Uriah Heep: The Other Band Who Nipped at Led Zeppelin’s Heels! Also; Queen & YES!
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- čas přidán 22. 09. 2022
- Uriah Heep: The Other Band Who Nipped at Led Zeppelin’s Heels! Also; Queen & YES!
Hey everyone!
Uriah Heep! Uriah who, you might ask! Right? Surely NOT Uriah Heep from Dickens’ fame!
The Rock Band Uriah Heep officially named sometime in 1969, added a key new member to the band that would add to the totality of the band!
They would go on to tour with the greatest acts in Rock, with 5 members known to be the ‘proffered’ line-up to the band!
The band has toured as recently as 2017, but with only 1 original member, with several members having died along the way!
Who was the one member in the classic line-up that derailed the band at the wrong moment? How many members did the band go through before settling on their classic 5 man line-up? Who was the last minute addition to the line-up that changed this band’s fortune forever?
These and many more questions will be answered in tonight’s video!
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Enjoy!
Michael Noland
The Bottom Line
Hi Michael, another great show brother. I'm also a Uriah Heep fan. I always look forward to your analysis whether it's bands you like or don't like.
Thanx, Royce! I
You and I often agree regarding truly great Rock music!
In MY opinion, You got Great Taste, brother!❤
@@MichaelNoland-TheBottomLine Great minds thinking alike lol
@@MichaelNoland-TheBottomLine Michael if you can join us tonight for a discussion on box sets
@@MichaelNoland-TheBottomLine Michael join us tonight if possible for a discussion on BOX SETS
@@royceinthehouse842 4d was
One song in particular I find timeless and a definite classic is “Sunrise”. A perfect song 🎵.
We're exactly the same age and even way down here in South Africa as I started out singing rock at age 17, I became a massive fan of British bands - my absolute fav was Uriah Heep with David Byron as their front man. He took rock vocals into another dimension and Ken's song writing was just magnificent. The band with David on vocals was definitely the best rock band ever. The first time I heard Uriah Heep was during my first year at university and I was blown away. David's voice is transcendent - that's the word that comes to mind. Beyond and out there soaring above the band's creatively orchestrated music.
Some of my first covers as a female rock singer was The Wizard, July Morning and Sunrise. David Byron literally taught me to sing rock. Uriah Heep, Led Zep and Deep Purple. Fantastic, innovative bands. Shame what has happened to the genre since then. Everything begins with great songwriting and top class musos. The rest is magic.
100% correct about Byron. His voice touched your soul, his delivery and reading of the songs was incredible and still sounds beautifully fresh today.
I got to see him perform in a pub when he started his 'Byron Band' and he was still delivering the high notes, the passion and soul.
@amandavanheerden I’m also a 1955er. Grew in Joe’s and you guessed it I absolutely love Uriah Heep. My favorite group is Jethro Tull but really am a fan of tons of music. I did play Magicians Birthday until I broke the 8 track it was on. Cheers
To Amanda: I just love what you wrote. I am born 1966 and love Heep. You still sing ?
I am a Uriah Heep fan. One album that I would like to mention is "Uriah Heep Live" released in 1973. This would also be a great introduction for anyone. You are right. UH are a great classic rock band.
They were absolutely smoking on UH Live! Loved that album as a young man! A perfect display of their skills and talent, so sad that we hear almost nothing today of the magic they performed in the 70's!
My favorite Uriah Heep album!
UH Live 1972/3 was my introduction to the band and that along with Humble Pie "Rockin' The Filmore" were and are to this day still my 2 favorite live albums!! For me, Uriah Heep stood right alongside Zeppelin, Sabbath, Deep Purple, Humble Pie, The Who and we're every bit as big a part of the magic and importance of the music of that era. David Byron, Mick Box, Ken Hensley, Gary Thain, Lee Kerslake !! Thanks for this video, these guys def deserve a nod for the magic they contributed at such an important time in music history!!
Uriah Heep Live was the first Heep album I picked up. I got it immediately after seeing them on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert or The Midnight Special in 1973. I loved it and set about acquiring the back catalogue. I knew very few others at the time who liked or even knew of them.
Uriah Heep Live 73 album is a masterpiece
Right on Michael. I Was fortunate enough to see Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and more live in the 70's. What a great time to be alive
Oh you are sooo right, Randy! We were spoiled with genius talent!
In one sentence you managed to name the four greatest rock bands of the 70's. Well done sir.
@@stevejackson4340 well said!
