CD [ Amazon US | Amazon UK ]

Track Listing

1. The Gates of Hell
2. Headless Cross
3. Devil & Daughter
4. When Death Calls
5. Cloak & Dagger (Picture disc only)
6. Kill in the Spirit World
7. Call of the Wild
8. Black Moon
9. Nightwing

Writing Credits

• All songs by Black Sabbath

Credits

• Tony Martin – Vocals, Bass (Devil & Daughter)
• Tony Iommi – Guitar
• Laurence Cottle – Bass
• Cozy Powell – Drums
• Geoff Nicholls – Keyboards
• Produced by Tony Iommi & Cozy Powell
• Recorded & Mixed Aug-Nov 1988 at Soundmill, Woodcray, & Amazon Studios
• Engineer & Mixer – Sean Lunch
• Nightwing remixed by Jeremy Lewis
• Cover design by Kevin Winlett
• Inside Layout by Flat Earth

Catalogue Numbers

• LP IRS 24-1005-1 (EUR 1989)
• CD IRS X2-0777-7-13002-2-6 (US 1989)
• CD IRS 72435-30414-2-7 (US 1989 – EUR??)
• CD IRS 241005-2 (NETH 1989)
• LP EMI 64-2410051 (ITL 1989)
• LP IRS/BMG IRS-82002 (CAN 1989)
• LP IRS 24-1005-1 (GER 1989)
• LP IRS EIRSAPD-1002 (UK 1989 – Picture Disc)
• CD EMI 7243-5-21299-2-8 (EUR 1999)
• CD EMI 564-24-1005-2 (NETH 1999)

Notes

• “Headless Cross” is a real town in England.  Tony Martin lives there.  :)
• This was the first Black Sabbath release not to be on the original record contracts with Warner Bros & Vertigo.  Those expired after the 1987 release.
• Brian May does a guitar solo on When Death Calls.
• There is a music video for the song Headless Cross.
• Laurence Cottle did not tour, but does appear (albeit in the background) in the video for the song Headless Cross.  The source for this is Laurence himself, as he emailed me around May 1, 2000 and told me that it was him in the video.  Presumably, it was one of (if not the) final things he did with his short involvement with Sabbath in 1988.
• Neil Murray did not play on the album, but did play bass on the entire tour.
• The song “Call of the Wild” was originally titled Hero.  However, it was changed, because Ozzy’s 1988 solo album also had a song named Hero.
• As of July 1999, it appears that this album has been deleted, and is no longer available (new, that is).
• Scratch that – it appears it was reprinted and re-released in September 1999 through EMI.  It was just a reprint, there was nothing new about the 1999 version.
• The song “Cloak & Dagger” was a B-Side to the Headless Cross single, but was also available on the somewhat rare picture disc album version of Headless Cross.  You can see a picture of that in the photo section here.
• There was a second single from the album, that was an edited version of “Devil & Daughter”.  Pictures of that can be seen below.
• The song “Black Moon” was originally released (with a different recording) as a B-Side to the 12″ “The Shining” single from the Eternal Idol album.
• The font used in a lot of places on this album is called “Primitive”.  It can be downloaded for free here.
• The video for the song “Headless Cross” was shot at Battle Abbey by Hastings.  Tony Martin told me this about the video filming..  “It is… or WAS a girls school but the girls were not there when we shot it.”

Battle Abbey by Hastings

Links

• Wikipedia

Images

• Here is a picture of the European Picture Disc for Headless Cross (with the Cloak & Dagger track):

• Here are three “alternate” cover art images.  I say alternate, as the one at the top of the page with the purple lettering is the one I’ve known since 1989.  These others I’m a little unclear as to the source of.  Will update when I get addtl information.   The black and white one could be the European original, I don’t know for sure.

• Here are a couple of images of the 1989 US release of the cassette tape.

• Here are a couple of images of a promotional postcard for Headless Cross which was available at the time.

• Here are a couple of scans of the Devil & Daughter and Headless Cross singles.

• Here is a scan of the European vinyl release of the album from 1989.

• This is a scan of the back cover artwork for the 1989 US CD release.

• Here are some pictures from the German vinyl release back in 1989.    The album came with this stencil which allowed you to leave “Headless Cross” graffiti.  I asked Tony Iommi’s manager about this, and he believes this was for Germany only.  If you happen to have any photos of actual graffiti left by this, please get in touch.   Click on any of them for a larger image.  Thanks to Jörg Planer for the pictures.

• Here is a picture from IRS promotional materials back in 1989 for the release of the album.  Just had to get Ozzy’s name in there…  ;)

• This is a picture of Laurence Cottle taken from the Headless Cross music video.   See notes section of this page for more info.

