Rick will be appearing on British TV - BBC Generation Game on 2 Jan 1999, at 5.55.
There is a major update to the information about "Return To The Centre Of The Earth" on the website at: http://www.rwcc.com/rwcc/code/return02.htm
The update gives full details about the recording and availability of the album.
At this time however, there is still no firm news about any live
performances of the piece. Please rest assured that although I know a lot of you are getting very impatient about the situation, information will be posted on the site as soon as it is know by me. As an example, this new information about the recording has been put on the site within 4 hours of its receipt.
I can also say that I have heard the recording in full - and you're not going to be disappointed. I am currently seeking permission to put some music clips on the site.
The countdown has started...
While I'm writing anyway, can I just remind you all that while you're waiting for "Return" to be released, Oliver Wakeman's "Jabberwocky" is available from Monday 11th and can be ordered now from the RWCC. I'm not often moved to pass opinions, but here goes. I think Jabberwocky is awesome, it's definitely from Wakeman blood - if you like Rick's early albums (Moog, Tony Fernandez, you get the idea) you will love it! I urge you to get an order in TODAY... You won't be disappointed.
Regards,
Wayne Smith & Jo Richardson
Webmaster and Webmistress
Rick will be appearing on ITV (Brtiish Television) at 11.00 on 10 January 1999 in a programme called "My Favourite Hymns".
In the programme Rick will be telling how his faith saved his life. He told this story during his Piano Tour series of concerts - well worth hearing, even if you have no faith yourself.
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From: Tiz Hay [tiz@progress.freeserve.co.uk] - Jan 10
Good to hear Rick, on today's national television broadcast 'My Favourite Hymns', describing Jon Anderson thus :
"He's got a soft heart"
Bodes well for future collaborations...!
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From Jon Hinchliffe - Jan 10
To someone that has heard as many Rick interviews as me this was pretty much a run of the mill interview. It was a full 27 mins of Rick and his favourite hymns though. There was also a clip of Rick working on a new piece for Return at the start of the program. Either that is wrong or it was the Trevor Rabin track. I certainly recognised what was played. Just not enough to identify it which is par for the course with me and an instrumental passage.
Having said the stories were fairly well known to me the point that Rick was not the Rick we see now, has really started to get into my brain the last couple of interviews I have heard. And it explains why I almost dislike Rick and his between song chat at the concerts I have heard from the Early 80's. He was too laddish for me to take then. Now he seems, well I know he is, a really nice bloke.
Another thing that struck me is still don't understand his philosophy on life. He says on one hand about a God putting him in the position he is in a making him do things but on the other hand he did not make him be a drunk as such that was Rick. Mmm I am failing to say what I don't understand never mind this is probably the wrong place given how religion annoys a lot of people.
Rick chose 4 hymns
"He Who Would Valiant Be" (to be a pilchard) as they used to sing it as Rick's school.
"Jesu, Lover of my Soul" - Which is his family's hymn. It was played for his Mum and dads funeral.
"There is a Green Hill Far Away" - Because it is a beautiful tune and words. That therefore seems to resolve the tune in Judas Iscariot. I thought it was "There is a Green Hill"; some other people came up with another title.
"The Day Thou Gavest Lord has Ended" - This came to be on Anne Bolin because Rick felt something was missing when he had done the track. And he went to bed and could not sleep. He eventually dropped into a semi-sleep and dreamt he was at her beheading with other people from A&M and after it they played the Hymn. He thought it was perfect and it has been his favourite way to end the day since.
On Sat, 09 Jan 1999, Marco Baudino [morgoth@iol.it] wrote:
I just got the following mail. It sounds like very interesting timing! Is there any truth? And did anyone catch the program on video?
