The Almighty (band)

Last updated

The Almighty
The Almighty (band).jpg
The Almighty circa 1992. L-R: Pete Friesen, Floyd London, Stump Munroe, Ricky Warwick
Background information
Origin Glasgow, Scotland
Genres
Years active
  • 1988–1996
  • 1999–2002
  • 2006–2009
  • 2023–present
Labels
Members Ricky Warwick
Tantrum
Floyd London
Stump Monroe
Past members Pete Friesen
Nick Parsons
Gav Gray

The Almighty are a Scottish hard rock/heavy metal band from Glasgow formed in 1988. After disbanding for the first time in 1996, they were reunited from 1999 to 2002, again from 2006 to 2009 and reformed for the third time in 2023. [1] Three of the founding members, Ricky Warwick, Stump Monroe and Floyd London were friends who met at school. Although the band members musical roots were in punk, the Almighty adopted a more heavy metal/hard rock oriented musical direction in their early years. Later albums saw the band's musical style move towards the band members' original punk roots. They have released seven studio albums, two anthologies and one live album.

Contents

History

1988–1993

The Almighty were formed in Strathaven on 19 January 1988. [2] Most of the musicians came from a punk background. [3] Lead singer Ricky Warwick had previously done some session and tour work with New Model Army, although not on any of their recordings. [2] Ricky, drummer Stump Monroe and bass guitarist Floyd London were friends at school and had previously played together in a local band called Rough Charm. [2] The three were joined by guitarist Andy 'Tantrum' McCafferty to complete the band line-up. Despite the band members largely punk rock roots, the Almighty followed a more heavy metal/hard rock oriented musical direction, [3] and recorded an eight-track demo to help promote their early gigs. [4]

They were signed by Polydor in March 1989 [5] and recorded their first album, Blood, Fire & Love which was released in October to generally positive reviews. [6] [7] The band were also signed to a long-term songwriting agreement to Chrysalis Music, having been scouted by Dave Massey. In the same year they were voted in third place on the Kerrang! readers poll for Best New Act. [5] [6]

In 1990 they toured the UK and also embarked upon a short US tour in an attempt to break into the American market. [7] [8] However, a more extensive follow up tour of the US did not go ahead, although they did embark on a European club tour. [9] The band's hard rock sound was compared favourably with the likes of the Cult, AC/DC and Motörhead in press reviews of their live shows. [10] A live album, Blood, Fire & Live , was released on 8 October 1990, having been recorded at July gigs in Edinburgh and Nottingham. [9] The track list featured songs from Blood, Fire & Love, plus a cover of Bachman–Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet". [6]

Recording of the Almighty's second studio album, Soul Destruction , began in December 1990 [9] with Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor as producer. [3] The album was released in March 1991 along with the lead single "Free'n'Easy". [6] In February and March the band toured the UK supporting Motörhead and Megadeth. [2] In June 1991 they embarked on a headline UK tour. [11] The concert at the Town and Country club in London was filmed and released later that year on VHS as Soul Destruction – Live. [12] Later in the year they supported Alice Cooper on a European tour. [13]

In March 1992 internal differences within the band came to a head causing guitarist Tantrum to leave the band. He was replaced by Canadian Pete Friesen [14] who had previously played for Alice Cooper, [3] and had met the Almighty when they played support for him the previous year. In the spring the band were invited to tour Australia in support of the Screaming Jets, who had just released their Living in England EP and wanted a British band for the support on their tour. [14] That summer the band were the opening act at the Donington Monsters of Rock festival, and during their set played a new song entitled "Addiction". [14] Towards the end of the year they began preparing material for a third album. [14]

In April 1993 Powertrippin' , their third album, was released, charting at Number 5. [6] The album displayed Grunge influences, with Alice in Chains being a regular comparison in reviews. [15] The Almighty embarked upon a European tour supporting Iron Maiden, their longest tour to date. [16] This was followed with a support slot at that year's Milton Keynes Bowl festival, which substituted for Donington as the Monsters of Rock festival was not staged in 1993. [17] In Autumn 1993 they finally toured America, but failed to make the hoped-for impact. [18] On their return they started a headline European tour, but had to abandon it after the first two London dates due to poor health. [18] In November, the Almighty parted from manager Tommy Tee and moved to Sanctuary Records. At the same time they left Polydor and signed with Chrysalis. [18] They were able to perform some replacement UK shows the same month, but were not able to tour Europe as planned. [18]

