Conquest was Uriah Heep's thirteenth studio album, excluding compilations. Released in February 1980 to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the band, this was to become the most controversial of albums for Uriah Heep. They had recently recruited John Sloman (ex-Lone Star) as vocalist and Chris Slade (ex-Manfred Mann's Earthband) as drummer, replacing John Lawton and Lee Kerslake respectively. Chris Slade is a great drummer with a proven pedigree, but this was clearly a transitional posting for him. Sloman, on the other hand, had a great voice, but his voice was a radical departure from the traditional type of vocals used in Uriah Heep. The band were soon to find out just how radical a departure his vocal contribution was to be from their norm. The fans voted with their feet. Concert attendance was not brilliant, and Sloman's voice, according to the band, would not hold up sufficiently well in a live environment most of the time. To top it all off, Ken Hensley, who wrote much of the Conquest album, did not gel very well with the new singer. To say they had a huge personality clash would be putting it politely. Hensley was extremely unhappy with Sloman's interpretation of many traditional Heep songs as well as many that were to grace the new album.
Previously, Sloman had proved himself to be a versatile performer, playing guitar, piano and singing. Thrust to fame as the new voice on the second Lone Star album, Sloman was hailed by some as the new Robert Plant. The problem was, there is only one Robert Plant and not many people could imagine Robert Plant singing in Uriah Heep anyway!
Touring to promote the album highlighted the increasing personnel conflicts, and it was becoming obvious within and outside the band that it would not be long before yet more line-up changes occurred. The song-writing issues that had arisen during recording of the previous album had not gone away, and with Hensley's increasing unhappiness with the singer, something had to give. The rift was to culminate in a departure that surprised and disappointed many of the fans. Hensley departed in less than amicable circumstances. For many, this spelled the end of the band: Hensley had been one of the primary forces behind the band's success. To many, the band without the charismatic, albeit sometimes difficult keyboard player, was a spent force. Time would tell.
The band replaced Hensley with a keyboard player called Greg Dechart, who was brought in on a temporary basis until a full time replacement could be found. Dechart, a Canadian, had previoulsy played with Sloman in the little known band, Pulsar. This version of the band recorded several tracks and two of those, Think It Over and My Joanna Needs Tuning (Inside Out), were completed and appeared in the form of a seven inch sliver of vinyl on a general, if somewhat short-lived release.
The band hastily went out on the road again in November 1980. Billed as the definitive Uriah Heep, it couldn't have been further from the truth. Sloman departed in early 1981 to pursue a solo career, and to this day the band are vague about whether he left of his own accord or was pushed. It was obvious that the chemistry of this patched-up version of the band was a shadow of its former line-ups. Mick Box decided to lay this version to rest and rebuild the band around Trevor Bolder and himself. Box and Bolder visited David Byron whose own career was also at a low point. With a deal already in their pocket, they were confident he would jump at the chance to join. Byron declined, partly because he had just formed a new band himself. With Byron declining the lead singer's position, Bolder accepted a pending offer to join Wishbone Ash. Mick Box admitted defeat, and locked himself away in his flat and for two days got blind drunk. Ten years had been spent building the band, but now reduced to one original member, it looked like the end of the road had arrived.
This, as we all know, was not to be. Box pulled himself together, rebuilt the band, and embarked on recording an album that was to launch the new Uriah Heep in no uncertain terms. That album was Abominog, recognised as a milestone album for hard rock. But that's a story for another day.
BONUS TRACKS
Been Hurt was the B-side to the single Carry On from Conquest and appeared for the first time on CD in 1991 on Rarities From The Bronze Age (Sequel NEX184). Originally written for a fourth Lawton-fronted album, the song was shelved along with the remnants of the album after Lawton's departure. (The "original" version with Lawton on vocals has been released on the remastered version of the Fallen Angel album). The version featured here was re-recorded with Sloman on lead vocals.
Love Stealer was a single A-side and appeared for the first time on CD on the Rarities release in 1991. With the almost imminent departure of Hensley on the horizon the band at the suggestion of Gerry Bron resorted to issuing the first studio recorded cover since Come Away Melinda from the first album. The A-side was called Love Stealer written by Richard Myhill and Phil Wainman. It is surprisingly powerful and a quite likeable attempt at commerciality. The B-side to Love Stealer was No Return off the Conquest album. Only a few more songs were to be issued by the band while Sloman was singer.
Think It Over was a single A-side with Greg Dechert on keyboards. Released as a picture sleeve single to promote the new line-up and tour of late 1980. It was one of the best tracks Sloman ever sang and was later re-recorded for the Abominog album. It's B-side was My Joanna Needs Tuning. Originally called Inside Out the band decided that as no one ever took any notice of flip sides they wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a good or bad title. As it happened the single came out on limited release and failed to generate much interest. Not surprising really. Both songs appeared for the first time on CD on Rarities.
Lying is a previously unreleased out-take featuring Sloman on vocals.
© 1991, 1997 Robert M. Corich
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Content Copyright © 1997 Jay Pearson
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