Uriah Heep (band)
Uriah Heep is an
English rock band, formed in 1969 when record producer
Gerry Bron invited keyboardist
Ken Hensley (previously a member of
The Gods and
Toe Fat) to join
Spice, a band signed to his own
Bronze Records label. Sometimes jokingly referred to as "
The Beach Boys of
heavy metal" for their melodic songs, and trademark multi-part harmony backing vocals, although their music draws on diverse influences including
progressive rock,
hard rock,
heavy metal,
jazz, and even
country on occasion. However, it is mainly recognized by its "goth-like" sound. In spite of their huge popularity in Britain and continental Europe, Uriah Heep was never able to break into the American market in a big way, with the exception of three hit songs, "Easy Livin' " from the 1972 album
Demons and Wizards, "Sweet Lorraine" from the 1972 album
The Magician's Birthday, and "Stealin' " from the 1973 release
Sweet Freedom. The band released several commercially successful albums in the 1970s, but their audience declined during the 1980s, to the point where they became essentially a
cult band in the US and UK, they maintain a significant big following in
Germany, the
Netherlands, the
Scandinavian Peninsula,
Japan, and
Russia were they still tour
stadiums.
The band is named after the character
Uriah Heep from the novel
David Copperfield by
Charles Dickens.
Their debut album,
Very 'Eavy... Very 'Umble (which was self-titled in the
United States), introduced a heavy organ and guitar-driven sound, with
David Byron's theatrical, dynamic vocals soaring above thunderous sonic backgrounds, although
acoustic and
jazz elements also featured in the mix. Their second album,
Salisbury, was more squarely in the
progressive rock genre, with its 16-minute title track featuring a 24-piece
orchestra. Subsequent releases would find the group's ever-shifting lineup (between 1969 and 1980, the band changed drummers five times, bassists four times, and lead singers twice) frequently exploring fantasy-oriented lyrical themes, often in lengthy, multi-part compositions, largely penned by Hensley, who would eventually come to dominate the band during his tenure.
Following the 1976 replacement of vocalist David Byron with
John Lawton (formerly of the German band
Lucifer's Friend), Uriah Heep turned away from fantasy-oriented lyrics and multi-part compositions back toward a more straightforward hard rock sound typical of the era. The replacement of Lawton with vocalist John Sloman for the 1980 album
Conquest was not well received by most fans, and Ken Hensley's acrimonious departure in September of that year left the group in a state of collapse. It fell to guitarist
Mick Box to pick up the pieces and soldier on with a new singer
Pete Goalby of
Trapeze fame. Two early 1980s releases,
Abominog and
Head First, updated the band's sound and generated a brief, newfound interest in Uriah Heep among younger
hair metal fans.
Mick Box has been the band leader ever since, and in recent years, acted as their
manager, until on
April 5 2005, the band retained
Simon Porter as their manager.
See announcement here: [1]They still tour and release occasional studio (and frequent live) albums, featuring the same lineup since 1986 with
Mick Box at the helm as band leader with his
guitar since 1969,
Trevor Bolder on
bass who joined the band in 1976 until 1981 when they disbanded, rejoined in 1982 when they reformed , and
Lee Kerslake on
drums agian a former member who joined in 1972 until 1979 but has been back since 1982, singer
Bernie Shaw, and
Phil Lanzon on
keyboards both joining in 1986. Making it 20 years as of 2006 the same act has been touring and recording, also have music spanning five
decades. Their principal tour circuit is in
Germany, the
Netherlands, the
Scandinavian Peninsula,
Japan, and
Russia, although they return to Britain for a tour each year that culminates in
The Magician's Birthday (named for one of their most popular albums) in November in
London. This event consists of fan gatherings (a devoted fan is usually referred to as a
Heepster) at local venues featuring current and former band members, and a concert, often with guest appearances by former members, (including
Ken Hensley, who has appeared onstage with the band at one show, and performed a separate solo concert as part of the festivities for another) which is filmed and released as a DVD and CD.
