BARRY WINTON LOOKS AT THE PROGRESSIVE BAND STI LL GOING STRONG AFTER 20 YEARS ON THE ROAD
BARRY WINTON LOOKS AT THE PROGRESSIVE BAND STI LL GOING STRONG AFTER 20 YEARS ON THE ROAD
In a review of their debut album, one U.S. journalist threatened to commit suicide if Uriah Heep ever made it. He may or may not be with us anymore, but 20 years on, the subjects of his attack are still gigging constantly and attracting a new generation of fans for their distinctive brand of progressive hard rock. That journalist was not alone in his criticism: the band have been vilified in almost every section of the music press, but have nevertheless maintained a large hard core following and sold over thirty million records. Only Mick Box remains a constant in the group's colourful history but, as we shall see, many interesting musicians have come and gone in Heep's various line-up changes. Much of the band's finest work is available on Castle Communications, which provides a fine starting point for newcomers to the band's music; but there is plenty of scope for the committed collector to seek out original and spin-off releases.
Uriah Heep evolved out of two late Sixties bands, both of whom recorded in their own right before their demise. Mick Box and vocalist David Byron, both hailing from Epping, Essex, had been friends for several years, and had first formed a band in 1967 called the Stalkers. No recordings came from this phase until they changed their name to Spice, when they recorded a single called
"What About The Music". Issued on United Artists, this is now extremely sought-after and commands a price tag of at least £30
The band's organist Roy Sharland later went on to work with Fuzzy Duck and Arthur Brown.
The real Uriah Heep story begins in Hertfordshire where a young Ken Hensley formed a band called the Gods. An early incarnation of this outfit included guitarist Mick Taylor (later with the Rolling Stones) and bassist Greg Lake (of ELP fame). With Hensley on organ, guitar and vocals, guitarist Joe Konas, bassist John Glascock and drummer Lee Kerslake, the Gods were eontracted to EMI's Columbia label. Today, their "Genesis" (SCX 6286) from 1968 and 1970's "To Samuel A Son" (SCX 6372) are extremely collectable, with both selling upwards of £30. Well worth investigating is a Gods compilation on Harvest's budget Heritage label, issued in 1976, plus a recent selection issued on See For Miles' CS label.
After the band split, the four musicians joined forces with R&B veteran Cliff Bennett in Toe Fat, who were far more bluesy and raucous than the psychedelic whimsy of the Gods. An active gigging band, Toe Fat won a small but devoted following and are best remembered for the grotesque sleeve designs of their two albums. The initial line-up was short-lived, and bassist John Glascock went on to work with Chicken Shack, flamenco-rock band Carmen and Jethro Tull; drummer Lee Kerslake later formed the National Head Band, whose career resulted in a lone album on Warner Brothers, "Albert" (K 46094), in 1971.
There is speculation that Hensley was involved in a band called Head Machine under the pseuodonym Ken Leslie for their "Orgasm" album (Major Minor SMLP 79),issued in 1970. This is one of the most sought-after LPs from the early progressive era, fetching an incredible £80 in Mint condition.
1970 was the year of Charles Dickens. 100 years after his death, many of his tales were being played in the West End of London, while the television was full of reruns of filmed versions of his novels. Ken Hensley was introduced to Mick Box and Gerry Byron through Gerry Bron, and the trio decided to form a heavy rock band committed to making a lot of noise. One day, while the new formation were rehearsing at Hanwell, West London, Bron suggested the name Uriah Heep after the swindling accountant in the book "David Copperfield". The new band agreed to adopt the name.
After extensive rehearsals, the newly christened Uriah Heep were soon contracted to the Vertigo label, and busied themselves with an album titled "Very 'Eavy. . . Very 'Umble" after a phrase oft-used by the accountant in Dickens' novel. The band was fleshed out by bassist Paul Newton and drummers Alex Napier and Nigel Olsson who'd previously been involved with Plastic Penny and soon quit Heep to join Elton John's backing group. The album contained many memorable moments particularly Gypsy, which to this day remains the band's anthem. This track also appeared on "The Vertigo Annual" (6499407/8), a compilation which included an excellent reworking of Tim Rose's classic, "Come Away Melinda".
The band soon returned to the studio to record a follow-up, "Salisbury", issued in March 1971, which indicated a change in direction. Heep had created a unique and distinctive sound with Byron's operatic vocal harmonies, Hensley's church organ effects, and Box's hard biting riffs. One song, "Lady In Black", later received a Grammy award in Germany. U.S. copies of the album are sought-after because of the different sleeve design and the replacement of "Birds Of Prey" with "Simon The Bullet Freak", a track that is still unavailable else-where. Side Two of the album features the 16-minute title track, where the band are augmented by a large brass and woodwind ensemble.
