Return Concert
From: chip palmer [cpal@megalink.net] - July 1(cross posted at amy) Just got home from Quebec (5 hr ride from Maine). Just wanted to do a quick post regarding the concert last night. Was a terrific, powerful, show - one of the best concerts I've ever seen. After watching a couple hours of the rehearsal in the afternoon I was amazed it came together so well. The orchestra and choir blended in wonderfully with the band and soloists-- I'm sure not a easy accomplishment. The 2 soloists brought a great deal of clarity to the piece- much better than the multiple guest stars on the original recording. The concert consisted of the enitre Return - they encored by repeating 3 pieces, Buried Alive, Ride of Your Life and the End of the Return. The only missteps I heard was some tempo problems during The Kill (pretty tough to begin with) and the soloist messing up his lyrics during the encore of Buried Alive- sounded like bad karaoke. The venue was outside, with only the stage covered. Was raining pretty hard but fortunautlly had stopped prior to the show at 9PM. A fantastc fun night, and yes it was videotaped-- and no there were no blow up lizards.
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From: Craig Smith [smith_craig_e@hotmail.com] - July 2
Hey Tom!
Glad you could join us! We are all friendly here, no need to be shy. I know you are kinda shy but after chatting with Fabiola (and all the others) you must feel a bit more outgoing now, right? :^)
I too will need to post some sort of report but needless to say that I have so much to do now that I am home. Let's leave it as...out of the hundreds of concerts I've attended this whole trip may possibly go down as my best concert experience. Not necessarily just the show itself but the whole experience was just perfect. If planned I don't think I would have changed much at all. For those that read all about my trip to see Rick in London last year, you realize what a serious statement I am saying here.
I may just wait for the photos (should get them tonight) and Stephanie to type up our entire trip report and simply post the link to that for those interested.
I too was very happy to meet so many folks from the list. We really have a great community here (although I was disappointed at the lack of folks from across the pond). It was great to see so many countries represented and Rick seemed impressed too. I won't list everyones name here but we will in our trip report. What a great bunch of people we met this weekend. So many it was hard to devote proper attention to each and every one. I hope nobody felt slighted by us, we tried to say hi (at least) to all! Never did run in to Chip though, sorry man, just never ran in to you.
If Return is never played live again I'm sure rick will at least be very pleased with En Preiere Mondiale! :^) I would hope so anyway. He should be. The sound was great, the show was very smooth...all in all it came off amazingly well and I must admit, I was surprised. I figured something with this sort of scope just can't go off perfectly. Sure, it wasn't perfect but it was amazing and close to it! Rick seemed so relieved when it was over. I think he was very pleased at how it all came off. Sure, a few bad notes or missed things but MUCH better than I expected and in some cases, better than the official recording! I hope this is released somehow, someday. There were a few cameras in choice locations so maybe the festival folks will release it someday. I'll gladly pay for a copy! Maybe it won't be PAL this time too so I can watch it, not just own it.
So, Tom, how long did it take you to drive home in that rain? Took us 8 hours instead of 6. Those storms were unreal! Thank God they held out until the ride home...can you imagine if they happened during the show? I don't suppose the ERE all got their day of go-carting in, did they? As of breakfast they still were planning it.
Elevator rides with Rick...may be the only time I wanted to push every button so we'd have to stop at every floor :^)
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From: Wayne Smith [wayne@mmmix.com] - July 2
Just some information about recordings at the show.
I have spoken to the publisher about this (as I've had lots of enquiries), and the reason it won't be released is that according to Rick's contract with EMI Classics, there is a clause preventing any re-release of material for 5 years. Even the premiere that never happened at the time wouldn't have been recorded.
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From: Bruce [epeters2@maine.rr.com] - July 2
Well Craig, before you arrived for the infamous elevator ride [ the ride of our lives (-; ] Rick addressed this very thing. He said about 100 people from the UK were there, and 2 people from Israel, among other places like Alaska, South America, Hawaii... and an EMI executive from Germany. He was really humbled by the effort made by so many people to be there on this special evening.
Rick also mentioned that NOTHING will be released from this show, or any other, because as Wayne said, EMI owns the rights for another 3 years. I guess this also applies to the issue of the sheet music for Dance of a 1000 lights, sorry to say. )-:
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From: Bissonnette Jean-Pierre [bissonj@MAGELLAN.UMontreal.CA] - July 2
We took a few photos of the show, and my buddy even managed to get a panoramic view of the front stage. What would be the best way to post them to interested parties? I have absolutely no knowledge of how to make web pages.