We were blessed back then
I have an awesome memory of a Led Zeppelin concert. During the lead up to their appearance, that's all anyone was talking about. I had a new job, and the schedule had me working in a pattern that would have me on duty during the concert. Well, when the schedule was posted, my shift had me starting at 8am, giving me time to go to the show. I was certain that it was sold out, but I was just dumb enough to call the ticket office and ask if they had any tickets. To my surprise, the nice lady voice on the phone said that they did indeed have quite a few tickets available. I double checked that we were talking about the same thing. Yup Friday night, Led Zeppelin. This was Wednesday afternoon. Well, I gathered up as much cash as I could find and lit up my '55 Eldorado, and blasted across town to try to afford one of the gems they had waiting for me. I found the ticket booth and I felt even more like I was in The Twilight Zone. I walked to the little box, and sure enough, she was inside. I told her what I was there for, and she said she had plenty of the tickets. I braced myself for the sticker shock and asked how much money she wanted, looking for a hidden camera. When she said it was $1.50, I just about had a hemorrhage. I gave her the buck fifty and walked away with a genuine Led Zeppelin concert ticket. The reasons it was available and cheap were several. First, was the location in the coliseum. It was for the balcony behind the stage. Second, everyone had their tickets for weeks and maybe months. The reason they had leftovers was counterfeiting. A whole lot of people were ripped off and didn't know it until the concert. A small riot ensued. I went inside and proceeded to walk around the venue for almost the whole time. One of the moments when I was near my seat, I was almost directly above Bonham. He was doing a poor job on Moby Dick, and sort of just stopped. He turned about 90 on his stool and grabbed a plastic cup and drained the fluid straight down. About ten seconds after, he turned the rest of the way from the drums, bent over and puked himself empty. During that and the other things going on, the concert was a very poor showing. Only JPJ seemed to be trying, but it wasn't a rhythm demonstration. Finally, an announcer came out and notified us that the concert had to be ended. The band had caught flu, and were in misery. Well, I had absolutely no feelings of being unhappy. I saw the band, sometimes up close. I got to see John Bonham puke big time. I spent a buck fifty for the same thing that cost a lot of people a lot of money. I won! It was the best terrible concert in my life.
My favourite album of theirs will always be "Look At Yourself" (the first one I heard) and particularly "July Morning", which is up there with "Starway to Heaven" as a classic rock track.
yes, this is arguably their best album.
Look At Yourself is their best overall Album.
So a song that no one has heard of except hardcore UH fans is up there with the masterpiece Stairway To Heaven which arguably has the greatest and most recognizable solo in guitar history. I don’t think so buddy. Stairway will be studied and broken down by music scholars for years and years to come. It’s one of the greatest songs of the 21 century.
@@outonthetiles World wide, July Morning is very well known. Spain has a holiday named for it. The US market is not the universe.
Agree totally Uriah Heep are up with the best rock bands ever
I love Uriah Heep! One of the most underrated bands ever!!!! I can't believe you didn't mention Look At Yourself with the song "July Morning", one of their best songs!!
July Morning should stand like Beethoven's 5th
As a Rush fan, I owe Uriah Heep a debt of gratitude for taking them on their first US tour in 1974, right after Neil Peart joined Rush. And Uriah Heep rocks! A very underrated band.
Amen, Chris! RIP Neil! One of our finest drummers btw!😉
I'm a huge Rush fan. Their Masterpiece "Hemispheres" should be more popular. "Caress of Steel" I believe is underrated and my first introduction to Rush
I remeber that, a great place in time.
@@zeppelinfan9360 Caress Of Steel was my first and still favorite Rush album! But yes, 2112, Farewell to Kings, and Hemispheres are all incredible!
@@shadowlandstudios86 My favorite also! 🎸☮️
Gary Thain was such a distinctive bass player and criminally underrated.
Okay if I hear the term criminally underrated again I think I'm going to hurl it is used way too much
Absolutely , bolder as well .
@@timsears951 ...lol. or using "super" as an adjective . I.e. .."I am super synched" ....God , that gets to me ...😂
@@michaelkoszowski3716 it literally is so annoying I see it all the time constantly
Except in this case , Adam is right .
Mr. Michael Noland you have a Fantastic Friday And a wonderful weekend. God love Uriah Heep these guys are friggin legends they don’t get the respect they deserve.
What a fantastic band!! So underrated. Great music and superior musicians. Ken Hensley Mick Box Lee Kershlake Gary Thain David Byron All great players
Awesome band. Their 72 - 74 lineup was their best in my opinion. Ken Hensley was a fantastic songwriter, and Gary Thain was easily the most accomplished musician in the band (as admitted by all the other members), and a forgotten member of the 27 club.
P.S. it's Demons and Wizards, not Wizards and Demons.
Great band and Mick Box is still keeping the band alive today. Their 4 most recent albums have been some of their best.
indeed! and they are still very powerful live
I agree, they're still functioning at toplevel!
Mick Box! Yes, I knew he was still playing with them as of 2017, sky!
Yep love the album Living the dream
I've just returned from Cyprus where I saw them on their 50th anniversary World tour in Limersol. The first hour being a acoustic set , the second set of hour and half of their classic's which included Hanging Tree the first time I've heard live. Truly an amazing night from the best band on earth.
I saw Uriah Heep in Central Park in 1975. Tickets were 6.50. Great show, great venue great times
Magicians Birthday is one of my favorite albums. Discovered in late 70s and have always loved it. Thank you for bringing this great band to a new generation.
The first 5 studio albums are all one needs to hear.
1. Very Heavy Very Humble
2. Salisbury
3. Look At Yourself
4. Demons & Wizards
5. The Magician's Birthday
Uriah Heep Live is a superb 'live' album.
Add "Sweet Freedom" to that and I'd agree.
Add Chaos & Colour to the list.
