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'Richard Christopher Wakeman' (born May 18, 1949 in Perivale, London) is an English keyboard player best known as the keyboardist for progressive rock group Yes. Originally a classically trained pianist, he was a pioneer in the use of electronic keyboards and in the use of a rock band in combination with orchestra and choir. He is now a popular member of the Planet Rock family and is regularly on air.

Contents

History

Personal life

Discography

Solo and with his son Adam

With Yes

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

See also

External links

History

Wakeman was born in the suburb of Perivale, West London, and attended Drayton Manor Grammar School. He initially studied piano, clarinet, orchestration and modern music at the Royal College of Music, but he left of his own accord after a year and a half in favour of work as a session musician.
In 1970, Wakeman played with The Strawbs and was an active studio musician, playing with such artists as David Bowie, Cat Stevens and Al Stewart.He joined Yes in 1971, following keyboardist Tony Kaye's departure. His first album with the band was ''Fragile'' released 1971 in the UK and 1972 in the US, and very nearly his last was ''Tales from Topographic Oceans'', released in 1973. He also played on the studio album ''Close to the Edge'' (his favourite Yes album) and his live performances with the group were released as ''Yessongs''. He left the band following the Tales from Topographic Oceans tour.
During his time with Yes, he released his first solo album, ''The Six Wives Of Henry VIII'', which showcases his skills with various electronic and acoustic keyboard instruments. Some members of Yes played their respective instruments on certain tracks.
Of all the members of the band, Wakeman is the only non-vegetarian, a difference which contributed to his first departure from the band. The primary reason for that initial departure, however, was musical differences. Wakeman felt ''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' was thin on substance and did not connect with its themes. Further, he did not enjoy the experience of reproducing the entire work on stage each night. Following the tour, as the band began work on what would become ''Relayer'', Wakeman felt further alienated from the group. Disenchanted with the direction Yes were going, and already into a successful solo career, Wakeman jumped ship.

He rejoined Yes for their 1977 album ''Going for the One''. He remained until their next album, ''Tormato'', a year later. He is reputed to have given the album its name by throwing a tomato at a showing of the art used for the album's cover.
He rejoined the band in 1991 but left a year later. He then returned in 1996 for the ''Keys to Ascension'' albums but left before the band could tour. In 2002, he rejoined Yes and has been with the group ever since, but also enjoys a successful solo career.
He has also performed as a guest or session musician for artists as disparate as John Williams, Brotherhood of Man, Elton John, Lou Reed, David Bowie (notably mellotron on 'Space Oddity', piano on 'Life On Mars' and 'Changes'), Cat Stevens (including piano on Stevens' hit cover of the hymn "Morning Has Broken"), T. Rex, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath (under the nickname Spock Wall), Brian May and played piano on "There's no one quite like Grandma" by St. Winifred's School Choir.
Wakeman played the Mellotron – an electronic musical instrument that used a bank of prerecorded tape strips, activated by each key on its keyboard. He worked with David Biro to develop the Birotron. The Birotron was not a commercial or technical success.
He has written the soundtracks for two films by Ken Russell: Lisztomania (1975), which features vocals from Roger Daltrey and which takes as its starting point the music of Liszt and Wagner; and Crimes of Passion (1985), much of which is built around themes taken from Dvorak's New World Symphony.

Personal life

A self-confessed former alcoholic, he allegedly had several heart attacks in his twenties. The first of them occurred just after he left Yes in early 1974, during the release of ''Journey To The Centre Of The Earth''. He married former Page Three model Nina Carter, although they have since divorced. He has had a renewal of his Christian faith[1], which began around the time of their marriage.
Children include Adam Wakeman, Oliver Wakeman, Oscar Wakeman, Jemma Wakeman, Ben Wakeman, and Manda Wakeman, who have inherited their father's interest in music.
A passionate football fan, Wakeman has supported Brentford F.C. since he was a child, and later on he also became a director of the West London club. After a disagreement with the board, he moved on to Manchester City F.C. but never stopped loving the Bees. He was also involved in the ownership of the American soccer club Philadelphia Fury in the late '70s, along with other rock celebrities such as Peter Frampton and Paul Simon.
He is a strong supporter of the UK's Conservative Party, and performed a concert in September 2004 for the benefit of the party. The ''Arthur'' section of his ''King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'' suite is used as the theme tune to the BBC's Election Night Coverage since 1979 (with the exception of 2001). Wakeman's album ''Fields of Green '97'' featured the track ''Election '97/Arthur'', which was used by the BBC for their coverage of the 1997 General Election. The music was further revamped for the BBC's 2005 Election Night Coverage.
Rick can currently be seen as a contributor on BBC Two's series, Grumpy Old Men. He has also appeared in a number of episodes of Countdown; about twenty per year, according to Wakeman. He currently (2007) presents a weekly programme on Planet Rock. He has also appeared on the satirical panel show Have I Got News For You as a guest.
Rick appeared as himself in "Journey to the Centre of Rick Wakeman", the last episode of season two of ''Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music'', a BBC Radio 4 comedy programme. The episode detailed a fictional war between England and Wales in 2009 which only Rick could stop. The majority of the episode was set inside Rick where Mitch and his team are sent to rouse him from a coma and thus stop the war.
In December 2006 Rick was the guest host for an episode of The Personality Test, a BBC Radio 4 programme where the panel stay the same and the host changes each week. The questions set in the programme are all about the host. Rick set a challenge for a new concept album idea, and the comedian Will Smith suggested "Spiders and Other Invertebrates". Rick said he liked that idea so much, he would include a track of his next album called "Spiders and Other Invertebrates", and would include a sleeve credit to Will. Will responded by saying that Rick had "...just made my life" [2]
Rick has been President of the show business charity The Heritage Foundation (formerly Comic Heritage) for the past two years. The charity erects blue plaques on the homes and/or work-places of late entertainers and sportspeople. He is also Honorary President of the Classic Rock Society, a UK-based organisation helping to promote classic and progressive rock.

Discography

Solo and with his son Adam

★ 1971 ''Piano Vibrations''

★ 1973 ''The Six Wives of Henry VIII''

★ 1974 ''Journey to the Centre of the Earth''

★ 1975 ''The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table''

★ 1975 ''Lisztomania'' (also acted in the film)

★ 1976 ''No Earthly Connection''

★ 1977 ''White Rock'' (soundtrack to winter Olympics)

★ 1977 ''Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record''

★ 1978 ''The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Performs the Best Known Works of Rick Wakeman''

★ 1979 ''Rhapsodies''

★ 1981 ''The Burning'' (soundtrack)

★ 1981 ''1984''

★ 1982 ''Rock 'N' Roll Prophet''

★ 1983 ''Cost of Living''

★ 1983 ''G'ole!'' (soundtrack to 1982 FIFA World Cup)

★ 1984 ''Black Nights in the Court of Ferdinand IV''

★ 1985 ''Silent Nights''

★ 1985 ''Live at Hammersmith''

★ 1985 ''Beyond the planets''

★ 1986 ''Country Airs''

★ 1986 ''Crimes of Passion'' (soundtrack)

★ 1987 ''The Gospels''

★ 1987 ''Family Album''

★ 1988 ''Time Machine''

★ 1988 ''Suite of Gods''

★ 1988 ''Zodiaque''

★ 1989 ''Sea Airs''

★ 1990 ''Night Airs''

★ 1990 ''Phantom Power'' (soundtrack)

★ 1990 ''In the Beginning''

★ 1991 ''Rock'n'Roll Prophet Plus'' (reissue of ''Rock'n'Roll Prophet'' plus 4 new tracks)

★ 1991 ''Aspirant Sunset''

★ 1991 ''Aspirant Sunrise''

★ 1991 ''Aspirant Shadows''

★ 1991 ''Suntrilogy''

