The Six Wives of Henry VIII (album)
Encyclopedia
The Six Wives of Henry VIII is the debut studio album
from the English keyboardist and composer Rick Wakeman
, released in January 1973 on A&M Records
. It is an instrumental progressive rock
album with its concept
based on his interpretations of the musical characteristics of the six wives
of Henry VIII
. Wakeman decided on the concept in 1972 while he toured the United States with the rock band Yes
. As he read a book about the wives on his travels, melodies he wrote the previous year came to him and were noted down. Wakeman plays a variety of keyboard instruments including piano, Minimoog
synthesiser, Mellotron
, harpsichord
and organ. Musicians from Yes and Strawbs, who he performed with prior to Yes, also play on the album.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. It reached number 7 on the UK Albums Chart
and number 30 on the US Billboard 200
. It was certified gold
in 1975 by the Recording Industry Association of America
and has sold 15 million copies worldwide. In 2009, Wakeman performed the album live
for the first time at Hampton Court Palace
for the 500th anniversary of Henry's ascension to the throne. Each track was re-scored with added elements that could not be there due to time restrictions on the vinyl record.
with the progressive rock
band Yes
. He bought four books at an airport bookstall in Richmond, Virginia
, one of them being The Private Life of Henry VIII
by Nancy Brysson Morrison. Wakeman noted that while flying on tour "there are two things you can do: drink yourself silly or read books". As he read about Anne Boleyn
on the subsequent flight to Chicago
, a theme he recorded in November 1971 began to run through his mind. He often scribbled down pieces of music while travelling, but could not find a theme to put them to. "I had been searching for a style to write in and suddenly I found it in writing music about these six ladies
...I would concentrate on one of the wives and then music just came into my head and I would write it down. Sometimes I was flying, other times I was on stage, or just in front of the piano at home...The "Six Wives" theme gave me the thread, the link, I needed to give me a reason for putting these pieces of music together," said Wakeman. He explains the album's concept in its liner notes
: "The album is based around my interpretations of the musical characteristics of the wives of Henry VIII. Although the style may not always be in keeping with their individual history, it is my personal conception of their characters in relation to keyboard instruments."
Recording sessions began in February 1972 with an advance of £4,000 from A&M Records
. Seven musicians from Yes and Strawbs, the folk rock
group Wakeman performed with earlier in his career, contribute to the record. The basis of "Catherine of Aragon", the opening track, was originally a piece that Wakeman wrote for Yes' fourth studio album, Fragile
(1971), titled "Handle With Care". The track was recorded at Trident Studios
in London and features Yes guitarists Steve Howe
and Chris Squire
with percussionist Ray Cooper
. While recording "Anne Boleyn" at Morgan Studios
, which features Yes drummer Bill Bruford
, a dream Wakeman had about attending her execution caused him to include a version of "St. Clement", the tune to the hymn "The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended" written by John Ellerton
. Though E. J. Hopkins is credited on the album, the piece was in fact composed by the Reverend Clement Scholefield.
By the time production began on "Catherine Howard", engineer Ken Scott was replaced by Paul Tregurtha. Stawbs member Chas Cronk
, who played bass guitar on the track, recalled the "total confusion" during the recording and "couldn't make head or tail of what we were doing. We were going through it part by part and I couldn't see how all the parts were going to match up." He noted that Rick "knew exactly what he was going to do although he had nothing written down. It was all stored in his head." The organ on "Jane Seymour" was recorded at St Giles-without-Cripplegate
church in London. "I couldn't reproduce the sound I needed on an electronic organ, so we got permission to move the recording equipment into St Giles," said Wakeman. "It was quite an experience playing a lovely instrument like that." Wakeman describes "Anne of Cleves" as a "rather free-form" track, "almost having no form at all, there was a contradiction in what everyone was playing. The guys in the band thought I was completely barking, but it had to be like that."