Agree
Shadows of grief, Circle of hands, The Park, and the Pilgrim. It doesn’t get better than this.
Ill add shadows and the wind if you dont mind.
Demons and Wizards, loved the whole album. Play this album loud. Thx for bringing this back to the masses.
Wore out 2 LPS!!
The louder the better!
I saw Uriah Heep in 1976 at the Orpheum Theater in Boston which turned out to be David Byron's last show, for the most part, with the band. Great show!
Black Sheep opened for the band with a pre-Foreigner Lou Gramm on vocals.
The 70's were a great time for rock shows. I was 16 when I discovered the band through a friend with the Demons and Wizards album and the song The Wizard :)
I lost my mind the first time I heard "Easy Living" when it first came out. Uriah Heep was an incredible band, saw them live three times and I was reading Tolkien while listening to them. It was awesome. IT FIT
"Look at yourself" is one of my all time favourite album. Very rough and delightfull overdistored Hammond.
"The Gods" (pre Heep band featuring Hensley and kerslake, and even Greg Lake) were magnificient too, their 1968 "Genesis" album is a masterpiece.
"Gypsy" and "Keep onTrying" have awesome Hammond/Leslie.
Thank you for noticing Uriah Heep. I'm not sure why but "Look At Yourself" helped me hear music in a whole new way. It opened the door for me listening to not just melody and beat but the actual soundscape of the music. The quality of the sound itself. I am forever indebted to Uriah Heep for that.
Uriah Heep - Simply the greatest hard rock band . Still listening their songs/musics on 24-2-2024. It's a sweet nostalgia now !
Unfortunately I became a Uriah heep fan from a tragic accident.. When I was a kid in the early seventies My father did construction and one of his workers Died in a car accident on Christmas Day... A short time after... driving in my father's car ..I found a cassette of magician's birthday that he had left in my dad's car.. that I still have today.. And that's where my Uriah heep journey began... and is one of my favorite bands to this day... And like you ...I try to get people To listen to how great they are🤗👍🎵🥁🎸🎹🎙🎶
Uriah Heep was my teenage staple music band. Between my friend and I we owned all their albums and used to spend weekends just listening to them over and over again. To me the band was legendary and I still listen to their music when ever I have the opportunity.
They wrote so many wonderful tunes and records... Trevor Bolder and Gary Thain two of the most underrated bass players ever...
Ken Hensley the genius songwriter, the key of the band...
I always preferred UH and Deep Purple to Led Zeppelin.
I have seen them live and met them a the end of the show, very humble people.
I had just discovered Uriah Heep during the pandemic and I was so impressed by them. I became a fan and was saddened just as I discovered them that a month later Lee Kerslake dies followed by Ken Hensley. I was devastated. Great musicianship from them.
Yes Nick box is the only one left from that great lineup of the seventies 72 through 74
Ken Hensley did a solo album titled
Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf.
Fantastic album with one of my favorite tunes he ever did called
'From Time To Time'.
Many other Albums, but "Solo" - you have to include the superb "Eager to Please"......
"N" is pretty close to "M", so easy typo to make....
Commenting before listening but will. Uriah Heep was a favorite of mine when I first started playing guitar. The first time I heard Magicians Birthday, I was blown away. I still have it and Demons & Wizards on the original issues LPs. Saw them live in Columbia SC sometime after MB came out, think it cost about $8! They were a powerhouse. Oh, and I also have the little-known Proud Words on A Dusty Shelf by Ken Hensley.
In 1972 I was 19 and living in Nuremberg Germany in the Army. I went to their concert in a music Hall. What a great concert. Instant fan.
I've been championing Heep to anyone who will listen since 1971. I've seen them dozens of times in concert and it's always a thrill. July morning, Look at yourself, Rainbow demon/ the spell are all stand out songs. The line up changes through the years have changed them but never ended them.
Thanks my friend another great video. Sweet Freedom probably my favorite Uriah Heep album. Gary Thain & John Deacon two very influential & underrated bass players. Both had a huge influence on my bass playing. Ken Hensley I believe worked for Ampeg for a while. Queen ll is also my favorite Queen album Fairy Fellars Master Stroke my favorite Queen song. Actually I think Mick Box is the only living member left from what I think of as the definitive lineup. Love the song Paradise by Heep.
