British musician/singer/songwriter and producer Peter Green (best known as Daniel Boone) passed away January 27, in Paignton Devon, UK. Boone was best known for his 1972 international hit single “Beautiful Sunday”.
Born Peter Charles Green on July 31, 1942, the singer had a lengthy career dating back to the early ’60s with such bands as The Beachcombers and The Bruisers. He soon started using the name Lee Stirling, then Peter Lee Stirling, and recorded a number of singles under that name. Some of his songs were recorded by other artists during the ’60s as well.
In 1971 Green adopted the name Daniel Boone and recorded a number of albums, and having other such hits as “Annabelle” and “Sunshine Lover”. He’d also recorded for Avenue Records (cover versions), Bell Records (singles), and recorded rock albums with studio bands Rumplestilskin and Hungry Wolf.
Boone also had a working relationship with David Byron (Uriah Heep), and co-wrote and produced Byron’s 1978 solo album Baby Faced Killer. The pair also worked on a number of disco/dance releases under such names as Warlord, The Intergalactic Orchestra, and Technique – who scored a hit with “Michael Angelo”. During this time at Old Smithy Studios with Muff Murfin, Byron wrote under the alias Mark Oxford, while bass player Pino Palladino (uncredited) was also involved. Boone ended the ’70s with his 1979 solo album All My Own Work (a Canada only release).
In the ’80s, as Boone, he released a solo album in 1985 – I’m Only Looking, and played on Peter Green’s (ex Fleetwood Mac) 1983 album Kolors. He also co-wrote 2 tracks that appeared on the first Byron Band single, as well as co-wrote and appeared on releases by guitarist Robin George. In the ’90s he recorded with The Troggs. There are a few clips on youtube of him appearing on TV in Europe performing “Beautiful Sunday”.
YES have announced the release of a brand new album, and follow up to 2021’s The Quest. The band’s 23rd studio album – Mirror To The Sky comes out in May, including 9 tracks, and featuring Roger Dean artwork. It is also features the lead off single / video “Cut From The Stars”, and is the first to feature Jay Schellen (ex Hurricane, Asia feat John Payne, Unruly Child) as YES’ fulltime drummer, taking over for the late Alan White . *check out the video below, as well as more info on Mirror To The Sky from the press release.
YES, who are Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood & Jay Schellen, are pleased to announce their new studio album Mirror To The Sky on InsideOutMusic/Sony Music on the 19th May 2023. “This is a very important album for the band,” says Steve Howe, Yes’ longest serving member, master guitarist, and producer of Mirror To The Sky. “We kept the continuity in the approach we established on The Quest, but we haven’t repeated ourselves. That was the main thing. As Yes did in the seventies from one album to another, we’re growing and moving forward. In later years, Yes often got going but then didn’t do the next thing. This album is demonstrative of us growing and building again.” For Yes, that “next thing” is a collection of high energy, intricate, lush and layered new studio songs for an album which adds to the band’s much heralded legacy, while charting a path to exciting future times ahead.
As they were wrapping up The Quest, Yes found themselves with song sketches, structures, and ideas that were demanding attention. Yes received unconditional support from InsideOut boss Thomas Waber, who encouraged them to keep going in the studio, months before The Quest would even go on sale. It was like throwing gasoline on their creative fire.
“When we delivered everything, and they were just getting the vinyl and everything into production for manufacturing, we were still very much in that creative zone,” explains Steve Howe. “That belief that Thomas had in us really meant a lot,” he says.
“We truly get along as people,” says Jon Davison. “I feel like everyone’s focused inward to the greater circle, concentric to the core of highest standards that define Yes. It’s a wonderful thing to witness and of which to play a part. I believe this reflects vibrantly in the music and the creative input that each one is willing to apply, not for the benefit of the individual, but for the greater whole that is Yes.”
“There was a lot of material floating around because the band hadn’t done anything in the studio for so long. Ideas were just copious,” says bassist Billy Sherwood. “The pace of it was fast. As soon as we were finished with The Quest, and the mix had come out, we took a couple of little breaks there to catch our breath. But there was still music flowing around in the loop. It was just constantly being looked at and worked on. As we were all home and in that mode, things started progressing quite swiftly. We just went one album into another without really announcing, ‘Hey, we’re working on a second record right now.’ We just continued to work on material. It came about pretty naturally, and then we refined it as the process went on. But the initial bursts — there was a lot of material around!”