The album was to be titled Henry VIII and His Six Wives with a track dedicated for Henry himself, but Wakeman recorded the tracks on the wives first and had used up the space available on a vinyl record. The track was then discarded and the album renamed. When recording ended in October 1972, the final cost for the record had reached around £25,000. Wakeman described working on the record as "difficult and cumbersome", but said that the album was a "finally rewarding project". The album's cover photograph was taken at Madame Tussauds
wax museum in London, where a figure of Richard Nixon
can be seen in the background as the curtain was not fully closed.
on ITV
, but was temporarily banned for screening. As Wakeman noted, "It seems most of them, rather than watch repeats, switched over to Whistle Test and saw my preview of "Henry"...and suddenly it seemed as if the whole country had discovered my music...it was a tremendous break." The album made its general release on 23 January, and it topped the album charts in four countries. In July that year, the record had sold 300,000 copies. A year later Wakeman was presented a platinum record at the Midem Festival
for sales exceeding two million. The figure grew to six million after five years, and the album went on to sell 15 million copies in total. The album was certified gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
in 1975.
The album received some negative reaction upon its release. Wakeman recalled "dreadful reviews" and management at A&M calling the record "unsellable" since it was an instrumental concept album. An initial 12,500 copies were pressed by A&M in hope of earning back the money used for production. Though the album was seen by some as one of the worst examples of the progressive rock genre, the record was well received by others. Time
magazine named it one of the best pop albums of 1973, describing the album as "an astonishing classic-rock hybrid". Rolling Stone
noted Wakeman had "a brilliant feel for tasteful impressionistic composition", having made "an exceptionally interesting instrumental album with superb production". Mike DeGange of Allmusic described Wakeman's use of his synthesizers as "masterful" and "instrumentally stunning", and rated the album 4.5 out of 5.
. He was denied permission, and "got the impression that what I had asked was tantamount to treason". The show was never held until he was asked to perform for the 500th anniversary to Henry's accession to the throne, 36 years later. A temporary stage was carefully built outside the main palace entrance to seat an audience of 5,000 people. Wakeman performed the album live in its entirety for the first time with his band, the English Rock Ensemble, the English Chamber Choir and the Orchestra Europa, on 1 and 2 May 2009. Featured in the setlist was "Defender of the Faith", the track Wakeman wrote about Henry before it was omitted from the album due to time constraints. The shows were recorded and released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray titled The Six Wives of Henry VIII Live at Hampton Court Palace
on October 5 that year.
Side A
Side B
Additional musicians
Production and design
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
from the English keyboardist and composer Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
, released in January 1973 on A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
. It is an instrumental progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
album with its concept
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
based on his interpretations of the musical characteristics of the six wives
Wives of Henry VIII
The wives of Henry VIII were the six queens consort married to Henry VIII of England between 1509 and 1547. The six women to hold the title 'queens consort' of King Henry VIII were, in order:* Catherine of Aragon ,* Anne Boleyn ,...
of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. Wakeman decided on the concept in 1972 while he toured the United States with the rock band Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
. As he read a book about the wives on his travels, melodies he wrote the previous year came to him and were noted down. Wakeman plays a variety of keyboard instruments including piano, Minimoog
Minimoog
The Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. , and production was stopped in 1981. It was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager.The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of...
synthesiser, Mellotron
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
and organ. Musicians from Yes and Strawbs, who he performed with prior to Yes, also play on the album.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. It reached number 7 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
and number 30 on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. It was certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
in 1975 by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
and has sold 15 million copies worldwide. In 2009, Wakeman performed the album live
The Six Wives of Henry VIII Live at Hampton Court Palace
-DVD and Blu-ray:-Personnel:* Rick Wakeman – Roland JD-800, Hammond Organ, Moog Mini-moog, Korg M3, Korg OASYS, Roland Fantom-X , Moog Voyager, Manikin Memotron , Roland V-Synth, keytar, piano.* Dave Colquhoun – electric guitar...
for the first time at Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
for the 500th anniversary of Henry's ascension to the throne. Each track was re-scored with added elements that could not be there due to time restrictions on the vinyl record.
Conception
In early 1972, Wakeman toured the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
. He bought four books at an airport bookstall in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, one of them being The Private Life of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
by Nancy Brysson Morrison. Wakeman noted that while flying on tour "there are two things you can do: drink yourself silly or read books". As he read about Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
on the subsequent flight to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, a theme he recorded in November 1971 began to run through his mind. He often scribbled down pieces of music while travelling, but could not find a theme to put them to. "I had been searching for a style to write in and suddenly I found it in writing music about these six ladies
Wives of Henry VIII
The wives of Henry VIII were the six queens consort married to Henry VIII of England between 1509 and 1547. The six women to hold the title 'queens consort' of King Henry VIII were, in order:* Catherine of Aragon ,* Anne Boleyn ,...
