Giant Steps – Derek Shulman Jon Wiederhorn (1)

We figured there might be strength in numbers, and that if the other WWA bands were aligned with us, maybe we’d all get out of the situation with unbroken kneecaps and a few quid. The second meeting was the one that tore the band-aid off our relationship with Worldwide Artists. This was the game-changer attended by us, Black Sabbath, and The Groundhogs.

Phil and I were able to show them that our receipts didn’t add up to what we were owed. Patrick glanced them over, begrudgingly copped to an accounting error, and promised to pay us back some of the money—but not the $150,000, which he still insisted had already been spent on us. Next, Meehan Sr. and his son met with Sabbath. In no uncertain terms, he told them that if it wasn’t for WWA, Sabbath would never have made it out of Birmingham.

He added that he and his peers were overseeing Black Sabbath’s career so that they could continue to enjoy a self-indulgent life free of paperwork or commitments. Then he explained the details of their management deal, point by ugly point. Each phrase and clause he read made it abundantly clear that Worldwide Artists had legal ownership of all things Black Sabbath. Tony and Ozzy grew pale, and it looked like their faces would slide off their skulls. ‘You mean, I don’t own anything?’

Iommi asked in disbelief. ‘I don’t own my house? I don’t own my cars?’ Ozzy, who had brought a bottle of whisky into the meeting and was self-medicating as he learned he was practically homeless, was furious. Suddenly, he gripped the neck of the bottle and drew back his arm like a football quarterback, spilling booze down his arm, shoulder, and onto the floor. He whipped the bottle at Meehan; it whirred past his head and shattered against the wall. Meehan’s face turned red.

Volume copyright © 2025 Outline Press Ltd. Text and images copyright © Derek Shulman, unless otherwise noted. Foreword © Tony Visconti. All rights reserved. No part of this book covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or copied in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews where the source should be made clear. For more information contact the publishers. CONTENTS FOREWORD BY TONY VISCONTI PROLOGUE THE TRAUMA 01 FINDING MY FEET 1 POOR BUT RICH 2 THE BIG BREAK 3 THE RAVERS 4 LETTERS OF GOLD 5 WE ARE THE MOLES 6 COLD FEET 7 MIND IF I TUNE UP?

8 A TALL TALE 9 SENSORY PLEASURE 10 COLLISION COURSE 02 UP AND RUNNING 11 FAIRY DUST 12 COMPLETE CONTROL 13 AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE 14 IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR 15 UNLIKELY CONNECTIONS 16 THE END OF AN ERA 03 FINDING A NEW PATH 17 PLAYING THE GAME 18 DESIRE 19 POP GOES THE WORLD 20 BLACK-TOOTHED GRIN 21 STRAIGHT INTO COMPTON 22 MONSTERS OF MOSCOW 23 LEADER OF MEN 24 LEGEND HAS IT EPILOGUE WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHORS FOREWORD BY TONY VISCONTI Wherever I go, I’m always surprised when someone will recognize me in the street, approach me, and say, ‘I love Gentle Giant.’

And really, I’m so pleased when that happens, because their self-titled debut was, on every level, one of the best albums I was ever involved with. There were several progressive rock bands emerging at the time, but my inspiration for doing what I do came from the most progressive rock group the world has known, The Beatles. Fully knowing I wouldn’t knock their producer George Martin off his throne, I said to myself that there must be more Beatles in the UK to discover.

By 1970, I had found what I was looking for. They were Gentle Giant. I needed to work with musicians of that caliber because I studied classical music, I trained hard, and this was very, very challenging. We were working with analog tape and they were doing things that, honestly, you would have required Pro Tools to pull off. And Pro Tools hadn’t been invented. So we did some tricks that were akin to what George Martin and The Beatles were doing with analogue tape, and made a fantastic work of art.

Here’s how it all happened.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

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