Much to everyone’s delight, including that of long-time fan Thomas Waber, Yes have pushed into territory they practically invented — the prog rock epic — albeit in a thoroughly new and modern way. “I always felt that it would be great to have stuff that’s a little bit more epic,” he says, although he resisted the temptation to push for something that would be too formatted and could come off as contrived. He just gave the band space to do what they do and let things develop. “They were so excited by The Quest and the momentum they had that they went straight back into the studio. What they were writing, even early on, was obviously headed in that epic direction — what Yes music really is to me. It is almost a genre onto itself. It is ‘Yes Music.’ Mirror To The Sky certainly is Yes Music.”
Mirror To The Sky features not one, but four tracks clocking in at over eight minutes, with the sweeping and cinematic title track coming in just shy of fourteen minutes. What’s more, the tracks, like Yes’ best, take the listener on a wide dynamically ranging journey of soundscapes which also showcase Steve Howe’s dazzling guitars, keyboard wizard Geoff Downes’ impeccable sounds, exquisite melodies and fills, Jon Davison’s angelic, crystalline vocals, Billy Sherwood’s deftly dancing bass and Jay Schellen’s masterfully controlled explosions, on drums.
Jay Schellen, who has been touring with the band since 2016, was hand-picked to step into his mentor and friend Alan White’s role when White sadly passed away in 2022. “I had done the 2016 Topographic Drama tour on my own for Alan,” says Jay. “From late 2017 onwards, we had a partnership, and a beautiful partnership, I might add. I learned so much, and discovered so much about Alan’s style, and why it was the way it was. It fit his personality so perfectly. This album has Alan’s presence all over it. It is inside of us. So this is still, in my heart, Alan just being present and with us, and with me, in a big way.”
‘Mirror To The Sky’ will be available on several formats, all featuring artwork by long-time Yes artist & collaborator Roger Dean:
Ltd Deluxe Electric Blue 2LP+2CD+Blu-ray Artbook with poster
Ltd Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook
Ltd 2CD Digipak
Standard CD Jewel case
Gatefold 2LP+LP-Booklet
Digital Album
The Blu-ray editions include the album as Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound, Instrumental Versions & Hi-Res Stereo Mixes.
British band White Spirit, who’s 2022 album Right Or Wrong featured previously unreleased tracks sang by the late Brian Howe (Bad Company), have posted a new video for the instrumental track of the song “Rock ‘N’ Roll”. This instrumental version is the Japanese-only bonus track. A great ’80s sounding fast paced rock track, love the synths throughout this. Check out the clip below (and others via their new youtube channel). Right Or Wrong featured a number of name players such as Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath) and Russell Gilbrook (Uriah Heep), as well as guest singers Jeff Scott Soto, Lee Small, and Steve Overland, all joining guitarist Mick Tucker and keyboardist Malcolm Pearson.
The band have recently announced their touring line-up, which (besides Tucker & Pearson), includes drummer- Kyle Hughes (Graham Bonnet Band), bassist- Steve Ireland, guitarist- Micky Crystal (Tygers Of Pan Tang), Lead singer- Alexx Stahl (Bonfire, Purple Rising, Viron), plus backing singers Ian Gillson, Linzi Hunter and Jackie Fox. As well, the band are signed on to play the Dominion Festival in the UK, May 7. White Spirit are currently finishing up work on an EP to be completed in March, which will include a pair of older songs, plus 2 new ones, and is being produced by Pontus Norgren (Hammerfall).
If you haven’t checked out Right Or Wrong from White Spirit, I recommend it; a classic ’80s style hard-rock album (see my review elsewhere here). Looking forward to the new songs, and possibly a vinyl release of Right Or Wrong.
Russell Gilbrook joined URIAH HEEP in 2007, and made an immediate impact with his drumming performance on Wake The Sleeper. Coming up to fifteen years since the release of that first album, Heep’s brand new album is titled Chaos & Colour, and Russell Gilbrook has not only given the band a strong boost of once again, but has also contributed 4 songs to the new album! Along with longtime friend and guitarist Simon J. Pinto, Russell also co-wrote the band’s newest single “Hurricane”. In this interview Russell answers my questions pertaining to the amazing new Uriah Heep album, his writing contributions, and more. Enjoy the read, and check out the new Heep album, as well as the links below.