It was fun to see Craig and his buddies at the show - funny guys!
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From: Duane A. Carpenter [duanec@alaska.net] - July 3
Well, I finally made it back home to Alaska. See that there were already numerous posts from the show!
This was my first time for seeing Rick in concert since I became an avid fan back in 1976...needless to say the journey east was well worth it! The concert was awesome. I was totally astounded when I heard Adam state that the full group (choir, orchestra, Ensemble) had only rehearsed for a couple days...sounded like they had played together for much longer than that. The sound was excellent for and outside event...but the "rising" of the narrator throught the performance into the tree was a bit weird though. Was hoping for a blowup Quetzalcoatalus to appear ;-)
What hit the most I think was how warm and friendly everyone associated with the show was afterwards. Meeting Rick for the first time was truely memorable, and Adam and the other band members were equally generous with their time. As states in a previous post, the elevator ride with Rick was quite amusing...and I can't wait till I get my pics back from that!
Was great to meet others from this list at the show...had a great time afterwards with all of you at the bar.
I will make a webpage on my server as soon as my pics come back with my full "Recollection" of the event.
Now...how do I get Rick and the others to Alaska...?
"Return" web site
From: Stephanie Smith [stephlynne@hotmail.com] - July 4Craig and I have updated our web site with a page dedicated to the "Return" concert. It includes a description of our experiences as well as pictures from the show and our encounters with the band after the show.
http://members.verizon.net/~vze27z32/trois-rivieres.html
Oliver Wakeman's "The 3 Ages of Magick"
From: Wayne Smith [wayne@mmmix.com] - July 5Hear clips from Oliver's excellent new album and read his thoughts about the making of the album:
http://www.rwcc.com/rwcc/audio/magick.htm
It's a fantastic mix of musical styles, from Rock to Celtic, and of course features heavily the guitar of Steve Howe. I think it's excellent!
[Out] 23rd July, and you can purchase from Blueprint (link on the page) or from Yahoo UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005LPTL/rwcc
Rick on TV Saturday
From: Wayne Smith [wayne@mmmix.com] - July 6QUIZ SHOW: A Question of Pop
Channel: BBC1
Date: Saturday 7th July 2001
Time: 17:35 to 18:05 (starting tomorrow afternoon)
Duration: 30 minutes.
VideoPlus: 146736
Pop music quiz hosted by Jamie Theakston, with regular team captains Suggs and Noddy Holder. Panellists are rapper Vanilla Ice, sultry songstress Mica Paris, Danny Foster of Hear'Say, and veteran rock artist Rick Wakeman (Subtitles)Excerpt taken from DigiGuide - UK television listings available free from http://www.digiguide.com. Copyright C1999-2001 GipsyMedia Limited. Information copied from DigiGuide cannot be re-distributed without prior written consent from GipsyMedia Limited. All rights reserved.
Out of the Blue
From: Graham Johnson <[graham@ggjohnson.co.uk] - July 24Amazon.co.uk is now listing the OUT OF THE BLUE album mentioned in the last RWCC newsletter. It is a single live album of the South American tour earlier this year. Release date is listed as 20th August.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005N9H9/recollection
Tales of Future & Past
From: Graham Johnson [graham@ggjohnson.co.uk] - July 24Anyone know what this is?
Tales of Future & Past [IMPORT]
Rick Wakeman
Our Price: £15.99This item will be released on 7 August, 2001. You may order it now and we will ship it to you when it arrives.
Audio CD (7 August, 2001)
Label: Purple Pyramid;
ASIN: B00005MKHB
Catalogue Number:Disc 1
1. Merlin the Magician
2. Catherine Howard
3. Elizabethan Rock
4. Starship Trooper/Wurm
5. Fighter
6. Fields of Green
7. Paint It Black
8. Oriental Iceman
9. Myths and Legends of King Arthur and The Knights of the Round Table: KiDisc 2
1. Catherine of Aragon/A Crying Heart, Pt. 1
2. Jane Seymour/A Crying Heart, Pt. 2
3. Realisation/The Prisoner
4. Lancelot and the Black Knight
5. Journey to the Centre of the Earth
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