We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll is a compilation album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, originally released 1 December 1975 in the UK and 3 February 1976 in the US.
| We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 1 December 1975 | |||
| Recorded | 1969–1975 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 73:52 | |||
| Label | NEMS Warner Bros. (US/Canada) Vertigo (Europe) | |||
| Producer | Rodger Bain, Mike Butcher, Patrick Meehan, Black Sabbath | |||
| Black Sabbath compilations chronology | ||||
| ||||
Album information
When Black Sabbath signed with NEMS, the label which would release their 1975 album Sabotage in the UK, NEMS acquired the band's back catalogue and wasted little time compiling this release. Authorized without the band's awareness by their previous manager, Patrick Meehan, the band would make no money whatsoever from the release.[citation needed] Although the band had six studio albums to its name at this point, this compilation drew heavily on the first four albums: this would also be a feature of most of the Osbourne-era compilations later released.
The original UK gatefold album, with a matte finish, had centre pages featuring shots of the band but this was omitted on reissues, which came in a glossy-finish sleeve. Additionally, the original record retained Geezer Butler's bass solo before "N.I.B.", but this would be edited from later issues. Some US copies of the LP do not actually include "Wicked World" on the label or on the record itself, though it does appear on the cover. In the UK, "Wicked World" had been only a B-side and was relatively obscure.
Despite the album being an official release, Iommi has been quoted as saying that the first time the band knew of it was when asked to autograph copies which fans presented after concerts.[citation needed]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | (C)[2] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [3] |
It was certified Silver in the UK by the BPI on 1 October 1976.[4] In the US the RIAA certified the album as Gold on 7 February 1980, Platinum on 13 May 1986 and 2x Multi-Platinum (generally known as 'Double Platinum' outside the offices of the RIAA) on 16 March 2000.[5]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Black Sabbath" | 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 6:20 | |
| 2. | "The Wizard" | 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 4:22 | |
| 3. | "Warning" |
| 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 10:30 |
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. | "Paranoid" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 2:45 |
| 5. | "War Pigs" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 7:55 |
| 6. | "Iron Man" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 5:47 |
| 7. | "Wicked World" | 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 4:35 |
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Tomorrow's Dream" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 3:06 |
| 9. | "Fairies Wear Boots" | 1970 ~ Paranoid | 6:07 |
| 10. | "Changes" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 4:41 |
| 11. | "Sweet Leaf" | 1971 ~ Master of Reality | 5:02 |
| 12. | "Children of the Grave" | 1971 ~ Master of Reality | 5:15 |
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" | 1973 ~ Sabbath Bloody Sabbath | 5:43 |
| 14. | "Am I Going Insane (Radio)" | 1975 ~ Sabotage | 4:20 |
| 15. | "Laguna Sunrise" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 2:49 |
| 16. | "Snowblind" | 1972 ~ Vol. 4 | 5:25 |
| 17. | "N.I.B." | 1970 ~ Black Sabbath | 5:51 |
Personnel
- Ozzy Osbourne – lead vocals, harmonica
- Tony Iommi – guitar, keyboards, flute
- Geezer Butler – bass, mellotron
- Bill Ward – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Charts
| Chart | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[8] | 21 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[9] | 35 |
| US Billboard 200[10] | 48 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[11] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[12] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1 December 1975 | NEMS |
| United States | 3 February 1976 | Warner Bros. Records |
| Canada | 1976 | Warner Bros. Records |
| United Kingdom | 1996 | Castle Communications |
| United Kingdom | 2004 | Sanctuary Records |
References
- ^ AllMusic Review
- ^ Robert Christgau Review
- ^ "Rolling Stone Album Guide". Archived from the original on 6 March 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ^ "BPI certified awards". Archived from the original on 28 March 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
- ^ "RIAA Gold & Platinum Database". Retrieved 8 February 2009.
- ^ "Black Sabbath Official Discography". blacksabbath.com. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "We Sold Our Souls For Rock 'n' Roll Review - Allmusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Black Sabbath – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "Black Sabbath | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "Black Sabbath Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ "British album certifications – Black Sabbath – We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- ^ "American album certifications – Black Sabbath – We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links
- Black Sabbath - We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll (1975) album review by Steve Huey, credits & releases at AllMusic
- Black Sabbath - We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll (1975) album releases & credits at Discogs.com
- Black Sabbath - We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll (1975) album credits & user reviews at ProgArchives.com
- Black Sabbath - We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll (1975) album to be listened as stream at Spotify.com