Uriah the Gyp is a negative character in Dickens's novel. History of Uriah Heep

Uriah Heep(Uriah Heep) - British rock a band formed in 1969 in London, England, who took their name from a character in Charles Dickens's novel David Copperfield. The band's first line-up was formed when producer Gerry Bron invited keyboardist Ken Hensley (formerly of The Gods and Toe Fat) to join the members of Spice; The group gained worldwide fame in 1971-1973 with the albums Look at Yourself, Demons and Wizards and The Magician's Birthday, which are considered hard rock classics.

Uriah Heep created their own original version of hard rock, saturating it with elements of prog, art, jazz rock and heavy metal. The trademark of their style (in the "golden years") were spectacular backing vocals with complex multi-part harmonies and dramatic vocals by David Byron. Uriah Heep's stylistic experiments were essential to the development of rock music; the band in particular anticipated similar experiments by Queen in many ways.

Twelve of the band's albums entered the UK Albums Chart; the greatest success here was Return to Fantasy (#7, 1975) In the US, 15 albums were on the Billboard 200; the most popular was Demons and Wizards (#23, 1972). In addition, Uriah Heep had four singles top the Billboard Hot 100. The band had significant success in the mid-1970s in Germany, where the single "Lady in Black" spent 13 weeks at number one on the charts and earned the band a Golden Lion award. In the 1970s alone, the group sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. The line-up of Uriah Heep has changed several times, but the quintet is considered “classic”: Mick Box, David Byron, Ken Hensley, Gary Thain and Lee Kerslake.

History of the group

In 1967, Mick Box, a native of Walthamstow who equally loved football and rock music, decided to give preference to the latter and formed the group The Stalkers. After vocalist Roger Penlington, who played drums, left the lineup, he suggested auditioning his cousin David Garrick.

"He was a frequent guest at our concerts: often, after drinking a few pints, we would start singing old rock and roll songs. Before the audition, I suggested that he refuel well to relieve any uncertainty. We played a few things - and the story began!", Mick Box recalled.

The Box-Garrick duo became the core of the group; Soon each of them left their main jobs and decided to devote themselves to professional musical activities. They called their new line-up Spice, and David adopted the stage name: David Byron. Alex Napier, found through an advertisement in a newspaper, took over the drums (in order to circumvent the main condition - the absence of marriage ties - he married his wife to his sister), and bassist Paul Newton came from The Gods, whose father temporarily took over the duties of manager and gradually brought his players to the level of the London club Marquee.

At the end of 1969, the group met producer and manager Jerry Bron. He attended Spice's performance at the Blues Loft club and immediately offered a contract with his company Hit Record Productions Ltd (which worked with Phillips Records).
"It seemed to me that the group was capable of rapid development, which is why I took them on board"Bron recalled.

Soon the group ended up in the Lansdowne studio, changed their name to Uriah Heep(everyone was talking about Dickens at Christmas 1969 - the hundredth anniversary of his death was just being celebrated) and decided that she needed a keyboard player. Bron brought in session musician Colin Wood first, then permanent participant Ken Hensley, who had previously played in the bands The Gods and Toe Fat, was invited.

The appearance of an innovative keyboard player in the group, passionate about creating a qualitatively new sound, had a decisive influence on the creative development of the group. However, Hensley's contribution to the first album was limited to reworking parts recorded by Colin Wood. Most of the material on the record was written by Box and Byron; the brightest thing here was “Gypsy”, which perfectly reflected early style bands: heavy beat, condensed sound of a guitar “wrapped” with an organ and Mellotron, characteristic vocal harmony. In many ways, it was one of the first successful examples of experimental hard rock eclecticism.

Subsequently, answering the question whether the group really followed the example of The Beach Boys in their vocal arrangements, Mick Box said: " Nothing like this. It just happened that we had five vocalists in our line-up, so we decided to use all our capabilities. Later it became a kind of trademark. Our only connection with the Beach Boys is that in the US one radio host called us “the Beach Boys of heavy metal.”".

First recordings

The first album was three-quarters complete when Alex Napier was replaced by Nigel (Olly) Olsson: he was recommended by Elton John, with whom Byron had been friends since their days together at Avenue Records (where they took part in recording low-budget covers). debut album Very "Eavy...Very" Umble was released on June 19, 1970; in the USA - under the name Uriah Heep with a changed composition and under a different cover. The album was received with restraint music criticism, who heard only “heaviness” in it, without paying attention to the genre diversity (elements of jazz, folk, acid rock and symphonic music). However, later music experts began to evaluate differently historical meaning album. Martin Popoff, author of The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal, ranked it in terms of significance on a par with In Rock and Paranoid.

During these days, the creative union of Boxes-Byron-Hensley was born and began to rapidly develop, which received its highest embodiment in the second album Salisbury, recorded without Olsson (who returned to Elton John), but with Keith Baker. The record, which became Hensley's benefit performance (he is the author of half the songs and co-author of the other half), was recorded by Bron at Lansdowne Studios and turned out to be stylistically diverse, combining elements of art rock ("Bird of Prey"), acoustic folk rock ("The Park " and "Lady in Black") and symphonic rock (the 16-minute suite "Salisbury" was recorded with an orchestra and brass section). The band's keyboardist was inspired to create the suite by Jon Lord with his Concerto for Group and Orchestra. “Hearing this, I realized that rock music can be combined with orchestral music and decided to try to do it,” he later said.

The American version of the album again differed from the English one in its cover and composition: instead of “Bird of Prey”, the American disc opened with the composition “High Priestess”, and “Simon the Bullet Freak” appeared on the second side. The group's experiments again failed to impress the Anglo-American music press. The album had its greatest success in Germany, where the single "Lady in Black", re-released in 1977, became a hit.

"Golden" years

After the release of Salisbury, Baker left the group (Mick Box said that he knew nothing about him future fate). With new drummer Ian Clarke (from Cressida, also on Vertigo Records), the band traveled to the USA and experienced a warm welcome for the first time. Box later admitted, however, that although the group sounded good in conjunction with Steppenwolf, it had nothing to do with the aesthetics of Three Dog Night. However, as Hensley noted, the connection with Three Dog Night had its own attractive aspect: “... We played in crowded halls and noticed limousines and groupies for the first time... And we got hooked on it!”

Meanwhile, Bron's contract with Phillips/Vertigo expired and he formed own label Bronze Records, re-releasing the band's first two albums here. In the summer of 1971, Uriah Heep entered Lansdowne Studios to record Look at Yourself, in which, in the words of Gerry Bron, "... Numerous ideas that seemed scattered on the first two albums came into focus and produced some timeless gems." The band's third studio album peaked at #39 on the UK Albums Chart.

The album's centerpiece was the epic "July Morning" and the title track, which became a hit in several Western European countries. Ken Hensley noted that “July Morning” - with its changing dynamics, bright and varied sound palette - was “... best example the direction in which the group was heading in its development.” The song came from several musical ideas from Ken Hensley and David Byron. While working on the album Look at Yourself, they discovered that they had three blanks in C minor. After experimentation, these pieces became the intro, verse and chorus of “July Morning”.

Overall, Look at Yourself, as noted by Allmusic, showcased a unique combination of heavy metal and prog rock elements, as well as the outstanding artistry of David Byron, whose performance became a role model for the next generation of vocalists such as Rob Halford for several years.

Paul Newton was dissatisfied with his place in the big picture: after his departure, bassist Mark Clark was invited to join the group from Colosseum, who stayed there for three months, but managed to co-write “The Wizard,” the song that opened the fourth album. The “golden” line-up of Uriah Heep finally took shape after it included Lee Kerslake (ex-The Gods, National Head Band: he had already turned down an offer to take Keith Baker’s place, but now he didn’t miss his chance) and Gary Thain, a native of New Zealand, who previously played with Keef Hartley Band.

The fourth Demons and Wizards album was the result of a new creative union in the group, which plunged into a world of mysticism and fantasy (illustrated on the cover by Roger Dean). A gallery of art-rock sketches in the fantasy genre (“Rainbow Demon”, “The Wizard”, “Traveller In Time”, “Poet’s Justice”) at first glance here forms a harmonious mosaic of a new, whimsical concept, however, as Kirk Blose notes, author of “The History of Uriah Heep”, the album cannot be called conceptual in the full sense: each of the songs has its own significance. Ken Hensley emphasized the same thing in the comments to the album on the cover: “this is... just a collection of our songs that we recorded with great pleasure.” In England, the album peaked at number 20 and stayed on the charts for 11 weeks. "Easy Livin'", created especially for Byron with his new stage image, became a European hit, entered the Billboard Hot 100 and, as Bron said, "helped the group make their first appearance on the international stage."

The Magician's Birthday, released six months later, continued the same line of development, in two directions: commercial (“Sweet Lorraine”, “Sunrise”) and artistic (the title track is a kind of micro-opera with a fantasy plot). Some observers considered his improved version of "Demons & Wizards", which combined the same elements more harmoniously. The All Music Guide reviewer expressed the opposite point of view, finding that the album lacks the cohesion of its predecessor, but has its strong moments.

The band returned to tour Japan while simultaneously releasing the double album Uriah Heep Live, recorded in Birmingham, England using a mobile studio owned by the Rolling Stones, and subsequently hailed as one of hard rock's finest live albums. “When we arrived at the sound check, we realized that the acoustics were disgusting, we gave up on the possibility of recording, forgot about it, and the concert was given out in one breath - that’s why it turned out to be so great!” said Ken Hensley many years later.

From Japan the group set off to record a new studio album, choosing for financial reasons the Chateau d'Heronville in France. In assessing Sweet Freedom, the press was divided into two camps: some critics reacted coolly to the album, noting that the group did not demonstrate their best qualities. Mick Box later admitted that work on the album was already overshadowed by the emerging conflict between Uriah Heep's "brain" Ken Hensley and its "face", David Byron, who by that time was already abusing alcohol. However, some critics (led by Melody Maker reviewers) rated the album quite highly. Sweet Freedom rose to number 18 in Britain, “Stealin” became a hit in many countries around the world (the exception was again the UK). That same year, Ken Hensley released his first solo album, Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf.

Wonderworld, recorded in Munich, also brought disappointments (the critic considered the ballad “The Easy Road” to be an exception). By that time, the health of Gary Thain had sharply deteriorated, who, even before joining Uriah Heep, suffered from bouts of nervous exhaustion (caused in part by drug addiction, which had plagued him for many years). In September 1974, Thane was electrocuted on stage in Dallas and was hospitalized for a long time, which led to the cancellation of concerts in the United States and England - much to Bron's displeasure. Three months later, Thane left the group, and on December 8, 1975, he was found dead at his home in Norwood Green. The cause of death was an overdose. “I have always loved Gary as a person. I liked him for his irresponsibility, and he died only because he did not calculate the depth of the pool into which he threw himself,” said Ken Hensley.

1974-1981

In 1975, Thane was replaced in the band by John Wetton, a former member of King Crimson who also performed with Roxy Music. His appearance had a beneficial effect on the state of the group: in it appeared (according to Box) “a real core, a person who could be relied on in everything, and who, in addition, constantly generated new ideas.”

The success of the eighth studio album Return To Fantasy, released in the summer of 1975, reflected the changes: it became an international bestseller, rising to #7 in Britain, #2 in Austria, #3 in Norway. This was followed by another grueling world tour, during which the band performed in front of a million people and flew a total of 30 thousand miles. During a concert in Kentucky, Mick Box broke his arm, and completed the set, despite the hellish pain, after which he continued to perform with a cast (thus ignoring the doctors' instructions), receiving three injections every night. In the midst of the tour, the band performed at the Cleveland Festival along with Aerosmith and Blue Oyster Cult. Following the end of the tour, the band released The Best of Uriah Heep; At the same time, David Byron debuted with the solo album Take No Prisoners.

The next album, High And Mighty (in the absence of Bron, who was busy with other projects, produced by the band members themselves), turned out to be (according to Box himself) “lightweight: less ‘eavy’, more ‘umble’.” At the same time, Hensley still believes that the failure of the record was predetermined not so much by its sound qualities as by the attitude of Bronze Records towards it. But the promotion of High & Mighty was carried out with pomp: the group threw a banquet on the top of a mountain in Switzerland, where journalists were flown by a special plane.

Luxurious receptions, as biographer K. Blose noted, were only the external side of Uriah Heep's desire to follow the example of Led Zeppelin in the pursuit of extremes. Ken Hensley began to demand not only separate dressing rooms, but also a personal tour manager. But the most detrimental effect of “stardom” was on the mental state of David Byron, whose alcoholism was superimposed on personal problems and led to a deterioration in his relationships with colleagues.

It's one thing when the bassist is slightly drunk or the guitarist is slightly high, but when the vocalist is completely drunk and cannot speak, falls and does not see either the band or the audience, this is a serious problem... He drank too much, we talked a lot about it , but absolutely nothing changed. Ultimately, I came to the manager with an ultimatum: either he leaves or I leave.
Ken Hensley, 2007

Hensley decided on this ultimatum in the midst of an American tour. Bron urgently flew out from vacation in the Bahamas, an emergency meeting was called and Byron was given a probationary period of two months. “It only got worse over those two months, and towards the end of the American tour we decided to replace him... But it turned out that this was the end of the group,” Ken Hensley later said.

In July 1976, after the final concert of the Spanish tour, Byron was fired from Uriah Heep. The loss of the vocalist was turning point in the career of Uriah Heep John Wetton also left almost immediately: first to Bryan Ferry; later in Asia. This did not come as a surprise to the group members. “At first we thought that we were simply replacing one excellent bass player with another, but we did not take into account the personal factor. It was like a failed organ transplant: the foreign body didn’t take root,” said Ken Hensley.

The band's bass player was Trevor Bolder, who had played with David Bowie, Mick Ronson and the by then reformed Spiders From Mars. David Coverdale, Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople) and Gary Holton (ex-Heavy Metal Kids) were considered for the role of vocalist, but John Lawton, who had previously collaborated with German group Lucifer's Friend, as well as Les Humphries Singers and Roger Glover (Deep Purple).

“Outwardly, he didn’t really fit into the overall image, but his voice was fine, and we decided that the musical component should be above all else”? - recalled Mick Box. On stage, Lawton, indeed, could not compare in any way with the artistic Byron, but his blues-rock vocal style gave the group a new impetus for development and enriched the stylistic palette.

The album Firefly, released in early 1977, received three stars from Sounds and four from Record Mirror. Paul Stanley from Kiss praised the group after their joint American tour. The band with its new line-up was well received in Britain, which was especially unexpected at the height of the punk revolution. Uriah Heep headlined Reading Festival.

The next album, Innocent Victim, featured a heavier sound; the single from it “Free Me” became a European hit. Many were surprised by the inclusion of two compositions by Jack Williams, Hensley's American friend, on the album. In Germany, the album sold a million copies, predetermining the success of Fallen Angel, the fourth album recorded at London's Roundhouse studio and the second with Gerry Bron returning to his duties as producer.

Meanwhile, the behind-the-scenes conflict flared up. Hensley (being the author of most of the group's compositions) not only earned much more than other musicians, but also had numerous interests on the side. “Everything he wrote went into the album, and it seemed unfair to us... Besides, when you start using everything you write, the albums turn out below average,” recalled Mick Box. Hensley later tried to justify himself by saying that the group was constantly operating under time pressure: the labels demanded "... 12 tracks and that everyone be like Easy Livin." In addition, there was a quarrel between Hensley and Lawton (whose wife irritated the musicians with her constant presence). The vocalist was fired shortly after Uriah Heep's performance at the Bilzen festival in Berlin, and was replaced by John Sloman (ex-Lone Star), a young and impressive multi-instrumentalist. However, Kerslake left almost immediately: according to Sounds magazine - after a falling out with Bron (who the drummer accused that "... the only valuable member of the group is Hensley."

Work on the next album, Conquest (again, in the Roundhouse studio) came down mainly to re-recording the already prepared tapes - with Sloman and new drummer Chris Slade, recruited from Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Record Mirror magazine gave the record five stars , although later the band members (in particular Bolder) said that the work proceeded in an atmosphere of complete chaos.The central tracks of the album - “Feelings” and “Fools” (Boulder’s composition) - also characterize its general, upbeat mood, which was somewhat unexpected, considering these were the days of the NWOBHM movement, many of whose leaders (Iron Maiden, Saxon, Def Leppard) cited Uriah Heep among their main influences: “They struck me as people having fun on stage: they were old fighters , who have not forgotten how to enjoy life,” said Steve Harris from Iron Maiden about the Uriah Heep concert in 1975. The group celebrated the tenth anniversary of its formation with a successful 10th Anniversary tour (in conjunction with Girlschool). However, Hensley's dissatisfaction with his new vocalist grew, and he decided to leave the lineup:

John was chosen by the band members, and I was against this decision. He looked great and was an excellent musician, but he interpreted my songs completely differently from how I intended them... The problem was that we could not return to the path we had once chosen, and John did not contribute to this return.

Hensley later recorded a solo album, Free Spirit (which he doesn’t rate very highly), for some time was a member of the American group Blackfoot, lived in St. Louis, where he collaborated with recording companies and from time to time “visited” studios (WASP, “Headless Children "). Currently lives in Spain near Alicante.

Hensley's place in the group was taken by Canadian Gregg Dechert, who worked with Sloman in Pulsar. With him, the group toured British clubs (a total of 23 concerts) and recorded the single “Think lt Over” (later included in the new version of Abominog). Almost immediately Sloman left the group. "As much as I've enjoyed working with Heep over the last year and a half, it seems my musical ambitions lie in a different direction."

Box and Bolder approached David Byron with an offer to return to Uriah Heep. “We had both money and an agreement in our pockets... We were completely discouraged by his refusal,” said the band’s guitarist. Immediately after this unsuccessful visit, Bolder accepted an offer from Wishbone Ash. “I didn’t want to leave Uriah Heep at all, I just wanted something different; Besides, I was fed up with Bron and his management,” he later said.

Then Deckert left, and Mick Box was left alone with contractual obligations. “Heap of Heep” (English: instead of Heeps - a bunch) - this is how the weekly Melody Maker titled an article summing up the group’s ten-year career that had ended (by everyone’s opinion).

1982 -

Coming out of his depression, Mick Box called Lee Kerslake (who by this time was already playing in Blizzard of Ozz) and found out that he and Bob Daisley had just left Osborne. Keyboardist John Sinclair (whom Box knew from his collaboration with Heavy Metal Kids), who was playing with American group Lion. John Verity (ex-Argent) was considered for some time as a vocalist, but ultimately the choice fell on Peter Golby, who shortly before at the audition could not compete with Sloman (the only one who voted for him, ironically, was Hensley) .

Released by the new line-up in March 1982, Abominog (preceded by the Abominog Junior EP) was called Kerrang! "...the band's most mature album in its entire history." Sounds magazine rated it five stars. Skeptics, in turn, criticized the album for being “Americanized.” "Our producer Ashley Howe American head on the shoulders,” Box joked. “I liked Ashley's work... If it weren't for this album, the group would not have been able to rise again,” said Golby.

K. Blows believed that it was this album that played vital role in the band's evolution, taking it from the 1970s into the next decade. The biographer also noted that melodic hard rock was not essentially an American phenomenon: it was Uriah Heep who stood at its origins; only those who forgot about it after several years could accuse the group of “Americanizing” their sound.

The album turned out to be more successful than its four predecessors in the US (#56), and the single “The Way That It Is” received strong rotation on MTV. Uriah Heep performed successfully at the Monsters Of Rock festival in Castle Donnington.

The next album, Head First, was again similar to the previous one in sound and essence, recorded again by Ashley Howe, who by that time had practically become the sixth member of the ensemble. But immediately after its release, Daisley left the lineup, returning to Osbourne.

In May 1983, Uriah Heep saw the return of Trevor Bolder, who, after two years with Wishbone Ash, had "begun to feel like an outsider". For two months, the group toured the United States with Rush, Judas Priest (communication with the latter left Box with an extremely unpleasant feeling: “They treated us like crap,” he said) and Def Leppard. “They were the best band I've ever toured with. They were completely devoid of arrogance and pretentiousness. We learned a lot from them, they were always ready to help with advice, with their constant: “...listen here, son!”,” said Joe Elliott.

By this time, Jerry Bron had abandoned his managerial duties: the group's affairs in Europe were handled by agent Neil Warnock, in the USA by Perlman and Schenk (from Blue Oyster Cult), so Bronze Records for some time remained the last link connecting the group with its " godfather" This connection ended in June 1983, when the label went bankrupt, transferring part of its financial obligations to Uriah Heep. The group tightened its touring schedule, including previously unexplored territories such as India, Malaysia and Indonesia. In early 1984, Uriah Heep penetrated the Iron Curtain, after which they went into the studio to record Equator with producer Tony Platt. At the same time, new manager Harry Maloney signed a contract for the group with the Portrait Records label (a subsidiary of CBS). In February 1985, it became known that the group's former vocalist David Byron, already a complete alcoholic, died of a heart attack.

Meanwhile, fatigue from constant touring took its toll on Peter Golby's vocals (“Gary Moore heard us in Hamburg and after the concert asked if I was starting to lose my voice, and when he learned that we had played 16 consecutive daily concerts, he noted that it was time to fire our manager "). In the midst of the Australian tour, he completely lost his voice and left the group. He was soon followed by John Sinclair (who joined Ozzy Osbourne's band). Box invited keyboardist Phil Lanzon (ex-Grand Prix, Sad Café, Sweet) and Los Angeles vocalist Stef Fontaine, who led the band on an American tour and was fired by Box “for unprofessionalism.” According to the guitarist, he had "an excellent voice, but the discipline... was somewhere else." Fontaine wandered off during rehearsals and never returned, and once failed to show up for a concert in San Francisco.

After the American tour, Steph Fontaine was replaced in the lineup by Bernie Shaw (ex-Grand Prix, Praying Mantis, Stratus), who began (in the band Cold Sweat) by performing Uriah Heep covers. Boxing - on the advice of tour manager Howard Menzies. Howard Menzies) - specially came to Stratus's farewell concert at the Marquee Club, after which he proposed to Shaw and received acceptance. “From that moment everything fell into place,” said the guitarist.

Having changed management (to Miracle Group), Uriah Heep, through the Hungarian promoter Laszlo Hegedus, conducted a series of tours in the USSR. At the Olimpiysky sports complex, the group gave 10 concerts in front of (a total of 180 thousand spectators). Bernie Shaw recalled the group's reception as "something close to Beatlemania." Box said that the musicians “really felt like envoys of the West” and felt responsible for their historical mission, since “any trouble could close the way to the USSR for other groups.” The trip resulted in the third live album in the band's history, Live in Moscow, released by Legacy Records, which included three new tracks, including Lanzon's "Mr. Majestic." The British press, impressed by the Moscow successes of the group, spoke respectfully about it for the first time. “It was very strange, because in England we<к тому времени>almost forgotten, many managed to mentally bury us,” Box said in an interview with Paul Henderson from Kerrang magazine!”

Uriah Heep then had successful tours in Czechoslovakia, East Germany and Bulgaria, followed by a performance at the Reading Festival in August 1988, and then a UK tour with The Dogs D'amour. In May 1989, a new album, Raging Silence, was released, recorded with producer Richard Dodd, known for his collaboration with George Harrison and The Traveling Willburys, the central tracks of which were “Blood Red Roses” (composed by Pete Golby), “ Cry Freedom" and "Hold Your Head Up" (cover of the Argent hit). Box was extremely appreciative of the work of the producer, who "brought a freshness, vitality to the sound of the record and... brought out several different styles in Bernie's vocals." “I have never learned so much in such a short term", Shaw himself admitted.

The group returned to the USSR (performing in Leningrad), where they performed in front of 100,000 spectators, then played in Wroclaw, Poland, gave six concerts in Brazil and one (free) in East Berlin (80 thousand people attended). The concert at London's Astoria was released on video under the title Raging Through the Silence.

In 1990, Independent TV showed the film "Bedrock", which was based on the filming of a concert in Nottingham (Central TV studio). A video version of the concert was released that same year as part of a series of releases celebrating the band's 20th anniversary. At the same time, the triple box set Two Decades in Rock and its shortened version Still "eavy, Still Proud" were released.

Work on the next studio album began in 1990, but was interrupted by continuous touring, causing the release to be delayed several times. This time it was not possible to secure the support of producer Richard Dodd; Trevor Bolder took over his duties. The album Different World was released in 1991 and received mixed reviews in the press: Chris Watts in Kerrang! ridiculed the record, but Metal Hammer reviewer Andy Bradshaw called it " pleasant surprise", noting Bolder's production prowess.

