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In 1985 after the release of the Equator album and the subsequent departure of singer Pete Goalby, Uriah Heep were once again looking for new members to fill vacant posts. Mick Box knew that once they had sorted out the personnel situation they should be able to obtain a recording contract. Auditions were held and resulted in Phil Lanzon (ex-Sweet / Grand Prix) being drafted in as replacement for John Sinclair on keyboards and Bernie Shaw, a talented Canadian (ex-Grand Prix / Stratus) being brought in to fill the Lead Vocal shoes. Shaw was recruited as the replacement for Stef Fontaine. Fontaine had been brought in to replace Pete Goalby but his tenure with the band was short-lived, only surviving one American tour.
Touring for this newly formed line-up commenced quickly and culminated in late 1987 with a series of impressive concerts throughout the Soviet Union. Uriah Heep were to become the first western rock band to tour Mother Russia and her crumbling Union of states. Glasnost and Rock 'n' Roll were as good a way as any to form the foundations for a new country I guess! There were rumors that Mikhail Gorbachev even wanted to attend the concerts!
The band played to over 180,000 fans during their ten concerts in Moscow alone! Bearing in mind that this was the first western rock band to play behind the Iron Curtain, the management and the band had pulled off a major coup and they wisely attempted to record several of the dates. Attempted, being the operative word as the staffing situation and recording facilities were not exactly up to the western standards the band were used too. Several nights were recorded (in part anyway, depending on whether the equipment actually functioned!) and the resulting record that was issued in early 1988 was a culmination of the best surviving tracks. Ten songs graced the original LP release with Gypsy being added to the original CD issued by Legacy. The album tracks were a mixture of old and new, but mostly very popular songs, effectively making this a live 'Best Of' plus three previously unheard songs performed by the new line-up. These were namely, Corina, Mr Majestic and Pacific Highway. The Moscow concerts were augmented by the performance of several tracks from the last studio album, Equator along with the three tracks penned by the new line-up. These three new songs had not, however, been committed to tape in a studio before the live recordings and to this day they have still not been recorded formerly in the studio to be made available for commercial release. This was probably due to the fact they never got past the demo stage in a recording studio before the band embarked on a heavy touring schedule. We have, however recently unearthed some demo mixes of the songs and these have been added to the newly re-mastered Still 'Eavy Still Proud album.
The two Equator tracks Heartache City and Rockarama that were played during the Moscow concerts have been recently mixed and are now included with this re-mastered release for the first time ever. The original CD release by Legacy which included the bonus track of Gypsy clocked in at around 60 minutes. With the new bonus tracks added the album now runs in at over 75 minutes.
Live In Moscow was a very important CD for the band and it really signified the start of a new career for the fresh line-up. Interestingly enough it is this (still) current line-up that has stayed together the longest. Bernie Shaw has been the singer in the band nearly twice as long as David Byron, and Phil Lanzon has been playing keyboards in the band longer than Ken Hensley!
The tour of the Soviet Union was a raging success and the band departed the country as heroes in no uncertain terms. On their return to the UK the press greeted the band with enthusiasm, probably for the first time since the success of the Abominog album. Kerrang! Magazine and Metal Hammer featured major write-ups on their journeys to the Soviet Bloc. The press reaction was a positive, if surprising, turn-up for Mick Box and Co., if there ever was one.
The album sold relatively well and re-established them in the memory of the record buying public. All they had to do now was capitalize on it quickly if they wanted continuity and consistency. This they did by maintaining a heavy touring schedule and the commencement of the recording for their next studio album. Recorded between December 1988 and February 1989 the Raging Silence album was released in mid-1989. Some CD versions of the Raging Silence also contained a bonus live version of Look At Yourself from the Moscow concerts, but due to the time constraints of CD and the preference of adding previously unreleased material, this cannot be included on the remastered Live In Moscow. However, we have included this live version of Look At Yourself along with two other versions of 'Moscow' material on the re-mastered Raging Silence album.
It is hoped this reissued version of Live In Moscow will give the listener a chance to experience a more realistic example of what those famous Moscow concerts were really like. The only thing we cannot supply is the vodka and the Secret Service officials who were monitoring the shows. Communism was in its death throes in the Soviet Union at the time these concerts took place and who knows, maybe Uriah Heep in their special way helped with its demise and proved you don't have to be Too Scared To Run!
© 1998 Robert M. Corich
Bonus Tracks:
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Content Copyright © 1997-98 Jay Pearson
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