Legendary Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler recently shared a surprising anecdote from his past with the band: a temporary dismissal in 1977 that, against all odds, provided him with a welcome moment of respite.
An unexpected dismissal
During an interview with LifeminuteGeezer Butler returned to this chaotic episode: “Bill Ward came to my house and said, 'By the way, you're fired.' I asked why, and he said, 'You don't seem to be motivated anymore.'”
Far from being bitter, Geezer described this period as a welcome break: “It was probably the best two weeks I'd had in years because I could finally relax and not think about business or making albums.”
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An almost comical return
Two weeks later, Geezer received a surprising call from Bill Ward: “He asked me: 'Where are you?' I replied: 'What do you mean by that? I'm fired.' And then he said to me: 'Ah yes, I forgot.'”
Geezer then went back to rehearsal, where everyone continued as if nothing had happened.
The chaotic context of Black Sabbath
This incident occurred in 1977, a turbulent time for Black Sabbath. Despite millions of albums sold and sold-out tours, the group faced financial difficulties. Geezer explained that the group realized they were being mismanaged: “We realized that we were being ripped off by management.”
He also mentioned the general atmosphere of the time: “Everyone was completely out west all the time.”
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