1994–1996

Their fourth album, Crank , was released on Chrysalis in late 1994. The album saw the Almighty's musical style shift towards the band members original punk roots. [3] They appeared on Top of the Pops in support of the first single, "Wrench", which reached Number 26 in the UK singles chart. [19] The second single from the album, "Jonestown Mind", also reached Number 26. [20] In the autumn they toured the UK in support of the album and spent seven weeks in Europe supporting Pantera. [21] The band returned to tour Europe as headliners in early 1995. [19] In May they recorded four tracks for a proposed EP. However, the band decided that the tracks were good enough to form the basis for a fifth album. They therefore decided to arrange two more recording sessions during 1995, recording four tracks each time, so that they would have enough for an album release in 1996. [22]

Their fifth album, Just Add Life , was released in 1996, with the lead single "All Sussed Out" reaching Number 28 in the UK singles chart. [6] [20] However, various record company issues and frustrations with the music industry in general saw the band disband later that year. [6]

1999–2002

The band reformed in 1999 and released the self-titled album The Almighty in the following year, replacing guitarist Pete Friesen with Nick Parsons. A second album followed in 2001, Psycho-Narco, with a new bass player Gav Gray who replaced longtime bassist Floyd London. The band disbanded again with vocalist Ricky Warwick pursuing a solo career. [6]

In 2002 a compilation album, Wild and Wonderful was released, which included material from their three Polydor albums, along with covers of "Bodies", by the Sex Pistols, "You Ain't Seen Nuthin Yet" from Blood Fire & Live and "Keep on Rocking in the Free World" by Neil Young. [23]

2006–2022

The classic lineup (Ricky, Stump, Floyd and Pete) reformed for benefit shows in January 2006 [24] and then appeared at the 2006 Bulldog Bash. [25] They undertook a short five show tour at the end of December 2006. [6] In 2007, the band released their second compilation album, Anth F***in'Ology – the Gospel According to The Almighty, covering their entire career and including a DVD of all their promo videos to date. [23]

A lengthier UK tour took place in January 2008 to mark the band's twentieth anniversary. [26] It was announced on 17 January that the band would be recording footage with multiple cameras at various shows on the upcoming tour for a 20th Anniversary DVD. [27] Ricky Warwick announced in an interview with Komodo Rock that there were plans to record a new album following the band's UK Tour. He said "I would like to. ... I'm inspired again though, and I feel to me it might be time to turn round and make that definitive Almighty Album." [28]

In November 2008, Floyd announced on the band's forum and MySpace pages that he had decided to leave the band. [29] The Almighty had been on hiatus since then, aside from a one-off benefit gig in June 2009 for the family of former manager Tommy Tee who had died in December 2008. [24] It was announced in December 2014 that the band's first two studio albums, Blood, Fire & Love and Soul Destruction were to be re-released in early 2015 with additional tracks and live recordings. Ricky Warwick commented about any possible future reunion, saying "I certainly would be open to the idea of doing a few shows. I don't know how the others feel about it. I love the guys and I love the songs. I would like to play them one day again because life is short and you just get one shot at it". [30]

In late 2020, Warwick announced the impending release of a box-set comprising the band's back catalogue from 1994 onwards, as well as demos and other material. He also stated that he was still in regular contact with Stumpy Munroe and Tantrum, but had not spoken with Pete Friesen or Floyd London for six years – making any potential band reunion highly unlikely, [31] particularly given Warwick's ongoing role as frontman of the Black Star Riders and his own solo career. [32] The box-set was released in March 2021; seven discs comprising the four albums released between 1994–2001, as well as B-sides, remixes, live recordings and demo tracks. [33]