You’ve contributed 4 excellent tracks to the new Uriah Heep album, co-written with Simon Pinto. First, can you tell me a bit about Simon and how you came to work & write with him?
I’ve known Simon for around 30 years and played in quite a lot of bands with him. He really understands my approach to drumming and rock music in general. He’s a great player and I knew the chemistry would work between us when it came to a writing process.
How did you and Simon write together — who came up with musical ideas, lyrics, etc…?
We got together and I gave him all my ideas of feels, grooves, chord progressions etc.. and he did his own research and familiarized himself with the Heep back catalogue and we slowly built up the songs from those initial ideas.
We wanted to write songs that had a storytelling element and wanted the music to help tell these stories.
Was there an abundance of songs to choose from for Chaos & Colour, more so than previous albums? How was it all cut down (producer’s choice?) And was there anything put to tape that wasn’t included?
Because of the lockdown situation, everyone was able to put down a lot of ideas. We had a lot of time on our hands. All those ideas were brought to the table during our two weeks of pre-production and we picked what we felt were the strongest ideas for the next album. Our producer, Jay Ruston, also had a say on which ideas he would like on the album.
The 11 songs were agreed and recorded in Chapel Studios over the three-week period.
Are there any plans to work on / record your songs that didn’t make the album in the future or with another project (solo or with Simon)?
Yes! All ideas that didn’t go on this record are saved and may be used for either a future Heep record or another project somewhere down the line.
Hurricane sounds like it will be a great live track. I know it might be a ways off, but have you guys discussed what songs from Chaos & Colour you’re probably going to include in the live show?
Well, we have no idea at this time what will make the live set but I’d definitely love to see it in there. What tends to happen is when we rehearse for touring the Chaos & Colour album, we’ll try out various songs from the album to see which ones we think will fit well with existing Heep songs.
You’ll Never Be Alone is an epic piece! Can you talk share a bit of what influenced this song lyrically and musically?
The story is about a child’s dream where fairies are luring and kidnapping children but this one particular child realizes that there is a problem and alerts the parents who then come to find the lost children and take them from the fairies’ grasp and when it seems like all the children are safe and well, the initial verse structure repeats, suggesting that it is a recurring dream and the fairies are up to their usual tricks. If you close your eyes and focus on the music, it really accentuates the story in a dramatic and magical way. It was really important for us to match the lyrics with the music, making it such an epic track!
Can you give me a bit of insight into Hail The Sunrise (a great catchy chorus), and Fly Like An Eagle (just an awesome hypnotic, progressive sort of song)?
Hail The Sunrise is going back to ancient times of how people erected these sacred formations and the blood, sweat and tears and long journeys that went into the process of moving the stone from one place to another, all for what they believed in. The dedication and devotion that ensured the formations at places such as Stonehenge, Gurung Padang and Gobekli Tepe stood through the ages is astounding and difficult to even comprehend! We wanted the chorus to be quite anthemic to represent the elation these people must have felt when these structures were completed and in use.
Fly Like an Eagle… On the surface it’s about meditation but it also touches on the indigenous cultural tradition of ‘Vision Quest’ – A spiritual journey to receive knowledge from the spirit world. The song was written to be uplifting journey for the listener, so hopefully, everyone gets those feelings from it.
Of the other tracks on the album from with Davey or Mick & Phil – what are a few of your favorites?
Save Me Tonight by Davey and Jeff Scott Soto is a killer, high energy track! We had no doubt Dave would bring something like this to the table after ‘Grazed By Heaven’. I also really enjoy Silver Sunlight by Phil and Mick. The dynamic changes within that song and the big melodic chorus are exactly what Heep fans love, but all in all, I think every track on the album has it’s strengths and the album has something to offer everyone.
There’s that cool little exchange between you w/ Mick and Davey, back and forth on “Freedom To Be Free”. A pretty intense instrumental section. Can you recall a bit about that song and section came together?
The song was written by Mick and Phil and we agreed that it would be great to have Davey do a bass solo in there. We played a musical phrase and Davey basically answered it. What that tends to do within a song is give it a bit of a cool musical expression to add a bit of interest. It’s the proggy part of Heep coming out, I suppose!
How did you approach this album playing-wise — anything different?
As a band, no, nothing different really. The song ideas determine ways to play and in the pre-production weeks, we try out a range of different approaches for the playing and find which works best. For me personally, the way I tackle the songs is pretty organic – When I hear the first demos I can already hear what the song needs and as I come from a session background and have played a load of different music styles I tend to have quite a few ideas on the spot and as a result, the drum parts come together pretty easily.
Prior to the release of this album you played on the White Spirit album. Can you tell me a bit about this project? How you got involved and all? Any plans to perform with the band live or on anything in the future?
Actually, Dave Ling (Classic Rock journalist) recommended me to Cliff Evans (Guitar) and Mick Tucker (Guitar) as they were looking for a drummer for the project. They sent over the rough demos and said that I was free to do my own thing on it. Unfortunately, due to the Heep schedule, adding in other touring responsibilities is quite difficult, however, I never say never if there is a gap in the Heep dates, I’ll be out there playing! I’m very happy with the outcome of the album and the songs are really good! It’s a great album, with awesome artists collaborating on it. I’d recommend people go check it out if they haven’t yet.
You’ve been in Heep now for 15 years. Have you ever sat and gone through the band’s Entire catalogue? And do you have a few favorite albums, and/or a few favorite tracks that might be considered ‘deep cuts’ or hidden gems in the Heep repertoire?
I wouldn’t quite say I’ve sat and gone through every album! Haha, but when we have rehearsal time to put together a new set, we tend to go back in the archives and find tracks which the band hasn’t played for a while, such as ‘Love Machine’, ‘Shadows of Grief’, ‘Wiseman’ and ‘Against the Odds’. As for albums that I love, ‘Wake The Sleeper’ is special to me because it’s the first album I played on, just a few weeks after joining the band and ‘Look At Yourself’ is such a Great early album for Heep that has the fantastic ‘July Morning’ and title track. Special mention goes to ‘Chaos & Colour’, of course as It’s my first contributions to the writing.
What sorts of music do you listen to at home (in car or at the gym)? Anything new you’ve been into lately? btw – Do you still buy albums – physical copies or mainly download or stream?
I like a varied amount of music – My car playlist is a bit of a joke actually! Haha
My car favourites go from the likes of Saxon and Judas Priest to Billy Joel and Oscar Peterson.
I’m really enjoying the new Ozzy album ‘Patient Number 9’ at the moment – I’m listening to it a lot in the car.
To be honest, I mainly stream because I only really get to listen to music in the car or in the tour bus. Unfortunately, streaming is the easiest way to access music in these cases.
Can you give me Russell Gilbrook’s Top 10 (favorite) Albums from your youth?
I struggle to name my top ten favourite albums from my youth! I have too many, but I can list 10 albums that I really like in general?
URIAH HEEP has a new single out from Chaos & Colour, which is to be released on the 27. The rocker “Hurricane” was written by (drummer) Russell Gilbrook, along with friend & guitarist Simon J. Pinto, who has played with Les Binks (Les Binks’ Priesthood), and also worked with Adam Wakeman, Brian May, and Sam Smith among others. “Hurricane” is an outstanding heavy rocker and sounds like it should make an excellent fit in to the band’s live show.
The anthemic and epic “Hurricane” carries an underlying historical and mythological theme. Co-writer and drummer Russell Gilbrook explains: “Simon (Pinto) and I wrote the song about how our ancestors looked at storms and how these can be interpreted as being messages from the Gods… Their power is awesome and a great inspiration for a rocking track!”
Founding member Mick Box comments: “Music and lyrics are of paramount importance to me… I used to hate those ‘80s MTV million dollar videos as they created such a visual image that all calls to imagination were lost because you didn’t have to think. I think the power of music and lyrics are that they do certain things to certain people.”
Chaos & Colour is an album which bristles with explosive classic rock guitars, supreme harmonies, and Heep’s famously generous keyboard foundation. “One Nation, One Sun” is a journey of soaring balladic contemplation, “Fly Like An Eagle” takes the listener on a journey of meditation, whilst “Closer To Your Dreams” is a battle cry for all rockers to get out there and do it, with Shaw imploring that “So many have tried but slipped away/Now it’s time for you to have your say.” During the entire album, Bernie Shaw’s timeless vocals sit expertly beside the band’s phenomenal artistry (Mick Box – guitar, Phil Lanzon – keyboard, Russell Gilbrook – drums, Dave Rimmer – bass), rounding out exceptional performances throughout.
