IOMMI/HUGHES: Official Version Of 'Eighth Star' Will Be Significantly Different From Bootleg

The Tony Iommi/Glenn Hughes album recorded in 1996, heavily bootlegged as the much in demand "Eighth Star" (not the project's official title),will be quite markedly different to the version currently on the underground market when it is officially released through Sanctuary Records later this year, according to RockDetector.com.

Strengthening the BLACK SABBATH connection is bassist Neil Murray, from the "Headless Cross", "Tyr" and "Forbidden" eras, who revealed his participation recently. "I spent one afternoon replacing the bass on two songs, one of which only had to be replaced because Tony Iommi had altered the riffs used in the song, or the original Glenn Hughes bass track would have been used," he said.

It is commonly known that Don Airey, himself a man with BLACK SABBATH connections and now a member of DEEP PURPLE, supplied some of the keyboards on the record. However, also involved in the sessions was BLACK SABBATH keyboard veteran Geoff Nicholls.

The biggest change though is a complete overhaul of the originally recorded drums. In 1996 former JUDAS PRIEST man Dave Holland put down all the percussion work. However, Jimmy Copley of TEARS FOR FEARS, the PAUL RODGERS BAND and a colleague of Murray's in M3, has re-cut the drum tracks.

Neil Murray has been active on the live front both with M3 and performing six days a week in the blockbuster West End stage musical of QUEEN's "We Will Rock You", a role he has been engaged in for well over a year now.

A full run-down of Tony Iommi's activities outside of BLACK SABBATH, including note of one singer Iommi rejected for his solo project recently, can be found here.

(Thanks: RockDetector.com)