• The image below is Tony Martin’s hand written lyric sheet for when he was working on Headless Cross.   Below are his notes he posted with the image from his Facebook page…

  For those of you who are interested …. People ask me HOW i write lyrics….. well I am a “Collector” of words…. I write them down as they come to me without form or rhyme. Just a collection of words. THEN when i am composing I scan them casually and they INSPIRE me to write the lyrics. THIS sheet is from when i was writing HEADLESS CROSS. You may find references to “When death calls” … and “Devil and daughter” ….. It is not very often i use the exact phrase or set of words but sometimes it will work. This one page inspired possibly 3 songs.

  

Video

The Gates of Hell

Instrumental

 

Headless Cross

Look through the people, and on through the mist
to the hill of the headless cross
Where all witches meet, on a night such as this
and the power of darkness is host
They come face to face, eye to eye, soul to soul
with and Angel that fell from the sky
Borne on the air, the screams and the wails
of the masses appointed to die

Listen for the feet as they pound the land to a tune of thunder
Watch as the legions ride again to a fate of death or torture
At the Headless Cross, at the Headless Cross

From the first evil night, when a black flash of light
cut the crucifix half to the ground
There’s been no escape from the power of Satan
on a nation so brave and so proud

Listen for the feet as they pound the land to a tune of thunder
Watch as the legions ride again to a fate of death or torture
At the Headless Cross, at the Headless Cross

How do you feel, when the locks refuse the key
and the master is calling your name
Does the luck of the charm, really keep you from harm?
does the talisman protect you from pain?

Listen for the feet as they pound the land to a tune of thunder
Watch as the legions ride again to a fate of death or torture
At the Headless Cross, at the Headless Cross

From the first evil night, when a black flash of light
cut the crucifix half to the ground
There’s no escaping the power of Satan
on a nation so brave and so proud

Listen for the feet as they pound the land to a tune of thunder
Watch as the legions ride again to a fate of death or torture, oh no, oh
At the Headless Cross, at the Headless Cross
At the Headless Cross, oh, at the Headless Cross
Where will you run to?
At the Headless Cross
Look, to the Headless Cross

 

Devil & Daughter

Silence is mocking the dawn of a new day
Devil and Daughter are both on their way
The evil of her nature collects in her eyes
With him there’s no fear of the dawn bringing light

Baptised with fire, too wild to be tamed
She’s hot, evil and ready to take any man
Let no one put assunder the power of the pain
He is the master of hell riding again

Devil and Daughter – pleasure and pain
Devil and Daughter – is this the end

A thousand times over, you’ll hear on the wind
in the name of hell, these sinners never sinned
But Satan never listens to the words that they send
Drenching the soul with blood, when will it end

Devil and Daughter
he’s got the power, she’s got the pain
Devil and Daughter
She’ll break any woman and take any man
Devil and Daughter
Hand in hand with the reaper

 

When Death Calls

He saw the world, dim with the glow of the vertical sun
His skin crept cold knowing that this was the hours of dying
Misguided mortals, you’ll burn with me
Spirit of man, cannot be freed.

When Death Calls – This is the hours of dying
When Death Calls – The spirit of man cannot be freed
When Death Calls – There’s no tomorrow
When Death Calls – Just an evil shadow

Tell me not fear of the flames means that heaven is closer
For I believe Satan lives, in the souls of the dying
Misguided mortals, you’ll burn with me
Spirit of man, cannot be freed.

When Death Calls – Heaven is closer
When Death Calls – Feel the heat of the flames from the souls of the dying
When Death Calls – here it comes, here it comes, here it comes
When Death Calls – You’re gonna burn

Don’t look in those sunken eyes
Don’t look and you’ll stay alive
Don’t laugh at the face of death or your toungue will blister
Can’t die until Satan says you die
And Satan takes your soul
In the face of death or your toungue will blister

Don’t look in those sunken eyes
Don’t look and you’ll stay alive
Don’t laugh at the face of death or your toungue will blister
Can’t die until Satan says you die
The Devil takes your soul
With all his wrath he calls the reaper

When Death Calls – This is the hours of dying
When Death Calls – The spirit of man cannot be freed
When Death Calls – There’s no tomorrow
When Death Calls – Just an evil shadow
When Death Calls – Feel the heat of the flames from the souls of the dying
When Death Calls – You’re gonna burn, burn, burn
When Death Calls – Heaven is closer
When Death Calls – I can feel it, gonna take you down

 

Cloak & Dagger

I remember the burning I felt inside
As you touched my frozen heart
I remember the screams and the pain within
As my soul was torn apart
I recall being hungry
And for years I stood my ground
Even though you were never, oh no never, never around
God, how I needed you

I remember they warned me, and oh how they told me
Yours was the kiss of shame
I remember the Devil coming to steal my soul again and again
I remember the dawn was breaking
In Cathedrals of unholy light
I was searching for answers where singers and dancers
Will travel on through the night
I’ve been hurt by Evil games
First you’re here and then you aint

Cloak and dagger, yeah, yeah yeah
Cloak and dagger
Cloak and dagger, yeah, yeah yeah
Cloak and dagger

