Neon Knights Explained

Neon Knights
Cover:Neon Knights.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Black Sabbath
Album:Heaven and Hell
B-Side:Children of the Sea (live)
Released:June 1980 [1]
Recorded:January 1980 at Studio Ferber (Paris, France)
Genre:Heavy metal
Length:3:49
Label:Vertigo
Producer:Martin Birch
Prev Title:Hard Road
Prev Year:1978
Next Title:Die Young
Next Year:1980

"Neon Knights" is a song by English rock band Black Sabbath from 1980's Heaven and Hell, their first album with American vocalist Ronnie James Dio.

Overview

"Neon Knights" was the last song written by the band for the Heaven and Hell album.[2] It was quickly written and recorded at Studio Ferber in Paris during January 1980 simply to fill time on the album's first side. The lyrics were written by Ronnie James Dio. It is the only song on Heaven and Hell to definitely feature songwriting input from bassist Geezer Butler, the band's main lyricist during the Ozzy Osbourne era. Butler was absent for most of the songwriting process due personal issues as well as his own uncertainty as to whether he wanted to remain in the band. Dio occasionally performed the song during their live shows. The venue and date of the live version of "Children of the Sea" is not specified. The song reached number 22 on the UK charts, but failed to chart in the US or anywhere else.

In the UK, the first 25,000 copies had a picture-bag.

Track listing

7" single

  1. "Neon Knights" – 3:49
  2. "Children of the Sea" (live) – 6:30

Personnel

Covers

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Black sabbath singles.
  2. Book: Iommi, Tony . Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath . registration . 2011 . Da Capo Press . 978-0306819551.
  3. 9 August 1980. Hits of the World: Britain. Billboard. 92. 32. 64. 0006-2510. 18 February 2010. Nielsen Business Media, Inc..
  4. News: Warrior's Cover Of Black Sabbath Classic Posted Online. 17 February 2010. Blabbermouth.net. 18 February 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100219061833/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=135273. 19 February 2010.