Blue Oyster Cult is one of the most consistently underrated and overlooked bands out there. Sure, they did ‘Don’t Fear The Reaper’, but they have an exceptional back catalog of tracks and a new album out now. They’re still hitting the road and making new music. Back in 1980, they were even more on top of the world and even had a co-headlining tour with Black Sabbath. Now, this wasn’t the Ozzy Osbourne-led version of Black Sabbath, but the one with Ronnie James Dio at the helm. They had recently released Heaven and Hell, but hadn’t recovered that audience share in a more crowded heavy metal landscape.
Both bands decided it was a good idea to do a co-headlining tour titled the Black and Blue Tour. They headlined arenas across the United States and it even got a professional video shot for their date on October 17th, 1980 at the Nassau Coliseum in New York. Blue Oyster Cult singer and guitarist Buck Dharma sat down with Ultimate Guitar to talk about the tour recently and had plenty to say.
“We were big fans of Black Sabbath. And the reason that tour came about is because for a short time, our manager and mentor, Sandy Pearlman, was managing Black Sabbath. So, that’s how that pairing happened. It was a good bill.”
Dharma went on to say that he didn’t think both bands got along particularly well, including Black Sabbath, thinking that they shouldn’t headline at all.
“We would alternate headlining. I think the Sabs didn’t think that we should headline at all, but we did. They were kind of standoffish. We were friendly with Ronnie Dio because we knew him previously. And we had some interaction with Ozzy previously in the old Sabbath days. I don’t think they were very happy on that tour. I’m just speculating.”
There are documented cases of discontent among Black Sabbath at this time. it was filled with turmoil and it wasn’t until later that Heaven and Hell was seen as the landmark classic that it is today. That iteration of the band only stayed together for two more years, releasing The Mob Rules and the live album Live Evil, which was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Dio and Tony Iommi were butting heads over this live album, with plenty of stories across both sides about how there was meddling in the studio. Dio didn’t want the versions of him singing Ozzy songs on the album, and Iommi did. Eventually, they would reunite for the Dehumanizer album and then again for the band Heaven and Hell.
Blue Oyster Cult on the other hand, has been together and touring since that Black and Blue Tour and even has a new album coming out on April 12th, Ghost Stories. Check out the lead single from the album, “So Supernatural”. It’s set to be their final album.
For more on Metal, make sure to check back to That Hashtag Show.
Source: Ultimate Guitar
