| Demons and Wizards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover art by Roger Dean | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 1972 | |||
| Recorded | March–April 1972 | |||
| Studio | Lansdowne (London) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:40 | |||
| Label | Bronze | |||
| Producer | Gerry Bron | |||
| Uriah Heep chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Demons and Wizards | ||||
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Demons and Wizards is the fourth studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep, released in May 1972 by Bronze Records in the UK and Mercury Records in the US.
New Zealander Gary Thain, at the time a member of Keef Hartley Band, joined Uriah Heep as a permanent member halfway through another American tour. "Gary just had a style about him, it was incredible because every bass player in the world that I've ever known has always loved his style, with those melodic bass lines," lead guitarist Mick Box commented later. [2] Another addition, of drummer Lee Kerslake (a former bandmate of Ken Hensley's in the Gods and Toe Fat), solidified the rhythm section. Thus the "classic" Uriah Heep lineup was formed, and according to biographer Kirk Blows, "everything just clicked into place". [2] While the album title and Roger Dean's cover art both suggested medieval fantasy, Hensley's notes declared the album to be "just a collection of our songs that we had a good time recording". [3]
Hensley recalled: "The band was really focused at that time. We all wanted the same thing, were all willing to make the same sacrifices to achieve it and we were all very committed. It was the first album to feature that lineup and there was a magic in that combination of people that created so much energy and enthusiasm". [2]
The original vinyl release was a gatefold sleeve, the front of which was designed by Roger Dean. The inner sleeve had pictures of the band and notes by Hensley, while the liner featured printed lyrics.
The album reached No. 20 in the UK [4] and No. 23 in the US. [5] In Finland, the album hit No. 1 in May and remained on top of the charts for 14 weeks. [6]
The songs "The Wizard" and "Easy Livin'" were released as singles in the UK and North America as well as many other markets. The latter, a defiant rocker, according to Blows, was "tailor-made for Byron's extrovert showmanship" [2] and entered the US Billboard Hot 100 chart reaching No. 39, making it Heep's first and only American Top 40 hit. [7] "Easy Livin'" was also a mega-hit in the Netherlands and Germany, countries which were becoming strong markets for the band. It reached a disappointing No. 75 in Australia.[ citation needed ]
Demons and Wizards was remastered and reissued by Castle Communications in 1996 with three bonus tracks, and again in 2003 in an expanded deluxe edition. In 2017, Sanctuary Records released a two-disc deluxe edition.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 10/10 [9] |
Rolling Stone , which printed an infamously negative review of the band's debut album, [10] ran a positive assessment of Demons and Wizards. Mike Saunders wrote: "These guys are good. The first side of Demons and Wizards is simply odds-on the finest high energy workout of the year, tying nose and nose with the Blue Öyster Cult...they may have started out as a thoroughly dispensable neo-Cream & Blooze outfit, but at this point Uriah Heep are shaping up into one hell of a first-rate modern rock band". [11] According to AllMusic, the album "solidified Uriah Heep's reputation as a master of gothic-inflected heavy metal". [8] Martin Popoff in his Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal described the album as "a sullen, solitary, contemplative sort of record, existing in a hazy flux on the more mystical side of early heavy metal" and praised the new rhythm section and especially Byron's performance, which demonstrated his "capable helmsmanship of both the most subtle of contemplative bits and the loudest of rock roars." [9]
The album also served as partial inspiration for Hansi Kürsch and Jon Schaffer's side project Demons and Wizards.[ citation needed ]
In an interview Lee Kerslake did with Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles from 2020, when asked "Is it true that Randy Rhoads was a big fan of the Demons and Wizards album?", he replied, "Yes, he was. He loved the way the style of the music, the way it turned and the way it went. And that's why when he came up with the idea of a riff –me, Bob, and Randy –we wrote "Diary of a Madman". It was such a strong song on the album". [12]