Look At Yourself was my first UH experience: 13 yo, 1973, Norman Okla. I was into the OJ's and Temptations top 40, wandering by OU campus, across street old Victorian house sign said "FREE UNIVERSITY" I wandered in and found a blacklight poster room with beanbags and a quad system playing an 8-track of Look At Yourself. July Morning was just starting when I entered. I had never heard anything remotely like this before. I laid back in a beanbag and closed my eyes to listen. I left some six hours later, having listened to the looping 8-track of LAY nonstop. It changed my little teenage life! Then, at Xmas my oldest bro came back from being stationed with NATO in Germany and was all excited to turn me onto this new amazing "acid rock" group he'd discovered. It totally blew his mind that his 13 yo little bro (top 40 kid) not only knew who they were, but could recite the words to Shadows Of Grief. We put the album on repeat and got high and my step-dad came and listened and got high with us. Then about 5 years ago I got to see them live in Indio at a free show at a casino, and they were Awesome! Bernie KILLED it and Mick was spectacular as ever (ABSOLUTELY one of the BEST shredders EVER!). We played a bit at the casino and as we were leaving we walked through a glass tunnel and the band was walking out with us and I got to tell Mick that story! UH is responsible for many awesome memories for me! AND, like this guy M Noland, I rank them #2 after Zep, for my personal rankings, followed by Floyd and Who. And I'm a heretic 'cause I've never liked Rush at all and don't care one way or the other about Yes, besides Roundabout, great song, but I LOVE Black Sabbath and Deep Purple (of the bands he mentioned). And I'm very fortunate in that I've seen every band I mentioned live, except Yes. I saw Rush at a little 110 seat venue on the beach in La Porte Texas in '75, me and my cousin on mushrooms we'd picked and boiled down. Needless to say, I fucking LOVED Rush that night! I admit that I do like Riding the Storm Out, but the rest is crap to me.
My intro was Magician's Birthday around 74 at 12 years old. Still listen to it all these years later. Great video.
One of my very favourite bands. I would add Look At Yourself to your list as well. I agree with you about the band once David Byron left.
His vocals were almost otherworldly.
I still get chills when I listen to demons and wizards and magicians birthday
Especially the Song Sunrise.
And the song magicians birthday has some of the best interplay between guitar and drums imho.
Thank you for covering this amazing band.
I agree. "Look at Yourself" should have been on the list. Granted, not "otherworldly" but still a great album!
Sunrise is THE perfect song to listen to for those of you who wonder what kind of singer David Byron was! Great choice there, FRH!👌🤔🎧😉
@@MichaelNoland-TheBottomLine 100%
Love Sunrise. Also 'Keep on Trying' from the first LP.
@@MichaelNoland-TheBottomLine Sunrise is my favorite Heep track. Both the Live ‘73 and the studio track. Those vocals are ethereal.
I just started getting into Uriah Heep earlier this past year and had never really dug into their work before. So far the albums "Look at yourself" and. "Demons and Wizards" are among my favorites. Nice to see you give them a shout out! A very overlooked band indeed.
Thanks for the video Michael. Uriah Heep (or Irish Harry as my predictive text insists) were one of my first loves as an 11/12 year old discovering Rock Music (through my older brothers vinyl collection) in the early 70's.All of the songs from Led Zeppelin ll, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and last but not least The Magicians Birthday have been vividly, etched into my brain ever since. Uriah Heep, definitely one of the unsung heroes in the rock pantheon.
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, excellent album. My favorite Sabbath release.
I became aware of this band looking at one of my dad's Playboys when I was around 12-years-old. They used to asked the Playmates questions like their turn ons, turn offs and favorite bands. One of the Playmates answered her favorite bands were Utopia, Uriah Heep, UFO and Too Smooth. That led me to discovering all these bands.
Hey Michael !! You've bought a GREAT topic tonight! I absolutely adore this band - have so ever since "Easy Livin" was on the radio in 1972! Uriah Heep has always been my fave of the "big four" as we call them in Australia. (Zep, Sabbath, Purple, Heep). Heep had something that the other 3 did not have - those magnificent harmonies. Everybody in the band sang harmony vocals in their classic lineup. Even on the first 3 albums you had Ken & Mick on harmonies to back David. Their fantasy themes bought another element as well. Also don't forget that Ken Hensley was an EXCELLENT slide guitarist as well. "Tears In My Eyes" anybody?? I did enjoy the late 70s albums as well with John Lawton as lead vocalist. Here we have the magnificent song "Been Away Too Long" - always a top fave of mine. But the best era was the Byron era - with my all time fave Heep album "Look At Yourself" followed closely by "Demons & Wizards". Tiger.
Ken Hensley played quite a bit of slide on his two 1970's solo LP's too. Worth listening to.
Incredible band. Started listening to them in 1970 wham Very Eavy Very Umble came out. Had opportunity to see them live as well. Still listen to them today.
Am I ever having a flashback Michael......to my 18-year-old self at a party in 1971 when I first heard the album "Look at Yourself" and was blown away. Thanks for the memory!
YES! I love them. First band I ever saw live, aged 15 in 1976. Massively under rated band.
At 15 Dawn, you musta thought ya died and went to heaven! What a show for a 15 year old!😉👌
@@MichaelNoland-TheBottomLine Oh I did! I had very cool parents who were huge fans and they were on permanent rotation through the 70s in our house. Was mum n dad who took me and my elder brother. Pretty Things, I think, were support band.
I also met Lee Kerslake at a posh nightclub when I was 18. I knew him immediately, much to his surprise. I told him what I have told you, and we chatted about the gig; he agreed with me that it was a great one. Cool guy.
Yep. I saw them in ‘76 as well. Opening for KISS. My friend convinced me to go see the show strictly to see Uriah Heep perform “Easy Livin’”.
@@seanm3226 And...how was it for you?
@@DawnSuttonfabfour I wasn’t necessarily a fan of either band. But Heep was great, and I’ve never seen a group since that was more theatrical than KISS. 1976 was right in their heyday.
