LIPS TURN BLUE is the band formerly known as DDrive, which features guitarist Don Mancuso [ex Black Sheep], and the late Phil Naro on vocals & guitar. this album also features keyboardist Eric Beiber, bass player Mike Mullane, as well as a few drummers (Roy Stein is the band’s permanent drummer), backing singers, and guests – most notably Lou Gramm! Producer Steve Major also adds guitar and percussion. Most songs here co-written by Naro & Mancuso, with a few others adding to variety of tracks here.
First off is the awesome cover shot by Martin Kornick / Man In the Mountain ! Love the photo and the blue. Makes me wonder why no one issued this on blue vinyl!?
LTB features 13 tracks, a few of which have been re-worked from previous releases, most notably a cool remake of Black Sheep’s “Chain On Me” (the 70s band that featured Mancuso and Lou Gramm, as well as co-writer Bruce Turgon) – love that piano intro and Hammond organ! The band also revisit their own “Pray For Tomorrow”, which is a timely and memorable; a song of hope featuring a fine vocal from Naro, as well as acoustic guitar and mandolin from Mancuso. “Pray For Tomorrow” has been made in to the 2nd video from the album, with the band also offering the video in efforts to raise money for the people of Ukraine.
There are a few tracks reworked here from Mancuso’s 2nd solo album, titled DDrive – the upbeat (and a favorite here) “Build My Castle”, and though the original was good this is a great production, adding a vocal intro and love the keyboard & guitar exchange here, as well as the solo – this track sounds like it would be an exciting in the live set. As well there’s Lou Gramm singing the Mancuso / Naro penned “A Little Outside” (a nice close to the album), and a cover of Beatles’ favorite “Hey Bulldog”. Favorite tracks here also include the opener (lead single) “Just Push” and “Better Than I Used To Be” (great AOR rocker – love the keyboard runs in this one from Eric Beiber) – actually the first 5 songs here make this worth getting! A couple of excellent ballads included here as well, “No Need For You To Call” and “Life’s Crazy Ride”, both reflective, and one of Phil’s best vocal performances on the latter.
Lips Turn Blue is one of two albums Phil Naro completed before his passing. LTD will appeal to fans of melodic rock, classic AOR, and anyone familiar with Phil’s vocals (the guy did a lot in his career!). Cheers to Don Mancuso and the band and producer Steve Major for getting this album done and out. Lips Turn Blue are currently working on a 2nd album and live dates with new singer Iggy Marino.
Bill Nelson’s Red Noise “Art/Empire/Industry – The Complete Red Noise” 6CD Remastered Box Set Available August 26, 2022
• A NEW SIX DISC BOXED SET OF THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS MADE BY BILL NELSON’S RED NOISE – COMPRISING FOUR CDs AND TWO DVDs (NTSC/REGION FREE).
• FEATURING A NEWLY REMASTERED EDITION OF THE ALBUM ‘SOUND ON SOUND’, ALONG WITH NEW 5.1 SURROUND SOUND AND NEW STEREO MIXES BY STEVEN WILSON.
• INCLUDES A PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED CONCERT RECORDED IN LEICESTER IN FEBRUARY 1979 NEWLY MIXED FROM THE ORIGINAL MULTI-TRACK TAPES, PLUS BILL NELSON’S HOME DEMOS, ADDITIONAL SESSION TRACKS AND A BBC RADIO SESSION FROM 1979.
• WITH BONUS VIDEO CONTENT OF THE PROMOTIONAL VIDEO OF ‘REVOLT INTO STYLE’ AND A SESSION FILMED FOR BBC TV’S OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST IN 1979.
• INCLUDES A LAVISHLY-ILLUSTRATED BOOK WITH EXTENSIVE ESSAY BY BILL NELSON AND A FOREWORD BY STEVE WILSON, A FACSIMILE TOUR PROGRAMME, POSTER AND FOUR POSTCARDS.
Following the release of the album “Drastic Plastic” and tour, Bill Nelson disbanded Be-Bop Deluxe. Aware of the emergence of the New Wave artists and out of a desire to continually evolve, he announced the formation of Red Noise.
Working with co-producer John Leckie, Bill recorded a new wave masterpiece, a record that would influence a new generation of musicians with its intelligent and punchy material. “Sound On Sound” and the subsequent live shows would divide opinion of both fans and critics, but with the passage of time, the album is now regarded as one of Bill Nelson’s finest works.
This boxed set features the complete Red Noise recordings; the original album newly remastered by Steven Wilson from the original master tapes, along with stunning new stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound mixes.
The set also includes an outstanding complete live concert recorded in Leicester in 1979, newly mixed from the original 24-track tapes, a session recorded for BBC Radio One and a further Red Noise studio session from May 1979 plus a bonus CD of Bill Nelson’s home demos. The set also includes video material, including the video for “Revolt Into Style” and the band’s session for the BBC TV show “The Old Grey Whistle Test” from February 1979.
Track Listing:
DISC ONE SOUND ON SOUND REMASTERED 1 Don’t Touch Me (I’m Electric) 2 For Young Moderns 3 Stop / Go / Stop 4 Furniture Music 5 Radar in My Heart 6 Stay Young 7 Out of Touch 8 A Better Home in the Phantom Zone 9 Substitute Flesh 10 The Atom Age 11 Art / Empire / Industry 12 Revolt into Style Bonus tracks 13 Wonder Toys That Last Forever 14 Acquitted by Mirrors (B-side of ‘Furniture Music’ EP) 15 Stay Young (BBC session 17.02.1979) 16 Furniture Music (BBC session 17.02.1979) 17 Don’t Touch Me (I’m Electric) (BBC session 17.02.1979) 18 Out of Touch (BBC session 17.02.1979)
DISC TWO LIVE AT THE DE MONTFORT HALL, LEICESTER 1979 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED 1 Don’t Touch Me (I’m Electric) (live) 2 For Young Moderns (live) 3 Furniture Music (live) 4 Out of Touch (live) 5 Stop-Go-Stop (live) 6 Atom Age (live) 7 Possession (live) 8 Superenigmatix (live) 9 Substitute Flesh (live) 10 Phantom Zone (live) 11 Radar in My Heart (live) 12 Art / Empire / Industry (live) 13 Revolt into Style (live) 14 Stay Young (live) 15 For Young Moderns (Encore) (live)
DISC THREE SOUND ON SOUND NEW STEREO MIX 1 Don’t Touch Me (I’m Electric) 2 For Young Moderns 3 Stop / Go / Stop 4 Furniture Music 5 Radar in My Heart 6 Stay Young 7 Out of Touch 8 A Better Home in the Phantom Zone 9 Substitute Flesh 10 The Atom Age 11 Art / Empire / Industry 12 Revolt into Style Bonus tracks 13 Wonder Toys That Last Forever 14 Acquitted by Mirrors 15 My Light (previously unreleased) Recorded for the “Sound on Sound” sessions 16 Instantly Yours 17 Ideal Homes 18 Disposable
DISC FOUR SOUND ON SOUND 96 kHz/24-BIT 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIX NEW STEREO MIX ORIGINAL STEREO MIX 1 Don’t Touch Me (I’m Electric) (5.1 mix) 2 For Young Moderns (5.1 mix) 3 Stop / Go / Stop (5.1 mix) 4 Furniture Music (5.1 mix) 5 Radar in My Heart (5.1 mix) 6 Stay Young (5.1 mix) 7 Out of Touch (5.1 mix) 8 A Better Home in the Phantom Zone (5.1 mix) 9 Substitute Flesh (5.1 mix) 10 The Atom Age (5.1 mix) 11 Art / Empire / Industry (5.1 mix) 12 Revolt into Style (5.1 mix)
DISC FIVE ADDITIONAL RED NOISE SESSIONS 96 kHz/24-BIT 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIXES NEW STEREO MIXES ORIGINAL STEREO MIXES 1 Wonder Toys That Last Forever (5.1 mix) 2 Acquitted by Mirrors (5.1 mix) 3 My Light (5.1 mix) Recorded for the “Sound on Sound” sessions 4 Instantly Yours (5.1 mix) 5 Ideal Homes (5.1 mix) 6 Disposable (5.1 mix) RAK Studios, London May 1979
VIDEO CONTENT PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED 1 Revolt into Style (Promotional video 1979) 2 Don’t Touch Me (I’m Electric) (BBC TV Old Grey Whistle Test – 1979) 3 Furniture Music (BBC TV Old Grey Whistle Test 1979) 4 Stay Young (BBC TV Old Grey Whistle Test 1979)
DISC SIX BILL NELSON RED NOISE DEMOS 1978 – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED 1 Acquitted by Mirrors (demo) 2 For Young Moderns (demo) 3 Stop Go Stop (demo) 4 Furniture Music (demo) 5 Radar in My Heart (demo) 6 Stay Young (demo) 7 Out of Touch (demo) 8 A Better Home in the Phantom Zone (demo) 9 Substitute Flesh (demo) 10 The Atom Age (demo) 11 Revolt into Style (demo) 12 Waiting for the Night (demo) 13 My Light (demo)
California band Birth is set to release their debut album “Born” in July. You can check out the band’s 9 minute + psych-epic “For Yesterday”, and order their album on CD, vinyl, or digitally here – https://birthprog.bandcamp.com/album/born
Fans of heavy psych-rock will love “For Yesterday” with it’s heavy guitar, and various keyboards, making it sound like it’s from a different era. Love the album’s artwork, and looking forward to hearing the full album!
