Return to Fantasy | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 13 June 1975 (UK) | |||
Recorded | Spring 1975 | |||
Studio | Lansdowne Studios and Morgan Studios, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:35 | |||
Label |
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Producer | Gerry Bron | |||
Uriah Heep chronology | ||||
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Singles from Return to Fantasy | ||||
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Return to Fantasy is the eighth studio album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released on 13 June 1975 in the United Kingdom by Bronze Records. It was the first of the two albums to feature John Wetton as the new bass player, who replaced Gary Thain in early 1975.
The sleeve-art is by British artist Dave Field.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 5/10 [3] |
Return to Fantasy "retains the musical experimentation that marked Sweet Freedom and Wonderworld , but has an overall harder-rocking feel that makes it more consistent than either one of those albums", said Donald A. Guarisco in his retrospective AllMusic review. He criticized some of the album's "genre-hopping", and concluded, "In the end, Return to Fantasy lacks the coherence of a top-shelf Uriah Heep classic like Demons and Wizards but remains a strong and likable album that is guaranteed to please the group's fans". [2] The review by Canadian journalist Martin Popoff was very critical of the album's recording "dominated by blaring but thin organ and sloppy drumming" and of Byron's "distant and unsure" performance, judging the album "completely adrift without a trace of spark". [3]
All tracks are written by David Byron, Mick Box, Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Return to Fantasy" | Hensley, Byron | 5:52 |
2. | "Shady Lady" | 4:46 | |
3. | "Devil's Daughter" | 4:48 | |
4. | "Beautiful Dream" | 4:52 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
5. | "Prima Donna" | 3:11 | |
6. | "Your Turn to Remember" | Hensley | 4:22 |
7. | "Showdown" | 4:17 | |
8. | "Why Did You Go" | 3:53 | |
9. | "A Year or a Day" | Hensley | 4:22 |
Total length: | 40:35 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
10. | "Shout It Out" (B-side to single "Prima Donna") | Hensley | 3:34 |
11. | "The Time Will Come" (B-side to single "Return to Fantasy") | 4:10 | |
12. | "Beautiful Dream" (previously unreleased version) | 5:49 | |
13. | "Return to Fantasy" (edited version) | 3:39 | |
Total length: | 57:49 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
10. | "Shout It Out" (B-side) | 3:34 |
11. | "The Time Will Come" (B-side) | 4:08 |
12. | "Prima Donna" (alternate demo version) | 4:05 |
13. | "Why Did You Go" (alternate demo version) | 5:18 |
14. | "Showdown" (alternate demo version) | 4:18 |
15. | "Beautiful Dream" (alternate demo version) | 5:48 |
16. | "Return to Fantasy" (extended version) | 7:18 |
Total length: | 75:08 |
AlbumWeekly charts
Year-end charts
| Singles
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [20] | Silver | 60,000^ |
^ 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 54-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.
Demons and Wizards is the fourth studio album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released 19 May 1972 by Bronze Records in the UK and Mercury Records in the US.
The Magician's Birthday is the fifth album by British 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 British rock band Uriah Heep, released on 3 September 1973 by Bronze Records in the UK and Warner Bros. Records in the US.
Wonderworld is the seventh studio album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released in June 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.
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.
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Fallen Angel is the 12th studio album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released in September 1978 by Bronze Records in the UK and Chrysalis Records in USA. It is the last album to feature John Lawton on vocals, before his firing in 1979. Fallen Angel only reached No. 186 in the US Billboard 200, but in Germany, the band were at the height of their popularity. On this album, the band moved toward an AOR sound, as opposed to the progressive rock of previous albums.
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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.
"Prima Donna" is a song by British rock band Uriah Heep from their eighth studio album Return to Fantasy (1975), released as the first single from the album. The song was written by David Byron, Mick Box, Lee Kerslake and Ken Hensley. It was recorded in May 1975 in Lansdowne and Morgan Studios, London. The song reached number ten in Denmark and number three in Norway.
"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.
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