All tracks are written by Ken Hensley except where indicated
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Wizard" | Hensley, Mark Clarke | 2:59 |
| 2. | "Traveller in Time" | David Byron, Lee Kerslake, Mick Box | 3:25 |
| 3. | "Easy Livin'" | 2:37 | |
| 4. | "Poet's Justice" | Hensley, Box, Kerslake | 4:15 |
| 5. | "Circle of Hands" | 6:25 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Rainbow Demon" | 4:25 | |
| 7. | "All My Life" | Box, Byron, Kerslake | 2:44 |
| 8. | "Paradise" | 5:10 | |
| 9. | "The Spell" (on some CD editions, "Paradise" and "The Spell" were combined into one track) | 7:32 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Why" (original B-side version) | Box, Byron, Hensley, Paul Newton | 4:53 |
| 11. | "Why" (extended version recorded during Demons and Wizards sessions in early 1972) | 7:39 | |
| 12. | "Home Again to You" (demo recorded during Demons and Wizards sessions) | 5:28 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Why" (extended version) | 10:34 |
| 11. | "Rainbow Demon" (single edit) | 3:36 |
| 12. | "Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf" (outtake) | 2:52 |
| 13. | "Home Again to You" (demo) | 5:36 |
| 14. | "Green Eye" (demo) | 3:46 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Easy Livin'" (alternate version) | 2:39 |
| 2. | "Rainbow Demon" (alternate version) | 6:13 |
| 3. | "Traveller in Time" (alternate version) | 3:48 |
| 4. | "Paradise" (alternate version) | 5:26 |
| 5. | "The Spell" (alternate version) | 8:11 |
| 6. | "All My Life" (alternate version) | 3:11 |
| 7. | "Home Again To You" (alternate version) | 4:53 |
| 8. | "Why" (alternate version) | 13:46 |
| 9. | "The Wizard" (alternate version) | 3:06 |
| 10. | "Poet's Justice" (alternate version) | 4:43 |
| 11. | "Circle of Hands" (alternate version) | 8:08 |
| 12. | "Proud Words" (alternate version) | 2:55 |
| 13. | "Green Eye" (alternate version) | 4:08 |
| 14. | "Why" (alternate single edit) | 4:45 |
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [13] | 14 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [14] | 22 |
| Danish Albums Chart [15] | 7 |
| Finland (The Official Finnish Charts) [16] | 1 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [17] | 5 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) [18] | 28 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [19] | 5 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [20] | 20 |
| US Billboard 200 [21] | 23 |
| Chart (2017–2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [22] | 89 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [23] | 35 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [24] | 13 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ) [25] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| Sweden | — | 10,000 [26] |
| Switzerland | — | 4,500 [27] |
| United States (RIAA) [28] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969. Their current lineup consists of guitarist Mick Box, keyboardist Phil Lanzon, lead vocalist Bernie Shaw, drummer Russell Gilbrook, and bassist Dave Rimmer. They have experienced numerous lineup changes throughout their 55-year career, leaving Box as the only remaining original member. Notable former members of the band are vocalists David Byron, John Lawton, John Sloman, and Peter Goalby; bassists Gary Thain, Trevor Bolder, John Wetton, Bob Daisley, Paul Newton, and John Jowitt; drummers Nigel Olsson, Iain Clark, Lee Kerslake, and Chris Slade; and keyboardists Ken Hensley, Gregg Dechert, and John Sinclair.
Kenneth William David Hensley was an English musician, singer, songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Uriah Heep during the 1970s.
Salisbury is the second studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep, released in January 1971 by Vertigo Records in the UK and Mercury Records in the US. It was produced by Gerry Bron.
The Magician's Birthday is the fifth studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep, released in November 1972 by Bronze Records in the UK and Mercury Records in the US. The concept was "based loosely on a short story" written by keyboardist Ken Hensley in June and July 1972.
Sweet Freedom is the sixth studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep, released in September 1973 by Bronze Records in the UK and Warner Bros. Records in the US.
Wonderworld is the seventh studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep, released in 1974 by Bronze Records in the UK and Warner Bros. Records in the US. Wonderworld was the last Uriah Heep album to feature bass player Gary Thain.
