Higher Livin' - A Tribute To The Music Of Uriah Heep

Have I got a treat for you today!!

I was passed these MP3's for inclusion on the "ultimate covers collection" CD'S, for which I was most grateful.But when I sat down to listen to them something became immediately apparent. To me these were far too good to be buried in a compilation album. The band "Higher Livin'" hail from Italy and from the opening note on "Bird of Prey" all the way through to the conclusion of "July Morning" it is obvious that this extremely talented group of musicians are doing something they love. They have to my unqualified ears managed to do something that so many others have tried to do but ultimately failed, they have successfully captured

THE HEEP SOUND

So Thank you to Corrado for introducing me to the band and thank you to
Higher Livin' For the music

I only wish I lived closer so I could catch this band live

If you are reading these notes you already deserve a couple of thanks, first and foremost from Higher Livin', secondly from one of the greatest bands that Rock History has ever known, Uriah Heep!.













The collection that you hold in your hands was born from the immense admiration of Bassist and future Leader of Higher Livin', Daniele Rossi towards this Band. A band that sadly has not gotten his due as far as praise and its place in Rock Olympus is concerned.Daniele, had the idea of involving the House Band of famed Club "Vivere Su", i.e himself, Fabio Baruzzo on Guitar, Pierga Dettori on Drums and charming Vocalist Claudia Dani in his project, but in order to recreate the original sound of Heep consisting of a solid Rhythm base sustained by a deep Hammond organ and a nimble guitar switching swiftly from lead to back to support the Vocal harmonics of the Group, he needed his Ken Hensley. After countless efforts , Daniele finally found his man in Stefano Toni that in his old Band Butterfly's Tail proposed several pieces of Uriah Heep, mainly due to the love of said band's Vocalist Thor Bertolucci for David Byron. Obviously Daniele did not miss the opportunity to bring on board Thor adding further spices to the powerful vocal mix.All of them finally together , they proceded to organize the first "Heep Night"( and that's where due to mere chance I got involved), that was held at "Vivere Su" on January 27 2011. Being among the public to celebrate my 49th birthday, I had the honour to be called on stage to aid in the presentation of this band that right from the word Go, showed to everybody that they had all it takes to be a real powerhouse. Several other concerts followed until they realized that they needed to leave to posterity something from this wonderful experience.From this primal need stems the cd that you are now holding in your hands, a cd that on top of the pieces performed by the "Core Group", can call on the superb interpretation of Vocalist Extraordinaire Jon Binder on Corridors of Madness, the only song that cannot count on the help that comes from being on the classic and better known albums from the Byron and Lawton periods.Please try to appreciate the effort from the band to record everything Live without overdubs, in order to try to recreate the magic of those concerts.

Enjoy!

Steve The Rock , 04/25/12 (I don't know why April 11th was put on Original Italian issue)



P.S. Higher Livin' look forward to welcoming you back on their next work which will consist mainly of self penned compositions, clearly still inspired by that Classic Rock that we all love and cherish. Please follow www.inrockwetrust.it in order to get latest updates on Higher Livin' most recent projects and their releases.

The band

Claudia Dani (Lead Vocals)
Tor Bertolucci (Lead Vocals)
Fabio Baruzzo (Guitars)
Stefano Toni (Keyboards)
Daniele Rossi (Bass & Vocals)
Pierga Dettori (Drums & Vocals)

The Tracks

1 Bird of Prey
2 Sweet Lorraine
3 Corridors of Madness
4 Sunrise
5 Wise Man
6 Free 'n Easy
7 Gypsy
8 Rain
9 July Morning

The Link

for more information on the band visit their Facebook page

The Gods - "Come On Down To My Boat Baby / Garage Man" 1967

Extremely rare single from 1967 this was the first single released by the band which according to wikipedia had both Brian Glascock and Lee Kerslake in the line-up

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 The Gods

Years active 1965–1969

Labels EMI

Polydor

Associated acts Jethro Tull

Bee Gees

The Rolling Stones

King Crimson

Uriah Heep

The Gods were an English group founded in 1965. The original bandmembers included Mick Taylor (later with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and the Rolling Stones), Brian Glascock, and his brother John (later with Jethro Tull)

Career

They were schoolmates from Hatfield and had been playing together as The Juniors (or The Strangers), a band they formed in 1962. Also part of this band were Malcolm Collins and Alan Shacklock. They eventually signed with EMI / Columbia Records. Their first 7" single (Columbia DB7339) appeared in 1964 ("There's a Pretty Girl"/"Pocket Size"). In 1965, the line-up changed. Mick Taylor continued to play guitar and teamed up with Ken Hensley (organ/vocals) (later guitarist with Uriah Heep). They also added Joe Konas (guitar/vocals) and changed their name to "The Gods".

