Mick Box

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Mick Box
2017 Lieder am See - Uriah Heep - Mick Box - by 2eight - 8SC8028.jpg
Box performing in 2017
Background information
Birth nameMichael Frederick Box
Born (1947-06-09) 9 June 1947 (age 77)
Walthamstow, East London, England
Genres Hard rock, progressive rock, heavy metal
Occupation(s)Guitarist
Years active1964–present
Website mick-box.net

Michael Frederick Box (born 9 June 1947) is an English musician who is the lead guitarist of 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, and – following the deaths of Lee Kerslake and Ken Hensley in 2020 – is also the last surviving member of the group's classic line-up. [2]

Contents

Mick Box in Norway, 1977 Uriah heep 01041977 33 300.jpg
Mick Box in Norway, 1977

Biography

Early influences

In 2018 Mick Box said that he was influenced by Les Paul and Mary Ford, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow and Barney Kessel. He attributes some of these influences to his first guitar instructor because he was the second guitarist for Django Reinhardt, as well as coming from a jazz background. [3]

When he started performing with Uriah Heep, other new bands included Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin. [3]

Spice

Before establishing Uriah Heep, Box's band was called Spice. The band performed from 1968 to 1969 with David Byron and Nigel Pegrum. [4] Box said they chose that name because they didn't want to get categorised into a narrow genre. "There's lots of spices, and that was our train of thought with the name of the band" said Box in a 2021 interview. After Ken Hensley joined the members of Spice, they became Uriah Heep. [5]

Recent activities

According to Box, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented a 50th Anniversary Celebration, but he said that he was planning on a 52 year Celebration. He said he felt strange being in quarantine, because he was accustomed to being "on the road," and interacting with fans at concerts. He used the time to compose songs and produced some videos for the Lockdown Diaries. [5]

Box has used his talent to promote the Nightingale Cancer Support Centre. [5] [6]

Discography

With David Byron

With Uriah Heep

With Iris

With Spearfish

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uriah Heep (band)</span> English rock band

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. Former members of the band are vocalists David Byron, John Lawton, John Sloman, and Peter Goalby; bassists Paul Newton, Mark Clarke, Gary Thain, John Wetton, Trevor Bolder, and Bob Daisley; drummers Alex Napier, Nigel Olsson, Keith Baker, Iain Clark, Lee Kerslake, and Chris Slade; and keyboardists Ken Hensley, Gregg Dechert, and John Sinclair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Hensley</span> English musician (1945–2020)

Kenneth William David Hensley was an English musician, singer, songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Uriah Heep during the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Byron</span> British singer

David Garrick, better known by his stage name David Byron, was a British singer, who was best known in the early 1970s as the original lead vocalist of the rock band Uriah Heep. Byron possessed a powerful operatic voice and a flamboyant stage presence.

Spice were a British pop rock and rhythm and blues band featuring David Byron (vocals), Mick Box (guitar), Paul Newton, Alex Napier (drums) and Colin Wood (keyboards)..

<i>Salisbury</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Uriah Heep

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<i>Demons and Wizards</i> (Uriah Heep album) 1972 studio album by Uriah Heep

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wizard (Uriah Heep song)</span> 1972 single by Uriah Heep

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something or Nothing</span> 1974 single by Uriah Heep

"Something or Nothing" is a song by British rock band Uriah Heep. The song was written by Ken Hensley, Mick Box and Gary Thain and sung by David Byron. The song is the sixth track on their seventh album Wonderworld, it is also the first track on the second side of the album. "Something or Nothing" was recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany during January and March 1974. The B-side of the song is "What Can I Do" which has never been released on the album "Wonderworld". The song is being played with only four chords: D,A,C and G. The song has been performed during Uriah Heep live concerts, and was included on their second live album Live at Shepperton '74 as the fourth track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prima Donna (Uriah Heep song)</span> 1975 single by Uriah Heep

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Return to Fantasy (song)</span> 1975 single by Uriah Heep

"Return to Fantasy" is a song by British rock band Uriah Heep from their eighth studio album Return to Fantasy (1975). The song was written by David Byron and Ken Hensley and was the last single by the group to feature David Byron on lead vocals. The song was recorded in May 1975 in London in the Lansdowne and Morgan studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Way or Another (Uriah Heep song)</span> 1976 single by Uriah Heep

"One Way or Another" is a song by English rock band Uriah Heep. It was released on their ninth studio album High and Mighty in May 1976, and became the only single from the album and the last single with the band's former vocalist, David Byron. The song was written by Ken Hensley and featured lead vocals from John Wetton and Ken Hensley. It was recorded from December 1975 to March 1976 in Roundhouse Recording Studios in London. The single did not chart, and it is the only song on the album that was not sung by David Byron.

Sunrise is a song by the British rock band Uriah Heep, originally released on their fifth studio album, The Magician's Birthday, in 1972. The song was written by Ken Hensley and sung by David Byron. The song is considered one of the band's classics, and it also became famous for its live performances in late 1972 and 1973. It was included, as the opening track, on the band's first ever live album, Uriah Heep Live, in 1973. The song was recorded and mixed at Lansdowne Studios, London, in September 1972, and released on The Magician's Birthday in November of the same year. The song is also the B-side of the single "Spider Woman".

References

  1. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2002) The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music, Virgin Books, ISBN   1-85227-947-8, p. 468
  2. ↑ Parnell, Joel (4 February 2015). "MICK BOX – URIAH HEEP Interview". Desert Highways. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  3. 1 2 Sharma, Amit (7 September 2018). "Uriah Heep's Mick Box: "I try to stay away from the scales and just go with my heart"". Musicradar.
  4. ↑ Ceriotti, Bruno (6 January 2011). "The British Sound: URIAH HEEP FAMILY TREE". Thebritishsound.blogspot.com. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 O'Brien, Joe (12 September 2021). "An Interview with Mick Box of Uriah Heep". Vwmusicrocks.
  6. ↑ "Mick Box Uriah Heep 50th Anniversary". Mick-box.net. 2002–2021.
  7. ↑ Guarisco, Donald A. (2023). "David Byron – Take No Prisoners Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic . ALLMUSIC, NETAKTION LLC. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "SPEARFISH – All-Star Cover Album Featuring PAUL DI'ANNO, MICK BOX, MATS LEVEN and More Now Available on Spotify". bravewords.com. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2023.


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