The album met with favourable critical reaction but was not a particularly good seller. New drummer Keith Baker quit soon afterwards and later turned up playing with Graham Bond. He was replaced by Ian Clarke, who'd previously been with fellow Vertigo act Cressida.
After the release of "Salisbury", Uriah Heep left Vertigo and signed with Gerry Bron's new Bronze labeL The first release on his label was a reissue of "Very 'Eavy. . Very 'Umble", followed in November 1971 by their third album, "Look At Yourself". The sleeve utilised a transparent mirror effect enabling the purchaser to do exactly what the title suggested. Outside musicians were called in for the recording, including members of Osibisa and Manfred Mann, who contributed Moog synthesiser to one of the band's finest songs, "July Morning". Extensive touring soon built up a solid following and the album charted at No. 39. A single,"Love Machine", was lifted from the record and secured considerable airplay from Kid Jensen, but the singles' chart eluded them setting the pattern for the next couple of decades.
More personnel changes were in the wind, and Clarke and Newton left to be replaced by bassist Gary Thain, a native of New Zealand who'd recently been playing with Keef Hartley. The replacement drummer Lee Kerslake had worked with Hensley in the Gods and Toe Fat; and these additions heralded the beginning of the classic Uriah Heep line-up.
June 1972 saw the release of the band's fourth album, "Demons And Wizards", which is often regarded as the band's finest hour. It certainly enjoyed a lengthy 11-week stay in the charts, where it reached No. 20. The title track was lifted off as a single, and was deemed popular enough to warrant the band's appearance on "Top Of The Pops". During this period, Heep rivalled Black Sabbath and Deep Purple as a sell-out heavy rock band, due mostly to their worldwide tours.
"Easy Livin' ", a second single from the album, became a huge hit on the continent, although it failed to establish itself here. To this day, the song remains a live favourite.The band ended a successful year with the release of "The Magician's Birthday", which gave them another Top 30 album towards the end of 1972.
Once again, it was the title track which provided the album's highlight, a tenminute epic on which Box's guitar playing came to the fore. Other stand-out tracks were "Sunrise" and "Sweet Lorraine", both of which would have made fine singles. After Heep fulfilled another U.S. and European tour, their live reputation was enhanced by "Live", a double concert set recorded at the Birmingham Odeon early in 1973. Housed in lavish laminated sleeve, the package also included an 8-page book depicting the band in action. Sadly, the album has been long deleted, though it shouldn't be too difficult to locate in second-hand shops. 1973 was also notable for the release of Ken Hensley's first solo album, "Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf", recorded at Lansdowne Studios between 1971 and 1972. Fellow Heep members Thain and Kerslake helped out on the project.
The album saw a mellowing of Hensley's style, although its failure to create an impact means that it's quite scarce today, with Mint copies now fetching up to £8.
In August 1973, Heep headlined at the British Music Festival at London's Alexandra Palace to an audience of some 8,000 ecstatic fans. On this occasion, they were supported by a strong bill consisting of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Gary Moore, and the Heavy Metal Kids. One month later, a sixthstudio album, "Sweet Freedom", gave the band a No.18 chart placing, and left another live favourite, "Stealin' ", for fans to demand ever since.
In contrast,1974's "Wonderworld" was a weak offering, with the songs sounding basic, hurried and generally disorganised. More bad luck struck when bassist Gary Thain was electrocuted on stage in Dallas, an incident which put him out of action for several months. But further tragedy was to hit the band. In a fit of depression, Gary took an overdose and was found dead in his flat.
The bassist was replaced by John Wetton, who'd previously worked with Family and King Crimson. The revamped line-up returned to the studio and came up with "Return To Fantasy", a far more solid album than its predecessor which deservedly became the band's biggest selling LP in the U.K., reaching No. 7 in July 1975. A single,"Prima Donna", was lifted from the LP, but failed to generate enough interest to warrant a chart placing. As a homage to their best-selling act, Bronze issued "The Best Of Uriah Heep" in November that year. The only unusual aspect of the album was the edited version of "Gypsy", the rest of the record being made up of fairly predictable highlights. The year also saw the release of Ken Hensley's second solo album, the modestly titled "Eager To Please", a collaboration with former Colosseum bassist Mark Clarke.
Within months, David Byron released his solo album, "Take No Prisoners", although problems were beginning to surface during the recording of Heep's next record, "High And Mighty", with Byron's excessive drinking proving an obstacle.