British blues rocker legends Ten Years After released A Space In Time in 1971. The album was the band’s first for new labels Chrysalis (UK, Europe) and Columbia (North America). A Space In Time saw the band aim for a wider audience, with more acoustics and less of the heavy blues sound that made them such a success in the UK, where their previous 3 albums all went top 10. But this album featured their most famous worldwide hit “I’d Love To Change The World”, and despite that the album and song were not huge hits in the UK. The band featured legendary guitarist Alvin Lee, bass player Leo Lyons, drummer Ric Lee, and keyboard player Chick Churchill. “Baby Won’t You Let Me Rock N Roll You” was released as the album’s 2nd single, the album’s heaviest cut. Despite the lighter approach A Space In Time features lots of great acoustic based tracks – “I’ve Been There Too” (where Alvin Lee put in a classic rockin’ solo to lift things up), the standout ballad “Here They Come”, and “Hard Monkeys”, a song about drug abuse (‘junkie blues’), and highlighted by Lee’s blistering solo and vocals. A must-have album from the late 60s/early 70s rock era.
A Space In Time has been remixed by it’s engineer Chris Kimsey (who’s lengthy list of credits include The Rolling Stones, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Peter Frampton, and Marillion). The remixed edition, along with the remastered original version are being released together in March on CD and vinyl. For more details check out the press release, as well as the links below…
British rock legends UFO have released an exciting live version of “Only You Can Rock Me” from the forthcoming reissue of 1998’s live recording Werewolves of London (Live In Wolverhampton). The show saw the reunited band, following the release of the awesome Walk On Water album from ’95 – which featured the classic line-up of Phil Mogg, Paul Raymond, Michael Schenker, Andy Parker and Pete Way. Parker left following Walk On Water, and was replaced on tour by Simon Wright (AC/DC, Dio). Werewolves of London is a great recording of UFO still sounding as energetic as they had 2 decades earlier. The set list was still comprised largely of the classics that featured on their classic Strangers In The Night live album, as well as including a few (then) new outstanding tracks from Walk On Water (“A Self Made Man”, “Venus” and “Pushed To The Limit”), plus a pair gems with “Electric Phase” (from 1977’s Lights Out) and “One More For The Rodeo” (from ’78’s Obsession).
From the press release – “this fantastic concert album is being remastered and re-released on both physical and digital formats. Hear the group rip through several highlights from Walk On Water (“Pushed To The Limit,” “A Self Made Man”) as well as their best-loved works, the unstoppable juggernauts “Doctor Doctor,” “Lights Out,” “Rock Bottom” and more! By way of previewing the release, the group’s killer version of “Only You Can Rock Me” is being released as a single, which will be followed by the full album on CD and audiophile quality 180 GRAM BLACK vinyl on February 17. Additional vinyl colors – RED, YELLOW, BLUE & PURPLE – will be released a few weeks later on March 24th. Order yours now!”
British blues rockers Bad Luck Friday have a new single out – “Rebel With A Cause”. The single on Wilde Fire Records, from the band’s debut album can be streamed HERE and check out the video below. *For more check out the press info and links below!
“Rebel With A Cause is Bad Luck Friday’s unambiguous statement about Britain’s current political climate,” says the band’s guitarist Steve Brook. “Channelling Rage Against the Machine, the track’s opening riff serves as a rallying call to the disaffected, the downtrodden and jaded alike: get off your rear and get to the front! It’s big, bold and demands to be heard.”
Don’t be fooled by the harmonica. Bad Luck Friday is not your typical blues rock band. Will Wilde has a reputation in the blues world as a pioneer of the rock harp, but with Bad Luck Friday, he’s taken the music well beyond its traditional blues roots.
The band’s eponymous debut album is available on CD and limited edition coloured vinyl from www.badluckfriday.com.