"I'm writing you because yesterday I heard something that I'm quite sure will interest you. I turned on the TV (which I rarely do) and on an Italian network there was a musical program with a keyboard player (that I didn't recognize) playing live in the TV studio. After he finished his song I found out he was Rick Wakeman and the guy who was close to him was Mario Fasciano !!!! I have seen Fasciano, at last ! There was an interview with them where they explained how they met, how they decided to play together and so on.. (the funny thing is that Fasciano cannot speak a single word in English and Wakeman cannot speak Italian ! let the music do the talking !). They told they'll do a short Italian tour in late february/early March and... (rolling drums) .. they'll release a NEW ALBUM in April !!! (maybe you already knew it, but maybe I'm the first to tell you !). Then they played a song from the new album called 'Stella Bianca' (white star) and the program finished...unfortunately I didn't have a VCR at hand :-(((
"Well, that's all by now...Fasciano told that maybe they'll be back in that program since he is a good friend of the announcer, so.. who knows ?"
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From: Wayne Smith [wayne@rwcc.com] - Jan 10
Yes, it is true, and I didn't say anything because I don't have any details at all about the project, other than the fact that Rick is in Italy promoting it...
I'll try and find out some more details.
Well as I've had an incredibly positive response to the last two
bulletins, I guess that I'll keep up the flow of information through this service. There's now an autolink at the bottom of this email to remove yourself from this list if the frequency starts to annoy you.
Anyway, today's news is that we can announce that the USA release date for "Return to the Centre of the Earth" has been set for 20th April 1999. But what will be even more exciting for many of you is that we are also announcing a limited edition vinyl release of the album, complete with a nostalgic gatefold featuring Roger Dean's gorgeous artwork. I know that many of you will want to get hold of this, so don't forget, all the catalogue numbers are on the site now, and any record store will be able
to take orders now. So come on - now it's your turn to reward Rick for his work on this masterpiece. Let's try and hit record advance sales! Details at RWCC website
Before I close, those in the UK and near Europe may like to know that details are on the site for Rick's annual Pro-celebrity Golf Tournament on behalf of the charity SPARKS. Plenty of corporate sponsorship opportunities, plus the chance of a round of golf with Jimmy Tarbuck (b-boom). Followed of course by the gala dinner, your chance to meet Rick and hear a private recital. A great evening if last year is anything to go by... Details at RWCC website/SPARKS
More later...
Regards,
Wayne Smith & Jo Richardson
Webmaster and Webmistress
Tomorrow being the date set for release of the "Jabberwocky" cd by Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman, I thought it timely to invite Southsiders to read the Progressive Spiral website review linked from near the top.
The cd should be available from "all good cd sources" - though sadly *not* from The Yes Music Circle supporters club. This is because I need full use of my personal savings that previously have been tied up in stock of cds, videos and cassette-albums. Currently, I need to pay for medical treatment on my spine, so I can get our print-based magazines back into regular production!
Comments about "Jabberwocky" will be welcome in the Guestbook of our website (+ no doubt in Southside!) or longer comments can be e-mailed to me for inclusion in our paper-based "Yes Music Circle" magazine.
Tiz Hay
The 'Yes' Music Circle
(international 'Yes' supporters club)
e-mail address : tiz@progress.freeserve.co.uk
+ Progressive Spiral website includes links to the Yes Music Circle stock sale (at or below cost price) cd, cassette-album, video, Roger Dean items
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From: Jeff Marx [karnevilj@excite.com] - Jan 17
Here's a quick take on this fine album;
Jabberwocky turns out to be a wonderful CD for obvious "Wakeman-esque" reasons. Besides the wonderful narration by Rick (which goes to prove that he can do it all), the keyboard work by Oliver and Clive is top-drawer, showing off fine speed and composition. I would have perferred a little more variation in the keyboard voices (patches), perhaps some variants like analog sweeps and changes in cutoff frequency and resonance but I'm being a bit nit-picky.
Vocals and other instrumentation are well-done giving it the full symphonic sound. Good job as well on the overall fantasy/concept of the whole. Recommended for all who enjoy the keyboard prog/concept album/Wakeman scene.....which I guess is just about everyone who would be reading this :)
Regards,
Jeff
Karnevilj's Progressive Music Site
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From: Graham Johnson [ggj@dircon.co.uk] - Jan 23
My copy of Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman's "Jabberwocky" arrived in the post this morning. After one playing my reaction could be summed up as:
A masterpiece, buy it.
I played it again this afternoon and again this evening. It just gets better and better. For this not to be the Wakeman album of the year then Return to the Centre of the Earth will have to be the greatest work Rick has ever produced.
Here is an article from the new edition of Mojo in their Hello Goodbye series.
Helllo July 1971
I was in the Strawbs and we supported Yes in Hull. I was watching Yes and thought, "What a bizarre line-up." Rock singers were supposed to be butch baritones and on comes a 4ft 2in singer who sounded like the last castrato from Leningrad - but a beautiful, clear tone. The guitarist only had a tiny Fender amp and sounded like no-one else. Chris Squire, on bass, had amps turned on full treble and the drummer looked like he had just left university - which he had. Only Tony Kaye looked like a rock musician with his Hammond, so of course he didn't fit in. When Chris Squire asked me to join I originally said no because I was disillusioned with £18 a week for life on the road and was going back to sessions. But they got me to a rehearsal. It was held above a brothel in
Shepherds Market, London. There were three women at the door with fur coats. I remember wondering what time we'd finish. Anyway, that afternoon we put together Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise from nothing, and it went on from there.
As regards lifestyles we were chalk and cheese. I was curry, beer, wine, women and song, they liked to be studious. People said they were like a band from another planet. I think they were trying to find out which one it was. Off-stage I hardly saw them on tour. I'd go to the nearest club to chase a few women and they would be back at the hotel discussing whether to change their guitar strings.
Goodbye May 1974
It was Topographic Oceans I hated playing. It was too long - we were waffling. So I'd often have a drink. I'd been accused of upsetting the others by eating curries during it, but that only happened once - and by accident. John, my roadie, used to more or less live under the Hammond on-stage because my gear regularly broke down. His other job was to open my drinks on my Hammond. I had built in optics for Scotch and brandy. There was also a crate of beer, sometimes a keg. We were in Manchester Free Trade Hall and we were coming up on side three of Topographic Oceans, where I didn't have anything to do. I said to John, "This is just a nightmare and I'm really hungry." I remember my order: chicken
vindaloo, bombay aloo, bindi bhaji, stuffed paratha, pilau rice, six poppadoms. I hadn't meant straightaway. A bit later I looked down and he's got all these bags, so I laid them outand started eating. Jon Anderson was doing his Nous Sommes du Soleil and he comes over, "Bloody hell Rick, you've got a curry." I just said,"I'm bored." Everyone could smell it, the band, the audience. But I thought an incident like that
made Yes seem more human. It's funny, I could take their vegetarianism, they couldn't take my curries.
The band was great when the music worked but I didn't like where we seemed to be heading. I was down at a little farmhouse I had in Devon when I got a call to go to rehearsals for relayer. I said I couldn't do it, I was leaving. I felt desperately sad. It was my birthday - May 18. Then the phone rang 10 minutes later. This time it was Terry O'Neillfrom A&M to tell me that my album, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, was Number 1. I just said, "Oh right." And he said," Thank you very much, we're going potty here, cracking open the champagne and all you can say is "Oh right"." But I felt very odd.
Of course, I've played with Yes since. It's a strange magnet. I can take it in small doses but the band is unmanageable, whoever is in the line-up. And there's also my solo work. After we staged Journey to the Centre of the Earth people said nobody could put on a show that big again. But the sequel I'm doing now, Return to the Centre of the Earth, will be as extravagant and over the top as before - and with better monsters."
Interview by John Bungey.
This cover art makes a great project even that more appealing. I want this thing NOW!!! :)
See Return Cover to view the cover art.