[from press release] On ‘Born’, Birth musically and creatively constructs a science-fiction-inspired sound-world in which bleak tumult and skybound rapture co-exist. The result is an intoxicating album haunted by earthly concerns while its sonics aim simultaneously for the stars. “I’m a scientist by trade and I read a lot of dystopian sci-fi, which I believe is relevant to many of the events that have been occurring lately,” notes Riley. “These views feed a dark, spiritual and mystical relationship that I have with scientific thought”.
Birth features members of San Diego retro-rockers Astra along with current or former members of Joy, Radio Moscow, and Sacri Monti.
Conor Riley (vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar), Brian Ellis (lead guitar, keyboards), Trevor Mast (bass), and Thomas DiBenedetto (drums). Drums on ‘Born’ performed by Paul Marrone.
Album Track listing: 01. Born 02. Descending Us 03. For Yesterday 04. Cosmic Tears 05. Another Time 06. Long Way Down
Wings Of Steel is a new hard-rock / metal band out of California based around Swedish singer Leo Unnermark and guitarist Parker Halub, who met in 2019 while studying music in Los Angeles. The pair wrote and recorded a 5 track EP (CD). They’ve produced and released it themselves, with Mike Mayhem on drums, Damien Rainaud mixing it, and Spencer Caligiuri providing some pretty cool CD artwork.
The band delivers 5 excellent ’80s type of heavy guitar rockers, with great riffs, hooks, solos, and Unnermark’s high end vocals. These guys take on plenty of classic ’80s influences from Whitesnake and Scorpions, Maiden, and sometimes reminiscent of the likes of Skid Row, Dokken, and MSG.. There’s 4 rockers here, plus 1 acoustic ballad. The ballad is good, but for me it is the other 4 that are solid rock tunes. Lead off track “Stormchild” is a good rocker, a bit pf a euro metal feel, as does the title song, which stands out right away, a bit of power metal, great vocals, fast solos, reminds me of Germany’s Helloween,. “Rhythm Of Love” is another excellent track, this one is a bit more LA 80s, aside from the shredding solo, parts of this remind me of Great White, very cool song. Favorite track here is the last one – “Black Out The Street”; a great 80s melodic hard rocker, reminding me a bit of late 80s Whitesnake. Love the production on this EP, just a great big sound, lots of cool guitar solos, harmonies,hard hitting drums, all mixed well.
Tracklisting: Stormchild / Wings Of Steel / Rhythm Of Desire / Khamsin Riders / Black Out The Street
L-R – Jayme Black – Vocals/Bass, Nate Pole – Drums/Vocals, Benny Kemp – Guitars/Vocals
Another Canadian metal trio, Rebel Priest is from Vancouver, and will be heading out in British Columbia and Alberta with Toronto’s Deadwolf. Rebel Priest has a new 4 track EP coming out titled Lesson In Love, which has also been released as a video. “Lesson In Love” is good heavy rocker, that quickly reminds me of D’ianno era Iron Maiden. Check out the video below. Following that fast rockers like “Dive Bomber” and “Coatcheck Girl” feature cool riffs, with shades of Motorhead, early Maiden and Motley Crue. The last track is “Bonfire”, coming in under 2 minutes, and musically reminded me of 70s Sabbath and AC/DC. Plenty of energy here, nothing tame or smooth here, and dig the guitar sound. Matching Rebel Priest with Deadwolff sounds like a pretty cool bill, as both bands have a definite Motorhead influence, as well as a few others, and loads of rock energy on their new releases.
