Rick Wakeman ↑ Journey to the Centre of the Earth (2012) |
Rick Wakeman — Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Birth name: Richard Christopher Wakeman
Born: May 18, 1949 in Perivale, Middlesex, London, England
Location: UK
Album release: May 9, 1974
Recorded: January 18, 1974 at the Royal Festival Hall in London
Record Label: A&M (US)
Duration: 44:23
Origin:
Track listing: all tracks were written by Wakeman. "The Forest" includes an excerpt of In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg, who is credited in the album's liner notes.
Side one:
1.) "The Journey"/"Recollection" – 21:20
Side two:
1.) "The Battle"/"The Forest" – 18:57
New cd tracks:
01. The Preface 1:10
02. The Journey Overture 2:25
03. Journey’s Dawn 3:39
04. Crystals 0:34
05. The Gothic Cathedral 1:07
06. A Quest For Water 1:18
07. The Hansbach 2:55
08. Fervent Prayer 0:41
09. The Recollection 2:32
10. Lost & Found 0:44
11. Echoes 3:49
12. 4 Miles 0:18
13. The Reunion 2:42
14. A New Vista 0:50
15. A World Within A World 2:14
16. The Raft 1:07
17. The Battle 5:55
18. Cumulus Clouds 0:38
19. The Story 2:02
20. The Cemetery 1:28
21. Quaternary Man 4:50
22. Mastodons 0:54
23. The Forest 2:31
24. Ages Of Man 1:56
25. The Tunnel 1:53
26. Hall Of The Mountain King 0:53
27. Mount Etna 3:18
Wakeman's equipment:
• 3 Mellotrons
• 2 Minimoog synthesisers
• 2 grand pianos
• Hammond organ
• Rhodes electric piano
• RMI electric piano
• Hohner clavinet
• Honky-tonk piano
Credits:
• Ars Laeta Choir Vocals
• Jon Cleary Unknown Contributor Role
• Mike Egan Guitar
• English Chamber Choir Unknown Contributor Role, Vocals
• Chris Foster Photography
• Keith Grant Engineer, Production Engineer
• David Hemmings Narrator, Vocals
• Ashley Holt Vocals
• Gary Pickford Hopkins Vocals
• Barney James Drums
• London Symphony Orchestra Unknown Contributor Role
• Will Malone Arranger
• Michael Mann Retouching, Unknown Contributor Role
• David Measham Conductor
• Nigel Messett Photography
• Roger Newell Bass, Guitar
• Bill Oddie Vocals
• Lou Reizner Production Coordination
• Paul Tregurtha Engineer
• Michael Wade Design
• Paul Wakefield Photography
• Rick Wakeman Composer, Keyboards, Primary Artist, Producer
• Peter Waldman Photography
Awards:
• 1974 UK Albums Chart #1
• 1974 The Billboard 200 #3
Certifications:
Date / Country / Certification:
• 1974-09-04 United States (RIAA) Gold
• 1975 Brazil Gold
¶ A new version of RICK WAKEMAN's, "Journey To The Centre Of The Earth", is released at the end of November.
¶ Rick has re-recorded the 1974 epic, incorporating 20 minutes of material that was cut from the original due to time constraints. The new version also includes new material from the original score that was thought lost.
¶ The album will be released as a Classic Rock Magazine fanpack on November 20th and will include a 132-page magazine that features extensive interviews with Rick and the musicians, conductor and production staff involved in recording the album.
The pack includes ...
• Full re-recorded album "Journey To The Centre of the Earth"
• 132-page magazine
• Giant double-sided poster
¶ Wakeman began his solo career during his first run with Yes. His perhaps most known records being his first three, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1974) and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (1975). He has produced over 100 solo albums that have sold more than 50 million copies. In November 2010, Wakeman was awarded the Spirit of Prog award at the annual Marshall Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.
¶ He is the father of keyboardists Adam Wakeman and Oliver Wakeman.
Website: www.rwcc.com
Description:
¶ Classic Rock Presents Rick Wakeman – Journey to the Centre of the Earth, the exclusive re-recorded masterpiece presented in its entirety for the first time. Incorporating twenty minutes of new material cut from the original due to time restrictions as well as material unearthed from the original score that had long been thought lost.