The release was followed by Uriah Heep's biggest UK tour in six years; The record company, however, did virtually no promotion, and as a result, both tickets and the album itself sold poorly. At this point, the group ended its relationship with Legacy Records, continuing to tour actively on all continents. Of the many re-releases of this time, only Rarities from the Bronze Age and The Lansdowne Tapes contained previously published material

On September 14, 1998, the album Sonic Origami (produced by Pip Williams) was released, followed by a tour that did not stop for two years. On December 7, 2001, a reunion concert took place in London with the participation of Ken Hensley and John Lawton. At the same time, the group’s first performance took place in Astoria as part of a now-traditional event called Magicians Birthday Party. In January 2007, drummer Lee Kerslake left the lineup due to health reasons. In March he was replaced by Russell Gilbrook, who had previously worked with Tony Iommi, Van Morrison, John Farnham, Alan Price, Chris Barber and Lonnie Donegan. On April 14, 2007, Gilbrook made his debut with the band at a concert in Vuokatti, Finland.

Uriah Heep

“Very `Eavy Very `Umble” (Very heavy, very modest) - this is the title of the group’s debut disc, which was released on June 19, 1970. The musicians of "Uriah Heep" consider this date to be the team's birthday. Over the almost 30-year history of the group, there has been quite a noticeable “personnel turnover” in its composition. More than twenty years ago, a different bassist, Gary Thain, passed away. Vocalist David Byron, who left Uriah Heep in 1976, died in 1985. In 1980, keyboardist Ken Hensley left the group for a solo career, who now most often acts as a promoter of products from St. Louis Music, which produces concert amplifiers Ampeg and Crate. But it was Gary, David and Ken who defined the classic "Uriah Heep" sound, remembered for such albums as "Look At Yourself" (1971), "Demons And Wizards" (1972), "The Magician's Birthday" (1972), " Sweet Freedom" (1973) and "Wonderworld" (1974). Among current participants group, only Mick Box has played in it since its founding. A little less "hippy" seniority with drummer Lee Kerslake. He joined Uriah Heep in November 1971 and since then spent only about a year on the side - in Ozzy Osbourne's team. For three quarters of the band's existence, Trevor Bolder was responsible for its bass parts. Vocalist Bernie Shaw and keyboardist Phil Lanzon joined Uriah Heep in 1976.

It was then that the formation of the updated sound image of the team began. And soon she began to gain a “second wind.” At the end of 1987, the group held ten triumphant concerts at the Moscow Olimpiysky concert and sports complex, with which it paved the way to the Soviet Union for other Western rock bands. Performances in the Land of the Soviets served the hips well. After all, according to Box, in his native Britain, some at that time believed that “Uriah Heep” rested in full force in the cemetery. Promoters began vying with each other to invite the group on tour, and its performance at the 1988 Reading Festival was recognized as one of the best. New studio albums by the team also appeared: “The Raging Silence” (1989), “Different World” (1991), “Sea Of Light” (1995) and “Sonic Origami” (1998). To be fair, it is worth noting that the compositions included in them still do not carry the heat of creativity of the highest order, which distinguished the hits “Uriah Heep” of the first half of the 70s.

Now let’s figure out why they are legendary and why they are “Uriah Heep”. I want to say that there is nothing hip about “Hips”; the name is borrowed from a literary classic, from Charles Dickens’ novel “David Copperfield”. Allow me to show off my scholarship and quote: “He pointed to Uriah. Pale, taken by surprise, he glared with fury from some corner. “Look at my tormentor,” continued Mr. Wickfield, “because of him I’m little- little by little he lost his name, reputation, peace and quiet, home and family hearth. Look at him, look - what kind of a man he is!" End of quote. In other words, Uriah, a literary character, is a vile and calculating man. Dickens, this Dostoevsky of English life, with his hot pen burned into the national consciousness the image of a spineless scoundrel. It is difficult to think of a rock band is the best name - it immediately inspires confidence among all the poor students in the world!

A few words about the name of Dickens's character. Hip is a surname. Just as Prince Hamlet became Hamlet and the town of Hastings became Hastings, Uriah Heep appears in the novel as Uriah Heep. Lomonosov once called Newton Newton. What I mean is that when translating names there is a tendency to focus on how they sound rather than how they are spelled. Therefore, with full syntactic right, we can call both the character and the group the way they sound in their native English - “Uriah Heep”. The name Yuriah is biblical, Old Testament. There is a quote in the Bible: “And Uriah came to him and David questioned him...” Well, and so on. In Victorian England, it was fashionable to borrow baby names from biblical scriptures. However, in Russia too, remember all these Habakkuk, Methuselahs and Absaloms. Having finished with the name, let's move on to the legend of "Uriah Heep", which began to take shape exactly 30 years ago.

The history of "Uriah Heep" goes back to 1967, when in the English town of Wathamstow, 20-year-old guitarist Mick Box formed his first band called "The Stalkers". When the “Stalkers” needed to find a new one to replace the departed singer, the drummer proposed his cousin, in our opinion, cousin, David. David was on friendly terms with the musicians and often drank beer together. He was friendly, but he was afraid to go on stage. Mick Box eventually persuaded him: after a few glasses, David, plucking up the courage of the pub, shouted into the microphone what he had rehearsed and the fate of the new vocalist was decided. David's last name is Garrick, David Garrick. For some reason he didn’t like her, so he borrowed his sonorous pseudonym - Byron - from the classic of the romantic era, the aristocratic poet.

Boxing and Byron by that time felt confident enough and decided to take a fateful step: they moved from amateurs to professionals, in other words, they quit day job and completely switched to musician grub. They called their new group "Spice" ("Spices", "Spices" or "Spices") - you know: pepper, cinnamon, ginger. This is because there is an expression in English - when life is boring and monotonous, they say that you need to add spices to it. They placed an ad in the newspaper that they were looking for a drummer, easy-going - unmarried, without a fiancee. Out of several candidates, one was chosen, his name was Alex Napier. I came to the rehearsal with some girl. “This,” he says, “is my sister.” Then, when they accepted him into the group, it turned out that she was not his sister, but his wife, well, it was too late. Bassist Paul Newman came from The Gods.

The train was complete. So, what to play? The easiest way to please the public is to play what is familiar to everyone; most beginning bands usually do this. "The Spice", on the contrary, played little-known songs and added some of their own compositions. At first, because of this, things went slowly; they had to win over their audience from concert to concert until they formed their own crowd. The bassist's father, Paul Newman, was at first something of a manager - calling, booking concerts, organizing. By 1969, they had already reached the level of London clubs like “Marquee”, but for a high-quality throw forward they needed a different tractor, for takeoff they needed a different fiery engine. Jerry Bron became such a person. Jerry was a manager and producer, the owner of the company, who agreed to come and watch the group perform. He liked it, and soon a contract was signed - at first only for the release of records. Then, having gotten to know the guys better, he decided to take on managerial responsibilities. Jerry Bron's company was called Heath Records, and it had a working relationship with the Philips Corporation, specifically with the Vertigo label. All four musicians came to London to record at Lansdowne Studios.

It was the end of 1969, England was celebrating the centenary of Dickens's death: memorial articles in newspapers, radio and television broadcasts - then Gerry Bron suggested a new name for the group - "Uriah Heep", after the character from the novel "David Copperfield", spineless scoundrel and scoundrel. Another innovation was an increase in the composition; a keyboard player joined the group. “We were already halfway through the first record,” recalls Mick Box, “and we realized that we were missing something in the sound. I’ve been a fan of Vanilla Fudge for a long time, they have such a specific Hammond organ sound, and on top it was a soaring guitar. Combined with David Byron's shrill, vibrating tenor, we got the sound that we needed." End of quote. At first, the keyboard player was simply called in to record, and then bassist Paul Newman suggested his friend, Ken Hensley, with whom he had once played in the band "The Gods." At that moment, Hensley was not playing keyboards, but playing guitar with a fairly well-known team called “Toe Fat,” translated as “Fat on the big toe.” What Hensley heard at the rehearsal convinced him, and he gave his consent.

If good manners allowed, then a dozen more exclamation marks should be added to the title. They - the same legendary, famous, amazing and influential, the most fatal fatal Englishmen come to Israel again for the sixth time and give a single concert on January 28 at the Tel Aviv Center for the Performing Arts.