In 1966, The Gods opened for Cream at the Starlite Ballroom in Wembley, London. A single (Come On Down To My Boat Baby/Garage Man) was recorded in early 1967 on Polydor Records. At this point the line-up included Mick Taylor, Ken Hensley, John Glascock, Brian Glascock and Lee Kerslake.

In May 1967, Mick Taylor got a call from John Mayall who was looking for a new guitarist to replace Peter Green. When Taylor joined the Bluesbreakers, he left behind a faltering bluesband. The band sought to revive their fortunes on the club/college circuit. They relocated to London and secured a residency at The Marquee. John Glascock (bass) was replaced by Paul Newton in June 1967 and then by Greg Lake. Greg Lake left in the Summer of 1968 to join King Crimson. The band had to re-group again and John Glascock was asked to return.

With John Glascock back in the fold they recorded a couple of progressive rock albums and a few singles. Of their singles, "Hey! Bulldog", The Beatles track, is their best known, and both sides have been included on the compilation album, The Great British Psychedelic Trip Vol. 3. The band played an amalgam of psychedelia and progressivism. Tracks like "Towards The Skies" and "Time And Eternity" from their 1968 album Genesis are full of heavy ploughing Hammond organ and distorted guitar riffs and Ken Hensley's unique and rather dramatic vocals add a further dimension.

Most of The Gods' material is fairly typical late 1960s pop/rock, epitomised by songs like "Radio Show" and "Yes I Cry". There are shades of Vanilla Fudge on their cover of West Side Story extract "Maria". On a few tracks like "Candlelight" and "Real Love Guaranteed" there is an inkling of the heavier sound Hensley and Kerslake would propagate in their next venture, Uriah Heep.

The Gods were the successors of The Rolling Stones at the Marquee Club in London.

After recording two albums, Genesis (1968) and To Samuel a Son (1969), they signed with a new record company, recruited Rebel Rousers singer Cliff Bennett and changed their name to Toe Fat, which also lasted two years and two albums.

The following have been members of The Gods-

John Glascock (bass) (later with Toe Fat, Chicken Shack, Carmen, Jethro Tull)

Brian Glascock (drums) (later with The Motels and with the Bee Gees)

Mick Taylor (guitar) (later with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and the Rolling Stones)

Ken Hensley (organ and vocals, occasional guitar) (later with Uriah Heep)

Joe Konas (guitar/vocals)

Lee Kerslake (drums) (later with Uriah Heep and Ozzy Osbourne)

Paul Newton (bass) (later with Uriah Heep)

Greg Lake (bass) (later with King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer)

Cliff Bennett (vocals) (of Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers)

Alan Shacklock (guitar) (later with Babe Ruth)

Discography

Singles

"Come On Down To My Boat Baby / Garage Man" (Polydor 56168)

"Baby's Rich" / "Somewhere In The Street" (Columbia DB 8486)

"Hey Bulldog" / "Real Love Guaranteed" (Columbia DB 8544)

"Maria" (from "West Side Story") / "Long Time Sad Time Bad Time" (Columbia DB 8572)

Albums

Genesis (L.P. Columbia SCX 6286) 1968, re-issued 1994 Repertoire Records

To Samuel a Son (L.P. Columbia SCX 6372) 1969, re-issued 1995 Repertoire Records

Best of The Gods (compilation CD)

Mick Taylor Guitar

Ken Hensley Organ,Vocals & Guitar

John Glascock Bass

Brian Glascock Drums

Lee Kerslake Drums

Come On Down To My Boat Baby / Garage Man (Polydor 56168)

The Ultimate Heep Covers Collection - Various artists Volume 8

Disc 1

01 Blind Guardian - The wizard
02 Sweetheart - Easy livin'
03 Dreamer - I wanna be free
04 Finland - It ain't easy
05 Firefly - Circle of hands
06 Wild Angel - I hear voices
07 Steerforth - Dreamer
08 John Lawton's Gunhill - Sympathy
09 Ken Hensley - The name of the game
10 Kimera - Sunrise
11 Firefly - Easy livin´
12 Sleepy Sleepers - Pihipoika (July morning)
13 Sons of Noise - Gipsy - version 1
14 Steerforth - Look at yourself
15 Uriah Heep Tribute - Stealin'