In case no one else has mentioned this, already: The tank on the UK cover of Salisbury was almost certainly a reference to the fact that a large area of Salisbury Plain (on which Stonehenge is also sited) is used by the British Army for live ammo manoeuvre...particularly involving tanks and other heavy stuff. Of course, this would be of little relevance to a US audience.
Same age as you I started listening to Uriah Heep in 1971 alongside Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple etc... That was around the time I read all the Tolkien books as well so the lyrics kinda made sense. A couple of years later I was in the Navy when "Demons and Wizards" immersed me into a fantasy world through many lonely weeks on a ship out at sea. That album will forever hold a special place in my heart.
Uriah Heep wasn't on my radar until 2008 when I got the call. Mick Box is interested in trying out one of your guitars. The rest is history. I've been blessed to have Mick playing the Carparelli Brand since 2008. The whole band are top notch professionals, the best in the industry. Thank you for sharing info on Uriah Heep, I learned a bit more - Mike Carparelli
Uriah Heep for the win, Michael... a great breakdown on this underappreciated band. Thanks for the gracious shout out and props also to mutual friend Glen Kellaway. Once again we find ourselves in synch over the bands and music we love. Keep on keepin on. Your channel is on fire my friend. 😎👍
Thanx Rachel!
I guess you should get co-writing credit on this one!😉🤔❤️🌼
Haha No way I can't touch your impassioned delivery, Michael 😎
I was one of those that saw the bass player get shocked, man
Love your channel. All of your videos rule. Would you please do a video about where you were, and what you were doing when you learned about the loss of John Lennon? I was 12; watching Monday night football. I heard from Howard Cosell. That is the day my childhood ended and I knew it. KEEP UP YOUR GREAT WORK!
I never listened to the US versions of the debut and Salisbury. The UK versions (Very 'eavy, Very' umble especially) were always my go-to's. Criminally underrated band which I was lucky to see twice over the past decade. And unfortunate that many of the great bandmembers have passed on leaving Mick Box still living on to this day...
R.I.P., David Byron, Gary Thain, Ken Hensley, Lee Kerslake, John Wetton, John Lawton and Trevor Bolder...
I listened to Demons and Wizards just this week - still a classic. Thanks for the remembering!
I'm a fan of the classics like Zep, Purple, Sabbath, and prog like Yes, Floyd, Rush, etc. Yet I have never checked out Uriah Heep. Never heard a note. I knew I'd get around to them eventually, but you've intrigued me and I'm going to make it a priority. That's why I watch. Thanks!
Go to Magician's Birthday.
You'll be blown away...turn it up!
One album Michael forgot to mention was "Look at Yourself". My two favorite Heep albums are Salisbury and Look at Yourself. Those 2 were my entry when I was asking a guy why there are no other bands like Zeppelin and Sabbath. Those two are probably the most proggy. Demons & Wizards has almost a "Rainbow with Dio kind of sound along with Magician's Birthday which are also very good, but there was definitely a change in style after Look at Yourself. Micheal is right, the David Byron era albums are special.
If you love those bands Lawrence, you’ll love Uriah Heep for sure! ❤️😉🎧🤔👍🎉😊
@@antennical
Byron was an awesome front man.
Shame he burned so fast.
Their 70s greatest hits album would be a great place to start.
Demons and Wizards remains one of my very favourite albums.
'72 was a great year. Mott the Hoople, Tull, Rory Gallagher, Deep Purple and so much more!
Yeah, 72 was an absolutely incredible year, in my opinion the year that rock music matured, and of course none of us saw the punk/disco backslap that was just around the corner...
All the young dudes 🤔👍
@@daisymae2415 They are so underrated!
I'm your age and discovered Uriah Heep in exactly the same way. I was captured by the album cover art and then became pleasantly lost in the music. Thank you for bringing back great memories. New subscriber! 👍🎶👍
Thanks very much for having the Courage to Cover/Review this Underappreciated Band! My friends & I just loved them!! BTW: They were my 1st Rock Concert I ever attended! Dec, 1972!!
Ken Hensley was an incredible keyboard player. One of my faves! Sadly , he often got compared to Jon Lord which was unfair as they don't play the same way. Sad he's gone but so have far too many. Thanks for bringing in this great band for our memories.
Check out his album Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf.
Yep, Ken Hensley wasn‘t a virtuoso like Jon Lord - but his overdriven Hammond sound with two Leslies was the very best of all rock organists ever. Listen to the UH Live album. Fantastic band!
@@jamesedwards2237
'From Time To Time'........
one of my favorites 👍
@@RayyMusik I didn't get to see UH until the High & Mighty tour (with John Wetton on bass). Ken Hensley is one of my favorite musicians of all time. Listening to the LP's, paying attention to the writing credits, and having seen them live, all showed me how much Ken raised UH to another level. Primarily his songwriting. But watching him switch from B-3 to playing acoustic during their live shows demonstrated a versatility that few people achieve - he appeared very comfortable providing whatever was needed. Larry Knechtel is the only musician who shows versatility that's at least as good as Ken but Larry K. rarely got song writing credits (His credit for writing the piano parts on "Bridge Over Troubled Water" are for "Arranging" and the Grammy he received was based on that.)