The creativity of Uriah Heep is rock! Rock is heavy, metal, progressive, art and jazz rock, already mythological acoustic folk rock. From the realm of myths are such groups as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. But they are no longer there, and Uriah Heep - one of the best bands of British hard rock - is still a myth, despite more than four decades of a stage career. Their music, their lyrics, stylistic experiments, ballads, their performances - what can I describe when you can still hear them live.

23 studio albums that have become classics of hard rock, 12 discs of live recordings, 13 collections - this is just the tip of the iceberg of Uriah Heep's popularity. In the 1970s alone, the “golden” time for rock music, the group, whose debut album was released in 1970, sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, making it one of the most successful rock groups. Back in the distant 70s, the covers of their discs with fairy tale names were familiar to millions of rock fans. On the early recordings, the undisputed leader was Ken Hensley, who is the author of most of the group's hits. By the way, he is a famous English poet. David Byron's voice was unique. There have never been vocalists of this caliber in the history of rock.

The history of this group is complicated - the lineup and vocalists changed many times - but each time it demonstrated a new, yet unknown side of its creativity. In general, they do not lower the bar that they themselves have set. Having formed in 1969, the musicians did not expect that, even forty years later, it would be difficult to get to their concerts and that they would become the object of research: four books about this group were published in Russian alone.

Their hits are so popular that their names become household names. So, for example, the most famous song“July Morning” became the name of the summer music festival in Bulgaria. Already in the first lineup of the group, five vocalists met, which became its trademark, which is still maintained, the sign of their music - epic, dynamic, bright and varied. Uriah Heep had their ups and downs, but they managed to survive all the troubles and retain a loyal following. In 1986, the “new blood” poured into Uriah Heep for the thousandth time finally worked. The musicians have not parted for over twenty-five years, and the 15th line-up in the history of the group turned out to be the most durable and strong. Magic characters their songs (sages, witches, “rainbow” demons) and the general mystical atmosphere of the compositions created Uriah Heep the image of a “fairytale” group, and many of their songs were included in the classic rock anthology, as examples of rock of the 70s and 80s, and among them not only “July Morning”, but also “Lady in Black”, “Look at Yourself”, “Easy Living” - songs that the audience always sings along to.

Where did the self-name Uriah Heep come from? Well, what can serve as a source of inspiration for the British? Of course, Dickens. And, of course, one of his least likeable characters is Uriah Gip (in Russian translation) from the novel “David Copperfield”. Everyone was talking about Dickens at Christmas 1969 in London - the hundredth anniversary of his death was celebrated. Apparently, the character of Uriah Heep, Uriah Heap, could not have been better suited at first to the mood of the young rockers, who over the course of 43 years managed to acquire clubs of fans all over the world, young and old fans who performed in the most prestigious halls and stadiums, who changed the composition of the group more than once, but today loved, popular and in demand.

At the concert in Israel on January 28 at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center, all the band's hits and songs from their latest album “Into the Wild” will be performed.
Mick Box – vocals, guitar
Trevor Bolder – vocals, bass
Bernie Shaw - vocals
Phil Lanzon – vocals, keyboards
Russell Gilbrook - vocals, drums

Tickets at – Internet ticket offices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhAdZDk61UI

Photos provided by the tour organizer - Hafakot Megovanot & Meyohadot, Ltd.

45 rebounds, 2 of them this month

Biography

The name of the group was borrowed from the character in Charles Dickens's novel "David Copperfield", whose name in the Russian translation is Uriah Gip. Nevertheless, the name of the group is usually pronounced close to English pronunciation Uriah Heep.

Current members
Mick Box guitarist, vocalist (1969 to this day)
Russell Gilbrook drummer, vocalist (2007 to present)
Bernie Shaw main vocalist (1986 to present)
Trevor Bolder bass guitarist, vocalist (19761981, 1983 to this day)
Phil Lanzon keyboardist, vocalist (1986 to present)

Former members
Ken Hensley keyboardist, guitarist, vocalist
David Byron main vocalist
Paul Newton bass guitarist, vocalist
John Wetton bass guitarist, vocalist
John Lawton main vocalist
Peter Golby main vocalist
Olli Olsson drummer, percussionist
Ian Clarke drummer
Keith Baker drummer
Geri Thain bass guitarist
John Sloman main vocalist
Chris Slade drummer, percussionist
Bob Daisley bass guitarist
John Sinclair keyboardist
Lee Kerslake - drummer

Create a group

In 1967, Mick Box, a young man from Walthamstow who loved football and music equally, decided to give preference to the latter and formed The Stalkers. After vocalist Roger Penlington, who played drums, left the line-up, he suggested auditioning his cousin David Garrick. “He was a frequent guest at our concerts: after a few pints, we would start singing old rock and roll songs,” recalled Boxing. So before the audition, I suggested that he have a good refuel to relieve uncertainty. We played a few things and the story began!"

The Box-Garrick duo became the core of the group; Soon each of them left their main jobs and decided to devote themselves to professional musical activities. They named their new lineup Spice, and David adopted the stage name: Byron. Alex Napier, who was found through an advertisement in a newspaper, took over the drums (in order to circumvent the main condition lack of marriage ties he married his wife to his sister), and bassist Paul Newton came from The Gods, whose father temporarily took over the duties of manager and gradually brought his players to the level of the London club "Marks".

At the end of 1969, the group met producer and manager Jerry Bron: he attended her performance at the Blues Loft club and immediately offered a contract with his company Hit Record Productions Ltd (which worked with Philips). “It seemed to me that the group was capable of rapid development, which is why I took them on,” Bron recalled. The band soon found themselves in Lansdowne Studios, changed their name to Uriah Heep (Dickens was the talk of the town at Christmas 1969 - it was the hundredth anniversary of his death) and decided that they needed a keyboard player. First, Bron brought in sessionman Colin Wood, then Ken Hensley (The Gods, Toe Fat) was invited as a permanent member.

The appearance of an innovative keyboard player in the group, passionate about creating a qualitatively new sound, had a decisive influence on the creative development of the group. However, Hensley's contribution to the first album was limited to reworking parts recorded by Wood. Most of the material on the record was written by Box and Byron; The most striking thing here was Gypsy, which perfectly reflected the early style of the group: a heavy beat, a condensed sound of a guitar “wrapped” in an OrS and Mellotron, polyphony obtained through multiple studio overdubs. In many ways, it was one of the first successful examples of experimental hard rock eclecticism, created three years before the first recordings of Queen, considered pioneers in this field.

First recordings

The first album was three-quarters complete when Alex Napier was replaced by Nigel (Olly) Olsson: he was recommended by Elton John, with whom Byron had been friends since their days together at Avenue Records (where they took part in recording low-budget covers). Very "EavyVery" Umble (in the USA just Uriah Heep and under a different cover) was released on June 19, 1970 and was greeted with restraint by music critics, who heard only “heaviness” in it, without paying attention to genre diversity (elements of jazz, folk , acid rock and symphonic music). During these days, the creative union of Boxes-Byron-Hensley was born and began to rapidly develop, which received its highest embodiment in the second album Salisbury, recorded without Olsson (who returned to Elton John), but with Keith Baker. The record, which became a benefit for Hensley (he is the author of half the songs and the co-author of the other half), was recorded by Bron in Lansdowne and is striking in its diversity. Bird of Prey an art-rock masterpiece in which Byron conquers the most high notes; Lady in Black (which became a super hit in Germany in 1977, staying at number one for 13 weeks) acoustic folk stomper: a philosophical parable about the hardships of life. Park an elegant poetic vignette that continues the “post-war” theme begun in Come, Melinda. Finally, the 16-minute Salisbury Suite, recorded with an orchestra and brass section, was the band's most ambitious work, taking it into territory then largely unexplored in hard rock. To all this, the music press once again turned a deaf ear.

"Golden" years

After the release of Salisbury, Baker left the group. With new drummer Ian Clarke (from Cressida, also on Vertigo), the band traveled to the US and experienced a warm welcome for the first time. Box later admitted, however, that although the group sounded good in conjunction with Steppenwolf, it had nothing to do with the aesthetics of Three Dog Night.

