Forty Years of Black Sabbath

It was forty years ago today, on 13 February 1970 ( a Friday, fittingly enough) that the eponymous debut album from heavy metal band Black Sabbath was released. The album was like no other album that had ever been released. For one thing , it was the first fully heavy metal album, with tuned down guitars cranked to maximum volume. While a few bands had previously featured songs that could be considered heavy metal on their albums (such as The Beatles, The Who, and Led Zeppeln), Black Sabbath was the first band to release an album that was entirely heavy metal. For another thing, the songs on the album dealt with the occult or fantasy. Indeed, the closest thing to a love song, "N.I.B.," sung from the point of view of Lucifer!

Black Sabbath formed in 1968 after the breakup of a band called Mythology, which featured Terence "Geezer" Butler on bass and Tony Iommi on guitar. The two joined together with drummer Bill Ward and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, who had been members of a band called Rare Breed. The new band also featured Jimmy Phillips on slide guitar and Alan "Aker" Clarke on saxophone and played rather jazzy blues tunes. The band was named "The Polka Tulk Blues Band (after a brand of cheap talcum powder Ozzy's mother had bought or a Pakistani clothing store, depending on the story)," which was later shortened to "Polka Tulk." It was not long after Phillips and Clarke were dropped that the quartet renamed themselves "Earth." Earth would prove to have some success, playing not only in England, but in Denmark and Germany as well. For a very brief time Tony Iommi left Earth for Jethro Tull, even appearing with the band on The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus television special, but returned to Earth soon afterwards.

It soon became obvious that Earth would have to change its name. There was another English band at the time called Earth, resulting in confusion between the two bands. Indeed, fans who showed up to see the other band named Earth were often displeased with the band's heavy 12 bar blues sound. As to why Earth renamed themselves "Black Sabbath," the stories vary. One tale is that it reflected Geezer Butler's interest in the occult at the time, particularly the novels of Dennis Wheatley. Another tale is that it was taken from the song "Black Sabbath," which supposedly was written when the band was still named "Earth." A third tale told by Ozzy is that the name was taken from the Boris Karloff movie Black Sabbath, which was playing at a theatre near their rehearsal studio. Regardless, the new name marked a shift in the band's sound, their new goal to produce the musical equivalent of horror movies. Influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Ten Years After, and 12 bar blues, Black Sabbath shifted to a much heavier sound, characterised by heavily amplified, tuned down guitars and dark lyrics. Much of their early music was characterised by the musical interval called the tritone and also the Diabolus in musica (literally "the Devil in music").  Quite simply, Black Sabbath became the first heavy metal band.

It was in December 1969 that Black Sabbath was signed to Philips Records. Their first single was "Evil Woman," a song originally recorded by Minneapolis based band Crow in 1968. "Evil Woman" failed to chart, which, fortunately for the band was not an omen of things to come. Recorded in late January, Black Sabbath's self titled debut album was released on 13 February, 1970. As mentioned earlier, it was an album like no other released before. Not only was it far heavier than any rock album previously released, it also dealt with subject matter that had rarely been touched upon in rock lyrics. The song "Black Sabbath" was inspired in equal parts by horror movies and Dennis Wheatley novels. "Behind the Wall of Sleep" drew its inspiration from the H. P. Lovecraft story of the same name. "The Wizard" was inspired by Gandalf from Tolkien's works. Perhaps the most shocking song on the album at the time was "N.I.B.," a song sung from the point of view of the Devil. Contrary to popular belief, the song's title is not short for "Nativity in Black," but instead a reference to Bill Ward's goatee, which resembled a pen nib. As to the song itself, it is not actually about Satan seducing someone, but about Lucifer being redeemed in the end by love.

Although the album Black Sabbath was revolutionary at the time, particularly given it is considered by many to be the first heavy metal album, it was lambasted by critics. Despite the venom spewed towards the album in most reviews, Black Sabbath reached #8 on the UK albums chart. It was released in May, 1970 in the United States, where it reached #23 on the Billboard 100. In retrospect the album would prove influential. It not only provided the basic musical style for the heavy metal genre, but grist for the subject matter it would cover as well.

