In late 1977, original singer Ozzy Osbourne briefly left Black Sabbath during awkward writing sessions. The band’s guitarist, Tony Iommi, reached out to Dave Walker — who had previously sung with bands like Savoy Brown and Fleetwood Mac — and asked him to join as a temporary vocalist.
Walker agreed, and by late 1977 he was rehearsing with Sabbath. Yet, his time with the band was very short — when Ozzy changed his mind and rejoined in early 1978, Walker was out again.
Because of that, no studio album was ever made with Walker singing. His stint with Sabbath was more like a weird dream — real, but barely documented.
The Video That Changed Everything
For decades, the only evidence of Walker fronting Black Sabbath was a grainy audio recording from a BBC TV performance on the show Look! Hear!. Many fans believed any video was long lost.
But in November 2025, a YouTube user uploaded what’s now the first known video showing Black Sabbath live with Dave Walker — performing on Look! Hear! in early 1978. The clip includes them playing the introduction of their classic “War Pigs” and an early version of “Junior’s Eyes,” a song that later appeared on their album Never Say Die!.
For fans and music historians, this is gold: a live glimpse into a rare and ephemeral phase of a legendary band.
Why It Matters
It proves Walker’s time with Sabbath actually happened. What was once rumor or bootleg audio is now visible, tangible.
It shows a very different Black Sabbath sound. Walker’s background was more blues/rock rather than the typical heavy-metal style. Hearing classic Sabbath riffs with his voice gives a fresh — and unusual — perspective on what the band could have become.
It highlights how fragile a band’s journey can be. Even huge bands go through uncertain phases — lineup changes, temporary members, experiments. This footage shows that behind every “classic lineup” there’s a story, a lot of trial and error, and sometimes, chances that almost were.
A Bit of What We Know (and What We Don’t)
Walker joined Sabbath around late 1977, wrote lyrics with the band, rehearsed — but never recorded a studio album with them.
The only confirmed live appearance is the 1978 Look! Hear! performance.
After that one show, Ozzy returned, and the band continued without Walker. That meant none of Walker’s lyrics were used — songs like “Junior’s Eyes” got re-written by the band’s usual lyricist.
The newly surfaced video is short — it’s not a full concert — but enough to give fans a vivid sense of this strange, transitional moment.
Final Thoughts
Discovering this footage doesn’t rewrite rock history — Black Sabbath went on to make their most famous music with Ozzy or later with other singers. But it does add a forgotten chapter back into their story — one full of tension, hope, and possibilities.
For fans, it’s a thrilling reminder: sometimes the most interesting parts of a band’s story are not the most famous ones.
If you want — I can write a short blog post in Nepali about this discovery (so you can share with Nepali-speaking rock-fan friends). Want me to do that now?