I will admit that I was never a big Uriah Heep fan. I knew of them, and I have probably heard some of their music along the way, but none of it has made it into my music library. But I did notice yesterday, as I was looking through the new prog rock releases, that the Heep’s new album Outsider, was released. So I wasted time, unless you count the time between 1969 and now as wasted because I have not sought out Uriah Heep, going to Spotify to listen to it. Anyway, I really liked the album and maybe I’ll consider a part of the aforementioned time wasted! Now the reason that I really am mentioning this at all today is that today is the birthday of John Lawton. a former lead singer for the Heep. Lawton provided the vocals for the band between 1976 and 1980, which I obviously did not know before today and found out here at the band’s biography at Wikipedia
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and are regarded as one of the seminal hard rock acts of the early 1970s.[1][2] Uriah Heep’s progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion’s distinctive features have always included a massive keyboard sound, strong vocal harmonies and (in the early years) David Byron’s quasi-operatic vocals.[3][4] Twelve of the band’s albums have made it to the UK Albums Chart (Return to Fantasy reached No. 7 in 1975)[5] while of the fifteen Billboard 200 Uriah Heep albumsDemons and Wizards was the most successful (#23, 1972).[6] In the late 1970s the band had massive success in Germany, where the “Lady in Black” single was a big hit.[7][8] Along with Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep had become one of the top bands in the early 1970s – one of “The Big 4” of hard rock.[9]k
Ok so then I went to the band’s website to find out a little more and I see is “Appy Birthday. Mick Box, from reading the band’s bio. I now know that Mick Box, lead guitarist is also the only original member of the band who is still an active member of the band!! But wait when’s his birthday.I went to Wikipedia to check and see that his birthday is June 9, 1947! I went back to two of the websites that I check for birthdays and there is no mention of Mick…. then I went to This Day in Rock figuring it has to be there…..hum….
- 1941 – Jon Lord, Deep Purple
- 1947 – Mitch Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix Experience
- 1949 – George Burnell – Strawberry Alarm Clock
- 1950 – Trevor Boulder – Uriah Heep
No, Mick Box…Mitch Mitchell and Jon Lord Ok but….George Burnell.???? Strawberry Alarm Clock???? (no offense intended George! By the way Happy Belated Birthday!) Oh well….from Wikipedia…..
Michael Frederick “Mick” Box (born 9 June 1947 in Walthamstow, East London, England) is the lead guitarist of British rock group Uriah Heep, having previously been a member of The Stalkers and Spice, both with original Uriah Heep vocalist David Byron.[1] He is the only member from the band’s founding in 1969 who is still active with the group. He currently resides in North London with his wife and son.
So Happy Belated Birthday – Mick Box – Trevor Boulder and Happy Birthday – John Lawton! Here’s Uriah Heep with the “Official Video” for “One-Minute” from Outsider……I do think I have to listen to this album some more and then to the band’s back catalog!!