Return to Fantasy is the eighth studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep, released on 13 June 1975 by Bronze Records in the UK and Warner Bros. Records in the US. It was the first of the two albums to feature John Wetton as the new bass player, who replaced Gary Thain in early 1975.
Uriah Heep Live is a double live album by British rock group Uriah Heep, released in April 1973 in the US by Mercury Records, and in May 1973 in the UK by Bronze Records. It was the band's first live album. The album was recorded by the Pye Mobile Unit, with Alan Perkins as engineer.
Firefly is the tenth studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep. It was released in February 1977 by Bronze Records in the UK and Warner Bros. Records in the US. It was their first album without lead vocalist and founding member David Byron, and the first of three albums with new singer John Lawton, formerly of Lucifer's Friend. Bassist Trevor Bolder made his Uriah Heep debut on this album. Barring a break of about 18 months in the early 1980s, he remained with the group until his death in 2013.
High and Mighty is the ninth studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep, released in May 1976 by Bronze Records in the UK and Warner Bros. Records in the US. High and Mighty was the last Uriah Heep album to feature bassist John Wetton, and vocalist and founding member David Byron who was fired later that year due to his troubles with alcohol and differences with band priorities.
"Sweet Lorraine" is a song by the band Uriah Heep, first released on the 1972 album The Magician's Birthday on Bronze Records, and released as a single mainly for the American market though it was also released in a few European countries. It was written by Mick Box, Gary Thain and David Byron and reached #91 in the US Billboard Hot 100. The B-side is "Blind Eye".
"The Wizard" is a song by British rock band Uriah Heep, from their 1972 album Demons and Wizards. It was the first single to be lifted from the album. It was composed by Mark Clarke and Ken Hensley. It is a gentle, semi-acoustic ballad whose lyrics deal with a wanderer meeting "the Wizard of a thousand kings". This song is the first Uriah Heep single which had a music video.
"Stealin'" is a song by British hard rock band Uriah Heep, from the concept album Sweet Freedom. The song was written by Ken Hensley, and it reached gold status in New Zealand. The B-side of the song is "Sunshine".
Live at Shepperton '74 is a live album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released in 1986. It was recorded live in studio in 1974 for radio broadcasting.
...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble is the debut studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep.
"Easy Livin'" is a song by the British rock band Uriah Heep, released as the second single from their 1972 album Demons and Wizards. The band also shot a basic music video for the song in 1972. It was the band's first hit in the United States and the only top 40 hit there, peaking at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1972. The song's greatest success came in the Netherlands, where it reached No. 5, as well as reaching the Top 20 charts in Norway, Denmark, Finland and Germany. The song also peaked at No. 25 in Canada. In 1988, the band released a live version of the song, with new vocalist Bernie Shaw, as a UK single from the album Live in Moscow.
The Best of Uriah Heep is the title of the most successful compilation album by the British rock band Uriah Heep. It was released by Bronze Records and Mercury Records in three distinct editions with roughly the same songs, but different cover art and track listing. The first edition was released in 1974 in Canada, the second in 1975 in Europe and the third the following year in the US. Some European editions had the song "Lady in Black" substituted by "Suicidal Man". The compilation reached gold status in Germany.
"Blind Eye" is a song by the British band Uriah Heep, which was originally released on their fifth studio album The Magician's Birthday in 1972, and the B-side of the "Sweet Lorraine" single. "Blind Eye" was written by Ken Hensley. It charted at #97 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was included on Uriah Heep's live album Acoustically Driven in 2001. The song was recorded and mixed at Lansdowne Studios, London, in September 1972.
"Spider Woman" is a song by the British rock band Uriah Heep, released on their fifth studio album The Magician's Birthday in 1972. The song was written by David Byron, Mick Box, Gary Thain and Lee Kerslake. "Spider Woman" was released as the lead single from the album in Europe, reaching number 14 in the German charts for twelve weeks. The B-side of the single is "Sunrise", except for Japan, where it was the A-side. The song was recorded in Lansdowne Studios, London, in September 1972.
