Post by classic rock revival on Jun 1, 2011 15:37:22 GMT -6
CLASSIC ROCK REVIVAL INTERVIEW
MICK BOX
This is a recent interview I did with Mick Box of Uriah Heep. The band has just released their 23rd studio album, "Into The Wild," and it's one of the best in their 40 year career.
Jim: "Into The Wild," is Uriah Heep's 23rd studio album, congratulations. This isn't just an album with 2 or 3 good songs on it, every song on it is really good and the overall sound of the album is that of a great rock album from the 70's. Were you purposely trying to recapture that 70's sound?
Mick: Only in as much as we recorded it like in the 70’s, with the whole band in the studio, and we played the backing tracks live. Doing it piecemeal did not appeal to us, as with this band it sounds so much better when we are all on one pulse. Also our producer Mike Paxman is very much into the feel of recording rather than the endless search for perfection. Once again this harks back to the 70’s, where the feel was everything. Some producers in search of perfection iron out all magic, and what was good about the take that you have chosen in the first place. We rehearsed each song up until we were happy with the arrangement, and then pressed the record button and it was usually in the can in 1-3 takes.
Jim: How are the fans responding to the new songs in your live shows?
Mick: So far on this 2 month European tour the reaction has been overwhelming from both the fans and the media. The new songs sit alongside the classic songs beautifully.
Jim: Are you getting any support from radio as far as airplay goes?
Mick: Surprisingly so, yes! We are getting more radio support than on our last studio CD Wake the Sleeper, so this is a good sign indeed. We can always do with more though!
Jim: "Nail On The Head," is an excellent choice as a single, it has the makings of a new Uriah Heep classic. Can you tell us a bit about it, how it came about?
Mick: It is a song written by Phil Lanzon our keyboard player and myself. There is a saying in England that if you hit the nail on the head you have it 100% correct. It sounded good as a hook line, so we kept it. It sounds very strong live.
Jim: There are other songs on this new album that also have the potential of becoming classics, Tell us a bit about the title track, "Into The Wild."
Mick: The track ITW was written by Phil and I one night after our session had closed. We stayed back and opened a bottle of wine, and wrote the song taking us onto the wee small hours of the night. We played it to our producer and the rest of the band the next morning, and they loved it, so we rehearsed it up until we were happy with it, and then pushed the record button, and it was job done. The title was taken from the book and film of the same name, however lyrically we took it somewhere else.
Jim: How about, "Money Talk,"?
Mick: Money Talk was written by Phil on his own. It is a rocker in ¾ which has a good groove to it, and Russell our drummer gets to have a work out at the end.
Jim: "Trail Of Diamonds,"?
Mick: This was written by Phil and myself. It started as a ballad, and ended up being a bit of an epic. This is becoming a firm favorite of the fans. Lyrically it is about a confused state of a dream.
Jim: You and Phil Lanzon are the main songwriter's on "Into The Wild." How do you and Phil work together in composing new songs?
Mick: It is 50/50 all the way from the first note played, and the first word written. We seem to hit it off, as people, and the writing is just an extension of that. We have the same type of humor, and musically and lyrically we are very in tune with each other.
Jim: With the music business the way it is now, record companies on the decline, etc., how financially rewarding is it for artists to release new CD's? Wouldn't it be more profitable for artists to use the internet via downloads in getting their new music to the public?
Mick: For Heep it is very important. Although we are very proud of our history, we always want to move forward and create new music all of the time. Things get downloaded in any case, but for us to have a Record Company is very important as we tour in over 53 countries around the world, and we need support for them in those territories.
Jim: Since joining the band in the late 80's, lead vocalist, Bernie Shaw, has done a fine job in becoming a part of Uriah Heep's legacy. Of all the lead singers that have passed through the bands ranks since David Byron, Bernie has been the best. He is an outstanding vocalist with his own unique style and compliments David on the Heep's classics. How did Bernie come to join the band?
Mick: I knew of Bernie when he sang with a band called Stratus that was run by ex Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr. I saw them at the Marquee club in London on their final show before they broke up. I met Bernie after the show, and told him I was looking for a singer, and that I was at the back of the audience singing the high harmonies, to see if our voices matched. We went back to his apartment where we demolished a bottle of Armagnac Brandy, and I woke up under his coffee table. Over a cup of coffee we set the audition, and that was that. I thought that he was well prepared in the audition and knew all the words, and it was only later on, that he told me he had been singing Heep songs back in Canada with a band called Cold Sweat. When Bernie joined, the fans were saying to me that at last we have a Heep singer, so this was a good sign.
Jim: Is it true that both, David Coverdale and Ian Hunter auditioned as David Byron's replacement in the late 70's?
Mick: Ian Hunter was asked by our management, but to be honest as much of a fan as I am of his, I could never see that working out. However David Coverdale did come down, and we had a great time. The problem was that right at the same time, he was given the chance to get Whitesnake together which he always wanted.
Jim: John Lawton got the gig as David's replacement. What made you decide to go with John?
Mick: John did not have the look and charisma of David, but he had a fantastic set of pipes, and it was always the music first when we had to make that decision.
Jim: In 2007 Lee Kerslake left the band due to health reasons. How is Lee these days? Are you still in contact with him?
Mick: Lee and I are like brothers! I call him all the time and we have a great laugh. It was the best and only thing to do with Lee, and he is in a much better place for it. The demands of touring like we do, was too much for him.
Jim: How about Ken Hensley? I heard there were some issues concerning his departure from the band. Has time healed old wounds?
Mick: I speak with Ken on occasion, or the occasional email. His life has taken a different turn, and he is now a born again Christian and lives in Spain. He still produces music, but we are constantly on the road, so our paths do not cross.
Jim: A lot of bands from Uriah Heep's era, the early 70's, are still touring but they're just rehashing their past. How has Uriah Heep managed after 40 years to remain contemporary as well as nostalgic?
Mick: It has always been a balance we have strived for. For Heep to just trade on nostalgia, would take away the heart and soul of the band, and it’s musicians.
Jim: Mick, again, congratulations on the release of Uriah Heep's 23rd studio album. It's one of the best Uriah Heep albums I've ever heard. Thanks also for doing this interview for Classic Rock Revival. Rock on my friend!
Mick: It is my pleasure and thanks for your support.
‘Appy days!
www.mick-box.net
www.uriah-heep.com
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