Album · 50 years old this year
Technical Ecstasy
Technical Ecstasy is Black Sabbath's seventh studio album, produced by guitarist Tony Iommi. It arrived in the autumn of 1976, with Warner Bros. handling the United States and Canada and Vertigo releasing it elsewhere. In the band's run of records it follows Sabotage and comes just before Never Say Die!
This is the sound of Sabbath looking beyond their own template. The songs are more varied and complex than on earlier albums, with keyboards and studio effects given real prominence. The most striking surprise is "It's Alright", a pop ballad sung by drummer Bill Ward, the first Sabbath song not fronted by Ozzy Osbourne. It is worth hearing as a snapshot of a band stretching its range.
Technical Ecstasy: tracklist, credits and charts
8 tracks · 40:38Tracklist
- 1Back Street KidsButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward3:49
- 2You Won't Change MeButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward6:44
- 3It's AlrightButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward4:06
- 4GypsyButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward5:12
- 5All Moving Parts (Stand Still)Butler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward5:06
- 6Rock 'n' Roll DoctorButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward3:35
- 7She's GoneButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward4:57
- 8Dirty WomenButler, Iommi, Osbourne, Ward7:09
- Produced by
- Black Sabbath
- Recorded at
- Criteria (Miami)
- Recorded
- June 1976
- Mixed by
- Robin Black, Tony Iommi
- Mixed at
- Criteria Studios
- Engineered by
- Robin Black
- Label
- Vertigo
- Length
- 40:38
Line-up
- Geezer Butler · electric bass guitar
- Tony Iommi · electric guitar
- Bill Ward · drums (drum set), electric guitar, lead vocals, percussion
- Gerald Woodruffe · keyboard · guest
- Ozzy Osbourne · lead vocals
Singles
- “It's Alright” · November 1976
- “Gypsy” · 1977 (Netherlands)
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1976 | 13 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1976 | 51 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 2021 | 9 |
| UK Independent Albums · 2021 | 14 |
| German Albums · 2021 | 27 |
| Swedish Albums · 1976 | 33 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1976 | 38 |
| Scottish Albums · 2021 | 46 |
| Swiss Albums · 2021 | 81 |
| Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 2021 | 123 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom · 1977 | Silver |
| United States · 1997 | Gold |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
59.8
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
2.7k
ListenBrainz listeners
138k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
901
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 25 September
Every year →
More from Black Sabbath
Full discography →
Black Sabbath
1970
Paranoid
1970
Master of Reality
1971
Vol 4
1972
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
1973
We Sold Our Soul for Rock ’n’ Roll
1975
Sabotage
1975
Never Say Die!
1978
Heaven and Hell
1980
Live at Last
1980
Mob Rules
1981
Live Evil
1982
Born Again
1983
The Sabbath Collection
1985
Seventh Star
1986
The Eternal Idol
1987
Headless Cross
1989
TYR
1990
The Ozzy Osbourne Years
1991
Dehumanizer
1992
Cross Purposes
1994
Cross Purposes – Live
1995
Forbidden
1995
The Sabbath Stones
1996
Under Wheels of Confusion: 1970–1987
1996
Reunion
1998
The Collection
1999
Black Mass
1999
The Best of Black Sabbath
2000
Past Lives
2002
Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978
2002
Black Box: The Complete Original Black Sabbath 1970–1978
2004
Greatest Hits 1970–1978
2006
The Dio Years
2007
Live at Hammersmith Odeon
2007
The Rules of Hell
2008
Greatest Hits
2009
13
2013
Live… Gathered in Their Masses
2013
The End
2016
The Ultimate Collection
2016
The End
2017
Anno Domini: 1989–1995
2024
The best of 1976
All of 1976 →
More on Vertigo
The label →
Metallica
Metallica · 1991
…And Justice for All
Metallica · 1988
Death Magnetic
Metallica · 2008
St. Anger
Metallica · 2003
Load
Metallica · 1996
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath · 1970
S&M
Metallica · 1999
Vol 4
Black Sabbath · 1972
Heaven and Hell
Black Sabbath · 1980
Pyromania
Def Leppard · 1983
Sabotage
Black Sabbath · 1975
Mob Rules
Black Sabbath · 1981
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date musicbrainz + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 25 September 1976 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | October 1976 | |
| Wikidata | 25 September 1976 | |
| US release | 25 September 1976 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 8 October 1976 | earliest UK or European date |
26 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XW | Sanctuary Records | 5414939678776 | remaster |
| — | US | Rhino | 081227946692 | other |
| September 1976 | DE | Vertigo | other | |
| 25 September 1976 | US | Warner Bros. Records | original | |
| 8 October 1976 | GB | Vertigo | other | |
| August 1983 | GB | Vertigo | other | |
| 1987 | US | Warner Bros. Records | 075992730523 | other |
| 25 March 1989 | JP | Vertigo | 4988011314643 | other |
| June 1989 | GB | Vertigo | 042283822429 | other |
| 1996 | GB | Essential! Records | 5017615832822 | other |
| 2000 | XE | Castle Music | 5050159103027 | other |
| 7 March 2001 | JP | Victor | 4988002413331 | remaster |
| 2002 | CA | Warner Bros. Records | 075992730525 | other |
| 2004 | XE | Sanctuary Midline | 5050749203724 | other |
| 2004 | US | Rhino | other | |
| 26 August 2009 | JP | Sanctuary Records | 4988005569820 | other |
| 16 September 2009 | GB | Sanctuary Records | 602527165509 | other |
| 21 January 2014 | CA | Rhino | 603497905805 | remaster |
| 9 August 2014 | CA | Rhino | 603497905133 | remaster |
| 2016 | US | Warner Bros. Records | 081227946692 | other |
| 5 August 2016 | US | Warner Bros. Records | 081227946685 | other |
| 1 October 2021 | CA | Rhino | 603497842018 | remaster |
| 1 October 2021 | XE | BMG | 4050538677249 | deluxe |
| 1 October 2021 | US | Warner Bros. Records | deluxe | |
| 1 October 2021 | — | Sanctuary Records | 4050538687309 | remaster |
| 1 October 2021 | US | Warner Records | 603497844821 | deluxe |
Cover art sources
itunes · native: native 2400x2400
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| itunes ✓ | 2400×2400 | native: native 2400x2400 |
| coverartarchive | 1417×1417 | upscaled |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |