Uriah Heep (band)

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.

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.

Related Topics:
United States - David Byron - Acoustic - Jazz - Progressive rock - Orchestra

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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).

Related Topics:
1976 - John Lawton - Lucifer's Friend - 1980 - Mick Box - 1980s - Hair metal - April 2005 - Manager - April 5 - 2005 - Simon Porter

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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.

Related Topics:
Europe - 1972 - 1973 - Germany - 1977 - 1970s - 1980s - Cult band - Netherlands - Scandinavian Peninsula - Japan - Russia

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