Innocent Victim

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Innocent Victim
Innocent Victim (Uriah Heep album - cover art).jpg
Studio album by
Uriah Heep
ReleasedNovember 1977
RecordedJuly–September 1977
Studio Roundhouse (London)
Genre
Length38:48
Label Bronze
Producer
Uriah Heep chronology
Firefly
(1977)		Innocent Victim
(1977)		 Fallen Angel
(1978)
Singles from Innocent Victim
  1. "Free Me"
    Released: 21 October 1977 [1]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 3/10 [3]

Innocent Victim is the eleventh studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep, released in November 1977 by Bronze Records in the UK and Warner Bros. Records in the US.

Contents

Although it did not chart in the US or UK, Innocent Victim went on to sell more than 100,000 copies in Germany alone,[ citation needed ] and reached No. 19 and No. 44 in New Zealand and Australia, respectively. [4] [5] The single "Free Me" was a No. 3 hit in New Zealand and also peaked at No. 3 in South Africa. "Free Me" was also Uriah Heep's only hit in Australia, reaching No. 9. [6] [7]

The eyes of drummer Lee Kerslake were used for the snake on the cover artwork. In the US, the sleeve was a live photomontage instead.

The album was remastered and reissued by Castle Communications in 1997 with two bonus tracks, and again in 2004 in an expanded deluxe edition including three live tracks recorded during the band's 1979 European tour (these are alternate versions to the ones released on the Live in Europe 1979 album).

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ken Hensley, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Keep On Ridin'"Hensley, Jack Williams3:40
2."Flyin' High" 3:19
3."Roller" Trevor Bolder, Pete McDonald4:41
4."Free 'n' Easy" Mick Box, John Lawton 3:05
5."Illusion" 5:05
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Free Me" 3:34
7."Cheat 'n' Lie" 4:54
8."The Dance"Williams4:49
9."Choices"Williams5:49
1997 CD remastered edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Illusion / Masquerade (Full Unedited Version)" (Originally recorded as one track, but released as separate tracks – "Illusion" as album track and "Masquerade" as B-side on single "Free Me") 8:18
11."The River" (outtake)Bolder, Box, Hensley, Kerslake, Lawton3:10
2004 Expanded Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Put Your Music (Where Your Mouth Is)" (outtake)Bolder, Box, Hensley, Kerslake, Lawton2:57
13."Cheat 'n' Lie" (alternative live version) 5:58
14."Free Me" (alternative live version) 5:46
15."Free 'n' Easy" (alternative live version)Box, Lawton3:15

Personnel

Uriah Heep
Production

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [16] Gold20,000^
Germany (BVMI) [17] Gold250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. ↑ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 62.
  2. ↑ Guarisco, Donald A. "Uriah Heep - Innocent Victim review". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  3. ↑ Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 303–304. ISBN   978-1894959025.
  4. ↑ "Uriah Heep – Innocent Victim (Album)". charts.nz. Media Control Charts . Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  5. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  6. 1 2 "Uriah Heep – Free Me (Song)". charts.nz. Media Control Charts . Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  7. 1 2 "SA Charts 1965 - 1989: Acts U". Springbok Radio . Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  8. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  9. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Uriah Heep – Innocent Victim" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Charts.nz – Uriah Heep – Innocent Victim". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Uriah Heep – Innocent Victim". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. 1978. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  13. ↑ "Uriah Heep – Free Me". Austriancharts.at (in German). Media Control Charts . Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  14. ↑ "Uriah Heep – Free Me". Hitparade.ch (in German). Media Control Charts . Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  15. ↑ "Single – Uriah Heep, Free Me". Charts.de (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  16. ↑ "Uriah Heep. Gold Disc for the album, Innocent Victim, Australian Gold Award". 9 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Bronze Renews Ariola Deal" (PDF). Billboard . 28 October 1978. p. 89. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
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