...I would concentrate on one of the wives and then music just came into my head and I would write it down. Sometimes I was flying, other times I was on stage, or just in front of the piano at home...The "Six Wives" theme gave me the thread, the link, I needed to give me a reason for putting these pieces of music together," said Wakeman. He explains the album's concept in its liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
: "The album is based around my interpretations of the musical characteristics of the wives of Henry VIII. Although the style may not always be in keeping with their individual history, it is my personal conception of their characters in relation to keyboard instruments."
Recording
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
. Seven musicians from Yes and Strawbs, the folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
group Wakeman performed with earlier in his career, contribute to the record. The basis of "Catherine of Aragon", the opening track, was originally a piece that Wakeman wrote for Yes' fourth studio album, Fragile
Fragile (Yes album)
Fragile is the fourth studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released on Atlantic Records. It is the first to feature keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who replaced Tony Kaye in 1971, and the first to feature cover art by Roger Dean, who would design many of the band's records.Upon its...
(1971), titled "Handle With Care". The track was recorded at Trident Studios
Trident Studios
Trident Studios was a British recording facility, originally located at 17 St. Anne's Court in London's Soho district. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield a drummer of former 1960's group The Hunters and his Brother Barry....
in London and features Yes guitarists Steve Howe
Steve Howe
Steve Howe is the name of:*Steve Howe , progressive rock guitarist*Steve Howe , former major league pitcher...
and Chris Squire
Chris Squire
Christopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...
with percussionist Ray Cooper
Ray Cooper
Ray Cooper is an English musician. He is a session and road-tour percussionist, and occasional actor, who has worked with several musically diverse bands and artists including George Harrison, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, and Elton John. Cooper is commonly regarded by music fans, critics and fellow...
. While recording "Anne Boleyn" at Morgan Studios
Morgan Studios
Morgan Studios, also known as Morgan Sound Studios, were recording studios in Willesden, North London. The studios were notable for many recordings of the 1960s and 1970s by many British bands and artists such as Ten Years After, Yes, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Joan Armatrading, Cat...
, which features Yes drummer Bill Bruford
Bill Bruford
William Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...
, a dream Wakeman had about attending her execution caused him to include a version of "St. Clement", the tune to the hymn "The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended" written by John Ellerton
John Ellerton
The Rev. John Ellerton was a hymn writer and hymnologist.-Life:He was born in Clerkenwell, Middlesex, England, to George Ellerton, the head of an Evangelical family. He was educated at King William's College on the Isle of Man, and Trinity College, Cambridge, , where he came under the influence...
. Though E. J. Hopkins is credited on the album, the piece was in fact composed by the Reverend Clement Scholefield.
By the time production began on "Catherine Howard", engineer Ken Scott was replaced by Paul Tregurtha. Stawbs member Chas Cronk
Chas Cronk
-Strawbs:*Hero and Heroine *Ghosts *Nomadness *Deep Cuts *Burning for You *Deadlines *Heartbreak Hill *Blue Angel *Déjà Fou *Strawbs Live at Nearfest 2004...
, who played bass guitar on the track, recalled the "total confusion" during the recording and "couldn't make head or tail of what we were doing. We were going through it part by part and I couldn't see how all the parts were going to match up." He noted that Rick "knew exactly what he was going to do although he had nothing written down. It was all stored in his head." The organ on "Jane Seymour" was recorded at St Giles-without-Cripplegate
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
St Giles-without-Cripplegate is a Church of England church in the City of London, located within the modern Barbican complex. When built it stood without the city wall, near the Cripplegate. The church is dedicated to St Giles, patron saint of beggars and cripples...
church in London. "I couldn't reproduce the sound I needed on an electronic organ, so we got permission to move the recording equipment into St Giles," said Wakeman. "It was quite an experience playing a lovely instrument like that." Wakeman describes "Anne of Cleves" as a "rather free-form" track, "almost having no form at all, there was a contradiction in what everyone was playing. The guys in the band thought I was completely barking, but it had to be like that."
