1970 - Ozzy @ Folsom Street Parade - GLBT Historical Society

[okrobot]

I don't understand how anyone seeing this film could think that Warner Bros is trying to pass off either of the two bands playing on floats as BS. All you have to do is read the banners on the front of the trucks, and then google. The two bands are The Naked Lunch and The Winfield Trust, both active in San Francisco in '71. Also, if you search "black sabbath gigs 1971", you will EASILY find that in the summer of '71, BS were touring the East Coast and Midwest. They didn't play SF until October.

[IYAMNI]

Very cool to see of Pride march footage. But that's not Black Sabbath... or it's not the one we know today anyway. Iommi is left handed and that was definitely not Bill Ward with the bass.

[stomp919]

Lmfao A Black Sabbath float in a gay parade! Only in California!

[laneatlileden]

carefree and willing. " oh' those were the days."

[drquesadilla]

Im confused... I dont see any members of Black Sabbath is this video.

[geordiemilne]

Fantabulous but it ain't

Dykes on bikes

[loricybin]

buried.

if you're patient enough, watch the whole thing.

[richardbrompton]

Oh the 70's! All that totaly bareback Love! What ever happened to Kip Knoll?

[andrewiscool1991]

That's not even Black Sabbath on the float.

[piggy4play]

For those who don't know this already, this parade was called "The Age of Aquarius Parade." It marched down Folsom from Embarcadero to Army Street on August 16, 1970. It took place at night. The Advocate and the Chronicle both said it was a gay pride parade. The Cockettes were on the float for the Stud. The best float award went to the Ramrod for "The Signs of the Zodiac" float. "Black Sabbath" wasn't the first choice. Grace Slick and the Airplane weren't available.

[piggy4play]

There used to be a Black Sabbath MC in San Francisco during the early and mid-1970s. Mister Marcus mentions it several times in his Bay Area Reporter leather column. But when I asked him about this club, he said he had never heard of it. HAS ANYBODY?

[searchforgayaddercom]

hmmmm

[yetiresearch]

Did they play "Fairies Wear Boots" at that gig?

[thebrand313]

sabbath lyrics are my religion. I dunno, hard to make anyone up there out. If that's geezer with the blue shirt, he looks too fat. I don't see ozzy at all. But why would someone put a fake sabbath at the parade - i dunno.

[genetrosper]

Unfortunately, neither Ozzy or any member of Black Sabbath was on that float.

[Jenwhathaveyoudone]

ha!! :D

[jwwindsor]

This is actually Folsom Street Fair 1971. I was with the group on the last float on the film. That group was the Angels of Light, offshoot of the Cockettes. We have film footage of the parade also.

[glbthistory]

Thanks for your info. What do you remember about the Black Sabbath float? What was the time of year? How much footage do you have?

[Jpnasiam]

sabbath is anti hate anti war, no surprize

[MightySaturn5]

LOL....this was quite absurd.

[SouthernRebeler]

Dude, like wow man! far-out

[killersquid87]

1 minute into it (Iommi's father?)

[killersquid87]

22 seconds into it, short guy shaking his head (Ozzy?)

[Osbournejames]

This happend the same year I was Born.

[dubaiedge]

awesome!

[Terrible1]

"self-styled head of the Church of Satan, Anton Lavey, arranged a welcoming Black Sabbath parade in San Francisco, replete with LaVey himself atop the main float dressed as the Black Pope."

I went through shit looking for that article!

haha this is fucking creepy!

this is "that" parade

and that is Anton LaVey dressed in black!

1970!

this video is legit.

theres also another event where Black Sabbath was confronted by Hells Angels at a gig.

dunno if theres any footage of that.

[glbthistory]

Can you cite the article?

[xxblksabbathxx]

i think it is, see that guy dressed like the black pope? i never thought there was any footage of it. neato burrito

[xxblksabbathxx]

this looks like the dood from the church of Satan throwing a welcome black sabbath parade. i've heard of it. i think this might be it. can anyone confirm it

[petpeavey]

I didn't see anyone that looked like a member of black sabbath, or was that Ozzy on the upright piano? There were bands, but no one playing instruments that looked like sabbath used. I think warner brothers was just trying to get their name out, free publicity, although I don't think there was anything Ozzy didn't try.

[Liverland]

these blokes have got nothing on the likes of Too wong foo! lol this is quite bazzare!

[mikepujol]

3min 20 sec-ozzys holding banner wearing tasles- in those daze -smokin and trippin is all they did.

[topraman517]

I wouldn't be too surprised. I mean they had a lot of crazy people coming to them.

[glbthistory]

Like Rob Halford...

[cagsforme]

It just looks like a bunch of fags to me.

[ShadowKoda]

At around 9:15 into the film they appear to be sitting on the back of the truck going by: Ozzy being the second from the right, Tommy being to Ozzy's right, etc. However it could just be my eyes playing tricks on me.

[flyingblindwme]

Tommy? You mean Tony Iommi?

[OpieKid]

Weird, Just weird. Boy, what it took to promote albums in those days! As a huge Black Sabbath fan (click on my name for proof of that), this moment has never been documented as an actual event the members of Black sabbath were a part of themselves. Looking at the "band" in the this video, I gotta think it isn't Black Sabbath but "actors" portraying them. However, Sabbath's first day ever in America was October 29th, 1970 in New York (where this parade takes place). It's possible it's them....

[glbthistory]

This parade took place in San Francisco's South of Market district.

[jvp863]

not sabbath. come on now this dudette just wants to flaunt the fags for sabbath fans. like we give a shit.

[mackcat]

bizzarre man, bizzarre!!!

[SmittyHeWasNumber1]

this is very interesting...

[thepiedealer]

wot the hell is this all about?!

[filipe2143]

fake

[AlucardsQuest]

I don't think Ozzy nor Sabbath are in there at all, it just looks like some gay pride parade.

[boc420001]

Thought for a minute sabbath was on the black truck. Look @ 6:45. Only thing is Tony is left handed and the bass player on here is. Guitar is right handed. Looks like Ozzy on the keys though. Hard to say.

[Mustonen]

That is NOT Black Sabbath!

[filipe2143]

THIS IS FAKE, RIDiCULOUS

[RICKRENAUD]

I watched this footage a few times and nowhere do I see any memebr of Sabbath. Not convinced

[crowley90]

awesome footage

[scoskitz]

Um, despite the WB sponsored float and banner, the band playing on the "Black Sabbath" truck is very definitely not Black Sabbath. I have watched the footage closely, and cannot identify a single Sab member anywhere. I wished it was true! I wonder what the story is? An ill-conceived marketing attempt for WB's new act, figuring no one would notice? Weird!

[Zoeler]

kind of shows you what the mentality of the music industry was back then. at the time black sabbath wasn't recognizable or even well-known enough for people to care.

[ronsfo]

I was a longtime friend of Henri Leleu. Henri was a still photographer and I'm familiar with his work. I believe that this footage was shot by his close friend Paul Bentley aka Luscious Lorei (original partner of the Ramrod on Folsom. Also the partner of Bob Ross publishers of the BAR). Paul Bentley shot a lot of film footage, archived at the GLBT Historical Society, but credit was mistakenly given to Henri.

Great work posting old film and video, keep up the good work.

[glbthistory]

Noted.  Thanks.

[DavidVV]

Let's have a Folsom St. Parade again! Funnnn!!!

[capitalotter]

Well, we do have...annually, as a matter of fact!

[brainyntuff]

I always knew Ozzy was down with the gays. I thought this was an urban legend! Only sound would make it better.