Press Release:
Vancouver’s Rebel Priest has been bringing its eclectic brand of rock n’ roll to fans for years in a true unadulterated, unapologetic fashion. A little bit greasy, a little bit sassy, but 100% committed, they have released four records, with a fifth on its way this year. “Lesson In Love” is the name of the upcoming EP as well as the first single, an untraditional ballad, like a love song sung by a Tommy gun. According to the band, it’s about going through the trials and tribulations of loving something – the ups, the downs, the spirals, but without the direct subject being a person. The band explains further:
“It’s open-ended in that it is what you love or love doing and how it’s a journey that can always find a way home. There’s always that one thing in your life that keeps you going, a person, a hobby, a theology. No matter what your vice is, it always comes at a price. You have to go through the blood, sweat, and tears to get what you need outta it and it doesn’t always come easy. This is your education, your lesson in love.”
When people put on the new record, Rebel Priest intends for them to forget about everything else, take a break from the grind, and get pumped! Whether you’re working out, going out, or down and out, put it on and play it loud! Get into it and go wild! Their music is fluid, they find a riff and then follow it where it wants to go. They say it’s just about finding the groove and cruising the wave.
Rebel Priest is headed out on tour with Toronto’s Deadwolff this summer, and spectators are in for a rock n roll treat – guitarist/vocalist Benny Kemp is the embodiment of a denim tornado; that guy will (and has) break his legs to party on stage! Drummer/vocalist Nate Pole is a groovin’ attitudn’ mean machine behind the drums that will sometimes make a wood chipper look like a pencil sharpener on those skins. As for vocalist/bassist Jayme Black, he’s a bit of a mouthpiece and likes his bass real gritty.
The trio just wants to bring rock n roll back to street level, when it was outlaw music for the underdog, so expect a greasy, sweaty, down and dirty rock show. They are recommended for fans of Motörhead, ZZ Top, and Rose Tattoo.
About:
Rebel Priest is a no-nonsense, real-deal rock n’ roll band composed of three seasoned musicians who have been making their way through the Western Canadian rock n roll scene for years. Vocalist/bassist Jayme Black (Lust Boys, The Toxiks); guitarist/vocalist Benny Kemp (Lust Boys, Road Rash); and drummer/vocalist Nate Pole (Kill Matilda, The Toxiks) bring nothing but unadulterated, high energy grease infused Trash N’ Roll! The band has had the pleasure of touring Japan, and performing alongside bands such as Udo (Accept), Lordi, Diamond Head, Crystal Pistol, Flotsam, and Jetsam along with playing many headlining gigs with the energy of Motorhead meets Motley Crue. Since forming in 2014, the band has released three studio albums “R’ley Heavy” (2019), Enabler (2017 ), Self-Titled (2015) along with one live record “Dead Alive @ SBC (2017). and an EP – Lost In Tokyo (2021)
The Rebel Wolff Tour w/ Rebel Priest and Dead Wolff June 24 – Vancouver, BC – Have A Good Laugh Festival. *Afternoon show – Deadwolff only June 24 – Vancouver, BC – Lana Lous June 27 – Maple Ridge, BC – The Wolf Bar June 28 – Kamloops, BC – Pogue Mahones June 29 – Kelowna, BC – Missions Tap House June 30 – Lethbridge, AB – TBA July 1 – Calgary, AB – The Palamino July 2 – Edmonton, AB – Starlite Temple
Legendary YES vocalist/songwriter Jon Anderson will be playing select shows with The Paul Green Rock Academy in Summer 2022! Jon and the ensemble will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the release of YES’s classic album “Close to the Edge” by performing the album in its entirety, along with other classics and surprises!
This Jon Anderson with The Paul Green Rock Academy tour is a resumption of the tradition started in 2005 when Jon toured with Paul Green’s original School of Rock all stars.
These early shows, over 30 in total between 2006-2008, were nothing short of magical, and now Jon Anderson returns to continue that magic with a set of Yes Classics, deep cuts, mash ups, and solo works, all with lush arrangements featuring choral singing, horns, and all the other benefits of having a backing band with 25 young musicians.
Says Paul Green, “Having done a few of these songs in the past with Jon and my students, I couldn’t wait to add them to the current show. Once we did ‘Close to the Edge’ and ‘And You and I’ on our Florida run in April, I was reminded of the magic of hearing these songs recreated by young musicians…They really capture the frenetic energy of the original recordings. Then when I heard it was the 50th anniversary of the album I just knew we had to do the whole thing. Jon agreed.”
There are so many wonderful moments in my musical life, and being on stage with these young teenagers performing Classic Yes songs, makes me so happy and proud …..
It’s a marvel and a tremendous pleasure for me..
They are a joy to be with and so much fun!!!
I am grateful, thankful and feel very blessed to be able to sing along with them. Janee and I love them all Love and light… Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson with The Paul Green Rock Academy tour dates:
7/7: Plymouth NH – The Flying Monkey Performing Arts Center 7/8: Beverly MA – The Cabot 7/13: Huntingdon NY – The Paramount 7/14: Montclair NJ – Wellmont Theater 7/16: Ridgefield CT – Ridgefield Playhouse 7/17: Sugar Loaf NY – Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center 7/20: Glenside PA – Keswick Theatre 7/22: Kent OH – The Kent Stage 7/23: Des Plaines IL – Des Plaines Theatre 7/27: Greensburg PA – The Palace Theatre 7/30: Milwaukee WI – Pabst Theater 8/3: State College PA – The State Theatre 8/6: Albany NY – The Egg
photo by Robin Gilbert
Jon Anderson is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable voices in music as the lead vocalist and creative force behind YES. Anderson was the author and a major creative influence behind the ground-breaking album “Fragile” as well as the series of epic, complex pieces such as “Awaken,” “Gates of Delirium” and especially “Close to the Edge” which were central to the band’s success. Additionally, Anderson co-authored the group’s biggest hits, including “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Roundabout” and “Owner Of A Lonely Heart.” After 50 years of success in the music business, Jon has worked with many variations of YES, as well as collaborations with Vangelis, Kitaro, Roine Stolt and Jean-Luc Ponty. He has released several critically acclaimed solo albums including “Olias of Sunhillow,” “Song of Seven,” “Animation,” “Three Ships,” “Toltec” and “Survival and Other Stories” to name just a few. In 2017 Jon reformed YES with former band members Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman. YES Featuring ARW toured the world to rave reviews and released “Live At The Apollo” CD/DVD in September 2018. Never to stand still musically, in 2019 Jon released an album he started 28 years ago, now called “1,000 Hands,” a reference to the fact that numerous guest musicians perform on the album, including Ian Anderson, Billy Cobham, Jean-Luc Ponty, Chick Corea, Zap Momma, Chris Squire, Alan White, Steve Howe and many more.
Following the sad news of the passing of drummer Alan White, YES will go ahead with their forthcoming The Album Series Tour 2022 in June celebrating the 50th anniversary of their iconic album Close to the Edge, dedicating the tour to Alan.
Alan White joined YES in June 1972, just days before their Close To The Edge Tour began. Over the following 50 years Alan would appear on every YES album including 2021’s The Quest. Following the global pandemic, Alan had been looking forward to this tour and re-joining his bandmates on stage, something he lived for, in the run up to his 50th anniversary of joining Yes.
Sadly that was not be, but Alan’s towering presence will be omnipresent on the tour. Alan’s good friend, Jay Schellen, will join Yes for the forthcoming tour, alongside Steve Howe (guitars), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Jon Davison (vocals) and Billy Sherwood (bass guitar and backing vocals).
Steve Howe: It is with great sadness that I join with the other members of Yes to acknowledge the passing of our dearest friend and drummer, Alan White.
He gave so many of his best years to the band and was a true believer and determined professional til the very end.
Being a kind and loving human being just came naturally to him, with his mellow, non-confrontational personality and abundant generosity, which made him so popular with his friends and everyone he met.
Geoff Downes: It is with the utmost sadness I have received the news of the passing of my dearest friend and bandmate Alan White. He was truly one of the greatest men I have ever met. Honest, loyal, passionate, caring, kind, generous, considerate, charitable, funny – so many superlatives, too many to mention – simply, an all-round top guy and one of the best. And despite living for many years in his adopted hometown of Seattle, he never lost that Geordie wit, irony and charm.
As a musician he was unique in every way, and his powerhouse technique influenced whole generations of drummers and percussionists – an absolute legend in the true sense of the word. He was a joy to share the same stage with, often glancing over at the keyboard riser with a wink and a smile, but still laying down that solid, yet intricate groove as only he could. This was Alan – a genius who never took himself too seriously.
We had some great laughs together, became very close, and always looked after each other to the point where they started referring to us as ‘The Odd Couple’!
The Close to the Edge show will comprise full production and a high-definition video wall featuring the work of Roger Dean who will also be joining the tour with an exhibition of YES related art.
Following the release of The Yes Album and Fragile, in 1971, YES released what is widely considered one of the most defining albums, not only for YES but for the whole progressive movement. Close to the Edge became an inspiration for their contemporaries and for successive generations of musicians.
YES 2022 UK Tour Dates Are:
15th June Wednesday Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
17th June Friday Manchester Bridgewater Hall
18th June Saturday Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
20th June Monday Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
21st June Tuesday London Royal Albert Hall
22nd June Thursday York Barbican
24th June Friday Birmingham Symphony Hall
26th June Sunday Newcastle O2 City Hall
28th June Tuesday Dublin Vicar Street, Eire
29th June Wednesday Cork Opera House, Eire
For full details and to book tickets for all shows go to venue website or http://yesworld.com/live where you can also book Meet and Greets with the band.
A mere 6 months after Peter Goalby’s surprise solo debut album, decades after he retired from the business, a sequel has arrived! Easy With The Heartaches came out last November 2021, and the quality of the songs, recording, and Peter’s vocal performances were a long awaited (and overdue) treat to fans who’ve wondered where and why he disappeared years ago. Heck that album only made many wonder even more why he went away with so many great songs yet to see the light of day! Now, there is a ‘part 2’ to his long lost solo recordings – I Will Come Runnin’, featuring the same cast – Paul Hodson and Eddy Morton, as well as Robin George on 2 tracks. Safe to say if you enjoyed the first release – you will love this as well. The song quality and performances are as good as Easy With The Heartaches, being from the same period and recording sessions. The difference being that overall I think I Will Come Runnin’ is a bit more in the softer AOR realm, with a few less ‘punchy’ tracks than it’s predecessor. “Hold The Dream” may still be my favorite of either of these releases, but there’s some damn great tunes here, with early favorites being “Somebody’s Fool” and “Waiting For An Angel To Call”. The title track leads off this disc (as with the first one), and it’s a good positive lighter aor pop-rock tune, but like most, what makes Peter’s songs so good is the catchy and memorable choruses, I also think Eddy Morton’s guitar break here gives the song a nice lift.
Lots of potential here for ‘hits’ had this come out in another era – “Dancing On Water” (co-written with Robin George), “It Was There All The Time”, “Perfect Strangers” (one of the excellent ballads here), “There’s Always A Place In My Heart”…. Robin George also co-wrote the rockier “Rock N Roll Crazy” – this one is a bit different, sounding like it would’ve fit nicely on one of George’s ’80s releases, or on Heep’s Equator (ala “Party Time”) . The last track here is the last track Peter recorded – “A Little Piece Of Heaven”, and judging from the lyrics (especially the opening lines), I would think he was already planning on getting out of making music – “Saved up all my rainbows, cashed in all my yesterdays / Changing my direction, giving all my things away / It’s time to make a new start, “ It is one of the best ballads Peter ever wrote and sang, but marks the end of his musical career, so it’s a bit sad in that case. Paul Hodson does a superb job on this one as well, and Eddy Morton delivers a cool short guitar break (sounds )a bit country. This is The Big ‘hit’ off this album, IMO.