Having achieved success in the United States, Black Sabbath returned to the studio to record their next album in June, 1970. The new album marked a move away from the occult subject matter of the first album. The song "War Pigs" was a protest against the Vietnam War. "Paranoid" centred on the subject of paranoia. "Iron Man" was a science fiction epic about a man turned to metal. "Fairies Wear Boots" dealt with an individual who is seeing fairies wearing, well, boots. The album was initially to be called War Pigs, but was renamed Paranoid because Warner Brothers (Black Sabbath's stateside label) feared a backlash from those who supported the Vietnam War. The album was released as Paranoid on October 1970 in the UK and January 1971 in the U.S. The single "Paranoid" reached #2 on the UK singles chart. The album itself would become the only Black Sabbath to reach #1 on the UK albums chart. In the United States it broke the top ten of the Billboard album chart. While Paranoid was a success, like the first album it was ravaged by critics. It would be the success of the album that would lead to the band's first U.S. tour in December 1970.

Black Sabbath's third album Master of Reality would be released only several months after Paranoid, on 21 July 1970. The album would mark a shift in the sound of the band, even including two softer ballads.  The subject matter also varied on the album. "After Forever" was undoubtedly  Christian in tone, while "Lord of This World" portrayed Satan as mocking his own followers."Children of the Grave" was a war protest song. Sadly, it was at this time that Black Sabbath began to dabble more heavily in drugs, from pills to cocaine. Indeed, the lead song on the album, "Sweet Leaf," was about cannabis. In the end, drug usage would partially be responsible for the disintegration of the band. As with the first two albums, Master of Reality was panned by critics. Regardless, it once more proved successful, reaching #5 in the UK and #8 in the U.S.

After a constant schedule of recording and touring, Black Sabbath took a break after Master of Reality. Their next album would not be released until 25 September, 1972. The new album marked a new era of experimentation for the band, as Black Sabbath began to utilise piano and strings. Indeed, the album included the ballad "Changes," a marked departure for the band. Black Sabbath had wanted to title the album Snowblind, after the lead song on the album's second side. As the song "Snowblind" dealt with cocaine, however, the label saddled the album with the generic title Black Sabbath Volume 4. Critics were once more dismissive of the album, despite Black Sabbath's expanding musical style. The album was a success on the charts, however, reaching #13 on the Billboard chart.

It was as the band set to work on their next album that their drug usage began to take a toll. The band convened at the Record Plant in Los Angeles to record, only to find themselves unable to come up with ideas. After a month with no results, Black Sabbath returned to England to record there. After writing the song "Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath," the new album finally gelled. "Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath" was lyrically a return to the songs about the occult from the first album, while "Killing Yourself to Live" dealt with alcoholism. Musically the new album, titled Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath after its lead song, would be a departure for the band. Black Sabbath made use of synthesisers, strings, and complex orchestration. Surprisingly, it would be the first album to receive good reviews from critics. It also did well on the charts. Released on 1 December, 1973, it went to #4 on the UK charts, and #11 on the U.S. charts.

 For Black Sabbath's next album, Sabotage, the band decided to shift back to a purer, rock sound. Gone were the complex orchestrations. The album contained some heavier material, such as "Symptom of  the Universe," as well as some lighter material, such as "Am I Going Insane (Radio)."  Released on 28 July, 1975,  the album was also well received by critics. Unfortunately, it did not see the success of previous Black Sabbath albums. Sabotage only cracked the top twenty on the UK chart and #28 in the U.S. It was the first Black Sabbath album not to achieve platinum status in the United States.

Black Sabbath's next album would generally be regarded as the worst album produced by the original lineup. Technical Ecstasy saw Black Sabbath make use of keyboards more than they had before. The album also departed from Black Sabbath's generally fantastic, often dark subject matter for more mundane subjects, such as prostitution ("Dirty Women") and drug vending doctors ("Rock 'n' Roll Doctor"). The album only went to #51 on the Billboard  chart. Like the earliest albums it was ravaged by critics. Unlike the earliest albums it is not regarded as a classic.