The classic 1980 album from The Alan Parson Project – Turn Of A Friendly Card is being reissued in a 4 disc (3 CD + DVD) box. The album was highlighted by 2 major hits – “Games People Play” – featuring the amazing vocals of Lenny Zakatek, and the ballad “Time”. It also included such favorites as “I Don’t Wanna Go Home”, “The Gold Bug” (a single) and “Turn Of A Friendly Card” (Parts One & Two). The original album is an awesome listen on it’s own, but the numerous demos, early takes, and rough mixes make this even more interesting. I am quite happy hearing a number of versions of “Games People Play”! To be released February 24, with a limited number of collector’s postcards available.
*For more info check out the press info & tracklisting below, as well as ordering link.
• A DELUXE LIMITED EDITION BOXED SET OF THE CLASSIC ALBUM BY THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT.
• THREE CDs AND ONE BLU-RAY DISC (REGION FREE), REMASTERED AND REMIXED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES BY ALAN PARSONS.
• FEATURING AN ADDITIONAL 42 BONUS TRACKS DRAWN FROM ERIC WOOLFSON’S SONGWRITING DIARIES, STUDIO SESSION OUT-TAKES AND A STUNNING NEW 5.1 SURROUND SOUND FROM THE ORIGINAL MULTI-TRACK MASTER TAPES BY ALAN PARSONS AND FOUR PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS.
• INCLUDES A LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK WITH NEW ESSAY AND A REPLICA POSTER.
First released in November 1980, ‘The Turn Of A Friendly Card’ was the fifth album by The Alan Parsons Project, the brainchild of composer, musician and manger Eric Woolfson and celebrated producer and engineer Alan Parsons.
Inspired by the period in which both Eric Woolfson and Alan Parsons had resided in Monte Carlo, this legendary album was recorded in Paris. The album sessions featured the contribution of musicians such as Ian Bairnson (guitars), David Paton (bass), Stuart Elliott (drums) with Eric Woolfson playing keyboards and providing lead vocals, along with Elmer Gantry, Chris Rainbow and Lenny Zakatek.‘ The Turn Of A Friendly Card’ would become one of the biggest selling albums for The Alan Parsons Project, attaining gold status in many European countries and the USA. The album featured such classic compositions as ‘Games People Play, ‘Time’, ‘The Gold Bug’ and ‘The Turn Of A Friendly’ suite which dominated the album’s second side.
This new deluxe edition comprises 3CDs and a Blu-Ray disc (Region Free) with an additional 42 tracks drawn from Eric Woolfson’s song-writing diaries, studio session out-takes and a stunning new 5.1 surround sound mix by Alan Parsons and a high resolution remastered original stereo mix, along with the promotional videos of ‘Games People Play’, ‘The Gold Bug’ and ‘The Turn Of A Friendly Card’ plus a promotional television advertisement. This stunning set also features a lavish illustrated book with a new essay with photos, memorabilia and features recollections from Alan Parsons and Sally Woolfson. It also includes a reproduction poster.
DISC ONE THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD’ REMASTERED 1 MAY BE A PRICE TO PAY 2 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY 3 TIME 4 I DON’T WANNA GO HOME 5 THE GOLD BUG 6 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD (PART ONE) 7 SNAKE EYES 8 THE ACE OF SWORDS 9 NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE 10 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD (PART TWO) BONUS TRACKS 11 MAY BE A PRICE TO PAY (INTRO DEMO) 12 NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE (BASIC BACKING TRACK) 13 NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE (CHRIS RAINBOW OVERDUB VOCAL COMPILATION) 14 TIME (EARLY STUDIO ATTEMPT) 15 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY (ROUGH MIX) 16 THE GOLD BUG (DEMO)
DISC TWO ERIC WOOLFSON’S SONGWRITING DIARIES 1 MAY BE A PRICE TO PAY 2 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY 3 TIME 4 I DON’T WANNA GO HOME 5 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD 6 SNAKE EYES 7 NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE 8 TOFC / SNAKE EYES / I DON’T WANNA GO HOME 9 LA LA LA LAH 10 NEXT YEAR 11 SOMEONE ELSE 12 TAKING IT ALL AWAY 13 TO THOSE OF YOU OUT THERE