2023–present

On 1 January 2023, Warwick teased a potential reunion of The Almighty with the words "Never say never" displayed in front of the band's logo. [1] At a press conference at The Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel in London on 27 February 2023, Monroe, London, McCafferty and Warwick confirmed they would reunite for three winter shows along with the news that a new boxset featuring their first four albums, would be released at the end of 2023. Warwick said: "It's nice to reconnect, and to have something in common and to be able to get out and play together again. It's brilliant." [34] When asked if The Almighty had a new album in the works, Warwick said, "I'll go with 'never say never'. Sorry if it's cheesy, but we've all got so much going on in our lives at the moment that I really can't look past the first show." [35]

The Almighty will continue their reunion with a trio of UK shows, titled "Three 'N' Easy", to take place in 2024 and 2025 in celebration of Saint Andrew's Day. [36] In addition, the band will be headlining one date at the Steelhouse Festival in July 2024. [37] They have also discussed the possibility of writing new material as well as playing shows outside of the UK. [38]

Members

Timeline

The Almighty (band)

Discography

[13] [20] [39]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motörhead</span> British metal band

Motörhead were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precursor to the new wave of British heavy metal, which re-energised heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Though several guitarists and drummers have played in Motörhead, most of their best-selling albums and singles feature drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marillion</span> British progressive rock band

Marillion are a British neo prog band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becoming the most commercially successful neo-prog band of the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thin Lizzy</span> Irish rock band

Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Thin Lizzy initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon, although Wrixon left after a few months. After Bell left at the end of 1973 the band soon switched to twin lead guitarists: Scott Gorham, who remained with the band until their break-up in 1983, and Brian Robertson, who was replaced in 1978 by Gary Moore. Moore was replaced in turn by Snowy White in 1980, and John Sykes in 1982. The line-up was augmented by keyboardist Darren Wharton in 1980. The singles "Whiskey in the Jar" (1972), "The Boys Are Back in Town" (1976) and "Waiting for an Alibi" (1979) were international hits, and several Thin Lizzy albums reached the top ten in the UK. The band's music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or sometimes heavy metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Def Leppard</span> British rock band

Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, it has consisted of Rick Savage, Joe Elliott, Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen, and Vivian Campbell. They established themselves as part of the new wave of British heavy metal of the early 1980s. Their greatest commercial success came between the early 1980s and early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ugly Kid Joe</span> American rock band

Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California, formed in 1989. The band's name spoofs the glam metal band Pretty Boy Floyd's name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funeral for a Friend</span> Welsh post-hardcore band

Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001, who currently consist of Kris Roberts, Gavin Burrough, Darran Smith (guitar), Richard Boucher (bass), and Ryan Richards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alter Bridge</span> American rock band

Alter Bridge is an American rock band from Orlando, Florida. The band was formed in 2004 by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. After their former band Creed became inactive in 2003, Tremonti and Phillips formed a new band with former bandmate Marshall and new member Kennedy; Alter Bridge was formally unveiled in January 2004, months before Creed's official breakup in June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaiser Chiefs</span> English indie rock band

Kaiser Chiefs are an English indie rock band from Leeds who originally formed in 1996 as Runston Parva, before reforming as Parva in 2000, and releasing one studio album, 22, in 2003, before renaming and establishing themselves in their current name that same year. Since their formation, the band has consisted of lead vocalist Ricky Wilson, guitarist Andrew "Whitey" White, bassist Simon Rix, keyboardist Nick "Peanut" Baines and since 2013 drummer Vijay Mistry, who replaced founding drummer Nick Hodgson following his departure from the band in late 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pretty Boy Floyd (American band)</span> American glam metal band

Pretty Boy Floyd is a glam metal band from Hollywood, California, formed in 1987. They are most famous for their 1989 debut album Leather Boyz with Electric Toyz and the two singles from it; "Rock and Roll " and "I Wanna Be with You". The band broke up in 1994 but reformed in 1995, releasing several new records since that time, and continue to the present.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricky Warwick</span> Northern Irish singer and guitarist

Ricky Warwick is a Northern Irish musician and the lead singer of the rock bands Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy. He is also the frontman for the Scottish hard rock band The Almighty, with whom he achieved chart success in the UK throughout the 1990s. Warwick has released several solo albums and performed with a variety of other bands and artists, and also fronts his own band, The Fighting Hearts, to showcase his solo material.