I Will Come Runnin’ likely marks the end of Peter Goalby’s ‘archived’ material that we’ll see a proper release of. I don’t believe there is that much in the way of good material / recordings left that could or would possibly be released in the future. So, enjoy this and Easy With The Heartaches as much as you can. They are both fantastic CDs of songs we are fortunate to get to have. Decades after leaving the business Peter can now add “successful solo artist” to his legacy, besides just “former lead singer of _____” .
*CD cover art designed by Mike Inns (who also did Easy With The Heartaches), and who’s done album covers and art for numerous acts, including Collins / Shaw, Asia, John Wetton, Alan Simon and Focus, among others.https://www.discogs.com/artist/2879524-Michael-Inns
Alan White of YES has passed. A legendary drummer, who had an amazing resume even before joining Yes. He was the band’s longest serving member, and aside from all the classic Yes albums he was on since 1973, he also released a solo album in ’76, and an album under the band name White in 2006, which also included Geoff Downes of Yes.
[Press}:
It is with deep sadness that YES announce Alan White, their much-loved drummer and friend of 50 years, has passed away, aged 72, after a short illness. The news has shocked and stunned the entire YES family.
Alan had been looking forward to the forthcoming UK Tour, to celebrating his 50th Anniversary with YES and their iconic Close To The Edge album, where Alan’s journey with YES began in July 1972.
He recently celebrated the 40th Anniversary of his marriage to his loving wife Gigi. Alan passed away peacefully at home.
Alan was born in 1949 in County Durham. A number of health setbacks, since 2016, had restricted Alan’s time on stage with YES on recent tours with Jay Schellen filling in and Alan joining the band, to great applause, towards the end of each set.
Alan was considered to be one of the greatest rock drummers of all time and joined YES in 1972 for the Close to the Edge Tour. He had previously worked with John Lennon’s Plastic Ono band after a call, in 1969, to play at the Toronto Rock Festival. Alan continued working with Lennon including on the Imagine album and with George Harrison on All Things Must Pass. He also worked with several other musicians, over the years, including Ginger Baker’s Air Force, Joe Cocker, Gary Wright, Doris Troy and Billy Preston to name but a few. Alan White was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of YES in 2017.
YES will dedicate their 50th Anniversary Close to the Edge UK Tour in June to White.
Demons & Wizards was Uriah Heep’s 4th studio album. A few days ago the album turned 50 years old. It was the follow up to Look At Yourself, an album which saw the band solidify a heavy hard-rock direction, and featured classics like “Love Machine”, the title track, and the epic “July Morning” – the latter 2 would remain in the band’s set list almost permanently, and the album has been argued as the band’s best by some critics & fans, but it did not have the commercial success that Demons And Wizards would. In the time after Look At Yourself the band went through more personnel changes, first dropping founding member / bass player Paul Newton. Newton was a key figure in the band’s formation and early days, as he had played with The Gods – which featured Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake before moving on to Spice – which would become Uriah Heep with the addition of Ken Hensley, upon Newton’s recommendation. Newton was initially replaced by Colosseum bassist Mark Clarke, a friend of Hensley’s. Iain Clark, who was the band’s 4th drummer and played on Look At Yourself, left the band soon after Newton, and Lee Kerslake joined. With Clarke on bass the band recorded 2 tracks for a single release – “The Wizard” and “Why”. The latter had been around for some time, as the band had recorded it previously, much longer as “Why -14 Minutes?”, and it would never find a place on a Heep LP, but would become perhaps the band’s most popular non-album track. Clarke would also get a co-writing credit on “The Wizard”, with Hensley. The song featured acoustic guitar, the band’s harmonies, a mystical tale, and the whistle of a tea kettle! The idea to record the tea kettle was spontaneous in the studio and it fitted in perfectly. Clarke also sang the bridge in the song that was better suited to him than David Byron. Released in March “The Wizard” would chart in a few countries, a minor hit in Canada (#86), a top 40 hit in Germany, and a top 10 hit in Switzerland – where the band had previously had a top 10 hit with the single “Look At Yourself”.