Following its release in June 1976, it was decided that Byron should leave the band, and he was quickly followed by John Wetton. The bassist went on to play with Roxy Music, U.K., Wishbone Ash and Asia, as well as becoming a recording artist in his own right. Byron's post-Heep career was to prove less lucrative, getting off to a mediocre start with the forming of Rough Diamond, along with ex-Humble Pie guitarist Clem Clemson and former Wings drummer Geoff Britton.
Byron's band were then contracted to a one-off deal with Island Records, but the eponymous album sold poorly and Rough Diamond soon folded.
In the meantime, David Byron had recorded a second solo album, "Baby Faced Killer", issued the following year. With the emergence of punk and new wave, the climate didn't seem to be right and there was little interest shown in the singer. His next project was the Byron Band, which included guitarist Robin George. Sadly, the outfit never really got off the ground, trapped on an endless cycle of college and club gigs. They survived long enough to record the aptly-titled "On The Rocks" album, issued in 1981, but Byron's life was tragically curtailed in February 1985 when he was found dead at his Reading home. The heart attack, brought on by drug and alcohol abuse, was horribly premature for one so talented, and who'd given so much pleasure as lead singer with Uriah Heep.
Byron's departure from Heep had left a gaping hole and public interest began to fade. Eventually, Wetton was replaced by ex-Spider From Mars Trevor Bolder, while vocalist John Lawton, previously with the German-based hard rock band Lucifer's Friend, filled Byron's place. The new singer first came to Ken Hensley's attention when they bnth collaborated on Roger Glover's "Butterfly Ball" album. Though Lawton lacked Byron's dynamic stage presence, his voice was phenomenal and he proved a more-than-adequate replacement.
Despite this, "Firefly", the new album issued in February 1977, was the first not to chart in five years. Although the music was still heavy, there were marginal changes and the sound was definitely more polished. Despite this setback, Heep were soon back in the studio recording a follow-up, "Innocent Victim", issued in September. This lacklustre album perhaps deserved its failure to secure a chart placing, although surprisingly, it became the band's biggest-selling album of all in Germany, where it shifted over a million copies.
It was a prolific period for the band and another album, "Fallen Angel", appeared the following spring. This was a vast improvement and received good reviews, but critical enthusiasm wasn't translated into sales. Before the release of their next album, there were to be changes made.
1979 began with the departure of drummer Lee Kerslake, who quit to join Ozzy Osbourne's new band Blizzard Of Oz. Then, by mutual agreement, vocalist John Lawton left. An old friend, ex-Manfred Mann's Earth Band drummer Chris Slade, was recruited, along with singer John Sloman, who'd previously worked with acclaimed Welsh band Lone Star. The latter proved to be an unsuitable choice for the band.
A single, "Carry On", preceded the band's thirteenth studio album, "Conquest", issued in March 1980 at a budget price of £3.99 to commemorate ten years of Uriah Heep. Although it squeezed into the chart at No. 37, "Conquest" was considered a poor effort by fans, and it rapidly found its way into the bargain bins. Following a lengthy U.K. tour and the release of a new 45, "Love Stealer", Hensley tried to get Sloman removed from the band but was outvoted by the others who, in turn, went to manager Gerry Bron and threatened to quit if '` Hensley had his way. As it turned out, Hensley was the one who ended up getting sacked.
His first move was to record a third solo album, "Free Spirit", and then form Shotgun, who played a handful of gigs before disbanding. He later joined southern boogie rockers Blackfoot, and can be heard on their ""Siego" and "Vertical Smiles" albums. Since that time, Ken has backed Ozzy Osbourne and, more recently, W.A.S.P. He plays on their latest LP, "The Headless Children".
Heep replaced him with Canadian keyboard man Gregg Detchett, who was recommended by Sloman. Detchett was previously involved with the French space rock band Pulsar. This new line-up ventured on . yet another lengthy U.K. tour proclaiming themselves as the definitive Uriah Heep line-up; but in reality, nothing could have been further from the truth.
During the early stages of the tour, Sloman developed a throat infection and couldn't sing properly. Plans for an album were halted and before long the band had split. Chris Slade went on to play with Gary Numan and was featured on his "Warrior" album. He then toured with Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour, where he was rejoined by Gregg Detchett. He later joined the postZeppelin outfit the Firm, and more recently, has been touring with Gary Moore.
Sloman formed a new outfit called Badlands, which disbanded after just a few club gigs. He also toured with Gary Moore and later worked as a backing singer for Paul Young. In a recent interview, he aired the likelihood of forming a band with keyboard player Gregg Detchett, currently working with Mike and the Mechanics.