The album was to be titled Henry VIII and His Six Wives with a track dedicated for Henry himself, but Wakeman recorded the tracks on the wives first and had used up the space available on a vinyl record. The track was then discarded and the album renamed. When recording ended in October 1972, the final cost for the record had reached around £25,000. Wakeman described working on the record as "difficult and cumbersome", but said that the album was a "finally rewarding project". The album's cover photograph was taken at Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds London
Madame Tussauds London is a major tourist attraction located in Central London. It is famous for recreating famous people, or celebrities, in wax. It is the original Madame Tussauds attraction, having been situated on Marylebone Road since 1884. It was set up by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud...
wax museum in London, where a figure of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
can be seen in the background as the curtain was not fully closed.
Release and critical reception
The Six Wives of Henry VIII launched on national television in the United Kingdom on 16 January 1973, with Wakeman performing excerpts of the album on the BBC 2 music show The Old Grey Whistle Test. An audience of around 10 million planned to watch a controversial film about American pop figure Andy WarholAndy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, but was temporarily banned for screening. As Wakeman noted, "It seems most of them, rather than watch repeats, switched over to Whistle Test and saw my preview of "Henry"...and suddenly it seemed as if the whole country had discovered my music...it was a tremendous break." The album made its general release on 23 January, and it topped the album charts in four countries. In July that year, the record had sold 300,000 copies. A year later Wakeman was presented a platinum record at the Midem Festival
Midem
-MIDEM:Short for Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale, MIDEM is the world's largest music industry trade fair, which has been held annually at and around the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, since 1967...
for sales exceeding two million. The figure grew to six million after five years, and the album went on to sell 15 million copies in total. The album was certified gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
in 1975.
The album received some negative reaction upon its release. Wakeman recalled "dreadful reviews" and management at A&M calling the record "unsellable" since it was an instrumental concept album. An initial 12,500 copies were pressed by A&M in hope of earning back the money used for production. Though the album was seen by some as one of the worst examples of the progressive rock genre, the record was well received by others. Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine named it one of the best pop albums of 1973, describing the album as "an astonishing classic-rock hybrid". Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
noted Wakeman had "a brilliant feel for tasteful impressionistic composition", having made "an exceptionally interesting instrumental album with superb production". Mike DeGange of Allmusic described Wakeman's use of his synthesizers as "masterful" and "instrumentally stunning", and rated the album 4.5 out of 5.
Hampton Court performances
In 1973, Wakeman wrote a letter asking to perform the album live at Hampton Court PalaceHampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
. He was denied permission, and "got the impression that what I had asked was tantamount to treason". The show was never held until he was asked to perform for the 500th anniversary to Henry's accession to the throne, 36 years later. A temporary stage was carefully built outside the main palace entrance to seat an audience of 5,000 people. Wakeman performed the album live in its entirety for the first time with his band, the English Rock Ensemble, the English Chamber Choir and the Orchestra Europa, on 1 and 2 May 2009. Featured in the setlist was "Defender of the Faith", the track Wakeman wrote about Henry before it was omitted from the album due to time constraints. The shows were recorded and released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray titled The Six Wives of Henry VIII Live at Hampton Court Palace
The Six Wives of Henry VIII Live at Hampton Court Palace
-DVD and Blu-ray:-Personnel:* Rick Wakeman – Roland JD-800, Hammond Organ, Moog Mini-moog, Korg M3, Korg OASYS, Roland Fantom-X , Moog Voyager, Manikin Memotron , Roland V-Synth, keytar, piano.* Dave Colquhoun – electric guitar...
on October 5 that year.
Track listing
All tracks were written by Wakeman, except where noted.Side A
- "Catherine of AragonCatherine of AragonCatherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
" – 3:44 - "Anne of ClevesAnne of ClevesAnne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
" – 7:53 - "Catherine HowardCatherine HowardCatherine Howard , also spelled Katherine, Katheryn or Kathryn, was the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, and sometimes known by his reference to her as his "rose without a thorn"....
