Neon Knights
Encyclopedia
"Neon Knights" is a song by heavy metal
band Black Sabbath
from their 1980 album
, Heaven and Hell
. It is the opening track on Heaven and Hell, Black Sabbath's first album with American vocalist Ronnie James Dio
.
The lyrics were written by Dio. The song was the last on the album to be written, and is the only song on the album to definitely feature input from bassist Geezer Butler, (the band's main lyricist during the Ozzy Osbourne
era), who was absent for most of the songwriting process on the album due to his own uncertainty as to whether he wanted to remain in the band.
The song was a constant live during the Dio-years, (opening after E5I50) and was performed often by many of the band's following vocalists. Heaven & Hell
used the song as an encore.
7" single (Vertigo #SAB 3)
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
from their 1980 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Heaven and Hell
Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath album)
Heaven and Hell is the ninth studio album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in April 1980. This is their first album featuring Ronnie James Dio, and first with producer Martin Birch.-Album information:...
. It is the opening track on Heaven and Hell, Black Sabbath's first album with American vocalist Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
.
The lyrics were written by Dio. The song was the last on the album to be written, and is the only song on the album to definitely feature input from bassist Geezer Butler, (the band's main lyricist during the Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
era), who was absent for most of the songwriting process on the album due to his own uncertainty as to whether he wanted to remain in the band.
The song was a constant live during the Dio-years, (opening after E5I50) and was performed often by many of the band's following vocalists. Heaven & Hell
Heaven and Hell (band)
Heaven & Hell were an English and American heavy metal supergroup active from 2006 to 2010. The band was a collaboration featuring Black Sabbath members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler along with former members Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice....
used the song as an encore.
Track listing
7" single (Vertigo #6837 640)- "Neon Knights" - 3:49
- "Walk Away" - 4:21
7" single (Vertigo #SAB 3)
- "Neon Knights" - 3:49
- "Children of the Sea" (live) - 6:30
Personnel
- Ronnie James DioRonnie James DioRonald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Tony IommiTony IommiAnthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Geezer ButlerGeezer ButlerGeezer Butler is an English musician and songwriter. Butler is best known as the bassist and lyricist of heavy metal band Black Sabbath. He was also involved in Heaven & Hell from 2006 to 2010.-Career:Butler formed his first band, Rare Breed, with old friend John "Ozzy" Osbourne in the autumn of...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Bill Ward - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Geoff NichollsGeoff NichollsGeoff Nicholls is a musician and keyboardist, who is best known as the longtime sideman for the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Nicholls also played in the NWOBHM band Quartz before joining Black Sabbath...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
22 |
Covers
- Iron SaviorIron SaviorIron Savior is a German power metal band that formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1996. Following a period of several years working behind the scenes in music production, multi-instrumentalist and producer/engineer Piet Sielck joined with former Helloween bandmate Kai Hansen and then-drummer for Blind...
covered the song on their 1999 album UnificationUnification (album)* The Swiss power metal band Excelsis won a band competition on Iron Savior's 1998 Atlantis Falling tour, earning them a guest spot on Unification.-Personnel:Iron Savior* Piet Sielck – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar...
. - Steel ProphetSteel ProphetSteel Prophet is an American power metal band led by the founder and main writer Steve Kachinsky.-History:The band started in the middle of the 1980s in Middletown, Connecticut. The group's initial lineup consisted of Kachinsky on guitar, Gary Stocking on vocals, Wayne Faircloth on bass, and Harry...
covered the song on their 2000 album Genesis. - TurboTurbo (Polish band)Turbo is a Polish heavy metal band. It was started in January 1980, in Poznań, by Henryk Tomczak . Turbo is one of the most important bands in polish heavy metal. Turbo's most famous album is Kawaleria Szatana , considered an opus of Polish heavy metal...
covered the song on their 2001 album Awatar. - WestworldWestworld (American band)Westworld was an American hard rock band formed in 1998 by vocalist Tony Harnell and guitarist Mark Reale. They were later joined by bassist Bruno Ravel and drummer John O'Reilly and released their first album in 1999.-Band members:*Tony Harnell – vocals...
covered the song on their 2002 album CyberdreamsCyberdreams (album)Cyberdreams is the third studio album by the hard rock group Westworld.-Track listing:# "Cyberdreamer" – 5:50# "When I Come Home" – 4:49...
. - QueensrÿcheQueensrÿchethumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
covered the song on their 2007 album Take Cover. - SapattivuosiSapattivuosiSapattivuosi is a Finnish Black Sabbath tribute band singing in Finnish. The band was initiated as a project by vocalist Hannu Paloniemi, drummer Simo Vehmas, and guitarist Janne Halmkrona . Sapattivuosi's first two albums covered songs from the Ozzy Osbourne era. Then vocalist Paloniemi left the...
covered the song on their 2009 album Ihmisen merkki. - WarriorWarrior (band)-History:Warrior is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1982.As was the case with contemporaries Ratt and Rough Cutt, the group's core - guitarists Joe Floyd and Tommy Asakawa, bassist Rick Bennett and vocalist Parramore McCarty - was made up of San Diego, CA...
covered the song in 2010 for the tribute album "Neon Knights - A Tribute to Black Sabbath. - DioDio (band)Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
occasionally performed the song during their live shows. - RMISERYRMISERYRMISERY is a three-piece heavy metal band, based in Palmetto, Florida, who also represents the Bradenton and Sarasota area. Music influences include such heavy metal bands as: Slayer, Metallica, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, with the likes of Machine Head , and Black Label Society.-Original...
frequently covered the song live.