Oh there’s something about you that doesn’t seam real
You say if I don’t sell my soul you will steal
A promise should stand I know the command
And me like a fool took it in
In the valley of Death do I stand in the shadow
Or fight for the right to be free?
A kiss on the wind whispers die, die for glory

No, no

Cloak and dagger – You’ve been playing those Evil games
Cloak and dagger – Set me free I don’t need this pain
Cloak and dagger – Something about you just doesn’t seem real
Cloak and dagger – Your say if I don’t sell my soul you will steal
Cloak and dagger – Your kiss of shame has been hunting me
Cloak and dagger – God, how I needed you

 

Kill in the Spirit World

There’s something wrong there’s a chill in the air
and the blood in my vein’s running colder
The eastern sky is beginning to silver
and the words that you speak start to falter
The seal is broken, the oath has been crossed
In the house of the dead there’s a taker
Some say that this is the ultimate sin
When the spirit world turns to the alter

There’s been a kill in the spirit world
There’s been a kill in the spirit world

Behold the dead clutching at fading hands, out of reach forever
“In glory die” calls the voice of the void
Your assassin has cursed every spectre
The seal is broken, the oath has been crossed
and the house of the dead seeks a master
Stretching every muscle, I wait for the end
and a kiss on the wind whispers murder, Murder

There’s been a kill in the spirit world
There’s been a kill in the spirit world

When heaven is closer, it’s pleasure and pain
Kill in the spirit world

Did you see another in black
is the blood in your veins running colder
If you did then there’s no turning back
As the spirit world turns to the alter
The seal is broken, the oath has been crossed
and the house of the dead seeks the master
Stretching every muscle, I wait for the end
and a kiss on the wind whispers murder, Murder

There’s been a kill in the spirit world
There’s been a kill in the spirit world
Oh here it comes, oh no

The seal is broken, The eastern sky is beginning to silver
There’s something wrong, there’s a chill in the air
I feel the evil, I feel the evil
Somebody whispers murder

A kiss on the wind whispers murder

 

Call of the Wild

In this last and final hour, you can’t hide
There’s nowhere now that you can run
All eyes are on you, like a lost Eternal Light
Princes and Kings, Demons with wings
Summon your fears from hell

It’s the call of the wild Calling you

In this last macabre hour, witches cry
and turn to dust before the moon
Many spirits are lost forever, but one survives
To call the tune of lucifer

It’s the call of the wild Calling you

Hero, only in the grave are there no dreams
Hero, don’t beleive in fate, it ain’t what it seems

All you gotta do now is stay free
You’re the one they turn to when hell screams

Fear of the devil has no place among the brave
Faced with pain, there’s a battle to be won
All eyes are on you, like a lost Eternal Light
Princes and Kings, Demons with wings
Summon your fears from hell

It’s the call of the wild Calling you

Hero, only in the grave are there no dreams
Hero, don’t beleive in fate, it ain’t what it seems

Hero, only in the grave are there no dreams
Hero, don’t beleive in fate, it ain’t what it seems

Hero, you got the fear of the devil burning your soul
Hero, It’s the call of the wild
Hero, Tearing your soul

 

Black Moon

Oh the devil is rising with the moon
He cries and my blood runs cold.
Oh no never was the darkness so black,
No light and nowhere to go.

My spirit is crying for a love
So tired of being alone.
I remember He came here to steal,
and You are His stealer of souls.

I see a Black Moon rising,
and it’s calling out my name.
Oh it’s calling my name.

I’ve been blinded, lost and confused,
darkness will call me no more.
Heaven is no friend of mine,
no god ever knocked on my door.

I see a Black Moon rising,
and it’s calling out my name.
Oh it’s calling my name.

I’m standing on the dark side of time
Reaching for the power of Her hand.
She’s weaving an unholy light
And calls from Lucifer’s land.

I see a Black Moon rising,
and it’s calling out my name.
An angel of Hell is rising,
heaven’s no friend of mine.

I see a Black Moon rising,
and it’s calling out my name,
I see a Black Moon rising,
and it causes so much pain.

An angel of Hell is rising,
heaven’s no friend of mine.
I see a Black Moon rising,
and it’s calling out my name.

It’s calling my name,
this spirit’s crying for love.

Heaven’s no friend of mine.

 

Nightwing

Nightwing has stirred, and taken to flight
The silence is over, he’s shattered the night
No other hunter has the power or the grace
He is the master of this place

Tell every creature of the night
The kill is around the bend
So listen my friend
Nightwing flies again

They say he comes for those whose souls are weak
and call his name upon the wind
The night is cold and thick with mystery
Oh I can feel his beating wings

Tell every creature of the night
The kill is around the bend
Nightwing flies again

Tell every creature of the night
The kill is around the bend
Nightwing flies again

Nightwing has stirred, and taken to flight
The silence is over, he’s shattered the night
Life ain’t for giving and forgiving ain’t free
No soul will rest while the hunted run free

So tell every creature of the night
The kill is around the bend
listen my friend
Nightwing flies again