<i>Slade in Flame</i> (album) 1974 album by Slade

Slade in Flame is the first soundtrack album and fifth studio album by the British rock group Slade. It was released on 29 November 1974, reached No. 6 in the UK and was certified Gold by BPI in February 1975. The album was produced by Chas Chandler and contains songs featured in the band's film of the same name. The band tried to give the album a "sixties" feel, as the film was set in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damon Johnson</span> Musical artist

Damon Rogers Johnson is an American guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, currently a solo artist, a member of Brother Cane and guitarist in Lynyrd Skynyrd. In the 1990s he co-founded Brother Cane, and later joined Alice Cooper's band as lead guitarist. He became a member of Thin Lizzy in 2011 and was also the lead guitarist and co-songwriter for hard rock group Black Star Riders from 2012 to 2018. Johnson has also released several solo albums and his songs have been recorded by many artists including Stevie Nicks and Carlos Santana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Thwaite</span> British guitarist

Mark Gemini Thwaite, also known as MGT, is an English musician who has been the guitarist for a number of rock bands and artists, including The Mission, trip hop pioneer Tricky, Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, New Disease, Spear of Destiny & Theatre of Hate, Mob Research, and Canadian band National Velvet plus various live and recorded appearances with Gary Numan, Al Jourgensen of Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Roger Daltrey of the Who, P.J. Harvey, Alanis Morissette, Raymond Watts and PIG, Primitive Race, Ricky Warwick of Thin Lizzy, Ginger of The Wildhearts, Stan Lee of Marvel Comics, Franz Treichler of The Young Gods, Miles Hunt & The Wonder Stuff, Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory, American rapper DMX, Laurence "Lol" Tolhurst and Porl Thompson of The Cure and Ville Valo of Finnish band HIM.

<i>Just Add Life</i> 1996 studio album by The Almighty

Just Add Life is a 1996 album by Scottish rock band The Almighty; it was the band's fifth studio album and the last released until 2000's self-titled album during which time the band split up. Two singles, "All Sussed Out" and "Do You Understand" were released from the album in multiple parts in the United Kingdom and both were made into music videos. The song "Coalition Star" was co-written with members of punk band The Ruts, of which Warwick was a fan. The album was also issued as a two disc set including the bonus studio track "Misery Guts" and a 17-track live disc known as Just Add Live.

<i>Powertrippin</i> 1993 studio album by The Almighty

Powertrippin' is the third studio album by Scottish rock band The Almighty. It was released in the United Kingdom in 1993 by Polydor Records and was the band's final studio album for that label. It was the band's first album to feature guitarist Pete Friesen, who replaced founding guitarist Tantrum. Friesen contributed to the songwriting and was a major part of the new sound presented on this album, introducing a heavier, riff-based grunge sound compared to the punk leanings of earlier efforts. The subject of the cover art is taken from the artwork ''Jet Age Man by Ralph Morse, which featured on the cover of Life magazine in December 1954.

<i>Soul Destruction</i> 1991 studio album by The Almighty

Soul Destruction is the second studio album released by Scottish rock band The Almighty. It was released by Polydor Records in the United Kingdom in 1991. According to frontman Ricky Warwick, the album's songs centered on four subjects:

The Album is about four basic things – hate, love, religion and sex. All those subjects fascinate me, especially sex... I spent a lot of time in bed with my wife researching new lyrics for the album. ~Ricky Warwick, 1991

<i>Blood, Fire & Love</i> 1989 studio album by The Almighty

Blood, Fire & Love is the first studio album by Scottish rock band The Almighty, released in 1989. A three-disc deluxe edition was released by Spinefarm Records in 2015, including the Blood, Fire & Live album on the second disc, and all of the B-sides from the various singles on disc three.

