During an interview with BBC Radio 4, Tony Iommi remembered writing the Black Sabbath classic “Paranoid”.

Iommi recalls: “We were in the studio doing the Paranoid album. The other guys went out for something to eat, and I sat in the studio, and [the album’s producer, Rodger Bain] said, ‘We need another song. We haven’t got enough songs on the album. Can you put one together?’ I went, ‘Well, no.’

“We were only in there for a couple of days, you see,” the guitarist continued. “And I said, ‘Well, I don’t know. I’ve never written a three-minute song.’ Sabbath’s always five minutes or six minutes. So I came up with this idea and waited till the others came back from the pub. And then I played them the idea. And, basically, we’d done it there and then.”

Former Black Sabbath singer Tony Martin met up with his former bandmate Tony Iommi in a “great meet” as shared on his Facebook page.

Martin posted a photo of himself with Iommi with the message: "Visited Tony Iommi today... Great meet. He is such a busy bloke at the moment but got to listen to some stuff and also show him some stuff before he had to rush off but ....very cool."

In December 2022, Iommi confirmed that Black Sabbath's I.R.S. Records-era albums, which feature Tony Martin, will be released in 2023. Martin was with Black Sabbath from 1987 - 1991, then again between 1993 - 1997. He recorded five albums with the band: The Eternal Idol (1987), Headless Cross (1989), Tyr (1990), Cross Purposes (1994), and Forbidden (1995).

Iommi confirmed that the reissues would be available in 2023, although no official announcements have been made.

(Top photo -  Max Sticca)