It was not long after Technical Ecstasy was finished that the strain placed on the band for years through drug use, touring, and recording began to take its toll. Ozzy Osbourne left the band,. Black Sabbath brought in former Fleetwood Mac vocalist Dave Walker to replaced Ozzy, and he actually appeared with the band on the BBC show Look! Hear! Ozzy started a solo project, which included ex-Dirty Tricks members John Frazer-Binnie, Terry Horbury, and Andy Bierne. By January 1978, however Ozzy changed his mind. He returned to Black Sabbath. This complicated things to a degree, as Ozzy would sing none of the songs they had written and they had to start from scratch. The album Never Say Die would take some time to complete because of the band's drug usage, with the band having to cut sessions short because they were too doped up. Finally, Never Say Die was released on 28 September, 1978. The album featured a diverse mix of subject matter, from optimism in the face of adversity ("Never Say to Die") to gangsters ("Johnny Blade") to death ("Junior's Eyes"). The album did well in the UK, hitting #12 on the album chart. In the United States it did not do quite so well.  It only went to #69. It took a full twenty years to be certified gold in the United States.

It was after the tour for Never Say Die that Black Sabbath returned to Los Angeles to work on their next album. Unfortunately, there would not be a next album. The entire band was ingesting a good deal of drugs at the time, and Ozzy was getting drunk on top of the drugs. The band found itself at a standstill with regards to working on the album. At last it was decided that Ozzy should be fired. Ozzy would go onto a successful solo carer. As to Black Sabbath, they hired Ronnie James Dio, formerly of Rainbow, as his replacement.

While I do like the work that Ronnie James Dio did with Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Tony Iommi, I do not believe it can truly be called "Black Sabbath," regardless of what the record labels said. With Dio as their lead singer, Black Sabbath's sound changed dramatically. Indeed, Ozzy's live album featuring vintage Black Sabbath tunes, Speak of the Devil, sounded more like Black Sabbath than the alleged Black Sabbath live album Live Evil. And while over the years many projects in which Tony Iommi was involved were labelled Black Sabbath, I do not consider them to be Black Sabbath either. Indeed, by the time of the album Seventh Star released in 1986 as "Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi," Geezer Butler and Bill Ward had left. It wasn't "Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi," it was "Tony Iommi Without Black Sabbath." In my mind, there wouldn't be another true Black Sabbath album until the live album Reunion, which recorded the reunion tour of the original Black Sabbath from 1997.

Although lambasted by critics in their early years, Black Sabbath was a ground breaking band. While heavy metal had been developing for some time in the late Sixties, it was Black Sabbath who would be the first heavy metal band. As such they would set the course for the genre for the rest of its history. The fantastic and occult themes of Black Sabbath's first album would be repeated endlessly to this day. The horror movie motif which Black Sabbath utilised would be taken up by such artists as Alice Cooper and W.A.S.P. And while individual songs rarely cracked the charts, many of them are regarded as classics today, including "N.I.B.," "Paranoid," "Iron Man," "Children of the Grave," and so on. Black Sabbath, Paranoid, and Master of Reality all three made Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2003. While critics may have scoffed at Black Sabbath in 1970, they would leave a huge legacy behind.

Actor Merlin Olsen R.I.P.

Actor and former National Football League player Merlin Olsen passed yesterday at the age of 69. The cause was mesothelioma.

Merlin Olsen was born in Logan, Utah on September 15, 1940. He attended Utah State University, where he  played American football as a defensive tackle. Once he left college, Olsen has offers from the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League and the Denver Broncos of the American Football League. He signed with the Rams, for whom he played from 1962-1976. Following his NFL career, Olsen became an American football analyst for NBC. His contract with NBC stipulated that he have the opportunity to act.

Olsen's acting career began before his NFL career had even ended. He appeared in a small part in the 1969 feature film The Undefeated. Afterwards he guest starred on such shows as Petticoat Junction, The Brian Keith Show, and Kung Fu. He appeared in the films One More Train to Rob, Something Big, and Mitchell. In 1977 he was cast as Jonathan Garvey, Pa Wilder's sidekick on Little House on the Prairie. He left that series to star in his own show, Father Murphy, which ran from 1981 to 1983. In 1986 he starred in the short lived series Fathers and Sons. In 1988 he starred in the series Aaron's Way, his last work as an actor.

For the most part Merlin Olsen starred in the sort of shows I do not generally watch, but he always seemed to be an appealing and likeable fellow. He was certainly well suited to the role of the gentle giant. He also made the sort of shows of which too little is seen on television now--family oriented programmes. While I cannot say that I am necessarily a fan of his oeuvre, I must say I was saddened to hear of his passing.

Godspeed Stuntman Bobby Hoy and Frisbee Inventor Fred Morrison

Bobby Hoy

Stuntman and actor Bobby Hoy passed on February 8 at the age of 82.  He was well known for his skill with horses.

Bobby Hoy was born on April 3, 1927 in New York City. He was only seven years old when he started working part time on a ranch. It was near the end of World War II that he joined the United States Marine Corps. It was in 1946 that he took a job in a ranch in Nevada. His first stunts were performed for the Western Ambush, released in 1950. It was also in Ambush that he first acted, appearing in a bit part as a trooper.The Fifties saw Hoy become very much in demand as a stuntman. He performed stunts in movies as diverse as The Black Shield of Falworth, Destry, A Star is Born, The Defiant Ones, and To Hell and Back. Among the most notable films upon which he worked were North by Northwest and Spartacus (on which Kirk Douglas accidentally cracked one of his ribs). He also did stunts for the television series Death Valley Days, Laramie, and Johnny Ringo. As an actor he appeared in such films as The Black Shield of Falworth, Revenge of the Creature, Tammy and the Bachelor, No Time for Sergeants. He guest starred on the TV shows Have Gun--Will Travel, Sea Hunt, Steve Canyon, and December Bride.

In 1961 Bobby Hoy co-founded Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures. The Sixties him perform stunts for the movies The Ugly American, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Shenandoah, The Great Race, Nevada Smith, Beau Geste, and Che. He also did stunts for the TV shows Bonanza and The Iron Horse. He guest starred on several TV shows, including The Tall Man, Bat Masterson, The Jack Benny Programme, The Untouchables, The Rifleman, Combat, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and Star Trek. He was a regular on The High Chaparral as ranch hand Joe Butler. He acted in such movies as The Love Bug5 Czrd  and 5 Card Stud.

The Seventies saw Bobby Hoy perform stunts for such movies as The Don is Dead, The Gauntlet, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and The Enforcer. He also performed stunts for the series The Streets of San Francisco. He guest starred on such shows as Mission Impossible. Search, Kung Fu, Hec Ramsey, The Magician, The Rockford Files, and Wonder Woman. He appeared in such movies as Bank Shot, The Duchess and the Dirt Water Fox, and The Outlaw Josey Wales.

 From the Eighties into the Nineties  Bobby Hoy performed stunts on the TV show The Fall Guy, the mini-series North and South, and the movies Seems Like Old Times, Fighting Back, and Legal Eagles. He guest starred on Quincy M.E., Dallas, The Fall Guy, Magnum P.I., Beauty and the Beast, The Young Riders, and Zorro. He was a semi-regular on the series Our House.

Bobby Hoy was arguably one of the greatest stuntmen of all time. He reportedly had a natural gift for dealing with horses in a way no one else could. He either acted or performed stunts for a good number of TV Westerns. He also performed one of the most daring stunts on film. As Tony Curtis's double in The Defiant Ones he faced the currents of a river while chained to Ivan Dixon (Sidney Potier's stunt double). He was certainly one of the best.



Fred Morrison

Fred Morrison, the inventor of the Frisbee, passed on February 9 at the age of 90.

Fred Morrison was born in Richefiled, Utah in 1920. It was in 1937 that he first developed the idea for the Frisbee at a Thanksgiving picnic. He and his future wife Lucille were throwing a cake pan to each other. When passers by took an interest in the pan, Morrison decided he had an idea for a new toy. The two began selling cake pans on the beach for 25 cents apiece. During World War II Morrison served in the United States Army Air Corps, flying both bombers and fighters. Shot down over Germany, he was held prisoner in Stalag XIII.

Following the war Fred Morrison worked as a carpenter. He also used the knowledge of aerodynamics he gained during the war to develop a better flying disc. Initially named the "Flyin' Saucer," he redesigned the product in 1955 and renamed it the Pluto Platter. Sadly, the Pluto Platter proved no more successful than earlier designs. Fortunately Morrison's fortunes changed when he met Richard Knerr and Arthur Melin of fledgeling toy company Wham-O. Morrison licensed his flying disc to Wham-O, who renamed it the Frisbee (generally said to be named for the Frisbie Pie Company, although Knerr maintained it was named for a comic strip character). The Frisbee became Wham-O's first hit in the toy industry and arguably its biggest hit as well.