Meanwhile, Bron's contract with Phillips/Vertigo expired, and he formed his own Bronze label, re-releasing the band's first two albums here. Recording of the third began in the summer of 1971. “Look At Yourself was where the band really found their own musical path,” Bron recalled. Numerous ideas that seemed scattered in the first two albums came into focus and produced some timeless gems." The main ones were undoubtedly the epic July Morning (a hymn to “spiritual narcissism”) and the ultra-compact title track, which had all the makings of a hit single, but only became one in Europe. However, the British audience also reacted to the rise of Uriah Heep: the album in the U.K. rose to 39th place.

The “golden” line-up of Uriah Heep finally took shape after Lee Kerslake (ex-The Gods, National Head Band: he had already turned down an offer to take Keith Baker’s place, but now he didn’t miss his chance) and Garry Thane, a native of New York, joined the group. Zealand, who previously played with Keef Hartley.

The fourth Demons And Wizards album was born in one breath - a product of pure inspiration: it was the result of a new creative “reaction” within the group, which, in many ways, unexpectedly plunged into the world of mysticism and fantasy (beautifully illustrated on the cover by Roger Dean). A colorful gallery of art-rock sketches in the fantasy genre (“Rainbow Demon”, “The Wizard”, “Traveller In Time”, “Poets Justice”) forms here a harmonious mosaic of a completely new, bizarre concept. “Easy Livin” stands apart: “tailored” especially for Bayoron and his new stage persona, the song became a European mega-hit. In England, the album stayed on the charts for 11 weeks and rose to 20th place.

The Magicians Birthday, released six months later, continued the same line of development, in two directions: commercial (“Sweet Lorraine”, “Sunrise”) and artistic (the title track: a kind of micro-opera with a surprisingly compact and vivid plot).

The beginning of the sunset

The return to Japan was marked by the release of the double live album Uriah Heep Live, after which the band set off to record a new studio album, choosing for financial reasons the Château d'Heronville in France. Sweet Freedom was greeted by the press without much enthusiasm, and Mick Box later admitted that work on the album was not easy for the group: in particular, the conflict between Uriah Heep’s “brain” Ken Hensley and its “face”, David Byron, escalated, Already abused alcohol. Wonderworld, recorded in Munich, also brought nothing but disappointment: here only the ballad “The Easy Road” recalls the creative peak that the group was experiencing quite recently.

By that time, the health of Gary Thain had sharply deteriorated, who, even before joining Uriah Heep, suffered from bouts of nervous exhaustion (caused in part by drug addiction, which had plagued him for many years). In September 1974, Thane was electrocuted on stage in Dallas and was hospitalized for a long time, which led to the cancellation of concerts in the United States and England - much to Bron's displeasure. Three months later, Thane left the group, and on December 8, 1975, he was found dead at his home in Norwood Green. The cause of death was an overdose.

Studio albums
Very "Eavy Very "Umble 1970
Salisbury 1971
Look At Yourself 1971
Demons & Wizards 1972
The Magician's Birthday 1972
Sweet Freedom 1973
Wonderworld 1974
Return To Fantasy 1975
High & Mighty 1976
Firefly 1977
Innocent Victim 1977
Fallen Angel 1978
Conquest 1980
Abominog 1982
Head First 1983
Equator 1985
Raging Silence 1989
Different World 1991
Sea Of Light 1995
Sonic Origami 1998
Acoustically Driven 2001
Electrically Driven 2001
Wake The Sleeper 2008

Live albums
Uriah Heep Live 1973
Live at Shepperton "74 recorded 1974, released 1986
Live in Europe 1979 recorded 1979, released 1986
Live in Moscow 1988
Spellbinder Live 1996
King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents In Concert recorded 1974, released 1997
Future Echoes Of The Past 2000
Acoustically Driven 2001
Electrically Driven 2001
The Magician's Birthday Party 2002
Live in the USA 2003
Magic Night 2004
Between Two Worlds 2005

Collections
Anthology 1986
The Lansdowne Tapes (a collection of recordings by Spice and first three albums "Uriah Heep") recorded 1968-1971, released 1994
Lady In Black 1994
A Time of Revelation (four-disc anthology featuring previously unreleased material) recorded 1968-1995, released 1996

The band was founded by vocalist David Byron (actually David Garrick, b. January 29, 1947, Epping, England, d. February 28, 1985, Reading, England) and lead guitarist Mick Box (b. June 8, 1947, London, England). . This couple played in the "Stalkers" in the mid-60s, and after the group broke up, they started the project "Spice" (not to be confused with the "Spice girls" :) with Paul Newton (b. Andover, England; bass) and Alex Napier (drums), recording the single "What About The Music"/"In Love". Little by little, Spice evolved into Uriah Heep (the name was taken from a character in a Charles Dickens novel) when keyboardist Ken Hensley (b. August 24, 1945, London, England) joined them. Ken, a seasoned fellow and a talented musician, previously played guitar in Kit And The Saracens, as well as in the soul group Jimmy Brown Sound and with Mick Taylor (member of the Rolling Stones) in Gods. The drummer was Alex Napier at first, who was later replaced by Nigel "Ollie" Olson (later went to Elton John).

Finding a permanent drummer remained one of the group's problems, especially during the early period of creativity. Their debut, "Very "eavy... Very "umble" in 1970, ranged from electro-folk to heavy sounds. The Heaps tried out a lot of drummers before offering the job to Keith Baker (ex-Bakerloo), with whom they recorded "Salisbury". But he didn't like the tour schedule and was replaced by Ian Clarke. "Salisbury" proved to be a decisive development from their debut album, with many long solos and the 16-minute title track, embellished by an orchestra. The group laid the foundation for a new style, later called "progressive rock". 1971 saw another line-up change when Lee Kerslake, formerly of the Gods and Toe Fat, replaced Clarke after the release of Look at Yourself. The LP became their first UK chart hit and peaked at number 39 in November 1971.

There are changes in the group again. Ex-Downbeats and Colosseum member Mark Clarke replaced bassist Paul Newton, but lasted only three months before the arrival of Gary Thain (b. May 15, 1948, Wellington, New Zealand, d. December 8, 1975). The stability of the new lineup allowed the Heaps to enter their most successful period during the early 70s, when the fantastical, eccentric nature of their lyrics was supported by grandiose musical approach. The quintet recorded five albums, beginning with "Demons And Wizards", their first US chart hit. The musical and lyrical themes continued on "Magician's Birthday", "Sweet freedom" and "Wonderworld" (their last hit in the US Top 40). The group worked harmoniously both on studio recordings and in concerts. But in February 1975 they left Thane, who was too drug-addled by this time, having suffered a near-fatal electric shock at a concert in Dallas and tried to find comfort in heroin, died of a heroin overdose in December.

The late Thain's place was taken in March 1975 by John Wetton, who had previously worked for King Crimson and Family. However, many believed that this was a regressive step in the group's history. The group recorded "Return to Fantasy" with this lineup. Although the album made it into the British Top 10 (for the first and last time), it marked a creative crisis for the group. Wetton went to Bryan Ferry, although he took part in the recording of the next disc, "High and Mighty". At the beginning of 1976, Uriah Heep experienced internal strife and the group was on the verge of disbanding. According to Hensley, they were "a pile of outdated and collapsed machinery." Hensley refused to participate in a US tour in the summer of 1976. A little later, Byron was forced to leave the group altogether. He subsequently joined Rough Diamond, and after the group's short existence, he released a number of solo albums. Byron died in 1985.

Hensley had already attempted a solo career, releasing two albums in 1973 and 1975. The 1977 album featured the debut of John Laughton, former vocalist from Lucifer's Friend. David Bowie, Trevor Bolder. During the late 70s - early 80s, the group changed several vocalists. So, John Sloman (ex-Lone Star) already sang on the “Conquest” recording. The drummer had also changed by that time; he became Chris Slade. Subsequently, Hensley, looking at all this disgrace, also left Uriah Heep, leaving Mick Box to collect the fragments of the group. He did not waste time and a little later the Heaps returned to the stage with the following line-up: Box, Kerslake, John Sinclair (keyboards), Bob Daisley (bass, ex-Widowmaker) and Peter Golby (vocals, ex-Trapeze "). After the release of "Head first" in 1983, Daisley left and was immediately replaced by the returning Bolder. In 1984, Bronze records, where the Heaps were recorded, collapsed and the group had to sign a new contract with Portrait Records in the United States.