Before the album would be completed though Clarke left the band while on US tour, with Gary Thain (ex Keef Hartley) brought in to replace him. “The Wizard” also became the first track on the album, an interesting way to start an album that would go on to be much heavier. (An interesting comparison is Golden Earring’s 1971 album Seven Tears, which begins with the acoustic track “Silver Ships”, as well as a unique lyrical subject). Side one would also contain “Traveler In Time”, and “Poet’s Justice” – the first featured in the band’s live show at the time, while the latter is one of the band’s great album tracks, rarely mentioned, and not featured on the Live ’73 album – just a classic tune, and and stellar performance from Kerslake – who would receive a co-writing credit on both of these tunes. “Circle Of Hands” is the track that had me going back to carefully drop the needle on that Ken Hensley organ intro, and listen through to the end with the David Byron’s vocal and Hensley’s slide guitar that plays out to the end. It is the Heep song that had me as an immediate fan, and remains my favorite Heep track. The band did a remarkable live performance of it on their Live ’73 album, and have occasionally revisited it in the live set since 1994, as it appeared on Spellbinder (Live in Koln) . “Easy Livin'” was the third track on Demons And Wizards, and the album’s 2nd single. It was short and full of energy, with that Hammond organ throughout with Mick Box’s fuzzy guitar tone. And again it’s full of harmonies, a great vocal from Byron, and the rhythm section of Kerslake and Gary Thain drove this one home. Kind of a cool follow up to the track “Look At Yourself” musically. It would be the band’s first (and only) top 40 hit in the US at #39, while in Canada it peaked at #25, and as put by one former Heep PR person “opened all doors” for them. It is among the most covered Heep classics, and is the band’s best known song globally, one of the few that still receives radio play on FM classic rock radio, and has rarely never been featured in the band’s live show.
Side 2 opened with “Rainbow Demon”, another song featuring a tale of fantasy, though darker and heavier than “The Wizard”, it was (obviously) the track used for part of the album’s name. This one has occasionally crept in to the band’s live set over the last decade or so, as well. “All My Life” was the album’s other short and furious rocker, featuring plenty of slide guitar (via Ken Hensley). A Box/Byron/Kerslake credited track that was, in many countries, used as the B-side to “Easy Livin”. Admittedly, this was the last song on the album that I really got in to. The album closes with the epic combo of “Paradise / The Spell”, 2 different tracks that are edited to blend together, and fit well, clocking in at over 12 minutes. While “Paradise” is an acoustic ballad, the weight and pace pick up as the it blends in to “The Spell”, a more upbeat saga of good vs evil with Byron and Hensley trading off vocal lines. Lots of changes throughout, a fantastic production. A shame this one was never performed in full during at the time it came out.
From RPM (Canada) – A surprisingly sophisticated set of uniquely produced avant garde rock. The group has matured considerably and this album is easily the high point of their careers. Listen particularly to “The Wizard” and “All My Life”. This one should do it for them.
Demons And Wizards would be the first of a pair of Heep’s classic albums to feature the artwork of Roger Dean, who was quickly becoming famous during the era having done album art for bands such as The Gun, Atomic Rooster, Lighthouse, Osibisa, and Yes by this point. The album made the charts in numerous countries – top 10 (#1 in Finland, #5 in Germany and Norway), top 20 (Australia, UK) … in the US it would be the band’s most successful, making it to #23 there and #22 in Canada, the band’s first to go ‘Gold’, With Heep’s hectic schedule at the time the band were on the road much of the rest of the year, breaking to record and release a follow up within 6 months! The Magician’s Birthday came out, rushed before the end of the year, and although the 2 albums are often seen as a classic pair for their fantasy themes, Roger Dean covers, and legendary tracks, the latter would not be as successful, nor would it contain that global hit single as Heep had with “Easy Livin”. But another awesome album to look at in the future.
The 50th Anniversary of the Heep’s most successful and famous album seems to have gone by without a huge deal , due largely to the pandemic that pushed back the band’s 50th anniversary tour from 2020. There was a limited edition picture disc LP release, but heck I would’ve loved to have seen a box set (ala Led Zeppelin style) marking such an iconic album. But the year is far from over, the band is touring, and have a brand new album recorded in the can, and there’s a few more classic Heep albums coming up over the next year that will deserve celebrating as well.
RIP: David Byron, Gary Thain, Ken Hensley, Lee Kerslake.
Outsider Rock 