It was apparently a sunny day when Sodom first met Gomorrah. Here’s actual footage of Ozzy Osbourne and “his new band Black Sabbath” playing atop the back of a heavily decorated flatbed truck at a 1970 San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, courtesy of Warner Brothers. The unfortunately sound-less footage was shot on super-8 by gay historians Henri Leleu and Paul Bentley (aka Luscious Lorei). There’s a bit of a mix up as to what festival this actually is (and exactly when?) The YouTube link notes this as the famed outdoor leather-romp Folsom Street Fair, even though that particular festival didn’t begin until the 80’s. There is an “official” listing of the first gay pride street parade ever in SF, which was in 1970 and called a “Gay-In,” which this may be. The first real pride parade in SF was in 1972 (also, I’m no super-Sabbath expert, but where does this fall in the chronology of the band?) Nevertheless, the camera doesn’t lie… Ozzy and proud pals are shown in all their record company-sponsored glory, playing amongst mustached spandex dancers and outer space drag queens on roller skates – fists raised high.

3 Comments »