information, and take Saturdays off every now and then to move across the document retail outlets of Stockholm. I don’t in finding a lot Sabbath that I don’t have already, however it’s great to move document digging and there’s at all times stuff to shop for.
Do you in particular acquire other pressings of Black Sabbath – global variations, reissues, colored vinyl variations? Or do you simply purchase any previous reproduction of the album you come back throughout in a 2nd document store?
Smartly, after some time I couldn’t take into account what I had or no longer, so after I noticed a replica of the Black Sabbath album, I purchased it. In fact I stopped up with a number of the similar pressings after some time. However maximum of the ones I simply swapped away at the subsequent document tour, so no large downside. I nonetheless have some further copies however I in reality don’t care. Maximum of them are distinctive anyway – pressings from Singapore, Taiwan, South The usa, Israel, Spain, Australia, Korea, Russia, and many others. I’ve were given lots of the pressings of the primary album, however I’m certain there’s nonetheless pressings available in the market that I don’t have. So I’m no longer gonna calm down simply but.
What’s the rarest or maximum atypical model of the album you personal?
Perhaps the primary UK urgent with the Phillips credit score. Some years in the past, they came upon {that a} true first press will have to have “A Phillips document product“ written underneath ‘Vertigo’ at the label. No longer that many information exist with this credit score. The Vertigo label didn’t precisely consider in Sabbath after they launched the primary document, and I’m certain they didn’t press too many. But if it began to promote, they want extra vinyls speedy, and the Phillips credit score were given disregarded from the label of the document at the pressings that adopted.
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Do you might have a particular favorite?
I’ve were given two new favourites, in fact. One US radio promo in tremendous form. It price me €700 closing 12 months. And one Eastern pink label promo. That one I were given for my sixtieth birthday and it price round €1200. It’s very, very uncommon. It’s thought to be one of the crucial Sabbath holy grails. I think very lucky to have it.
Have you were given any signed copies of the album?
I by no means met Black Sabbath earlier than they broke up with Ozzy, so I had to shop for a signed reproduction on ebay. I did it a few years in the past and it didn’t price me an excessive amount of. Nevertheless it’s fantastically signed and appears nice. I do have well 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 replica of Black Sabbath as a result of they knew you gathered them?
No longer but, however expectantly some day. I’m no longer Michael Åkerfeldt from Opeth! He will get distinctive and costly information thrown at him for subsequent to not anything when he’s on excursion. I’m no longer in his league. I’ve were given extra Sabbath than him, however he’s were given an enormous laborious rock/prog assortment.
The place do you stay those albums? Are they in show instances?
I’ve a room in my area filled with vinyl. It’s my favorite position in the world. There’s two large cabinets there and a couple of small ones, plus a number of crates at the flooring 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 information within the basement and a separate garage 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 information – even my first pressings, They do sound a bit of higher than the later pressings. The primary urgent of Grasp Of Truth that I’ve sounds incredible. Large! In a while they misplaced one of the heat within the sound, however at the present time they’re restored to its former glory. I like to position the ones first pressings on – Sabbath, Rainbow, Heep, Zeppelin. Love them on vinyl, guy.
Are you prefer a wine gourmet – when you pay attention a replica of Black Sabbath‘s first album, are you able to inform which nation it used to be from or what 12 months it’s a reissue from?
Perhaps. Nevertheless it’s tough. Each the USA variations and the German variations sound just about as excellent as the United Kingdom variations. However the Eastern pressings are simple. All of them lack a bit of of bass. Perhaps bass wasn’t fashionable in Japan within the 70s. I will sing the be aware of which key the following track begins in regardless that, when the present one fades away. Does that depend?
You’ve met the contributors of Black Sabbath through the years. Did you inform them that you simply gathered their first album?
I’ve met they all, however by no means discussed this particular ‘hobby’ of mine. I met Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler at a resort in Stockholm after they had been doing promo for Dehumanizer and I did point out that I had a large Sabbath assortment. I introduced some stuff that they signed and had been baffled about one of the rarest stuff I had. Geezer signed some bootlegs as smartly, and laughed about the truth that they get a bit of ripped off when other folks press those illegal information. He didn’t appear to have an issue with it. He used to be completely nice to hold with and had a great sense of humour. Tony used to be extraordinarily cool too.
Care to proportion how a lot you you’ve spent at the albums in general?
I do not know and I don’t care. Folks repair vehicles, purchase dear garments. I acquire information and Sabbath. I purchased a large a part of my Black Sabbath assortment within the overdue 80s and within the 90s, when vinyl used to be reasonable, so maximum information I’ve were given for no longer such a lot cash – all of the first pressings, promos, bootlegs, singles, posters. After I in finding one thing these days that I don’t have, it is going to be dear. It’s OK – the opposite information had been reasonable!
Any other factor with my Black Sabbath assortment is that the price of it is going up always. The costs of Sabbath stuff are insane now. No longer very life like when you question me. However alternatively, the cab meter I’ve put in on my assortment is repeatedly ticking and going up…
What do you friends and family recall to mind you assortment?
My spouse is a DJ and she or he’s were given just about as many information as I’ve, so thankfully she’s in favour of the document insanity. We’ve were given information just about all over the place in the home. I took a bath the opposite day and needed to throw out a number of document containers from the toilet.
Isn’t it bizarre to assemble such a lot of copies of the similar album? You already know that different albums are that can be purchased, proper?
Yeah, I do. I’ve many variations of Paranoid, Vol.4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, and many others. 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 no longer large.
You latterly celebrated your sixtieth birthday. What are your plans to your assortment whilst you’re long gone?
Considered one of my pals requested me the opposite day what I’m gonna do with the gathering after I am lifeless. The query utterly took me off guard and I did not know what to reply to. I want I may just take it with me just like the previous pharaohs took their treasures with them on their ultimate adventure. Believe being to your coffin utterly surrounded via your favorite document. No longer unhealthy! That will be heaven to me! However I am not certain that may be conceivable.
However my spouse noticed on the net that you’ll ship your ashes to a undeniable position and they will make a document out of it. Your favorite track pressed together with your burned ash! That is so superior!! I may simply do this! I will’t take my assortment with me after I die, so that is the following perfect factor, Track? A touch: ‘Please let me die in Solitude‘ [a lyric from Candlemass’s doom classic Solitude]. Or possibly Black Sabbath via Black Sabbath from Black Sabbath…
Candlemass’s newest album, Candy Evil Solar, is out now