Over the following years, changes in composition occurred again. Thus, Canadian Bernie Shaw (vocals) and Phil Lanzon (keyboards), who previously played in Grand Prix, participated in the recording of the albums “Raging Silence” and “Different World”. Despite all this nonsense, in 1995 the quintet released a cool disc "Sea Of Light", made in the signature "hip" style. During their European tour that same year, former vocalist John Laughton returned to the band as a temporary replacement for Bernie Shaw, who was suffering from throat problems. Three years later, Uriah Heep released Sonic Origami, which included some of the band's best work from Byron's time.

Mick Box(guitar),

Ken Hensley(keyboards, guitar),

David Byron(vocals),

Paul Newton(bass),

Alex Napier(drums).
In the first half of the 70s, Uriah Heap were one of the most interesting hard rock bands in Britain and were slightly inferior to the legendary “triumvirate” Black Sabbath - Led Zeppelin - Deep Purple. The works of Ken Hensley (who used to be the main composer of the group) were distinguished by a pronounced craving for lyrics; they were dominated by gentle sadness and some unique combination of rock music and English folk ballads. Early works the ensemble were quite complexly arranged and aroused respect even among fans of epic art (by the way, the sleeves of the covers of the early Uriah Heep discs were designed by the same artist who worked in this regard with Yes, Roger Dean).

All products of the group up to 1976 year was different high quality selection of musical material and virtuosity of performance. If the first disc of "Uriah Heep" remained almost unnoticed against the backdrop of the powerful octopus of "triumvirate" groups, then starting with " Salisbury", the ensemble becomes an international star, a real supergroup, which was also distinguished by a critical approach to political and social problems. The same " Salisbury", "Look at you", "Sorcerer's birthday", "Let's go back to fantasy". Other Uriah Heap programs of the early period were not much inferior to them. The group was especially lucky with bass players, almost every one of whom was invariably named among the most virtuoso bassists in rock.

WITH 1972 By 1974 year miracles on the bass guitar as part of "Uriah Heep" demonstrated Gary Thain, who died in 1975 year. Thane was replaced by the legendary bassist John Wetton, who made his name known in many leading rock bands. With his participation, the last strong album "Uriah Heep" was recorded ( 1975 ). after which the group entered a period of crisis.

Despite the fact that the ensemble continued to adhere to the once chosen style, its works in the second half of the 70s lost their former charm, the songs became simpler and the arrangements paler. At this time, a wonderful singer leaves the group David Byron to start a solo career. By the way, none of the members of “Uriah Heep” managed to achieve success after parting with the group. This applies to both Byron(he died in 1985 year in oblivion), and to Trevor Bolder(he returned to the group - see line-up changes) and to Kenna Hensley, who parted ways with rock music after the release of two uninteresting solo albums and sluggish activity as part of the Blackfoot group, and only in 1989 joined "USP".

In the “late” period of Uriah Heep’s creativity, its composition changed extremely often. As a result, now only the guitarist remains in the group from the original lineup Mick Box. Retains collaboration with the group for more or less long time, also drummer Kerslake and bassist Boulder, the remaining “positions” become vacant almost every year. From the group's work after 1975 years may arouse some interest" Firefly" (1977 ), "Conquest" (1980 ), "Monster(1982 ) and especially the last disc " Angry silence" (1989 ). This is a strong program, but if you consider that the path to it took the musicians almost five years, then there is no special enthusiasm: many have already forgotten what “Uriah Heep” is. Other products of the “late” period of the group do not stand out in any way: they are frankly weak.

IN ^ 1988 year "Uriah Heep" toured the USSR, after which a concert collection was released in the West " Himself in Moscow" (1988 ). In the early 80s, the Melodiya company surprised fans of the group by releasing the album " Innocent victim".
^ Recording companies - "Bronze" and "Legacy".
Lineup changes:

1969 : - Napier, + Ollie Oleson (drums);

1970 : - Oleson (went to Elton John), + Keith Baker (drums);

1971 : - Baker, + Ian Clarke (drums);

1972 : - Clark, - Newton, + Lee Kerslake (drums), + Gary Tahey (bass);

^ 1975 : - Thane, + John Wetton (bass, from "King Crimson");

1977 : - Wetton (in "U-K"), - Byron (solo), + Trevor Bolder (bass, from David Bowie's group), + John Lawton (vocals);

^ 1980 : - Laughton, - Kerslake (to Ozzy), + Chris Slade (drums, from the Manfred Mann group), + John Slomon (vocals);

1982 : - Slomon (solo), - Slade (in "The Firm" of Jimmy Page), - Bolder (in "Wishbone Ash"), - Hensley (solo), + Bob Daisley (bass, from Ozzy), + Kerslake (from Ozzy) , + Pete Golbey (vocals, from "Trapeze"), + John Sinclair (keyboards, from "Heavy Metal Kids");

^ 1985 : - Daisley (to Ozzy and others), + T. Bolder (bass);

1987 : - Golby, - Sinclair (to Ozzy), + Phil Lanzon (keyboards), + Bernie Shaw (vocals).
Current lineup:

Box Kerslake(drums),

Boulder(bass),

Phil Lanzon(keyboards),

Bernie Shaw(vocals).
Original discography:

"Very heavy..." - 1970,

"Salisbury" - 1970,

"Look "at yourself" - 1971,

"Demons and wizards" - 1972,

"The magician's birthday" - 1972,

"Sweet freedom" - 1973,

"Wonderword" - 1974,

"Return to fantasy" - 1975,

"High and mighty" - 1976,

"Firefly" - 1977,

"Innocent victim" - 1977,

"Fallen angel" - 1978,

"Conquest" - 1980,

"Abominog" - 1982,

"Head first" - 1983,

"Equator" - 1985,

"Raging silence" - 1989,

"Difficult world" - 1991.
Full discography:
^ VERY "EAVY... VERY "UMBLE 1970
Side A

1. GYPSY (Box/Byron) 6.37

2. WALKING IN YOUR SHADOW (Newton/Byron) 4.31

3. COME AWAY MELINDA (Hellerman/Minkoff) 3.46

4. LUCY BLUES (Box/Byron) 5.09
Side B

1. DREAMMARE (Newton) 4.39

2. REAL TURNED ON (Box/Byron) 3.37

3. I"LL KEEP ON TRYING (Box/Byron) 5.24

4. WAKE UP (SET YOUR SIGHTS) (Box/Byron) 6.22
DAVID BYRON - Lead Vocals

KEN HENSLEY - Organ, Slide Guitar, Mellotron, Piano and Vocals

OLLIE OLSSON - Drums, Percussion
Our Thanks To:

ALEX NAPIER - Drums on all tracks except "Dreammare" & "Lucy Blues"

COLIN WOOD - Keyboard on "Melinda" & "Wake Up"
RECORDING: Lansdowne Sudios, London

RECORDING ENGINEER: Peter Gallen

MIXING ENGINEERS: Peter Gallen and Peter Olliff

PRODUCTION: Gerry Bron for Hit Record Productions Limited

PHOTOGRAPHS: Pete Smith

SLEEVE DESIGN: Robin Nicoll (Design Machine)

^ RECORDED EARLY 1970

1.GYPSY (Box/Byron)

Edited and remixed from album version. Released on several singles and compilations.

2.BORN IN A TRUNK (Box/Byron)

3.COME AWAY MELINDA (Hellerman/Minkoff)

SALISBURY 1971
Side A

1. BIRD OF PREY (Box/Byron/Hensley/Newton) 4.05

2. THE PARK (Hensley) 5.38

3. TIME TO LIVE (Box/Byron/Hensley) 4.02

4. LADY IN BLACK (Hensley) 4.33
Side B

1. HIGH PRIESTESS (Hensley) 3.39

2. SALISBURY (Box/Byron/Hensley) 16.02
DAVID BYRON - Lead Vocals

KEN HENSLEY - Organ, Piano, Slide & Acoustic Guitars,

Harpshicord, Vibes and Vocals

MICK BOX - Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

PAUL NEWTON - Bass Guitar, Vocals

KEITH BAKER - Drums
Brass and woodmind on "Salisbury" arranged by JOHN FIDDY

Produced by GERRY BRON for Hit Record Productions Ltd.

Recorded at Lansdowne Studos, London, October/November 1970

Recording & mixing engineer PETER GALLEN

Tape operators ASHLEY HOWE & LES CUNNINGHAM

Sleeve Design: Bloomsbury Group

^ BONUS TRACKS ON REMASTERED 1996 RELEASE:
1.HIGH PRIESTESS (Hensley)

Edited from album version. Released as a single in US only.