" – 6:35
Side B
- "Jane SeymourJane SeymourJane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
" – 4:46 - "Anne BoleynAnne BoleynAnne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
'The Day Thou Gavest Lord Hath Ended'" – 6:32 (Wakeman, E. J. Hopkins) - "Catherine ParrCatherine ParrCatherine Parr ; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen consort of England and Ireland and the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. She married Henry VIII on 12 July 1543. She was the fourth commoner Henry had taken as his consort, and outlived him...
" – 7:06
Charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
7 |
| United States Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
30 |
Certifications
| Date | Country | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Platinum | |
| 1975 | United States (RIAA) | Gold |
Personnel
Wakeman's instruments and equipment- 2 MinimoogMinimoogThe Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. , and production was stopped in 1981. It was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager.The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of...
synthesisers - 2 400-D MellotronMellotronThe Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
s (one for vocals, sound effects, and vibes; the other for brass, strings, and flutes) - Frequency counterFrequency counterA frequency counter is an electronic instrument, or component of one, that is used for measuring frequency. Frequency is defined as the number of events of a particular sort occurring in a set period of time. Frequency counters usually measure the number of oscillations or pulses per second in a...
- Custom mixerMixing consoleIn professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer...
- SteinwaySteinway & SonsSteinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
9' grand piano - Custom-built Hammond C-3 organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
- RMI electric pianoRMI Electra PianoThe RMI Electra Piano is a model of electronic piano, manufactured by RMI. Several models with varying features were produced from 1967 until 1980....
and harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard... - ARPARP Instruments, Inc.ARP Instruments, Inc. was an American manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, founded by Alan Robert Pearlman in 1969. Best known for its line of synthesizers that emerged in the early 1970s, ARP closed its doors in 1981 due to financial difficulties...
synthesiser - Thomas Goff harpsichordHarpsichordA harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
- Church organ at St Giles-without-Cripplegate
Additional musicians
- Bill BrufordBill BrufordWilliam Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...
– drums (A1, B2) - Ray CooperRay CooperRay Cooper is an English musician. He is a session and road-tour percussionist, and occasional actor, who has worked with several musically diverse bands and artists including George Harrison, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, and Elton John. Cooper is commonly regarded by music fans, critics and fellow...
– percussion (A1, B2) - Dave CousinsDave CousinsDave Cousins has been the leader, singer and most active songwriter of Strawbs since 1967.-Career:...
– electric banjo (A3) - Chas CronkChas Cronk-Strawbs:*Hero and Heroine *Ghosts *Nomadness *Deep Cuts *Burning for You *Deadlines *Heartbreak Hill *Blue Angel *Déjà Fou *Strawbs Live at Nearfest 2004...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(A3) - Barry de Souza – drums (A3)
- Mike Egan – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(A1, A2, B2, B3) - Steve HoweSteve Howe (guitarist)Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes...
– guitar (A1) - Les Hurdle – bass guitar (A1, B2)
- Dave Lambert – guitar (A3)
- Laura Lee – vocals (B2)
- Sylvia McNeillSylvia McNeillSylvia McNeill was born 5 August 1947 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.She began her career singing and playing bass guitar with various groups and bands. She went abroad for several years, touring American bases on the continent...
– vocals (B2) - Judy Powell – vocals (A1)
- Frank RicottiFrank RicottiFrank Ricotti is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist.Ricotti played in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra while a teenager, then attended Trinity College of Music...
– percussion (A2, A3, B3) - Chris SquireChris SquireChristopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...
– bass guitar (A1) - Barry St. John – vocals (A1)
- Liza Strike – vocals (A1, B2)
- Alan WhiteAlan White (Yes drummer)Alan White is an English rock drummer known for his work with the progressive rock band Yes. White was also a member of the Plastic Ono Band, playing live in 1969 at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, which was recorded and released three months later as Live Peace in Toronto 1969...
– drums (A2, B1, B3) - Dave Winter – bass guitar (A2, B3)
Production and design
- Ken Scott – engineer (A1, B3)
- Paul Tregurtha – engineer, mixer (A2, A3, B1, B2)
- Pete Flanagan – assistant engineer
- Dave Henshall – mixer (B3)
- Michael Doud – art director
- Ken Carroll – design
- Bruce Rae – cover photograph
- Ruan O'Lochlainn – inside photograph
- Published by Rondor Music