STEEL-EY DONE
It’s anyone’s guess as to what’s been a point of insistent denial of the forthcoming event and how long it’s destined to last, but it’s official now: JUDAS PRIEST are adopting their maverick singer Rob Halford back into the ensemble to embark, after 12 years spent apart, on a world tour scheduled for 2004, with some more projects being on the cards to celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary. Quite a sensation for, with all the success of Rob’s solo output, as witnessed by his last "Crucible", and the work of the Ripper Owen-fronted group, as documented on their latest, "Live In London", the reunion will surely be more exciting. And Ripper? He’s stepped aside amicably – there’s always a way back in such cases, isn’t it?
I HEAR VOICES
The URIAH HEEP world has always been one of the most adventurous and fruitful in rock, and here’s another project’s brewing up: the band’s current – and longest-serving singer – Bernie Shaw and John Lawton, the group’s voice in 1976-1979, are to start recording THE SHAW-LAWTON PROJECT any day soon, as the two struck a chord a long ago – John stepped in in mid-’90s when Bernie had a throat problem, then both pulled a great performances together at the Magician’s Birthday Party in 2001, as seen on the DVD, and now Lawton and Shaw have found a label to place a record with.
Regarding material to end up on the album, there will be HEEP songs, some new tracks and classics, suggestions for which are welcome to be sent toJLB@ntlworld.com.
THE ORCHID ORCHESTRA PLAY
The URIAH HEEP re-issue programme proceeds apace, and there are two more titles are out, both newly remastered and supplied with bonus tracks.
The first is “Live 1973”, now with the radio edits segues into one piece and film mixes made for TV broadcast taking the whole of the second disc:
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The Radio Show: – Something Or Nothing – I Won’t Mind – Look At Yourself – Gypsy The Film Mixes: – Easy Livin’ – So Tired – We Got We – Something Or Nothing – The Easy Road |
– Stealin’ – Love Machine – Rock ‘n’ Roll Medley: – Roll Over Beethoven – Blue Suede Shoes – Mean Woman Blues – Hound Dog – At The Hop – Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On – Blue Suede Shoes |
Easy to notice though, that’s the material for the film was recorded not in 1973 but in 1974, being the one used for the “Live In Shepperton” album.
The second title is an all-time classic, 1972’s “The Magician’s Birthday”:
| – Crystal Ball – Silver White Man (out-take / demo) – Proud Words (demo) – Echoes In The Dark (edit) – Rain (edit) – Happy Birthday (out-take edit) – Sunrise (single edit) – Gary’s Song (Crysatl Ball) (version 1) – Silver White Man (instrumental) |
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