Black Sabbath’s first recording kit rediscovered and going on show in Birmingham

A microphone and equipment used to make Black Sabbath’s first studio recordings have been rediscovered after laying unseen for more than 30 years.

The kit, including part of a mixing desk and two Revox tape machines, will go on show to coincide with the band’s sold-out final show at Birmingham’s Villa Park in July.

The exhibition will reflect the birth of heavy metal in the city, said music industry professional John Mostyn, who is organising the display at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens, to run on days either side of the show.

The items are on loan from Johnny Haynes, who owned and ran Zella Studios in Birmingham, where the recordings were made.

The first incarnation of Zella Studios was based at the rear of an old repair room of Ladbrooke Pianos on Bristol Street.

It was here in 1968 four musicians, lead vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward, from the band then named Earth, came to record their first music together.

“We had an excellent demo session, organised by Big Bear Music, and the resultant recordings were well received,” said Mr Haynes, 83.

But, he added, after the first meeting the band relocated to London, which had “a monopoly on top recording studios”.

Sadly, for some reason, the feeling of the London recording was considered disappointing, he said, and the quartet returned to Zella.

It was during this time the band changed their name to Black Sabbath, and they went on to sign their first record deal, he explained.

“The rest, I guess, is well known music biz history,” Mr Haynes added.

Mr Mostyn, who himself has managed bands such as The Beat and Fine Young Cannibals, said he had known the studio owner since the mid-1970s.

“I never visited that first studio he had, but it must have been an amazing spot,” he said.

“Not just because there were lots of pianos for sale, but Johnny was in the back recording the coolest bands in Birmingham at the time.”

Running the studios for 30 years, Mr Haynes said he was “extremely fortunate to be in the right place at the right time”.

He recorded demos for bands including The Move and Jeff Lynne plus The Locomotive with John Bonham on drums, and many more.”

The business, which eventually relocated to Walker Hall Studio, ran until 1995 when the equipment was put into storage.

Mr Mostyn explained he had recently approached the studio owner to ask if he still had any of the kit from the period.

“He said yes, but it’s taken him six months of looking,” he said.

“And he actually only found it about 10 days ago, so it’s been stored for more than 30 years”.

Urging fans to attend the exhibition he added: “The next time this mic appears in public it will probably be behind a glass screen in a museum so this is likely to be the only chance ever to be close to it in person.”

The exhibition will run on 4 July and 6 July, either side of the Villa Park concert.

“And what’s really exciting is Johnny is coming with it,” Mr Mostyn added.

“This is a very rare outing for a very popular gentleman, so I suspect there will be a lot of old musician friends and music industry people grabbing the chance to come and have a rare sighting of Mr Johnny Haynes.”

He was an “inspirational character” he added, “that in 1968 had the vision to set up this recording studio”.