MICK BOX
On tour in Brno, Czech Republic, August 19, 1995

This album was our first recording trip away from home and was recorded at the Chateau d'Herouville, France in June/July 1973. It was quite an experience for us as this was the first time we had not only recorded in the studio but slept and lived in it as well. I remember finisheing off the track Circus that Gary and I had begun writing earlier in the year in LA at the famous Continental Hyatt (Riot) House on Sunset Boulevard. We were in the studio, completely in the dark with not even the control desk lights on with Gary at one end of the studio and me at the other. We did not say a word to each other and just completed the music for the song that was as the lyrics had already been written earlier in LA. There was a rumour that the studio was haunted and although we finished the song I am not sure we can take full credit for the writing as it was a very spiritual experience. When the album was finished, Warner Brothers USA flew in for a preview and the album got a big thumbs up with Stealin' and Sweet Freedom being the outstanding tracks. It was ironical that Ken had written Sweet Freedom just as we were getting out of one major US contract and into another with Warner Brothers. I hope you enjoy the remastered CD version of this album complete with the added bonus tracks, as the making of this album was an adventure full of fond memories, 'appy days.'

KEN HENSLEY
St Louis, USA, October 16, 1995

I have two copies of Sweet Freedom in front of me. One is the original CD issued by Castle and the other by RoadRacer. Only mentioning that becuase it seems a little odd! The time spent recording Sweet Freedom is clear in my memory for a lot of reasons. I was still recovering from hepatitis, we recorded it in an old monastery outside Paris, our American crew scared us to death setting off fireworks on the fourth of July. Lee wrecked a rental car on a fishing trip and I think we spent at least as much time swimming, playing ping-pong and shooting rifles as we did recording! It really was a drag recording away from home and I really do believe the records suffered as a result. Of course, we were doing it for tax reasons, which we all thought was real important at the time! Yet the album did reveal an all-time Heep classic in Stealin' which still gets enormous air time on American radio. I must go back and listen to this album again, because Seven Stars has taken on a new and much more important meaning to me now (Revelation 2:1).

MICK BOX
January, 1996

I agree wholeheartedly with Ken's 1989 comments regarding David except for one thing, and that is I personally think David had one of the greatest voices in Rock music and was an inspiration to so many singers.

Content Copyright © 1997 Jay Pearson

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