After a lengthy absence, Mick Box decided to reform Uriah Heep. His original intention was to rebuild the band around himself and Trevor Bolder, but instead, the bassist accepted an offer to rejoin Wishbone Ash. Drummer Lee Kerslake returned, though, bringing with him bassist Bob Daisley, who'd previously worked with Widowmaker, Rainbow and with Kerslake in Blizzard Of Oz. New keyboard player John Sinclair once played in the Heavy Metal Kids, while ex-Trapeze vocalist Pete Goalby had previously auditioned for the spot but was rejected in favour of John Sloman.
The new line-up returned to the studio after extensive rehearsals, the result being, in April 1982, the "Abominog" album. Box had reshuffled his deck of cards wisely for the recharged outfit had hit a winning formula. "Abominog" was a great success, giving Heep a new lease of life with good reviews and a No. 34 chart placing. Their confidence restored, Heep then set out on a world tour.
1983's "Head First" was also well received and reached No. 46, but soon after, bassist Bob Daisley quit. The vacant bass position was filled by the welcome return of Trevor Bolder. But no sooner had the band regrouped than their record company of the past twelve years, Bronze Records, went into liquidation. As a consequence, all their back catalogue LPs and 45s were deleted. In 1986, Castle Communications bought the rights to reissue many of these earlier classic albums at a budget price. So far, "Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble", "Salisbury","Look At Yourself", "Demons And Wizards", "The Magician's Birthday","Sweet Freedom" and "Abominog" have been made available, albeit in single sleeves.
In 1985, Heep signed with Portrait, a subsidiary of CBS Records, and delivered "Equator" in April. This was the last album to feature Goalby and Sinclair, who both left shortly afterwards, has apparently since recorded a solo single and is expected to put together a new band in the near future. Their replacements were vocalist Bernie Shaw and keyboard player Phil Lanzon. Shaw had previously been with Grand Prix, an under-rated band which recorded a trio of consistent albums and never achieved their deserved recognition, despite supporting acts like Caravan, Manfred Mann and Iron Maiden. Shaw quit Grand Prix after the release of their debut album and joined Praying Mantis. A later incarnation of this group was known as Stratus and boasted ex Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr. The band became a popular attraction on the club and college circuit. New keyboard player Phil Lanzon was also in Grand Prix, though in 1984, he toured with the Sweet.
Since becoming fully fledged members of Heep, Shaw and Lanzon have added an exciting new dimension to the band. 1986 saw the release of a second double live Heep album, "Live In Europe, 1979", which features the John Lawton line-up, on the Raw Power label. The same year also saw the issue of "Anthology", a well-respected compilation.
December 1987 saw an unprecedented peak in the band's career. They were invited as one of the first western rock bands to appear in the Soviet Union and gave ten sold-out concerts at Moscow's Olympic Stadium to a record-breaking audience of 185,000 fans. One journalist described the event thus: "Uriah Heep took to the stage as heroes, they left as Messiahs." To commemorate the occasion, Heep released the"Live In Moscow" album in July 1988. This, their first for Legacy Records, included three new songs, "Corrina", "Pacific Highway" and "Mr. Majestic", the latter already a live favourite. Not long after its release, the new line-up was premiered to a U.K. audience at the Reading Festival in a performance which was nothing short of electrifying! Even the harshest critic couldn't deny that Heep stole the whole weekend show. The year was rounded off with the release of the "Live At Shepperton" album, recorded back in 1974. Basically, this is the soundtrack of the "Easy Livin' " video.
In April last year, Heep returned with their first studio album in four years, although it's fair to say that "The Raging Silence" was greeted with just that by the British music press. Heavy metal magazines like "Kerrang!", "Raw" and "Metal Hammer" took note, though, and all gave the album great reviews. From start to finish, the record is a triumph, and certainly rates as the band's most impressive work since "Abominog". A picture disc edition of the album looks set to become a collector's item.
So far, two singles have been lifted from the album: a cover of Argent's "Hold Your Head Up", and "Blood Red Roses". The 12" version of the latter is essential for collectors because of the free patch and hitherto unavailable live version of "Look At Yourself", taped in Moscow.
Recently, the band have been described as British rock's most celebrated ambassadors. Certainly, acts like Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, the Cult, Heart and Europe have all cited Heep as major influences. With a career that now spans almost twenty years, this hard-working band have not always had a good press, but their relationship with the fans is second to none. Now that several of their finest recordings have been made available on CD, there is no doubt that Heep will contine to build on their rock solid reputation.