Review by Mike DeGagne
¶ Journey to the Centre of the Earth is one of progressive rock’s crowning achievements. With the help of the London Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir, Rick Wakeman turns this classic Jules Verne tale into an exciting and suspenseful instrumental narrative. The story is told by David Hemmings in between the use of Wakeman‘s keyboards, especially the powerful Hammond organ and the innovative Moog synthesizer, and when coupled with the prestigious sound of the orchestra, creates the album’s fairy tale-like climate. Recorded at London’s Royal Festival Hall, the tale of a group of explorers who wander into the fantastic living world that exists in the Earth’s core is told musically through Wakeman‘s synthesized theatrics and enriched by the haunting vocals of a chamber choir. Broken into four parts, the album’s most riveting segment, entitled “The Battle,” involves Wakeman‘s most furious synthesized attack, churning and swirling the keyboards into a mass instrumental hysteria. With both “The Journey” and “The Forest,” it’s the effective use of the strings and percussion section of the London Symphony Orchestra that causes the elements of fantasy and myth to emerge from the album’s depths. The gorgeous voice of Ashley Holt is effectively prominent, and some interesting guitar work via Mike Egan arises occasionally but meritoriously amidst the keyboard fervor. The whole of Journey to the Centre of the Earth still stands as one of the most interesting conglomerations of orchestral and synthesized music, and it is truly one of Wakeman’s most flamboyant projects.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Biography by Bruce Eder
¶ Born in Perivale, Middlesex, England, Rick Wakeman's interest in music manifested itself very early, and from the age of seven on he studied classical piano. At the age of 14, he joined a local band, Atlantic Blues, the same year he left school to enroll in the Royal College of Music. He had his eye on a career as a concert pianist, but Wakeman was dismissed from the college after it became clear that he preferred playing in clubs to studying technique.
¶ By his late teens, he was an established session man, playing on records by such diverse acts as Black Sabbath, Brotherhood of Man, and Edison Lighthouse. At the end of the '60s, his name also began appearing on the credits of albums by such artists as Al Stewart and David Bowie, and one set of sessions with a folk-rock band called the Strawbs led to his joining the group in 1970. After two albums with the Strawbs, Wakeman joined Yes, a post-psychedelic hard rock band that had attracted considerable attention with their first three albums. Wakeman played a key role in the final shape of the group's fourth record, Fragile, creating a fierce, swirling sound on an array of electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizers, and Mellotrons. Fragile was a hit, driven by the chart success of the single "Roundabout," and Wakeman was suddenly elevated to star status.
¶ Yes' next album, Close to the Edge, expanded his audience and his appeal, for his instruments were heard almost continually on the record. During the making of Close to the Edge in 1972, Wakeman also recorded his first solo album, an instrumental work entitled The Six Wives of Henry VIII, which consisted of his musical interpretations of the lives and personalities of the said six royal spouses. Released early in 1973 on A&M Records, it performed respectably on the charts. Public reception of Yes' 1974 album, Tales From Topographic Oceans, was mixed, and the critics were merciless in their attacks upon the record. Wakeman exited the group before the album's supporting tour. His new solo album, Journey to the Center of the Earth, adapted from the writings of Jules Verne and featuring a rock band, narrator (David Hemmings), and full orchestral and choral accompaniment, was released to tremendous public response in both America and England, where it topped the charts. In 1975, his next album, The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, was given a grand-scale premiere at Wembley's Empire Pool, although it also cost Wakeman a fortune to stage the event on ice. During this same period, Wakeman began working on film scores with the music for Ken Russell's Lisztomania, which was a modest hit.
¶ In 1977, Wakeman returned to Yes, with which he has continued recording and touring. His solo career continued on A&M into the end of the '70s, with Criminal Record and Rhapsodies, which were modestly successful. Wakeman's biggest media splash during this period, however, came through his alleged role in getting the Sex Pistols dropped by A&M Records soon after being signed. None of this bothered his fans, which rapidly expanded to encompass those he picked up through his work with lyricist Tim Rice on a musical adaptation of George Orwell's 1984, and his burgeoning film work, which included the music to movies about the 1976 Winter Olympics and the 1982 soccer World Cup competition. Additionally, he became a regular on Britain's Channel 4. Wakeman's audience and reputation survived the 1980s better than almost any progressive rock star of his era, as he continued releasing albums on his own label. ¶ He also remained associated with Yes into the '90s.
Personal life:
¶ On 28 March 1970, Wakeman married his first wife Rosaline Woolford at twenty years of age, and had two sons, Oliver (b. 26 February 1972) and Adam (b. 11 March 1974). They were divorced in 1977, and he married studio secretary Danielle Corminboeuf in January 1980, in the West Indies, with whom he had one son, Benjamin (b. 1978). He had a daughter, Jemma Kiera (b.1983), with former Page 3 model Nina Carter and the two married in 1984, followed by the birth of their son, Oscar (b.1986). He had a renewal of his Christian faith, which began around the time of his marriage to Carter. They were divorced in December 2004. He had a daughter Manda (b. 9 May 1986), with his long-time friend, designer and seamstress Denise Gandrup, whom he first met in 1972. She designed many of Wakeman's stage outfits, including his famous capes.
¶ In his twenties, Wakeman suffered three heart attacks. The first occurred after a performance of Journey to the Centre of the Earth at the Crystal Palace Bowl on 27 July 1974. In 1980 he was mis-diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis in his hands. ¶ He only found out in 2008 that the pain he was suffering was just due to overwork after a period of lack of keyboard practice.
¶ A passionate football fan, Wakeman has supported Brentford F.C. since he was a child, and later on he also became a director of the West London club. After a disagreement with the board[citation needed], he moved on to Manchester City F.C. but maintained his allegiance to Brentford. He was involved in the ownership of the American soccer club Philadelphia Fury in the late '70s, along with other rock celebrities such as Peter Frampton and Paul Simon.
¶ He is a strong supporter of the UK's Conservative Party, and performed a concert in September 2004, for the benefit of the party.[citation needed] Wakeman has been president of the show business charity The Heritage Foundation (now administered by English Heritage). The charity erects blue plaques on the homes and/or work-places of late entertainers and sportspeople. He is also Honorary President of the Classic Rock Society, a UK-based organisation helping to promote classic and progressive rock.
© Photo credit: Sandpiper. The Royal Festival Hall in London, where Journey was recorded. Royal Festival Hall, Thames embankment, London, United Kingdom. Taken during reopening celebrations after refurbishment.
Rick Wakeman ↑ Journey to the Centre of the Earth (2012) |
Rick Wakeman — Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Birth name: Richard Christopher Wakeman
Born: May 18, 1949 in Perivale, Middlesex, London, England
Location: UK
Album release: May 9, 1974
Recorded: January 18, 1974 at the Royal Festival Hall in London
Record Label: A&M (US)
Duration: 44:23
Origin:
Track listing: all tracks were written by Wakeman. "The Forest" includes an excerpt of In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg, who is credited in the album's liner notes.
Side one:
1.) "The Journey"/"Recollection" – 21:20
Side two:
1.) "The Battle"/"The Forest" – 18:57
New cd tracks:
01. The Preface 1:10
02. The Journey Overture 2:25
03. Journey’s Dawn 3:39
04. Crystals 0:34
05. The Gothic Cathedral 1:07
06. A Quest For Water 1:18
07. The Hansbach 2:55
08. Fervent Prayer 0:41
09. The Recollection 2:32
10. Lost & Found 0:44
11. Echoes 3:49
12. 4 Miles 0:18
13. The Reunion 2:42
14. A New Vista 0:50
15. A World Within A World 2:14
16. The Raft 1:07
17. The Battle 5:55
18. Cumulus Clouds 0:38
19. The Story 2:02
20. The Cemetery 1:28
21. Quaternary Man 4:50
22. Mastodons 0:54
23. The Forest 2:31
24. Ages Of Man 1:56
25. The Tunnel 1:53
26. Hall Of The Mountain King 0:53
27. Mount Etna 3:18
Wakeman's equipment:
• 3 Mellotrons
• 2 Minimoog synthesisers
• 2 grand pianos
• Hammond organ
• Rhodes electric piano
• RMI electric piano
• Hohner clavinet
• Honky-tonk piano
Credits:
• Ars Laeta Choir Vocals
• Jon Cleary Unknown Contributor Role
• Mike Egan Guitar
• English Chamber Choir Unknown Contributor Role, Vocals
• Chris Foster Photography
• Keith Grant Engineer, Production Engineer
• David Hemmings Narrator, Vocals
• Ashley Holt Vocals
• Gary Pickford Hopkins Vocals
• Barney James Drums
• London Symphony Orchestra Unknown Contributor Role
• Will Malone Arranger
• Michael Mann Retouching, Unknown Contributor Role
• David Measham Conductor
• Nigel Messett Photography
• Roger Newell Bass, Guitar
• Bill Oddie Vocals
• Lou Reizner Production Coordination
• Paul Tregurtha Engineer
• Michael Wade Design
• Paul Wakefield Photography
• Rick Wakeman Composer, Keyboards, Primary Artist, Producer
• Peter Waldman Photography
Awards:
• 1974 UK Albums Chart #1
• 1974 The Billboard 200 #3
Certifications:
Date / Country / Certification:
• 1974-09-04 United States (RIAA) Gold
• 1975 Brazil Gold
¶ A new version of RICK WAKEMAN's, "Journey To The Centre Of The Earth", is released at the end of November.
¶ Rick has re-recorded the 1974 epic, incorporating 20 minutes of material that was cut from the original due to time constraints. The new version also includes new material from the original score that was thought lost.
¶ The album will be released as a Classic Rock Magazine fanpack on November 20th and will include a 132-page magazine that features extensive interviews with Rick and the musicians, conductor and production staff involved in recording the album.
The pack includes ...
• Full re-recorded album "Journey To The Centre of the Earth"
• 132-page magazine
• Giant double-sided poster
¶ Wakeman began his solo career during his first run with Yes. His perhaps most known records being his first three, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1974) and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (1975). He has produced over 100 solo albums that have sold more than 50 million copies. In November 2010, Wakeman was awarded the Spirit of Prog award at the annual Marshall Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.
¶ He is the father of keyboardists Adam Wakeman and Oliver Wakeman.
Website: www.rwcc.com
Description:
¶ Classic Rock Presents Rick Wakeman – Journey to the Centre of the Earth, the exclusive re-recorded masterpiece presented in its entirety for the first time. Incorporating twenty minutes of new material cut from the original due to time restrictions as well as material unearthed from the original score that had long been thought lost.
Review by Mike DeGagne
¶ Journey to the Centre of the Earth is one of progressive rock’s crowning achievements. With the help of the London Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir, Rick Wakeman turns this classic Jules Verne tale into an exciting and suspenseful instrumental narrative. The story is told by David Hemmings in between the use of Wakeman‘s keyboards, especially the powerful Hammond organ and the innovative Moog synthesizer, and when coupled with the prestigious sound of the orchestra, creates the album’s fairy tale-like climate. Recorded at London’s Royal Festival Hall, the tale of a group of explorers who wander into the fantastic living world that exists in the Earth’s core is told musically through Wakeman‘s synthesized theatrics and enriched by the haunting vocals of a chamber choir. Broken into four parts, the album’s most riveting segment, entitled “The Battle,” involves Wakeman‘s most furious synthesized attack, churning and swirling the keyboards into a mass instrumental hysteria. With both “The Journey” and “The Forest,” it’s the effective use of the strings and percussion section of the London Symphony Orchestra that causes the elements of fantasy and myth to emerge from the album’s depths. The gorgeous voice of Ashley Holt is effectively prominent, and some interesting guitar work via Mike Egan arises occasionally but meritoriously amidst the keyboard fervor. The whole of Journey to the Centre of the Earth still stands as one of the most interesting conglomerations of orchestral and synthesized music, and it is truly one of Wakeman’s most flamboyant projects.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Biography by Bruce Eder
¶ Born in Perivale, Middlesex, England, Rick Wakeman's interest in music manifested itself very early, and from the age of seven on he studied classical piano. At the age of 14, he joined a local band, Atlantic Blues, the same year he left school to enroll in the Royal College of Music. He had his eye on a career as a concert pianist, but Wakeman was dismissed from the college after it became clear that he preferred playing in clubs to studying technique.
¶ By his late teens, he was an established session man, playing on records by such diverse acts as Black Sabbath, Brotherhood of Man, and Edison Lighthouse. At the end of the '60s, his name also began appearing on the credits of albums by such artists as Al Stewart and David Bowie, and one set of sessions with a folk-rock band called the Strawbs led to his joining the group in 1970. After two albums with the Strawbs, Wakeman joined Yes, a post-psychedelic hard rock band that had attracted considerable attention with their first three albums. Wakeman played a key role in the final shape of the group's fourth record, Fragile, creating a fierce, swirling sound on an array of electric and acoustic pianos, synthesizers, and Mellotrons. Fragile was a hit, driven by the chart success of the single "Roundabout," and Wakeman was suddenly elevated to star status.
¶ Yes' next album, Close to the Edge, expanded his audience and his appeal, for his instruments were heard almost continually on the record. During the making of Close to the Edge in 1972, Wakeman also recorded his first solo album, an instrumental work entitled The Six Wives of Henry VIII, which consisted of his musical interpretations of the lives and personalities of the said six royal spouses. Released early in 1973 on A&M Records, it performed respectably on the charts. Public reception of Yes' 1974 album, Tales From Topographic Oceans, was mixed, and the critics were merciless in their attacks upon the record. Wakeman exited the group before the album's supporting tour. His new solo album, Journey to the Center of the Earth, adapted from the writings of Jules Verne and featuring a rock band, narrator (David Hemmings), and full orchestral and choral accompaniment, was released to tremendous public response in both America and England, where it topped the charts. In 1975, his next album, The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, was given a grand-scale premiere at Wembley's Empire Pool, although it also cost Wakeman a fortune to stage the event on ice. During this same period, Wakeman began working on film scores with the music for Ken Russell's Lisztomania, which was a modest hit.
¶ In 1977, Wakeman returned to Yes, with which he has continued recording and touring. His solo career continued on A&M into the end of the '70s, with Criminal Record and Rhapsodies, which were modestly successful. Wakeman's biggest media splash during this period, however, came through his alleged role in getting the Sex Pistols dropped by A&M Records soon after being signed. None of this bothered his fans, which rapidly expanded to encompass those he picked up through his work with lyricist Tim Rice on a musical adaptation of George Orwell's 1984, and his burgeoning film work, which included the music to movies about the 1976 Winter Olympics and the 1982 soccer World Cup competition. Additionally, he became a regular on Britain's Channel 4. Wakeman's audience and reputation survived the 1980s better than almost any progressive rock star of his era, as he continued releasing albums on his own label. ¶ He also remained associated with Yes into the '90s.
Personal life:
¶ On 28 March 1970, Wakeman married his first wife Rosaline Woolford at twenty years of age, and had two sons, Oliver (b. 26 February 1972) and Adam (b. 11 March 1974). They were divorced in 1977, and he married studio secretary Danielle Corminboeuf in January 1980, in the West Indies, with whom he had one son, Benjamin (b. 1978). He had a daughter, Jemma Kiera (b.1983), with former Page 3 model Nina Carter and the two married in 1984, followed by the birth of their son, Oscar (b.1986). He had a renewal of his Christian faith, which began around the time of his marriage to Carter. They were divorced in December 2004. He had a daughter Manda (b. 9 May 1986), with his long-time friend, designer and seamstress Denise Gandrup, whom he first met in 1972. She designed many of Wakeman's stage outfits, including his famous capes.
¶ In his twenties, Wakeman suffered three heart attacks. The first occurred after a performance of Journey to the Centre of the Earth at the Crystal Palace Bowl on 27 July 1974. In 1980 he was mis-diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis in his hands. ¶ He only found out in 2008 that the pain he was suffering was just due to overwork after a period of lack of keyboard practice.
¶ A passionate football fan, Wakeman has supported Brentford F.C. since he was a child, and later on he also became a director of the West London club. After a disagreement with the board[citation needed], he moved on to Manchester City F.C. but maintained his allegiance to Brentford. He was involved in the ownership of the American soccer club Philadelphia Fury in the late '70s, along with other rock celebrities such as Peter Frampton and Paul Simon.
¶ He is a strong supporter of the UK's Conservative Party, and performed a concert in September 2004, for the benefit of the party.[citation needed] Wakeman has been president of the show business charity The Heritage Foundation (now administered by English Heritage). The charity erects blue plaques on the homes and/or work-places of late entertainers and sportspeople. He is also Honorary President of the Classic Rock Society, a UK-based organisation helping to promote classic and progressive rock.
© Photo credit: Sandpiper. The Royal Festival Hall in London, where Journey was recorded. Royal Festival Hall, Thames embankment, London, United Kingdom. Taken during reopening celebrations after refurbishment.