Fred Morrison would invent a few more toys, but none proved as successful as the Frisbee. He both operated a small airport and raised quarter horses on a ranch in Utah.

In inventing the Frisbee, Fred Morrison created one of the most popular toys of all time. Indeed, had he never developed the Frisbee, toy history may have developed very differently. At the time that Wham-O bought the rights to Morrison's flying disc, they were still a small company struggling to make it on slingshots, boomerangs, tomahawks, and crossbows. The Frisbee turned Wham-O into a contender in the toy industry. It is quite possible that if it was not for the Frisbee, we  would not have the Hula Hoop, the Super Ball, Silly String, or any of the other toys later developed by Wham-O. What is more, while the Hula Hoop and Super Ball would become outright fads, popular for a short time, the Frisbee has remained consistently popular. Hundreds of millions of Frisbees continue to be sold to this day.

Guitarist Mick Green Passes On

Guitarist Mick Green, who played with Johnny Kidd and the Pirates as well as Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, passed yesterday at the age of 65.

Mick Green was born in Matlock, Derbyshire on 22 February, 1944. It was in 1962 that Mick Green and his childhood friends drummer Frank Farley and bassist Johnny Spence joined Johnny Kidd and the Pirates in early 1962. Mick Green remained with Johnny Kid and the Pirates until 1964, when he then joined Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. With Mick Green on guitar, the band broke with their tradition of recording ballads and actually recorded such rock numbers as "Sneakin' Around" and "When You Walk into the Room." Unfortunately, the boom in beat music was over by 1965, so that Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas saw fewer hits. The group disbanded in 1967. Afterwards Mick Green worked with Cliff Bennett before spending seven years in Engelbert Humperdinck's backing band. Mick Green was a member of the band Shanghai, which released two albums (one in 1974 and one in 1976). Shanghai also toured with Status Quo.

It was in 1976 that The Pirates (Johnny Kidd having died in 1966) reunited for a gig. The reunion more or less became permanent, with the group playing various concerts well into the Naughts. In the Eighties and the Nineties Mick Green played with Van Morrison, Bryan Ferry, and Paul McCartney. He also recorded with Peter Green, formerly of Fleetwood Mac.

Although not widely known to the general public, Mick Green was in many respects a very influential guitarist. He had an impact on contemporary Pete Townshend of The Who, as well as Wilko Johnson of Dr. Feelgood. Green was one of the earliest guitarists to have a loud, aggressive playing style, one that would be part of the basis of The Who's sound, as well as many heavy metal bands. Although not nearly as well known as such contemporaries as Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, Green arguably has a much influence, if not more.

Writers Aleen Leslie and Barry Blitzer Pass On

Aleen Leslie

Aleen Leslie, creator of A Date with Judy and the oldest living member of the Writers Guild of America, passed on February 2. She was on 101 years old, just a few days shy of her 102nd birthday. The cause was pneumonia.

Aleen Leslie was born on February 5, 1908 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She attended the Ohio State University. She studied playwriting, but the Depression cut her studies short when she could not afford to finish college. It was not long after she had become the secretary for the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment that she started writing the column "One Girl Chorus" for The Pittsburgh Press. She wrote the column for close to a decade. Using a press pass she gained access to Columbia Pictures. She started out writing Three Stooges shorts before going onto feature films. She wrote the stories for the films Doctor Takes a Wife (1940) and Affectionately Yours (1941), and the screenplay for The Stork Pays Off (1941).

It was in 1941 that Aleen Leslie created the radio show A Date with Judy. It was originally conceived as a vehicle for actress Helen Mack, but by the time the show debuted she was too old for the part. A Date with Judy debuted as a summer replacement for Bob Hope's show. A Date with Judy proved enormously successful. In 1948 a movie based on the radio show was released, starring Elizabeth Taylor. A comic book based on the radio show was published by National Periodical Publications (now DC Comics) from 1947 to 1960. The radio show ended its run in 1950, although a TV show based on the radio show debuted in 1951. It ran on and off until 1953 on ABC.

