The Wizard (Uriah Heep song)

"The Wizard"
Single by Uriah Heep
from the album Demons and Wizards
B-side	"Why" (EU/US) "Gypsy" (UK/JPN)
Released	10 March 1972 [1]
Genre	Progressive rock, folk rock
Length	2:59
Label	Bronze Mercury
Songwriter(s)	Ken Hensley, Mark Clarke
Uriah Heep singles chronology
"Look at Yourself" (1971) "The Wizard" (1972) "Easy Livin'" (1972)

"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. ^[2] 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.

The song was composed by keyboardist-guitarist Ken Hensley and the band's short time bassist Mark Clarke. ^[3] "The Wizard" also was the only composition that includes Clarke as a member of the band. The song charted at #34 in Germany and at #8 in Switzerland. ^[4]

Personnel

• Mick Box – guitar
• Lee Kerslake – drums
• Mark Clarke – vocals, bass guitar
• Ken Hensley – keyboards, 12-string acoustic guitar
• David Byron – lead vocals

Charts

Chart (1972)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [5]	86
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [6]	8
West Germany (GfK) [7]	34

References

1. "Uriah Heep singles".
2. Allmusic - The Wizard Uriah Heep
3. Amazon.com: The Wizard: Uriah Heep: MP3 Downloads
4. The Wizard (song) by Uriah Heep : Best Ever Albums
5. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7691." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
6. "Uriah Heep – The Wizard". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Uriah Heep – The Wizard" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 15, 2024.