Henry's Blues Hour - Episode #6

Originally aired on Black Country Radio Xtra on 14th December 2021

Henry's Blues Hour on Black Country Radio - Episode #6

Original Sabbath manager Jim Simpson talks to BBC World Service about the final tour 'The End' and his memories of the band.

Black Sabbath Interview Newshour - Jim Simpson 20/1/16

Jim Simpson, Big Bear Music MD, makes the case for Birmingham being The UK Capital Of Rock And Roll. With contributions from Jasper Carrott, Pete York (Spencer Davis Group), Michael Grant (Musical Youth), Roy Davis (Shy) and Garry Chapman (Cryer). Produced as part of the BBC WM Takeover 

BBC WM - Birmingham: The UK Capital Of Rock And Roll

Black Sabbath's first manager, and current Big Bear Music MD Jim Simpson, discusses the history of the band and what lead them to become such a world-renowned force. Interviews taken from BBC 5Live, BBC WM, BBC Shropshire, BBC Hereford & Worcester, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire and BBC Gloucester

Black Sabbath - The End

Birmingham, Solihull & Sandwell Jazz Festival Director Jim Simpson appears on BBC WM's Sunny and Shay to talk about the Exhibition of Photography from the 2017 festival in New Street Station

BBC WM Sunny and Shay 151217

Before founding Big Bear Music in 1968, Jim Simpson worked as a photographer for Melody Maker and Midland Beat. In this interview on BBC WM's The Sunny and Shay Show, he talks about his experiences of capturing such legendary figures as The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Nina Simone on film.

You can view the prints in all their glory at Lee Longlands Broad Street store in Birmingham from 27th June to July 31st 2018

Jagger, The Killer and The Prettiest Man In Rock & Roll

BBC WM's live broadcast from The 34th Birmingham, Solihull & Sandwell Jazz Festival at The Mailbox. Featuring Festival Patron Digby Fairweather, Cllr Steve Trow from Sandwell MBC, Richard Heath from The Whiskey Brothers, sax supremo Alan Barnes, Reinhardt stylist Duved Dunayevsky and Festival Director Jim Simpson

BBC WM

34th Birmingham, Solihull & Sandwell Jazz Festival - BBC WM Broadcast 260718

Big Bear Records, probably the longest established independent record company in the UK, have been at the forefront of Jazz, Swing and Blues since 1968.


The company was named Big Bear by legendary radio producer John Peel who thought the gait of the label's founder, Jim Simpson, resembled that of a bear. The label grew out of Simpson's production company which has steered Black Sabbath through their first three years and the best 3 albums of their career.

Initially recording U.S. Bluesmen, the label's repertoire quickly expanded first to include such significant West Midlands bands as Muscles, The Quads, Garbo's Celluloid Heroes, The Gangsters and Mel Gaynor's Zulu.

From 1985, Big Bear Records began to establish its reputation as the home of great jazz, blues and swing with King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys, Kenny Baker's Dozen, Clark Terry Big Bird Band, Bruce Adams / Alan Barnes Quintet, Lady Sings The Blues, Alan Barnes All-Stars, Duncan Swift, Bill Allred’s Good Time Jazz, and many more.

The next wave signings come with the dawn to the millennium with Tipitina, Dr. Teeth Big Band, Django’s Castle and Nomy Rosenberg Trio.

So take a browse around and find out what we’ve been doing over 40 years of Straining Up Under The Bear – and don’t say away to long, there’s always something new in The Bear’s Lair.


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