Disc 2

01 Iverija - July morning
02 Kosmos - Viisi varmaa (Easy livin')
03 Dreamer feat. Ken Hensley- Circle of hands
04 Virgin Steele - Stay on top
05 John Lawton & Steve Dunning - Firefly/Come back to me
06 Uriah Heep Tribute - Time to live
07 Le 4ème - Easy Livin' ('82)
08 Circle of hands - July morning
09 Narnia - Sunrise
10 Native Son - Stealin'
11 Norway - The wizard
12 The Madmen - Suicidal man
13 The Spell - Wake up set your sights
14 Music Factory - Easy Livin'
15 Echoes in the dark - Circle of Hands

Link

ITALIAN PROG MASTERWORKS 2 - Museo Rosenbach- 1972-1973- Zarathustra & Bonus (Repost)

Hard prog this time for the second post in this serie. This group was formed in 1972 in Rome.

This is a concept album, dedicated to the superman's theory of Nistzche. In the seventies this album was not considered but, year after year, it was going to become a cult in the italian prog discography. The entire side a of old lp was covered by the long suite that gives the name to album. But this sound, even if for me is quite original, can make remember in someone echoes of other artists: see you, please, the bonus cd tracklist to know where Museo Rosenbach found his inspiration....

The members are:

Giancarlo Golzi- Drums, Vocals

Alberto Moreno- Bass, Pianoforte

Enzo Merogno- Guitar, Vocals

Pit Corradi- Mellotron, Hammond

Stefano "Lupo" Galifi- Lead Vocals

TRACKLIST :

1- Zarathustra

a)L'ultimo uomo

b)Il re di ieri

c)Al di là del bene e del male

d)Superuomo

e)Il tempio delle clessidre

2- Degli uomini

3- Della natura

4- Dell'eterno ritorno

New Link

-BONUS-

Museo Rosenbach- 1972- Rare & Unrealised

This is a live album (the sound quality is like a quite good bootleg). It contains proto versions of Zarathustra's songs and some covers, and if you search in the list you'll have two or three little surprises (maybe material for your UH connections 3, Colin?)

The members of the band are the same as in Zarathustra album, with the special guest of Leonardo Lagorio, of prog band Celeste, at the sax

TRACKLIST :

01- Zarathustra

02- Degli uomini

03- Della natura

04- Dell'eterno Ritorno (instumental)

05- Dopo

06- Look at yourself

07- With a little help from my friends

08- Shadows of grief

09- Valentyne suite (excerpt)

10- Dopo (english version)

11- Dell'eterno ritorno (encore)

I know, Mister "Lupo"(in english Wolf) Galifi doesn't know some of the Shadows of grief lyrics and he sings in one strange language italo english spanish and i don't know from, but this is a testimoniance of how Uriah Heep was loved in Italy too.

Thanks to all and to the next

New Link

PS: for the anonymous reader who posts a comment to the Osanna's post,

The Balletto di bronzo album YS, that i promised as second in this serie, will be the third.

The Ultimate Heep Covers Collection - Various artists Volume 7

Disc 1
01 Van Beukenstein - Easy Livin` Live
02 Dreamer - Sunrise
03 Fast Finger - Time of revelation
04 Kalmar Union -Sadetta vain (Rain)
05 Horrible Hannah - Wizard
06 Nash - Weep in silence
07 Steerforth - Gypsy
08 Synkopy 61 - Bílý vrány (Easy livin')
09 The Spell - Sweet lorraine
10 VanillaHeep - Salisbury
11 Circle of hands - Rainbow demon
12 Vilperin Perikunta - Piirimyyjä (Easy livin')
13 Wild Angel - Look at yourself
14 Alwari Tuohitorvi - Sweet Lorraine
15 Dreamer feat. Ken Hensley - Rain

Disc 2
01 ...a meloun - kouzelnik -the wizard
02 Sad Juicies & the Fair Aussies - Godly Livin
03 Featherwheel - July morning
04 Easy Livin' - Return to fantasy
05 D.C.Cooper- Easy livin'
06 Heep Heads - Pilgrim
07 James Last - Easy Living
08 Ken Hensley - If I had the time
09 Liegelord - Too scared to run
10 Circle of hands - Sunrise
11 Shirley Zwerus - Easy livin'
12 The Madmen - Sunrise
13 Tonix - Frihet (Free me)
14 Easy Livin' -Circle of Hands