Uriah Heep was a great English band, while less melodic (and no radio airplay in North America) they were just as monumental to the 70s classic rock scene as Nazareth, UFO, Jethro Tull and Deep Purple. My best friend in my teenage years was a massive Uriah Heep fan. We would hit the record stores in our small Canadian city, every Saturday for years in the 1970s and he would buy the latest 'Heep release. We never saw Uriah Heep in their heyday at an arena (they never toured on a large-scale in Ontario, Canada) in those days.
I'm 66 years old from the corny state of Iowa. My generation lived during the pinnacle best music that ever was and ever will be! Believe it! I have both LP's, Demons and Wizards and the Magicians Birthday still. Great music that conjures up the mysteries, history and fantasy from the "old world". All the songs are great. The Wizard is one of my most absolute favorite songs of all time.
I've seen Heep three times in the 70s, and each time, I felt like I could spend the rest of my life at a Heep concert.
2:45 Also my favorite Queen album. Man...side Black is so amazing. I always tell my friends, I cant EVER listen to Queen II unless I am prepared to sit still for 45 minutes straight and listen to the whole thing. There is no, picking a single off that album. It's always ALL or nothing
Uriah Heap Live January 1973 is my favourite heap album. I was 12 when I heard it and it changed my ear for music. Love Brit metal.
The only Uriah Heep album I ever had was "Look at Yourself", which had the song July Morning on it.
I was blown away by Heep's first album Very 'eavy, very 'umble and went to see them at the Roundhouse near London. That night their keyboard stopped working so Ken played guitar and they played a good set, really enjoyed it. Then, just before they turned the lights out they apologised for not being able to play all the songs they intended playing due to the broken keyboard and invited us to collect a ticket on the way out, which would allow us to come back and enjoy the set they'd intended playing at a cost of 10 pence .. They were true to their word and a few weeks later they were back and played an even better show. Unlike yourself, I was disappointed when Demons and Wizards came out and gave that record to my sister, however some years later I had another listen to it and kinda "got it". I live in South Africa now and got the chance to see them again here in Capetown a few years ago, just as good as ever, fantastic band.
One of my favourite bands, was that at three arts with Deep Purple? Quite a few years ago 😁
@@RobertJohnson-nx3fo Yes it was Robert .. The Three Arts in Plumstead, Deep Purple were on the same night ... My poor ears have never recovered lol
Uriah Heep is a fictional character created by Charles Dickens in his 1850 novel David Copperfield. Heep is the primary antagonist during the second part of the novel. His character is notable for his cloying humility, unctuousness, obsequiousness, and insincerity, making frequent references to his own "'umbleness". His name has become synonymous with sycophancy
Ken Hensley awesome musician , loved proud words on a dusty shelf. His Uriah heep and solo version of rain. Amazing. I told everyone when deep purple and 3 dog night combine you get Uriah Heep, great harmonies , jamming key board driving , monstrous Rock.🤘🤘🎸🎸.but with mystical origins 🤘🎸😎😎😎😎
I was 23 years old in 1973 when I discovered Uriah Heep. I immediately started to search for their past albums. Living in rural Nebraska, it's hard to find to many non main stream albums. There was in a neighboring college town of about 5000 permanent residents and maybe another 4000 student residents, a cool little head shop that sold this type of music. They carried many British version albums and would buy what I could afford and got several Heap albums.
My favorite song by Uriah Heep was Sweet Lorraine Ken Hensley was a fantastic organist. I think the only one that is in the band right now is Mick Box if I'm not mistaken. Wizards and Demons by far was fantastic!!
Yup,great song for sure.
Mick Box is the only one alive from that lineup of Heep and several others. Ultimate survivor!
Not only did Ken have a distinctly divine Hammond sound, but his slide guitar playing was equally as memorable! That solo during The Spell gets me every time!!
'Stealin'.....
UH Live 1972/3 was my introduction to the band and that along with Humble Pie "Rockin' The Filmore" were and are to this day still my 2 favorite live albums!! For me, Uriah Heep stood right alongside Zeppelin, Sabbath, Deep Purple, Humble Pie, The Who and we're every bit as big a part of the magic and importance of the music of that era. David Byron, Mick Box, Ken Hensley, Gary Thain, Lee Kerslake !! Thanks for this video, these guys def deserve a nod for the magic they contributed at such an important time in music history!!
my cousin was in the military in England and brought home the first help album. I couldn't find it here. but I've been a fan since. my first car a beat up 62 Chevy was named U RIDE A HEAP !! I'm anew subscriber now THANKS ED
I got introduced into the glories of Uriah Heep back in the mid 1970s when I was a teenager listening to the midnight dj on 99.5 FM WABX radio in Detroit through my old Pioneer stereo with my Bosch head phones on. Those were the days of real radio and they would often play whole album sides on the midnight shift. Bands like King Crimson, Deep Purple, Moot The Hoople, Utopia, Ten Years After got played a lot. Also the Sunday night DJ covered early stuff from the Punk and Alternative scene such as Ian Dury, Wreckless Eric, Lene Lovich, Nick Lowe, Siouxie and the Banshees, Ramones, Black Flagg, The Damned, Joy Division. What a great time for radio and those crazy night time DJ's who introduced music to us simply because they thought it was cool and we might like it. I know there was a more commercial side but that was mostly covered by the daytime programming. The night belonged to the rebels. You could tell the djs were as baked as the rest of us. Lol.
