1990
The funny thing was we wrote it at the Hamwell Community Centre, Shepherds Bush, and Deep Purple were rehearsing (for In Rock - JP) in the room next door to us. You can imagine the kind of racket we were both making between us!
MICK BOX
This was a very exciting time because it was our first visit to the studio to record an
album and we went in as a four piece called 'Spice' and came out as a favie piece called
'Uriah Heep'.
With the addition of keyboards to our sound, notably the Hammond organ, and the fact that we
had five singers in the band, gave us some very strong harmonies. These traits, along
with my developing wah wah pedal technique, enabled us to slowly carve out our own sound
which stood us apart from all the other bands that were around in the early seventies. I
felt that the songs were all very strong and showed the versatility of the band by
recording such a very 'eavy Hammond organ based track as Gypsy which
has become Uriah Heep's anthem over the past 25 years and then something 'umble and
beautiful as
Come Away Melinda on acoustic guitar which was very much part of the Spice set.
Come Away Melinda was recorded with a mellotron which gave it a great atmosphere,
and to this day David Byron's vocal performance on this song sends chills down my spine.
We were very proud of this album once it was finished and felt that we were on to
something very exciting that we could definitely develop further. To have it remastered
on CD with the original artwork makes me as proud of it today as I was back in 1970. If
there was nay doubt at all, yes that is David Byron's face in cobwebs on the front cover
and it was done by my good self with a glue based cob-web machine. It took three weeks to
get out of his hair and impressed David was not, but it gave us a great cover.
KEN HENSLEY
Recording Very
'Eavy, Very 'Umble was an amazing experience. There was so much energy and
excitiement of a kind that could never be re-created. Also, though it is not musically or
sonically the best album we did, it will always be special to me. Considering it was our
first album, we were allowed to be very free in our choice of songs and it was a giant
step in establishing our definitive musical direction. Of course, that helped us shape
the personnel choices that would lead to the 'ultimate Heep'.
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Content Copyright © 1997 Jay Pearson
Sept. 1995 (on tour in Germany)
Sept. 23, 1995, St. Louis, USA
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