Vinyl Icons

Original LP
Black Sabbath was released in the UK on Vertigo in 1970 in a gatefold sleeve with the sleeve notes and credits within an inverted cross on the inner gatefold and the 'swirl' design on the label. The first pressings had a textured sleeve [VO 6, 847 903 VTY]. In the US Black Sabbath was released on Warner Bros-Seven Arts in just a single sleeve with the credits in a panel on the rear cover. On later pressings the label was Warner Bros [WS 1871].

The US version also has extra titles. The intro to 'Behind The Wall Of Sleep' is listed as a separate track, 'Wasp'; Butler's 40-second bass introduction to 'N.I.B.' is titled 'Bassically'; and all four tracks are on the same band on the LP. The acoustic guitar introduction to 'Sleeping Village' is 'A Bit Of Finger' and these two tracks were put on the same band as 'Warning', making it 14 minutes. 'Evil Woman...' was left off the US version and the B-side of its UK and European single release 'Wicked World' was included instead.

The 1973 UK pressings of the Vertigo LP featured the Roger Dean spaceship label logo. The album was reissued on the shortlived WWA Records in the UK in 1973 [WWA 006] and on a 1976 pressing on NEMS [NEL 6002] where a label misprint had 'Sleeping Village' as 'Slopping Village' (sadly, this doesn't seem to have boosted its value).

Tape Versions
The first UK cassettes were released in 1970 on Vertigo with cream shells and dark green labels with a detail of the model Louisa Livingstone on the cover [7138 048]. The US had a slightly 'zoomed out' cover image and the US LP tracklisting. The cassettes were black with black labels [Warner Bros M51871].

Black Sabbath was released on 4-track cartridge in the US in 1970 [Warner Bros-Seven Arts 4WA-1871] and on 8-track [Warner Bros M8 1871]. In the UK an 8-track cartridge came out on WWA Records in 1973 [WWTC 006].

A ¼in 4-track stereo tape on 7in cine reel-to-reel was also released by Warner Bros in the US in 1970, which had purple and also light green labels [WST 1871B].

CD Versions
The first CD release in the UK and Europe came in 1986 on Castle Communications [NELCD 6002] and in the US on Creative Sounds [6006] with the running order matching that of the US LP. The first remaster was done in 1996 by Ray Staff at Whitfield Street Recording Studios in London and was released on Essential in the UK in a jewel case with a 12-page booklet with photos, artwork, lyrics and notes. The single B-side 'Wicked World' was added to the running order [ESM CD 301; GAS 0000301ESM].

In 2008 a Japanese gatefold sleeve SHM-CD appeared. This was shipped in a facsimile mini-gatefold sleeve, which included a fold-out insert in both Japanese and English [Strange Days/Vertigo, POCE-9107 VO 6, 847 903 VTY].

Most recently, single CD releases were made in the USA, with original tracklisting and the inclusion of B-side 'Wicked World', in a Digipak in 2016 [Rhino/Warners RR2 1871]. These were repackaged in 2019 on Warner Bros with an expanded booklet [RR2 1871/ 081227946746].

Deluxe CD Edition
A deluxe European CD edition of Black Sabbath was released in 2009, remastered by Andy Pearce at Masterpiece Masters. CD1 features the original UK LP running order, CD2 (pictured below left) starts with 'Wicked World' and includes eight studio outtakes from the Regent Sounds sessions [Sanctuary/Universal/Vertigo, 2700817]. It came in an eight-panel Digipak in a plastic slipcase with a 20-page booklet.

In the US the deluxe edition based on the UK remastering was released in 2016 with the same bonus tracks but with the original US tracklisting [Warner Brothers/Rhino R2 552928].

Audiophile Vinyl
In 1997 Castle Communications put out a limited edition 160g LP together with a 7in single of 'Wicked World' and 'Evil Woman...' for the UK market. This hit the shops in a gatefold sleeve with a four-page insert carrying photos, liner notes, lyrics, and credits.

In 2001 that label released a 180g LP [CMHLP116] while in Italy in 2003 the Earmark label, a joint venture between Sanctuary and Get Back, released a picture disc [41004P] with the UK tracklisting, with the addition of 'Evil Woman'. A black vinyl 180g LP was released simultaneously [41004].

In 2016 Rhino/Warners released a 180g double LP in Canada and the United States, with the same tracks as the 2016 US deluxe CD [552928, 1871]. Finally, in 2020 Sanctuary/BMG released a 50th anniversary 180g LP with the Vertigo swirl logo [BMGRM053LP] as pictured below.