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In a new post on the Alcatrazz Official Facebook page Larry Paterson, drummer of Alcatrazz shares his memories of being present during Black Sabbath’s “Forbidden” album and of late drummer Cozy Powell. Offers exclusive photos.

Larry Paterson issued:

“I’m really pleased that Sabbath’s ‘Forbidden’ album and the whole Tony Martin era (sans-Eternal Idol, which is an excellent record!) is being re-released and rediscovered by people.

I was lucky enough to be present when they were writing ‘Forbidden’ at the residential rehearsal room in Wales; can’t remember what it was called. At the time I was good friends with Eddie Naughton, Cozy’s tech, and through him I got to know Cozy pretty well and ultimately ended up in Wales watching this amazing band get stuff together for their new album.

The first time I had seen Black Sabbath after arriving from New Zealand was on the Headless Cross tour at Hammersmith Odeon. To be honest I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but they absolutely blew me away. It’s still one of my favourite gigs and one of the best Sabbath shows I have seen, from any of their line-ups. And some years later, there I was…standing in the room while Tony Iommi tried out riffs on everybody.

It was pretty surreal to be honest, and I vividly remember how everybody was very cool to me, no doubt because Eddie was my mate. That was the first time I met the rest of the band; the two Tonys, Neil Murray, Geoff Nicholls and Tony’s guitar tech Mike Clements who was a truly nice bloke, very warm and welcoming to this star-struck kid that was hanging around. I stayed as far out of the way and inconspicuous as I could as I watched them bat riffs about and song pieces. It was really something else! I didn’t take photos. I didn’t hunt autographs. I just sat and watched and learned (though I photographed the gear when they were away!) At the time I was drumming for the thrash band Arbitrater (of which I was very proud, and whose name Cozy always seemed to find rib-ticklingly amusing) and I remember thinking that even the riffs Tony Iommi junked because they didn’t soar would have been treasure for most other bands.

The day I arrived with Eddie we were bringing Cozy his new Yamaha drum kit. It was this absolutely spectacular light woodgrain finish with pale gold hardware. I helped unbox it, cringing as Eddie whipped out a drill and started putting holes in it to get it ready for Cozy’s custom set-up. What a kit that was! In the rehearsal room was his gold and black kit already set up and fully miked up for recording demos.  The first person I saw when we rolled up was Tony Iommi, walking about taking a break. He had these ankle weights on as he ambled about, I guess to strengthen his legs. I didn’t ask…didn’t want to piss the great man off by being impertinent! Ha ha! It was difficult enough saying my own name when Eddie introduced us. And when we shook hands I did my best not to look at his finger tips!

Ultimately, I was there for a reason. The band were taking a break for a couple of weeks and were thinking of relocating studios. I remember nobody liked the corn-beefed hash we had for the first lunch I was there for, and the lady in charge seemed to get under Cozy’s skin somehow. Not sure why, but she was a little snooty I thought.

So, while they were gone, I was baby-sitting their gear that they left all set up and ready to use as soon as they reconvened.

And that was it really. They toddled off and I stayed with their gear, sleeping in a little room next to the rehearsal area and lounge with pool table and everything. It was fantastic, but again, pretty surreal. Every morning I’d wake up, open the door to my room and be presented with the back of Tony’s Laney stacks with his named stencilled all over them, Awesome! The lady who ran the place was very pissed off at my presence, so I kept out of her way and just spent every evening looking at all the gear and wondering why I had been so lucky.

So, that was my first brush with Sabbath.  I later saw them in the studio in Liverpool as they were finishing the album, and it really didn’t seem a happy band. I know Cozy was pretty pissed off that Ernie C had asked him to play differently, replacing his 26” bass drums with 20” or maybe 22” I seem to recall, which did NOT go down well. As an outside observer, it looked like Cozy would walk soon, and so he did. Bands are a mercurial thing…and sometimes you just have to go.

One of my prized possessions was a hotel receipt from where I stayed in Liverpool, with my name and the organisation name ‘Black Sabbath’ next to it. It was like a little piece of paper-gold to me…but I don’t know where it is now. Lost in one of my many moves.

I got to help carry the master tapes to London with Mike Clements. We rode with the gear truck driver who was next going out with Saxon. He was talking about tours he’d done and so was Mike; all the kind of talk that I still find exciting after all these years. The driver and I were joking that the car that was following us through the night on the motorway was probably driven by Sharon Osbourne as she tried to fuck Sabbath up somehow…and I remember Mike raising his eyebrows and saying nothing was impossible. I’d already heard the whole nappy story and few more from some of the band. Strange days eh?

Anyway, Mike thanked me profusely for my help, not that I really did anything but be star-struck and baby sit the equipment. I had my name in the album as ‘backline security’, though they spelled both my first and last names wrong. Ha ha! But then, it didn’t matter. I didn’t do it for that; I did it because it was an honour to meet all these guys and watch the magic up close.

I saw Tony Iommi quite a few times after that. Helped him move house and marvelled at all the polaroids from the ‘Born Again’ tour that were upstairs in his garage in Solihull. Took his little practice amp to the Laney factory for repair. The reception barely acknowledged me and kept me waiting for ages. I was just some annoying long-hair with a little amp. Of course, I couldn’t help myself, and said: “it’s not for me, it’s for Tony Iommi.” Suddenly they couldn’t have been nicer… I don’t like that.      

I got to know Cozy quite well over later years and helped him out here and there with stuff, as he helped me as well. A genuinely lovely bloke. I saw the Headless Cross stage set in the Rich Bitch rehearsal studio storage when I was collecting some of Cozy’s drums, and then saw Freddie’s piano and stage gear when I dropped it off at Queen’s warehouse in London (Cozy was out with Brain May).

I’d bump into Tony Martin here and there and he was always a lovely bloke. Same with Neil Murray and Geoff Nicholls’… Genuinely nice guys and absolutely top of their game musicians. Of course, Geoff is gone now which is a tragedy. As is Cozy. I was working as a diving instructor in Grenada when I heard the news. I’d sent him a couple of postcards, as Cozy was a diver too. I’d also given him all of my books on The Beatles that I’d had since I was a kid, as he was really into them. He had a photo of Keith Richards on his fridge as Cozy was trying to lose weight and seemed to take inspiration from that photo! But it was The Beatles that he liked more.

Of course, Eddie Naughton is also gone. He was a remarkable guy, truly one of a kind. Through him I found myself hanging out with many of my heroes, and Eddie and I would the toddle off and go diving together. He was an instructor too and always had a plan in the making for some new dive business idea. None of them worked, but he always had a plan.

I miss Eddie. He was a good mate.     

So, I’ll listen to the new remix of ‘Forbidden’ and wander down memory lane in my head. Thanks to all those guys, who were so nice to me when they could have just ignored my presence. I’ll never forget that.”

-Larry Paterson.

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