Can you imagine Black Sabbath sounding like 80s hair band? Hell no.
In a new interview with Jimmy Kay for Canada’s The Metal Voice, Keel, Steeler and Ron Keel Band frontman Ron Keel talked about Black Sabbath.
As you know Ron Keel was in Black Sabbath for a very short time in 1984 after Ian Gillan left the band.
When asked, he said:
“It was an amazing experience. I was in the studio recording the Keel demos at Pasha Studios where producer Spencer Proffer had recorded Quiet Riot‘s Metal Health album. Spencer was hot in Hollywood at the time and was signed on to produce the new Black Sabbath album after Ian Gillan left. So Spencer had chosen me for the vocal position in Sabbath and we cut a demo of some songs. Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler heard the demo, I signed a contract, I met with their management [and] I spent days with Tony and Geezer. Spencer for whatever reason, ego probably, was trying to turn Black Sabbath into an ’80s hair band. He was trying to push outside songs on them and make them into a MTV type band.
He added:
That is not Sabbath. Sabbath is who they are. They are the iconic founding fathers of heavy metal. You don’t take Sabbath and turn them into an ’80s metal band like Ratt or Mötley Crüe. Spencer wanted to do this with Sabbath at the time, not necessarily with me but I would have been a good fit. My time with the band was very short. I am very thankful Keel survived cause that was when we first put Keel together and I had to tell the guys in the band I was joining Black Sabbath and I can’t turn this opportunity down. So the Black Sabbath deal fell apart, Spencer Proffer was fired, [and] Sabbath said “Screw you. We are not having any of this musical outlook.” And I got caught in the crossfire