Hear previously unreleased recording of Black Sabbath's 'Heaven and Hell'

"Heaven And Hell" is a defining track of Dio-era Black Sabbath, and an unheard rehearsal recording is now out there

As Black Sabbath was recording their first album without Ozzy Osbourne, and with Ronnie James Dio as lead singer, “Heaven And Hell” would become the title track for the album. It’s also one of the songs that now defines Dio-era Sabbath.

Geoff Nicholls played keyboard on each Sabbath album from 1980-1995, including Heaven And Hell of course. But he was called upon to play bass during an initial rehearsal of the title track, with Geezer Butler out.

Nicholls died in 2017 after a long battle with lung cancer. But his stepson (and executor of his estate), Gary Rees, apparently only recently unearthed a rare recording of “Heaven And Hell”.

Here’s what Rees wrote, via Blabbermouth:

"I recently found this SONY C-90 tape cassette amongst the thousands in Geoff Nicholls' archive. On the inlay card is written ' ON & ON HEAVEN & HELL ORIGINAL VERSION GEOFF PLAYING BASS'. Inside the cassette case was a Maxell UD 90. On the A side again in blue ink ballpoint is written 'LADY EVIL (crossed out) BLUES + SLAPBACK'. The B side is written 'On + On HEAVEN HELL ORIGINAL GEOFF ON BASS' Nowhere does it say that this is BLACK SABBATH on the cassette. At the end of the uploaded song you can hear talking that sounds to me like Geoff talking then laughing. “

“I have uploaded the most complete version closest to the album version. This recording, in my opinion is from July 1979 in their rented house in Bel Air, California. On And On Heaven And Hell may have been the original working title."

Here’s the video Rees uploaded. ENJOY!