DISC THREE RECORDING SESSIONS BONUS TRACKS 1 MAY BE A PRICE TO PAY (EARLY VERSION – ERIC GUIDE VOCAL AND UNUSED GUITAR SOLO) 2 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY (EARLY VERSION – ERIC GUIDE VOCAL) 3 TIME (ORCHESTRA AND CHRIS RAINBOW BACKING VOCALS) 4 THE GOLD BUG (EARLY REFERENCE VERSION) 5 THE GOLD BUG (CHRIS RAINBOW BACKING VOCALS) 6 THE GOLD BUG (CLAVINET WITH NO DELAY) 7 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD – Part One (EARLY BACKING TRACK) 8 SNAKE EYES (EARLY VERSION – ERIC GUIDE VOCAL) 9 THE ACE OF SWORDS (EARLY VERSION WITH SYNTH ORCHESTRATION) 10 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD – Part Two (ERIC GUIDE VOCAL AND EXTENDED GUITAR SOLO) SINGLE EDITS 11 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY (SINGLE EDIT) 12 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD (SINGLE EDIT) 13 SNAKE EYES (SINGLE EDIT)
DISC FOUR – BLU RAY 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIX (2019) AND HIGH- RESOLUTION ORIGINAL STEREO MIX BY ALAN PARSONS 1 MAY BE A PRICE TO PAY 2 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY 3 TIME 4 I DON’T WANNA GO HOME 5 THE GOLD BUG 6 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD (PART ONE) 7 SNAKE EYES 8 THE ACE OF SWORDS 9 NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE 10 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD (PART TWO) VISUAL CONTENT 1 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD (ALBUM AD) 2 GAMES PEOPLE PLAY (PROMOTIONAL VIDEO) 3 THE GOLD BUG (PROMOTIONAL VIDEO) 4 THE TURN OF A FRIENDLY CARD (PROMOTIONAL VIDEO)
I’m not a big fan of covers albums, but I eventually picked up Saxon’s Inspirations from 2021, and thought it was a fine addition to the band’s catalogue, and they’re following it up with a ‘part 2’, simply titled More Inspirations (hmm, will part 3 be called ‘Even More…’ ?) Anyway, the first single sounds great, a cover of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s “The Faith Healer”, and I’m looking forward to hearing many of the titles included on it, such as Heep’s “Gypsy”, Alice Cooper’s “From The Inside”, ZZ Top’s “Chevrolet”, and Rainbow’s “Man On The Silver Mountain.” *Check out a full track listing below, the first video, and all the links and order info below! As well, read the press info for more details.
British Heavy Metal legends Saxon unveil the first single “The Faith Healer”, from the upcoming More Inspirations – set for release on March 24th via Silver Lining Music. Following the release of Inspirations in 2021, More Inspirations is the second ‘deep dish’ serving of the influences which have fed the mighty Saxon’s immensely successful 40+ year career. The first single is an astonishing take on The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s “The Faith Healer”.
Frontman Biff Byford comments “We used to see The Sensational Alex Harvey band play this back in the day, they started the set with it, such a fantastic song and fantastic band… big influence!” Listen To/Watch “The Faith Healer”, the “making of” video directed by Jay Shredder.
Whether getting feral with The Animal’s “We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place”, letting loose a high-octane take on Alice Cooper’s “From The Inside”, or laying down a ferocious tribute to KISS’ “Detroit Rock City”, More Inspirations is a joyous trip into the sounds which galvanized the Barnsley boys and continue to get spun on home stereos and tour buses.
Produced by vocalist/co-founder Biff Byford, with Seb Byford helping record the music alongside mixing engineer Jacky Lehmann. More Inspirations also includes enthusiastic takes on Alice Cooper, Rainbow, ZZ Top and Cream, as well as a thunderous “Razamanaz” by Nazareth, a tasty take on The Who’s “Substitute”, and a thick groove take on Uriah Heep’s “Gypsy”. Whether this is your first dance with such classic songs, or you’ve come to see where Saxon were born, More Inspirations delivers the goods and then some. Following the success of the Seize the World Tour 2022, Saxon will be back on the road in March 2023 for a string of European dates, with special guest’s German metal titans RAGE. For a full list of confirmed dates, tickets, and additional information visit this this location.
More Inspirations will be available on 12” Black Vinyl, CD Digipak, digital formats and special D2C bundles; to pre-order go tothis location.
Outsider Rock 