As of
April 5 2005, the band has retained
Simon Porter as their manager, see announcement here: [
2]).
On
April 26,
2005, the band announced on their
website and in their
Email newsletter that there would be no Magician's Birthday Party in 2005, as they are concentrating their efforts on writing and recording a new studio album to be released in early 2006 (see
announcement on the band's website).
*
Mick Box â€" Lead guitar/vocals (1969–present)
*
Lee Kerslake â€" Drums/vocals (1972–1979, 1982–present)
*
Trevor Bolder â€" Bass guitar/vocals (1976–1981, 1983–present)
*
Bernie Shaw â€" Lead vocals (1986–present)
*
Phil Lanzon â€" Keyboards/vocals (1986–present)
*
David Byron â€" Lead vocals (1969–1976)
*
Ken Hensley â€" Keyboards/guitar/backing and occasional lead vocals (1969–1980)
*
Paul Newton â€" Bass guitar/vocals (1969–1971)
*
Alex Napier â€" Drums (1969–1970)
*
Colin Wood â€" Keyboards on two songs on the debut album, never an official member (1969)
*
Nigel Olsson â€" Drums (1970)
*
Keith Baker â€" Drums (1970–1971)
*
Ian Clarke â€" Drums (1971–1972)
*
Mark Clarke â€" Bass guitar/vocals (1972)
*
Gary Thain â€" Bass guitar/vocals (1972–1975)
*
John Wetton â€" Bass guitar/vocals (1975–1976)
*
John Lawton â€" Lead vocals (1977–1979)
*
Chris Slade â€" Drums (1979–1981)
*
John Sloman â€" Lead vocals (1979–1981)
*
Gregg Dechert â€" Keyboards/vocals (1980–1981)
*
John Sinclair â€" Keyboards/vocals (1982–1985)
*
Bob Daisley â€" Bass guitar/vocals (1982–1983)
*
Peter Goalby â€" Lead vocals (1982–1985)
*
Steff Fontaine â€" Lead vocals (1986)
Studio albums
*
Very 'eavy... Very 'umble (1970) â€" titled
Uriah Heep in U.S.
*
Salisbury (1971)
*
Look at Yourself (1971)
*
Demons & Wizards (1972)
*
The Magician's Birthday (1972)
*
Sweet Freedom (1973)
*
Wonderworld (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)
*
Different World (1991)
*
Sea of Light (1995)
*
Sonic Origami (1998)
*
New Album (2006)
Live albums
*
Uriah Heep Live (1973)
*
Live at Shepperton '74 (1986) â€" recorded 1974
*
Live in Europe 1979 (1986) â€" recorded 1979
*
Live in Moscow (1988)
*
Spellbinder Live (1996)
*
King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents In Concert (1997) â€" recorded 1974
*
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)
Compilations
*
Anthology (1986)
*
Lady In Black (1994)
*
The Lansdowne Tapes (1994) â€" recordings by
Spice and outtakes from the first three Uriah Heep albums, recorded 1968â€"1971
*
A Time of Revelation (1994) â€" four-disc anthology including much previously unreleased material, recorded 1968â€"1995
*
Uriah Heep: The Collection â€" sixteen songs spanning 1970â€"1983(2000)
*
Remasters: The Official Anthology (2001)
*
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Uriah Heep (2001)
*
David Byron*
Ken Hensley*
Spice*
Heepster*
Roger DeanUriah Heep was one of the first bands to recognize the power of the
internet, and maintain a very active web presence, with the band and fans from all over the world actively participating. Some of the most important Heep-related websites are:
*
Uriah Heep official website*
The Official Uriah Heep Discography*
Ken Hensley official website*
David Byron official tribute website*
Mick Box official website*
Official website for pre-1986 Uriah Heep*
Official US Uriah Heep fan website*
"England's Own Uriah Heep" fan website*
Netherlands Uriah Heep fan website*
Huge Uriah Heep and related website
