If you thought the blow-up over Black Sabbath’s early Earth demos had settled after Sharon Osbourne’s first round of claims, nah - the whole thing has snowballed. 

Former manager Jim Simpson and the Osbourne camp are trading statements, emails, and a fair whack of frustration over who actually has the right to these fifty-year-old recordings.

It all kicked off again after Sharon spoke on The Osbournes podcast about people who’d made life harder for the family since Ozzy’s death. 

Simpson’s name came up, along with her claim that he’d kept the tapes hidden for decades until the copyright expired. She said he “claims ownership” because he paid a small studio bill back in the day, and accused him of lining up a release without the band’s involvement or approval.

Two days later, Simpson answered back with a long press release. He said Sharon’s comments were “inaccurate and unfair,” insisting he regularly funded recording sessions for bands he managed at the time and that the Earth demos “belong” to him. 

He pushed back hard on the idea he’d been waiting out copyright, pointing to decades spent running festivals, producing albums, and working across blues and jazz. 

In his view, life moved on, but the intention to release the demos never disappeared.

Sharon then dropped the biggest response yet, posting a stack of emails between Simpson, Tony Iommi, and herself. 

She argued the band never agreed to any commercial release and questioned why the tapes had never been openly discussed before 2024. 

She also challenged Simpson’s description of Big Bear Records and its partnership with Trapeze Music, raising concerns about the companies’ history, finances, and suitability for handling anything linked to Sabbath.

Her emails laid out the band’s stance clearly. They do not accept that Simpson owns the recordings, they do not consent to any release, and they’ll take legal action if he tries. 

Sharon added that the band had still not been given copies of the recordings or artwork, something Simpson had said he’d provide.

Simpson, meanwhile, stood by his position. He claimed he approached the band in September 2024, that he offered standard royalties, and that charity money would go to Birmingham’s St Basil's if the band didn’t want their share. 

He stressed that Big Bear is the UK’s longest-running independent label and said the tapes represent “a crucial segment of music history,” showing how strong the band was even before the Sabbath name stuck.

Despite the increasingly sharp tone, Simpson said he was keen to meet Sharon for “coffee” while she was in Birmingham in July 2025. Sharon said she wasn’t available and later questioned why he was doing public Q&As about his Sabbath years at the same time.

Where things move next is anyone’s guess. The demos remain unreleased, both sides feel misrepresented, and Sabbath’s early history is suddenly being pored over like it’s CSI Birmingham. 

One thing’s certain, though, these Earth tapes might be the most talked about recordings no fan has actually heard.

We hope they can sort this out so we can sink our teeth into more Sabbath.