Throughout the Forties Aleen Leslie wrote several screenplays, many in the "Henry Aldrich"s series. She wrote the screenplays for Rosie the Riveter (1944), Father was a Fullback (1949), and Father Is a Bachelor (1950), and the stories for Go Chase Yourself and The Living North.

Aleen Leslie also wrote two novels, The Scent of Roses (1963) and The Windfall (1970). She also wrote a number of plays, one of which (Slightly Married) ran on Broadway for a short while.

 Aleen Leslie created one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. Although it is largely forgotten today, A Date with Judy ran for nine years and both a comic book and a movie were spun off from it. Among fans of Old Time Radio it still remains one of the most popular radio shows to have been produced.


Barry E. Blitzer

Television writer Barry E. Blitzer passed on January 27 at the age of 80. The cause was complications from abdominal surgery.

Barry Blitzer was born on April 21, 1929 in New York City . He grew up in Washington Heights, Manhattan. He attended the University of Georgia to major in journalism. During the Korean War he served in the United States Army. He was stationed in Germany and assigned to Armed Forces Radio.

Barry E. Blitzer's career in television began on the legendary sitcom The Phil Silvers Show (also known as Sgt. Bilko). He wrote his first episode for the series in 1955 and was one of the group of writers who collectively won an Emmy for the show in 1956. Blitzer went onto write episodes of The Ann Southern Show, I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, and Broadside. He was a frequent contributor to McHale's Navy, The Flintstones, and Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. He also wrote episodes of The Andy Griffith Show and Get Smart.

The Seventies saw Blitzer write episodes of Barefoot in the Park, The Paul Lynde Show, Good Times, and Hot L Baltimore. The Seventies also saw Blitzer's career shift towards Saturday morning television. He wrote episodes of The Roman Holidays, The Lost Saucer, Land of the Lost, and Uncle Croc's Block. He was a story editor on The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang. In the Eighties he wrote for Love Boat and Too Close for Comfort.

In addition to the Emmy he shared with the other writers on The Phil Silvers Show, Blitzer also shared a Writers Guild Award nomination for an episode of Get Smart in 1968. He was also a guest lecturer at the University of Texas. Beginning in October, 1993 he wrote a humour column for The Pacific Palisades Post.

Barry E. Blitzer was one of the last great comedy writers of the Fifties. Indeed, he was the last surviving member of the Phil Silvers Show who shared the Emmy in 1956. His scripts were always exceedingly funny, possessed of a wry sense of humour. If The Phil Silvers Show is still remembered as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, it is because of men like Barry Blitzer.

Corey Haim R.I.P.

Eighties star Corey Haim passed yesterday at the age of 38. The cause was apparently a drug overdose.

Corey Haim was born on December 23, 1971 in Toronto, Ontario. He was still a young child when his mother enrolled him in acting lessons in an effort to overcome his shyness. He appeared in his first commercial when he was ten years old. He was thirteen when he made his film debut in First Born. The same year he was a regular in the Canadian series The Edison Twins. In 1985 he appeared the films Secret Admirer, Silver Bullet, and Murphy's Romance. In 1986 he starred in Lucas, a film for which he received very good notices for his performance. In 1987 he starred in the short lived series Roomies.

In 1987 Haim appeared in the film that would turn him into a teen idol, Lost Boys. The following years he appeared in the films Licence to Drive, Watchers, and Dream a Little Dream. Unfortunately for Haim, he soon found himself appear in films made for the direct to video market for most of the Nineties, including The Double O Kid, Double Switch, and Last Resort. During the Nineties he only appeared in a few films released to theatres, including Dream Machine, Blown Away, Shooter on the Side, Snowboard Academy, and Never Too Late. On television he guest starred on PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal and appeared in the television movies Merlin and Without Malice. The Naughts saw Haim appear in the films Universal Groove, Crank: High Voltage, and Shark City. He appeared in the straight to video sequel to The Lost Boys, The Lost Boys: The Tribe. He was also star of the reality show The Two Coreys, which also starred Corey Feldman.

Alicia Keys and Beyonce "Put It In A Love Song" Music Video