<i>Blood, Fire & Live</i> 1990 live album by The Almighty

Blood, Fire & Live is the first live album by Scottish rock band The Almighty, recorded on their "Wild and Wonderful" tour in July 1990 and released in October that year. The title, and defaced album cover itself, is a pun on their first album which immediately preceded it. All of the tracks, except "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" which is a cover of a Bachman–Turner Overdrive song, appeared on that first album too. The album was re-released by Spinefarm Records in 2015 as the second disc in a three-disc deluxe edition of Blood, Fire & Love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Star Riders</span> American hard rock band

Black Star Riders is a hard rock band formed in December 2012. The band began when members of the 2011–2012 line-up of Thin Lizzy decided to record new material, but chose not to release it under the Thin Lizzy name. While Thin Lizzy continues on an occasional basis, Black Star Riders is a full-time band, described as "the next step in the evolution of the Thin Lizzy story". The band's first album, All Hell Breaks Loose, was released on May 21, 2013, and the follow-up album, The Killer Instinct was released on February 20, 2015. The band's third album, Heavy Fire, was released on February 3, 2017, and reached number six on the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Amorettes</span> Scottish hard rock band

The Amorettes were a hard rock band formed in Scotland in 2009. They performed in support of Black Star Riders, Europe, W.A.S.P., Ash, The Dead Daisies, Black Stone Cherry, Gun and Thunder among others, and toured across the UK, and performed in several countries throughout Europe.

References

  1. 1 2 "Black Star Riders' Ricky Warwick Teases Potential Reunion of the Almighty".
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 4". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Artist Biography by Eduardo Rivadavia. "Almighty – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  4. Watts, Chris (September 1989). "Is it all about sex?". Kerrang. p. 9. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 1". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "The Almighty – Biography". Metal Storm. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  7. 1 2 Ling, Dave (June 1990). "The UK bedspread invasion!". Raw. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  8. "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 2". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007.
  9. 1 2 3 "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 3". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007.
  10. Liddell, Mark (May 1990). "Live Review: The Almighty, The Marquee, 9th March, 1990". Riff Raff. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  11. "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 5". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007.
  12. "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 6". The Alnighty. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007.
  13. 1 2 "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 7". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 8". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007.
  15. Mackett, Joe (July 1993). "Interview: Stump Monroe, The Almighty". Riff Raff. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  16. "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 9". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007.
  17. 1 2 "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 10". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 11". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007.
  19. 1 2 "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 13". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007.
  20. 1 2 3 "The Almighty". Official Charts (UK). Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  21. Athwal, Steve (December 1994). "One more for the road". Raw. pp. 13–15. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  22. "Fan Club Newsletter Issue 14". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007.
  23. 1 2 "Discography from official website". The Almighty. Archived from the original on 30 January 2005.
  24. 1 2 "The Almighty". Rock Detector. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  25. "Bulldog Bash 2006". Virtual Festivals. 12 August 2006. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  26. "The Almighty 20th Anniversary tour dates". Music News. 17 September 2007. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  27. "20th Anniversary Tour DVD Announcement". Komodo Rock. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011.
  28. "Komodo Rock Interview With Ricky Warwick". Komodo Rock. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011.
  29. "Bassist Floyd announces departure from The Almighty". Brave Words. 13 November 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  30. Munro, Scott (15 December 2014). "The Almighty reissues unveiled". Team Rock. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  31. "Ricky Warwick announces career-spanning box set from The Almighty… but no reunion". Classic Rock. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  32. "Black Star Riders hope to record fifth album this summer". Blabbermouth. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  33. Adams, Robert (10 March 2021). "The Almighty / one of Scotland's finest rock bands to release late career box set". Metal Talk. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  34. "The Almighty - The best of mates reunite for three shows". MetalTalk.net. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  35. ""We've lost so many people from around the band, in the end we said: Yeah, let's do this": The or.iginal line-up of The Almighty gear up to play their first shows in more than 30 years". loudersound.com. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  36. "THE ALMIGHTY Announce Three 'N' Easy UK Headline Shows For 2024 And 2025". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles . 10 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  37. "THE ALMIGHTY To Headline Steelhouse Festival 2024 In Wales". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles . 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  38. "The Almighty - Announce 2024-25 UK Shows". Metal Storm. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  39. "Chart Log UK – 1994–2010 – A". The Zobbel Website. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  40. "Crank & Deceit (Import)". Amazon. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  41. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 20. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  42. "The All Fuckin' B Sides, Part 1". Metal Music Archives. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  43. "Soul Destruction Live [VHS]". Amazon. November 1991. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  44. "'Official Bootleg' DVD Now Available". Blabbermouth. 6 July 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  45. "All Proud, All Live, All Mighty". Amazon. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  46. "SAW V: Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture". Amazon. Retrieved 20 March 2015.