Jim Simpson, the first manager of BLACK SABBATH, today rejected what he says were “inaccurate and unfair criticisms” made by Sharon Osbourne, the wife and manager of the late Ozzy Osbourne.
Speaking on the latest episode of “The Osbournes” podcast, Sharon expressed outrage over Simpson‘s plans to release a unique album of tracks from the pre-BLACK SABBATH days of Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward.
Simpson, now in his late 80s, paid for the recordings back in 1969 when Ozzy and co were youngsters in a band called EARTH. He has now restored and remastered each track and planned to release them on an album called “Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes”, currently delayed due to Sharon‘s threats to sue.
Today, Simpson rejected Sharon‘s angry claims and said: “It’s such a shame Sharon has decided to go all out on the attack without sitting down to talk about this. It’s also very unfair of her to make such inaccurate and potentially defamatory comments.”
On the podcast, Sharon questions Simpson‘s ownership of the recordings, saying: “He says he paid the bill for the studio, which he says was £500 … He would have never had that money to pay for a studio in those days.”
In response, Simpson, still ubiquitous on the Midlands’ music scene with his Big Bear Music company, said: “At the time, EARTH were just the newest of the bands I managed. During those years, I regularly recorded and paid for recording sessions with bands I managed or played in. I’d already had a hit single with LOCOMOTIVE, and record deals with major labels like EMI Harvest and Parlophone. How can Sharon possibly know what I could afford back then? The fact is that I did pay for the EARTH recordings, and they belong to me.”
Sharon then claims on the podcast: “He’s kept it quiet for all these years because they’re now out of copyright, which is 50 years.”
Simpson said: “That’s not the case. The truth is that when BLACK SABBATH walked out of my management contract, I turned my hand to re-discovering a total of 35 neglected black American blues men, touring them through U.K. and Europe, and recording them.
“In the early 1980s I got more deeply involved in jazz, launching the Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival and publishing The Jazz Rag — both still ongoing. I produced more than 80 albums for Big Bear Records, ran 23 festivals across Britain, and managed various other U.K. bands, including THE QUADS, who had a hit single. All in all, I’ve been pretty busy, although I always intended to release the EARTH records.
“I approached members of the band about this on 24 September 2024. The message I got back was that they didn’t want it released and wanted nothing to do with it. This included two very threatening e-mails from Sharon. But the band had every chance to be involved.”
Sharon claims on the podcast that Simpson intends to keep all profits for himself, saying: “He’s never said you’ll get a royalty, not one penny. He thinks he’s going to put out these tapes and he’s going to get 100% percent of everything … You are a pig, you want it all.”
Simpson said: “Sharon is very mistaken. I wanted all bandmembers to receive royalties from the album in the usual way, and I’m still more than happy for that to happen.”
Sharon alleges that Simpson is being dishonest about donating any proceeds to charity, saying: “He’s lying, saying he will give money to charity. He’s never said what charity or how much money.”
Simpson said: “This is so unfair and potentially defamatory. I have correspondence with St Basils, a charity for homeless young people in Birmingham, dated 21 January 2025, which clearly states that if BLACK SABBATH refuse to accept royalties, then we will pay them to this charity.”
Sharon also derides Simpson‘s album plans, saying: “He finds a little record company, because no major record company would have taken it … to take the tapes and distribute them.”
Simpson said: “This is another misrepresentation of the truth. The label for ‘Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes’ is actually on Big Bear Records, the U.K.’s longest-established independent recording company that I have owned and operated since 1968.
“We are in the process of relaunching Big Bear Records in a new distribution partnership with Trapeze Music & Entertainment Ltd, a well-established company with a huge catalogue including the likes of Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, Marlene Dietrich, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Digby Fairweather and hundreds of other artists. They might not be what Sharon calls a ‘major’, but they are certainly not ‘little’. They are our new partner for the relaunch of all Big Bear Records, not just the EARTH album.”
In the podcast, Sharon also belittles Simpson‘s role in the founding and development of BLACK SABBATH, and claims: “For the first 10 years of their career, they made millions and never got a penny.”
To this, Simpson responded: “Under my management, we renamed EARTH as BLACK SABBATH and they became one of the biggest names in heavy rock music, touring extensively and appearing on radio and TV. I was manager when we released their seminal debut eponymous album ‘Black Sabbath’ in February 1970 and followed it up with the equally adored ‘Paranoid’ in September 1970. Both charted worldwide and sold millions, with hit single ‘Paranoid’ reaching No. 4 in the charts. While under my management, which ended in September 1970, they received proper payments. It was when they broke their contract that it all went wrong for them.”
Sharon goes on to say that she has threatened to sue Simpson if he goes ahead and releases the album. But she also offers a laurel leaf, adding: “He could have come to us with the tapes and he would have made a lot of money and SABBATH would have done well. Let it go to a proper record company and be properly distributed, properly produced.”
Despite the row, Simpson says he’s more than willing to discuss a resolution. He said: “In my e-mail to Sharon on 4 July 2025, when she was in Birmingham, I suggested it might be fruitful for her and I to meet for coffee to discuss this issue. If they want to strike a deal with me to launch this album, I would therefore be delighted to discuss that with them.”
Simpson added: “My reason for launching this album now is because it will become a crucial segment of music history. It contains recordings that clearly demonstrate what fine music Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill were producing right from the very beginning in their pre-SABBATH days. It shows how these four young men from Birmingham, barely out of their teens, were already remarkable musicians when they existed as EARTH, and that they fully deserved all the success that was to come their way as BLACK SABBATH.”
“Earth: The Legendary Lost Tapes” features previously unheard studio recordings, capturing EARTH‘s evolution as they pushed toward the heavy metal sound that would change rock music forever. The album begins with three blues covers: “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Evenin'” and “Wee Wee Baby”. There are two versions of a track called “Song For Jim”, the name in the title referring directly to Simpson. Tony Iommi plays guitar in the first version, and then a rare performance on the flute in the second version. The beginnings of heavy metal then start to emerge with an “Untitled” track and three more called “Free Man”, “Wicked World” and “Warning”.
Simpson added: “If we can finally release this album, it will be a great gift to the music world and to millions of SABBATH fans.”
