“Sacred Heart”

According to the unofficial BLACK SABBATH web site Black-Sabbath.com, Universal Music has set a March 19 European release date for the “deluxe-edition” reissues of the first three DIO albums: “Holy Diver”, “The Last In Line” and “Sacred Heart”. These reissues are being made available worldwide, except in North America, where Warner Bros. owns the rights to the material.

In May 2010, the world of hard rock and heavy metal had lost one of its most gifted and fervent ambassadors, with the passing of Ronnie James Dio. In his position as lead vocalist for rock giants such as RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH, as well as fronting his own eponymous band for nearly three decades, Dio created some of the genres most defining and respected works. Albums such as “Holy Diver”, “Sacred Heart” and “The Last In Line” all stand as towering monuments of sheer class and brilliance in the rock pantheon. Dio was also to pave the way in regards to performing live, as few equaled him. With his incredible vocal range, Dio was to preside over countless memorable rock shows, enthralling his millions of fans worldwide.

As well as the original CD being remastered, these reissues each feature a bonus CD containing an expanded booklet with notes from Malcolm Dome and has been endorsed by Ronnie‘s widow Wendy Dio.

“Holy Diver” was the debut album from DIO, released May 25, 1983. It was hailed by critics as some of his best work and in January 1986 it was awarded silver certification in the U.K. The upbeat sounding “Rainbow In The Dark” was to catch MTV‘s attention, with the title track also standing out.

“The Last In Line” was the second DIO studio album. It was released on July 13, 1984 and was the first album from DIO to reach platinum status as well as No. 4 in the U.K. chart. This new album showcased the anthemic tracks “We Rock” and “I Speed at Night” as well as the seven-minute epic “Egypt ( The Chains Are On)”.

Issued in October 1985, “Sacred Heart” was the third studio album from DIO. The album reached No. 4 in the U.K. chart and was to go on to be certified gold. This was to become a much-loved DIO album, and contained the tracks “Rock N’ Roll Children” and “Hungry For Heaven”. The stage show that was to accompany this album was hailed as a spectacle, involving a mechanized dragon as well as lasers. Ronnie and his band were to refer to the dragon as Denzil. This was the last studio album to be released by DIO that included guitarist Vivian Campbell.

The first disc in each reissue consists of the original album, remastered by Andy Pearce. The following are details for the bonus disc included with each reissue.

“Holy Diver” – Disc Two (one studio track, along with live recordings)

01. Evil Eyes
02. Stand Up And Shout
03. Straight Through The Heart
04. Stand Up And Shout
05. Shame On The Night
06. Children Of The Sea
07. Holy Diver
08. Rainbow In The Dark
09. Man On The Silver Mountain

“Last In Line” – Disc Two

01. Stand Up And Shout (live) (B-side of “Last In Line” single)
02. Straight Through The Heart (live) (B-side of “Last In Line” single)
03. Eat Your Heart Out (live) (from “Mystery” single)
04. Don’t Talk To Strangers (live) (from “Mystery” single)
05. Holy Diver (live) (B-side of “We Rock” single)
06. Rainbow In The Dark (live) (B-side of “We Rock” single)
07. One Night In The City (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
08. We Rock (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
09. Holy Diver (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
10. Stargazer (live) (recorded Pinkpop festival)
11. Heaven And Hell (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)
12. Rainbow In The Dark (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)
13. Man On The Silver Mountain (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)
14. Don’t Talk To Strangers (live) (recorded at Pinkpop festival)

“Sacred Heart” – Disc Two

01. Hide in the Rainbow (studio track, originally on the soundtrack to the movie “Iron Eagle”)
02. We Rock (live) (B-side of “Rock N Roll Children” single)
03. The Last in Line (live) (B-side of “Rock N Roll Children” single)
04. Like the Beat Of A Heart (live) (B-side of “Rock N Roll Children” single)
05. King of Rock & Roll (live) (taken from “Intermission” EP)
06. Rainbow In The Dark (live) (taken from “Intermission” EP)
07. Sacred Heart (live) (taken from “Intermission” EP)
08. Time To Burn (studio) (taken from “Intermission” EP)
09. Rock ‘N’ Roll Children (live) (taken from “Intermission” EP)
10. Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll (live) (taken from “Intermission” EP)
11. Man On The Silver Mountain (live) (taken from “Intermission” EP)
12. We Rock (live) (taken from “Intermission” EP)