2.SIMON THE BULLET FREAK (Hensley)

Originally b-side of "Lady In Black" single in Germany and "Look At Yourself" single in UK.

Also on US version of "Salisbury" (1971) and "Rarities From The Bronze Age" (1991).

^LOOK AT YOURSELF 1971
Side A

1. LOOK AT YOURSELF (Hensley) 5.07

2. I WANNA BE FREE (Hensley) 3.59

1. TEARS IN MY EYES (Hensley) 5.02

2. SHADOWS OF GRIEF (Hensley/Byron) 8.40

3. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE (Hensley) 4.13

4. LOVE MACHINE (Hensley/Byron/Box) 3.37
KEN HENSLEY - Organ, Piano, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar & Vocal

MICK BOX - Lead Guitar & Acoustic Guitar

DAVID BYRON - Lead Vocal

PAUL NEWTON - Bass Guitar

IAN CLARKE - Drums
TEDDY OSEI, MACK TONTOH & LOUGHTY AMAO from "Osibisa" - Percussion on "Look At Yourself"

MANFRED MANN - Moog on "July Morning"

Produced by GERRY BRON

Recorded at Lansdowne Studios, London, July 1971

Design: DOUGLAS MAXWELL Ltd.

Photography: TONY EVANS

All arrangements by URIAH HEEP

^ BONUS TRACKS ON REMASTERED 1996 RELEASE:
1.WHAT"S WITHIN MY HEART (Hensley)

Out-take, released for the first time on "Lansdowne Tapes" (1993).

2.LOOK AT YOURSELF (Hensley)

Edited from album version. Released on several singles. Also on Rarities From The Bronze Age (1991)

^ THE LANSDOWNE TAPES 1993
1. BORN IN A TRUNK (Spice)(Box/Byron) 3.47

2. SIMON THE BULLET FREAK (Hensley) 3.28

3. HERE AM I (Hensley) 8.14

4. MAGIC LANTERN (Spice)(Box/Byron) 8.32

5. WHY (Box/Byron/Newton/Hensley) 11.20

6. ASTRANAZA (Spice)(Box/Byron) 4.46

7. WHAT'S WITHIN MY HEART (Hensley) 5.26

8. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE (Hensley) 4.28

9. LUCY BLUES (Box/Byron) 5.10

10. I WANT YOU BABE (Spice)(Box/Byron) 5.42

11. CELEBRATE (Spice)(Bonner/Gordon) 4.26

12. SCHOOLGIRL (Spice)(Box/Byron) 3.25

^ 13. BORN IN A TRUNK (INSTRUMENTAL)(Spice)(Box/Byron) 4.02
Bonus track:

14. LOOK AT YOURSELF (Hensley) 3.20
Unlisted track:

15. DREAMMARE intro (Newton) 1.10

Original sound recordings made by Bronze Records Ltd., issued under license from Castle Copyrights Ltd.

CD compilation, research and sleeve notes by: ROBERT M. CORICH for Red Steel Procudtions Ltd.

Additional sleeve notes by ROGER DOPSON and SIMON ROBINSON

1 - 13 initial production by GERRY BRON, Engineered by PETER GALLEN

1 - 13 post production by ROBERT M. CORICH

14: produced by GERRY BRON, Engineered by PETER GALLEN

1 - 13 Mixed by ROBERT M. CORICH and IAN HERRON at Studio 125, Sussex

CD mastering performed by Nick Watson at SRT, Cambridgeshire, England

^ DEMONS AND WIZARDS 1972
Side A

1. THE WIZARD (Hensley/Clarke) 2.59

2. TRAVELER IN TIME (Byron/Box/Kerslake) 3.26

3. EASY LIVIN" (Hensley) 2.36

4. POET'S JUSTICE (Box/Kerslake/Hensley) 4.14

5. CIRCLE OF HANDS (Hensley) 6.34
Side B

1. RAINBOW DEMON (Hensley) 4.30

2. ALL MY LIFE (Box/Byron/Kerslake) 2.46

3. PARADISE (Hensley) 5.15

4. THE SPELL (Hensley) 7.26
GARY THAIN - Bass guitar

MICK BOX - Guitars

KEN HENSLEY - Keyboards, Guitars, Percussion

DAVID BYRON - Vocals
All other voices by URIAH HEEP

Produced by GERRY BRON

Engineer PETER GALLEN

Recorded at Lansdowne Studios, London, March/April 1972

Designed and drawn by ROGER DEAN

Photography by DOMMY HAMILTON/ROGER DEAN

^ BONUS TRACKS ON REMASTERED 1996 RELEASE:
1.WHY (Box/Byron/Newton/Hensley)

Originally b-side of "The Wizard" single in Germany & US and "Easy Livin" single in UK.

Also on "Rarities From The Bronze Age". This version has different lyrics than the "Lansdowne Tapes" version.

2.WHY (Box/Byron/Newton/Hensley)

3.HOME AGAIN TO YOU (Hensley/Byron/Box/Thain/Kerslake)

Out-take, previously unreleased.

^ THE MAGICIAN'S BIRTHDAY 1972
Side A

1. SUNRISE (Hensley) 4.04

2. SPIDER WOMAN (Box/Byron/Kerslake/Thain) 2.25

3. BLIND EYE (Hensley) 3.33

4. ECHOES IN THE DARK (Hensley) 4.48

5. RAIN (Hensley) 3.59
Side B

1. SWEET LORRAINE (Box/Byron/Thain) 4.13

2. TALES (Hensley) 4.09

3. THE MAGICIAN'S BIRTHDAY (Hensley/Box/Kerslake) 10.23
GARY THAIN - Bass guitar

LEE KERSLAKE - Drums and Percussion

MICK BOX - Guitars

KEN HENSLEY - Keyboards, Guitars, Moog Synthesizer

DAVID BYRON - Vocals

Produced by GERRY BRON

Engineer PETER GALLEN

Assistant engineer ASHLEY HOWE

Recorded at Lansdowne Studios, London, September/October 1972

Cover design by ROGER DEAN

Photographs by FIN COSTELLO

^ BONUS TRACKS ON REMASTERED 1996 RELEASE:
1.SILVER WHITE MAN (Byron)

Out-take, previously unreleased.

2.CRYSTAL BALL (Thain)

Out-take, previously unreleased.

LIVE JANUARY 1973 1973
Record One, Side A

1. SUNRISE (Hensley) 3.50

2. SWEET LORRAINE (Box/Byron/Thain) 4.27

3. TRAVELER IN TIME (Byron/Kerslake/Box) 3.20

4. EASY LIVIN" (Hensley) 2.43
Record One, Side B

2. TEARS IN MY EYES (Hensley) 4.34
Record Two, Side A

1. GYPSY (Box/Byron) 13.32

2. CIRCLE OF HANDS (Hensley) 8.47
Record Two, Side B

1. LOOK AT YOURSELF (Hensley) 5.57

^ 2. THE MAGICIAN'S BIRTHDAY

(Hensley/Box/Kerslake) 1.15

3. LOVE MACHINE (Hensley/Box/Byron) 3.07

4. ROCK "N" ROLL MEDLEY 8.17
DAVID BYRON - Vocals

MICK BOX - Guitar, Vocals

GARY THAIN - Bass, Vocals

LEE KERSLAKE - Drums, Vocals

KEN HENSLEY - Keyboards, Vocals

Produced by GERRY BRON, Production Assistant: PETER GALLEN

Sleeve Design: Fabio Nicoli Associates, Photographs: FIN COSTELLO

Sleeve notes: GEOFF BROWN (Melody Maker)

All songs published by Sydney Bron Music Co. Ltd., except Rock"N"Roll Medley

Recorded during the British Tour January 1973, Recorded by Pye Mobile Recording Unit

Engineers: ALAN PERKINS, NEVILLE CROZIER & RICHARD BRAND

Mixed at Lansdowne Recording Studios, Engineers: PETER GALLEN & ASHLEY HOWE

Tour Manager: MEL BLAISTER

Equipment managers: DELL ROLL, TODD FISCHER, CHRIS HEALEY, BILLY JOE REISCH & BAS MARSHALL

Sound Equipment: Europa Hire

Lighting: EDWIN SHIRLEY and ANDY BRIDGE from ESP Lighting

Sleeve co-ordinators: LILLIAN BRON and ADRIAN MATHEWS