Link

The Ultimate Heep Covers Collection - Various artists Volume 6

Disc 1

01 Century - The wizard
02 Circle of hands - Look at yourself
03 Easy Livin' - Easy livin'
04 Unknown - July morning
05 'Eavier than 'umble - Question
06 Freebase - Suicidal man
07 John Lawton & Steve Dunning - One more night
08 LawtonHulme - Return to fantasy-Magician's birthday-Wonderworld
09 Les Humphries - Look at Yourself
10 Outcast - Easy living
11 PLT - Rainbow demon
12 Sonic Perception ft. Antonio Carvalho - July Morning
13 Sons of Noise - Gipsy-version 2
14 Tesla - Stealin'
15 James Last - Live - Easy livin'
16 The Heavy's - Slow Down Mix

Disc 2
01 Unknown - Easy Livin'
02 Apphiliated - Gypsy version 1
03 Circle of hands - The wizard
04 Cosmic Banditos & John Lawton - Easy livin'
05 Danny - Itsesi näät vain, et enempää (Look at yourself)
06 Finland - Too scared to run
07 Fratres - Gypsy
08 Horrible Hannah - July morning
09 Sinister Purpose - Easy livin' - elektrisch
10 John Lawton & Steve Dunning - Tonight
11 Duett Komplett - The wizard
12 Knight Crawler - Stealin'
13 Native Son - That's how I am
14 The Byron Band - July morning
15 The Madmen - The hanging tree
16 Steerforth - Easy livin'

Link

David Byron - Take No Prisoners Repost

Take No Prisoners


Recorded February 1975
Morgan and Roundhouse Studios
London, England
Mixed at the Roundhouse Studios
Initial release March, 1975



This 1975 album was the first solo outing for David Byron, the lead singer for Uriah Heep. It isn't a big surprise that a good portion of the album sounds a lot like the group that gave him his day job: sturdy organ-driven hard-rockers like "Silver White Man" and "Hit Me With a White One" would not be out of place on a typical Uriah Heep album from this period. The fact that every then-current member of Uriah Heep makes at least one appearance on this record further aids this déjà vu feeling. What is surprising about Take No Prisoners is how solid and consistent it is for a between-albums solo venture. The album begins powerfully with "Man Full of Yesterdays," a mid-tempo rocker with a moody, dramatic arrangement that blends an emotional Mellotron-driven sound with autobiographical lyrics. From there, Byron deftly blends his Heep-styled rockers with a variety of roots rock and soul experiments that blend in well with the other, more traditional material: "Steamin' Along" tackles funk with surprising deftness while "Saturday Night" adds a likable country-rock element to its amped-up rock & roll attack. "Love Song" proves that Byron could do a straight ballad with surprising sensitivity and further benefits from a lovely arrangement built on a gentle harpsichord sound. Plenty of sharp rockers are interspersed between these experimental tracks, the best being "Midnight Flyer," a cleverly arranged rocker that alternates spooky, mid-tempo verses with a scorching chorus to create an exciting burst of hard rock. Overall, Take No Prisoners lacks a breakout single or the kind of genre-expanding elements that will win over the casual listener, but it is a well-crafted album that will definitely find favor with Uriah Heep fans. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide


Original album credits:
David Byron: Voice
Mick Box: Guitars
Lou Stonebridge: Keyboards
Denny Ball: Bass
Lee Kerslake: Drums

Other Credits:
Drums: Pete Thompson
Backing vocals: Chanter Sisters, Martha Smith, Neil Lanchaster, Chas Mills and Russ Stone.
Acoustic Guitar: Ken Hensley
Mellotron: John Wetton

Produced by: Peter Gallen and David Byron
Engineer: Ashley Howe
Assistant Engineers: Dave Harris (at Morgan), Trevor Hallesy & John Gallen (at Roundhouse)
Equipment: Dell Roll, Pete Gibbs
Refreshment: Marcus Rose, Moet & Chandon, Remy Martin & Newcastle Brown
©1975 Bronze Records Ltd.



Track Listing:
Side A:
1. Man Full Of Yesterdays (Byron / Box / Stonebridge) 5:36
2. Sweet Rock N' Roll (Stonebridge / McGuinness) 2:49
3. Steamin' Along (Byron / Box / Ball / Thompson / Stonebridge) 5:09
4. Silver White Man (Byron) 3:29
5. Love Song (Byron / Box / Kerslake / Stonebridge) 2:56

Side B:
1. Midnight Flyer (Stonebridge / McGuinness) 5:55
2. Saturday Night (Stonebridge) 2:16
3. Roller Coaster (Byron / Box / Ball / Kerslake / Stonebridge) 3:58
4. Stop (Think What You're Doing) (Byron / Stonebridge / McGuinness) 4:16
5. Hit Me With A White One (Byron / Box / Stonebridge) 3:53

US Cover


















Link