Uriah Heep (1969 - ) is a British rock band, officially formed in 1969 in England, 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, early heavy metal, jazz, and even country on occasion.
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. 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. Box has been the band leader ever since, and in recent years, until April 2005, acted as their manager as well (as of April 5 2005, the band has retained Simon Porter as their manager, see announcement here: http://uriah-heep.com/newa/specialstatement.php).
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. In Germany, their biggest hit was "Free Me", from the 1977 album Innocent Victim. 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, although they maintain a significant following in Germany, the Netherlands, the Scandinavian peninsula, Japan, and Russia.
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: Lead guitar/vocals 1969–present
Lee Kerslake: Drums/vocals 1972–1979 and 1982–present
Bernie Shaw: Lead vocals 1986–present
Trevor Bolder: Bass guitar/vocals 1976–1981 and 1983–present
Phil Lanzon: Keyboards/vocals 1986–present
Ken Hensley: Keyboards/guitar (especially "slide" guitar)/backing and occasional lead vocals 1969–1980
David Byron: Lead vocals 1969–1976
Paul Newton: Bass guitar/vocals 1969–1971
Alex Napier: Drums 1969–1970
Nigel Olsson: Drums 1970
Keith Baker: Drums 1970–1971
Ian Clarke: Drums 1971–1972
Mark Clark: Bass guitar/vocals 1972
Gary Thain: Bass guitar/vocals 1972–1975
John Wetton: Bass guitar/vocals 1975–1976
John Lawton: Lead vocals 1977–1979
Chris Slade: Drums 1979–1981
John Sloman: Lead vocals 1979–1981
Gregg Dechert: Keyboards/vocals 1980–1981
John Sinclair: Keyboards/vocals 1982–1985
Bob Daisley: Bass guitar/vocals 1982–1983
Peter Goalby: Lead vocals 1982–1985
Steff Fontaine: Lead vocals 1986
The Lansdowne Tapes (compilation of recordings by Spice and outtakes from the first three Uriah Heep albums) - Recorded 1968-1971, released 1994
Very 'Eavy... Very 'Umble (UK)/Uriah Heep (US) - 1970
Salisbury - 1971
Look At Yourself - 1971
Demons & Wizards - 1972
The Magician's Birthday - 1972
Sweet Freedom - 1973
Wonderworld - 1974
Return To Fantasy - 1975
High & 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
A Time of Revelation (Four-disc Anthology including much previously unreleased material) Recorded 1968-1995, released 1996
Sonic Origami - 1998
Live Albums:
Uriah Heep Live - 1973
Live at Shepperton '74 - Recorded 1974, released 1986
King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents In Concert - Recorded 1974, released 1997
Live in Europe 1979 - Recorded 1979, released 1986
Live in Moscow - 1988
Spellbinder Live - 1996
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
Compilation Albums:
Anthology - 1986
Lady In Black - 1994
David Byron
Ken Hensley
Spice
Heepster
Roger Dean - contains several album cover images
Uriah 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
Ken Hensley official website
David Byron official tribute website
Mick Box official website
Official website for pre-1986 Uriah Heep
The Official Uriah Heep Discography
Official US Uriah Heep fan website
"England's Own Uriah Heep" fan website
Netherlands Uriah Heep fan website
History
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. 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. Box has been the band leader ever since, and in recent years, until April 2005, acted as their manager as well (as of April 5 2005, the band has retained Simon Porter as their manager, see announcement here: http://uriah-heep.com/newa/specialstatement.php).
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. In Germany, their biggest hit was "Free Me", from the 1977 album Innocent Victim. 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, although they maintain a significant following in Germany, the Netherlands, the Scandinavian peninsula, Japan, and Russia.
Uriah Heep today
They still tour and release occasional studio (and frequent live) albums, featuring the same lineup since 1986. Their principal tour circuit is in the countries mentioned above, although they return to Britain for a tour each year that culminates in 'The Magician's Birthday Party' (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 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.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).
Current Members
Former Members
Discography
Studio Albums: (Currently under construction)Live Albums:
Compilation Albums:
See also
External links
Uriah 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: