True veteran rock and roll warriors, Uriah Heep continue to tour the world and write, record and release their unique blend of melodic hard rockin’ tunes, to critical and popular acclaim around the globe.
Comprised of founding member and guitarist Mick Box, as well as keyboardist and co-lead vocalist Phil Lanzon and primary vocalist Bernie Shaw (both of whom joined the band in 1986), the lineup of the 49-year old rock and roll machine is rounded out by drummer Russell Gilbrook, a member since 2007, and bassist Davey Rimmer, who signed on in 2013.
On Sept. 14, the band released its new album, Living the Dream on Frontiers Music, led by the debut single – a raunchy rocker called Grazed By Heaven that was written by Rimmer alongside his long-time friend Jeff Scott Soto (Journey, Yngwie Malmsteen, Sons of Apollo).
“Jeff and I have known each other for a few years. He lives in L.A. and I live in London, so I used to go see him when he played in London and stuff like that. I had the music for Grazed by Heaven all down and arranged and had a few ideas for melodies but was kind of struggling and I wanted to present something to the band that was pretty much finished in order to save time,” Rimmer said from his home in the UK.
“I asked Jeff because I love the way Jeff writes. He is a great writer and I was trying to think what he might do, and I said well I might as well ask him. So, I asked him, and he said to send over what I had. I wasn’t really expecting anything. I thought he may be busy or that he might not like it. And then he sent me a message straight back saying he loved it and that it was great. He said he had a lot of ideas, so it was real easy and in no time, he came back with the lyrics and melody for Grazed by Heaven.
“I played it for the band and they said, ‘perfect, it would be a great song for the album.’ So that was kind of the ‘living the dream’ moment for me.’ Jeff did such a great job, with the way that he sings and his writing I knew he would do a good job. I have been such a fan of his for so long. I just knew from his back catalogue and the way he writes that he would do something special on that song. And he did. And then when Bernie heard it he loved it and Bernie did an amazing job singing that song.”
The title of the album came after the song of the same name was written and Rimmer said it couldn’t be a more appropriate way to celebrate Living the Dream as the band’s 25th studio album coming as the band is set to celebrate it’s 50th anniversary in 2019.
“We were looking for an album title and we were throwing ideas around and nothing really came of it. Normally when you start rehearsing the new songs, if you just wait, something will eventually come. We were running through the song Living the Dream, which Phil or Mick had brought in and it already had the title, but we really hadn’t noticed the title until a few days in, until we got to playing that particular song,” he said.
“That night after were finished for the night we were sitting there talking and saying how everything was going well and we were just about to go to America on a big tour for three months [February, March and April of 2018] right after the album was done and someone said we were ‘living the dream.’ And everybody stopped talking and just looked at each other and we said, ‘ah yes, Living the Dream.’ So, the album title just came naturally.
“And if you think of it, that’s what we’re doing. We are living the dream. We’re still playing all year and touring the world. I think its 62 countries that Uriah Heep has toured in. And it’s amazing the response so far for the new album. The reviews I have seen are really positive and in the reviews the writers are saying we’re really ‘living the dream.’”
Rimmer has the ultimate respect for Box, not only for his longevity as a co-founder of the band and its only remaining original member, but also for the fact that time has not dulled his passion for playing live or his ability to create vital and energized new music, such as the powerhouse tunes on the new album.
“I think it’s because of his attitude. When you meet him, you see that he is very driven. He’s a real musician and that’s his life. He has been doing this for so long and he is still really creative. He is always writing and always creating stuff for the betterment of the band, it’s just the way he is. And with Phil and Bernie and Russ as well, they are always pushing to get better,” adding that everyone in the band still believes it’s important to put out full album’s worth of music, and that it’s what fans want too.
“I think it’s still important because classic rock fans and Uriah Heep fans, that’s what they have grown up with. Even with me, I don’t download stuff or stream stuff, I buy stuff because that’s what I have done since I was a kid. The fans want a package; they want the cover with the artwork, they want the sleeve notes. And it’s something Uriah Heep has always done, and I don’t see why we should stop. It’s important to put out the package for the band too because it kind of represents what everyone was thinking and feeling at the time.
“Like we did with this new album, we go to an old school studio and play as a band. I think that’s what they have always done. And they are so creative; Phil writes a song a day in different genres, so you put him and Mick together and they’ve always got ideas. It’s just in the DNA of the band to keep going and keep trying to write better songs. And I think that’s the best thing for this band.”
As Rimmer stated, the album was recorded in the old school style, with the band playing live off the floor for many of the sessions. And like so many of the great classic British rock albums of days gone by, Uriah Heep’s album was recorded at a studio in the placid English countryside in residential facility called Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire.
“It’s in the middle of nowhere. It’s sort of on a farm in a converted chapel. It’s quite famous in the UK for being an old-school studio with a great drum sound in the live room. Being in a band like Heep, it’s like when you read books about classic rock bands like Deep Purple and Rainbow and Led Zeppelin, about them going to an old chateau or cottage to make and album. It’s the same kind of vibe because Mick is from that era. So, when Uriah Heep want to make an album, we normally come to a residential place and we all stay together for a week or two and get a really good vibe,” he said.
“And the good thing is you can play day and night, because you never have to leave. We would wake up in the morning, have a bit of breakfast and then go straight into the studio, where all the gear is set up and we’d do a song a day. We’d do the backing tracks in the daytime and then Bernie would sing the lead vocal in the evening. And by midnight you had a whole song.”
Besides Shaw, who was born in Victoria, B.C., Canadian content was also represented in the form of the album’s producer/engineer Jay Ruston (Stone Sour, Steel Panther, Anthrax), who Rimmer said played an integral role in helping the band create the energized vibe of Living the Dream.
“We did the pre-production first and that was on our own. We would record stuff roughly and send it over to Jay for a listen and then he would make notes and comments. Then finally he flew over to the studio and met us and was able to listen to the stuff again. And we just went straight in, set up and recorded it. It was no nonsense, which we all liked,” Rimmer said.
“It was great working with Jay because he’s a real rock fan and he really knows the vibe of a classic rock band. He sort of became a sixth member during this process because he was really into it. And he’s also a bass player, so that was really good for me. He would just say ‘play what you feel,’ which was great.”
As for touring, Rimmer said Uriah Heep probably won’t be back to North America until later in 2019, since they already did a three-month tour earlier this year. But their itinerary is already filling up for the remainder of this year, with dates starting in Europe in October and running through until just before Christmas. In the spring of 2019, Rimmer and his bandmates will tour Japan and do more shows in Europe, before hitting the festival circuit in the summer. After that, he expects the band to cross over the Atlantic for shows in the U.S. and Canada.
“When we did those three months in North America it was great because I think Mick said they hadn’t been to Canada in over 25 years. So, we’re looking to get back there again. We get calls from all over the world to do tours and gigs, and I think it’s because all that work that Mick has put in over nearly 50 years, all that touring and great albums has really paid off.”
For more information on the band, upcoming tour dates and Living the Dream, visit www.uriah-heep.com.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and author based in Napanee, ON, who has been writing about music and musicians for a quarter of a century. Besides his journalistic endeavours, he now works as a communications and marketing specialist. Contact him at jimbarberwritingservices@gmail.com.
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