The four original members of Black Sabbath have settled a legal dispute and regained ownership of their early demos recorded in 1969. Sharon Osbourne announced the resolution on The Osbournes podcast. The tapes, recorded when the band was known as Earth, will not be released without the band's approval.
In June 2025, Black Sabbath's first manager, Jim Simpson, announced plans to release the Legendary Lost 1969 Tapes, featuring recordings by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward at Zella Studios in Birmingham, England. The release, originally set for July 2025, faced opposition from the band. Sharon Osbourne warned Simpson in a July message that the band did not want the tapes released and would take legal action if he proceeded, as Blabbermouth reports. She wrote, “As you know, the Band do not want these tapes released, not least as they haven’t heard them despite you saying you would provide copies long ago.” She added that Black Sabbath would protect their rights in both the UK and America if necessary. The dispute arose weeks before Black Sabbath’s End of the Beginning concert and Osbourne’s death. Five months later, Sharon Osbourne shared on The Osbournes podcast that the band had settled with Simpson. “We settled with Jim Simpson and the band now have their demos back. And all four of them own it, which is where it should be,” she told her son Jack. She praised Simpson for ultimately doing the right thing for the band. While the tapes will not proceed as originally planned, Osbourne indicated openness to a future release if approved by the members. “I just think it’s historically important — for music lovers of that genre,” she said.