You need to check out procol harum. They are more than just a whiter shade of pale. Their debut album is fantastic. Their first 5 albums with Robin Trower are fantastic. Also like their live album from 1972.
I was a great fan of Uriah Heep. Their first two albums were really, well, heavy. Demons and Wizards, Magicians Birthday, and Look at Yourself really solidified my love of the band. I checked and found I have eleven of their albums, but they did lose their appeal for me after the first five. I still play those five albums quite a lot as well as playing songs from them on guitar.
Wonderful article on a great band. Been a huge fan of jeep since the early 70’s. The live album from ‘73 is also fantastic.
Great vid! You and I shared the same tastes. Loved Uriah Heep and the clasdic lineup with Byron, Box, Kerslake, Hensley and Gary Thain. That was a magical time. Thanks again!
The Uriah Heep album that most people should start with is “Live 1973”. It’s Heep’s Made in Japan. That’s what we all listened to back then. And Michael left out “Look at Yourself” which is the third album, the first with Lee Kerslake and Gary Thain, and to some, Heep’s best studio album. There’s also Sweet Freedom which has the hit ‘Stealing’. But, Live 1973 has all their best songs, and like Purple’s Made in Japan, the songs are mostly improved upon compared to the studio versions because Uriah Heep is a great live band, (only challenging Deep Purple for the best live band crown), so Live 1973 rocks!
Statement partly not true, look at yourself drummer was iain clarke with paul newton on bass. Thain and Kerslake came just after this 3rd album. I still have the album on vinyl. Cheers.
I'm with you on Queen II, Michael. Even to this very day my jaw drops to the floor when I hear it. That album has the most guitars and vocals I've ever heard and it still works somehow. Every song is a masterpiece and yet it's probably the most underrated album by any major band ever released.
Never liked queen 2. I liked their first album. Sheer heart attack.a night at the opera and news of the world the best. And not very much after the game.
@@Bigchet1223 that's kind of strange since I agree with the rest of your statement. What don't you like about Queen II?
Ogre Battle is my fave Queen song 🙂
I'm a BIG Uriah Help fan. "Look At Yourself" is one of the best ever!
1987 I met Mick Box and Ken Hensley while Uriah Heep was performing in a relatively small town in Bavaria. Uriah Heep, the local as well as some national press, and a few English-speaking fans (as a huge surprise for us fans to be so kindly invited) gathered after the concert in the garderobe area of the local ice rink and drank two, or three cases of whisky, a few kegs of beer together, while Mick Box and the boys shared fantastic insider anecdotes, cracked jokes and just had one hell of a time entertaining the crowd. And of course, there were the usual interviews and all the inevitable publicity hype thingy.
The concert ended around midnight to 1am. But it was already past 10 am when my then-girlfriend and I finally went home (drunk as skunks, of course).
That was one of my best concert experiences ever. The whole band was great I have to say, the music and performance were outstanding (they played almost a full hour longer than advertised including being able to let the fans vote on the volume of what they wanted to hear) and Mick Box was without words THE MAN!!!
This band really cared about their fans and even in this relatively small town of 25,000 souls somewhere on the outskirts of Bavaria near the Czech border, they weren't at all shy, arrogant, or pretentious. I've very seldom met more friendly people in my life than these chaps.
I've met quite a few bands and artists in my life, including big names, but this is by far the fondest memory of all. It was so extraordinary. I mean yeah these guys weren't THAT BIG THING anymore at the time, not the former stadium band of the recent past but they still had a very good name and at the time still had a huge following in Germany (especially among young people). Not to forget that that year they also had their huge comeback performance as one of the first western hard rock bands performing in Moscow behind the Iron Curtain which made them huge again worldwide. At least again for the next few years.
Loved their music as a little kid in the 70s after I bought my first 10-piece bundle of LPs (3 of them UH) in a yard sale and still love it as much today and into my future grave.
Fantastic - I feel like a bit of a lone wolf being a Uriah Heep fan. Thanks for posting Michael. Great to read the comments as well.
Uriah Who? Uriah F$@%kin' Heep. That's who!!!!
Mid seventies in college. Every serious collection needs a couple of albums by these guys. Their music has not become dated like so many others from that time.
I agree, Bobby! They emediately, like the Moody Blues ‘dated’ themselves somewhere in the 1600s-1800s! That would make them timeless!
Hard to imagine two groups any more different, but Seventh Sojourn is in my "short stack" as well.
Big Heep fan here since '72 myself! The "Look At Yourself" was my introduction to the band and "The Magician's Birthday" was the first album that I bought. Like you, I wasn't into the post-Byron and '80s years but was back on board after hearing the "Sea of Light" and "Wake the Sleeper" albums. Sadly, I never saw them back in the '70s but after a 32 year hiatus they finally made it back to Montreal in 2018 and delivered a concert that turned out to be one of my top 10 shows in almost 50 years of attending concerts. Blew my mind, they did! Btw, my fave Queen albums are 1- Queen II 2- Queen 3 - Sheer Heart Attack 4 - NATO 5 - DATR. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for covering one of my favorite bands Michael. For the longest time I only had the greatest hits cassette tape that eventually wore out before I got Demons and Wizards then Look at Yourself,
Very good analysis on all of your segments Michael.
