Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi Release Album!

Deep Purple´s Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) took everybody by surprise in 2011 by releasing a charity single: “Out Of My Mind”, renewing the collaboration that led the pair recording an album in 1984 “Born Again” under the moniker Black Sabbath. For the occasion, the two rock legends called a few friends, asking for some “help”. None other than Jason Newsted, Jon Lord and Nicko McBrain completed the supergroup.

The single was a joyful and inspired moment. The spark to bring Iommi and Gillan in a studio, together again was to finance the rebuilding of a music school in Armenia they had visited together on various occasions in past years.

Far from being a spectacular charity project, WhoCares was a nice gesture, done with class, from two musicians with nothing to prove, willing to support music, where music is considered a luxury.

“As I said once in the song Razzle Dazzle (DP album, Bananas)… …’it’s a real fine line between an orgy of destruction and a wonderful time’… 

The destruction of conformity in this case: Some of these pieces never really fitted into their contemporary program and got side-lined or forgotten, and some of the album tracks never had much exposure. As the track-listing for this album came together I noticed many of the titles had character similarities; a combination of freshness as they finally felt the sun on their backs and rebellion in a ‘yeah told you so’ kind of way. 

And that adds up to a wonderful time. And that adds up to more money for the music school we are building in Armenia. 

And what about WhoCares… this ad hoc benefit band put together by Tony Iommi and myself on a flight home from Yerevan, where we’d been deeply humbled by the honours and expectations bestowed upon us. Well that’s it really, in a nutshell, so to speak, what more can I say; it’s all there in the music.” 

CD1
01. WhoCares – Out Of My Mind (feat. Ian Gillan, Tony Iommi, Jason Newsted, Jon Lord, Nicko McBrain)
02. Black Sabbath – Zero The Hero
03. Ian Gillan feat. Tony Iommi, Ian Paice & Roger Glover – Trashed
04. M. Rakintzis feat. Ian Gillan – Get Away (first time on a Gillan CD)
05. Tony Iommi feat. Glenn Hughes – Slip Away (rare track)
06. Gillan – Don’t Hold Me Back
07. Ian Gillan – She Think It’s A Crime (limited 7”-vinyl B-Side, first time on CD)
08. Repo Depo feat. Ian Gillan – Easy Come, Easy Go (2012 remix, previously unreleased)
09. Deep Puprle feat. Ronnie James Dio – Smoke On The Water (live with the London Symphony Orchestra)CD2
1. WhoCares – Holy Water (feat. Ian Gillan, Tony Iommi, Jason Newsted, Jon Lord, Nicko McBrain) (first time on CD album)
2. Black Sabbath – Anno Mundi
3. Tony Iommi feat. Glenn Hughes – Let It Down Easy (rare track)
4. Ian Gillan – Hole In My Vest (7“ vinyl single B-side, first time on CD)
5. Gillan & Glover feat. Dr.John – Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave Me
6. Ian Gillan & The Javelins – Can I Get A Witness 
7. Garth Rockett & The Moonshiners aka IG – No Laughing In Heaven (rare track from deleted CD)
8. Ian Gillan – When A Blind Man Cries (Live At Absolute Radio) (previously unreleased)
9. Deep Purple – Dick Pimple (previously unreleased studio jam)