Just one thing the album is called DEMONS AND WIZARDS Not Wizards and Demons.
Thanks again
And they're all great guys. I saw them in Vancouver in the 70's, became a fan and then met Bernie Shaw decades ago during a business venture and we're still in touch. Fun following them on social media as they are still rocking & having fun in Europe. 'Appy Days with Mick Box and the boys during this 50th anniversary tour!
Thanks Michael, Heep is my favorite band for over 50 years.
Great video Michael! Heep was my #1 favorite band from 1969 on and our band covered many of their songs. Ken Hensley (RIP) was an amazing addition and absolutely solidified their heavy sound. I was fortunate enough to see them in concert twice. I recently paid $40 for one of their vinyl albums.
I don't understand how can anyone resist music created by magical Uriah Heep..
The first record I heard by UH was their most recent, Chaos & Colour and to me, it was the best record of 2023 and includes one of my favorite songs of of all time, Age of Changes. So emotional and beautiful and nostalgic. I’m excited to see them in tour this year with Saxon.
Michael, thank you. You just gave me a gift- a treasure trove of great music to discover and appreciate!
It gets dark under this rock.
I too was 17 in 1972 when ‘Demons & Wizards’ came out. ‘The Wizard’ came on the radio and I was instantly hooked, it became my favorite song and my favorite album. I would say 1973’s Sweet Freedom’ was their last great album. I saw them live in 1975 and along with the Stones in 75' and Yes in 77' it was the greatest concert I have ever seen. Much better than Deep Purple in 72', The Who in 74' or Zep in 75'. They were just HOT that night. And it was in the Shrine, a cool place to see a concert.
Uriah Heep was my "signature" band! Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Zeppelin and many more, were mainstays for me. And yes, after Byron was gone, for me, the magic disappeared. There are so many others that I loved from that era. It's hard to find a good band these days. I loved Nirvana, Tool, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver, Jane's Addiction and of course...Van Halen, just to name a few!
Your history and passion for Uriah Heep parallels my own! They were MY FAVORITE! I was blessed to see them in concert August 9, 1975 at the Mobile Municipal Auditorium, Mobile, AL (with The Atlanta Rhythm Section and Blue Oyster Cult). This was the RETURN TO FANTASY concert... INCREDIBLE! Thanks for the review! 🐺
I just found your channel. The description of your early education in rock, sci/fi and fantasy writings is eerily similar to my own. I saw them at the municipal auditorium in New Orleans. Early '70's. Remember the concert vividly. Most of the '70's not so much. Great video. Looking forward to more.
I grew up playing music in the sixties and seventies. I loved the B3 organ sound of Uria Heep.
Nice to hear someone talk about this band. Their 3rd album "Look at Yourself" is one of my favorites.
My dad was always big into Uriah Heep, I've never was much of a fan. Thanks for the covering them.
Thanks for bringing up Queen II.
It doesn't get appreciated for the amazing album it is.
I bought it after seeing the first airing of Bohemian Rhapsody on tv.
I didn't know it at the time,
but the release of "A Night at the Opera" was still weeks away.
Being the "Queen II" album cover was similar to the video,
I thought Bohemian Rhapsody was on the album.
I remember playing "Ogre Battle" for the first time,
thinking something was wrong with my stereo.
Soon after my friend spent the night at my house
and we stayed up all night listening to the record over and over again,
trying to figure out what the album was about.
Thanks again.
Long time Uriah Heep fan. Demons and Wizards, & The Magician's Birthday are indeed 2 of rock's best albums. Great analysis!
I was the same age, as a teen I loved the mythic sonic visceral storytelling Rock sci-fi fairytales and UH captured that spirit in spades. They peaked with Magicians and I did enjoy Sweet Freedom. I can still listen to them today.
I've never knowingly heard a Uriah Heep record. I'll have to check them out. Great video as usual. 👍 👌 👍 👌
Back in the 70's ( when I was a kid) I used to listen to Uriah heep while cutting the lawn. I could hear because my dad made me use a push mower lawn mower without a motor. It was also the moment "killer queen" from Queen was a hit on the radio. I still love Uriah heep. I never got to see Uriah heep in concert because I moved to the middle east. I did see Queen however. Love 'em both dearly.
Im a Uriah heep fan from the Philippines.i always listen until now 2024.my favorite UH song July Morning,come back to me,frre me,lady in black.
"Look at yourself" is my favorite album. I've had it since I was a kid, I'm 65 now...Best song: July morning.
Wishbone Ash is another great British band. I think of them when, I think of Uriah Heep. The late Richard Cole was the tour manager for Uriah and LZ, I think.
Wishbone Ash is underplayed and underated.
Maybe you could cover Wishbone Ash.
Thanks for your videos. I enjoy them all.