★ 1991 ''The Classical Connection'' (remakes of earlier works)

★ 1991 ''2000 A.D. Into the Future''

★ 1991 ''African Bach''

★ 1991 ''Softsword: King John and the Magna Charter''

★ 1993 ''Heritage Suite''

★ 1993 ''Classic Tracks''

★ 1993 ''Wakeman with Wakeman''

★ 1993 ''No Expense Spared''

★ 1993 ''The Classical Connection II''

★ 1993 ''Prayers''

★ 1994 ''Wakeman with Wakeman: The Official Bootleg'' (live)

★ 1994 ''Live on the Test'' (live – recorded in 1976)

★ 1994 ''Rick Wakeman's Greatest Hits'' (remakes of old works)

★ 1995 ''The Piano Album''

★ 1995 ''Seven Wonders of the World''

★ 1995 ''Cirque Surreal''

★ 1995 ''Romance of the Victorian Age''

★ 1995 ''King Biscuit Flower Hour – In Concert'' (live – recorded in 1975)


★ 1995 ''Visions ''

★ 1995 ''Simply Acoustic'' (known as ''The Piano Album'')

★ 1995 ''The Private Collection''

★ 1995 ''Almost Live in Europe'' (live)

★ 1996 ''Fields of Green''

★ 1996 ''Voyage'' (compilation)

★ 1996 ''The New Gospels''

★ 1996 ''Tapestries''

★ 1996 ''The Word and Music''

★ 1996 ''Orisons''

★ 1996 ''Can You Hear Me?''

★ 1996 ''Vignettes''

★ 1997 ''Tribute'' (Beatles covers)

★ 1998 ''Themes''

★ 1999 ''Return to the Centre of the Earth''

★ 1999 ''The Natural World Trilogy''

★ 1999 ''The Art in Music Trilogy''

★ 1999 ''White Rock II''

★ 1999 ''Stella Bianca alla corte de Re Ferdinando''

★ 2000 ''Recollections: The Very Best of Rick Wakeman 1973-1979'' (compilation)

★ 2000 ''Preludes to a Century''

★ 2000 ''Chronicles of Man''

★ 2000 ''Christmas Variations''

★ 2000 ''Rick Wakeman Live in Concert 2000'' (live)

★ 2001 ''Out of the Blue''

★ 2001 ''Classical Variations''

★ 2001 ''Two Sides of Yes''

★ 2002 ''The Wizard and the Forest of All Dreams''

★ 2002 ''Wakeman & Cousins – Hummingbird'' with Dave Cousins

★ 2002 ''The Yes Piano Variations''

★ 2002 ''Two Sides of Yes – Volume 2''

★ 2003 ''Out There''

★ 2005 ''Rick Wakeman at Lincoln Cathedral''

★ 2006 ''Retro''

★ 2007 ''Amazing Grace''

★ 2007 ''Retro 2''

★ 2007 ''Live at the BBC''

With Yes

Studio albums

★ 1971 Fragile

★ 1972 Close to the Edge

★ 1973 Tales from Topographic Oceans

★ 1977 Going for the One

★ 1978 Tormato

★ 1991 Union

★ 1996 Keys to Ascension

★ 1997 Keys to Ascension 2

Live albums

★ 1973 Yessongs

★ 1980 Yesshows

★ 1996 Keys to Ascension

★ 1997 Keys to Ascension 2

Compilation albums

★ 1975 Yesterdays (first track)

★ 1981 Classic Yes

★ 1991 Yesyears

★ 1992 Yesstory

★ 1993

★ 2001 Keystudio

★ 2002

★ 2003

★ 2005 The Word Is Live

★ 2006 Essentially Yes

See also

★ Oliver Wakeman

★ Adam Wakeman

★ Yes

★ The Strawbs

External links

★ Rick Wakeman's Communication Centre

★ Rick Wakeman interview at musicOMH.com

★

★ 1983 audio interview with Trevor Rabin, Alan White, Chris Squire, Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman

★ Interview with Rick at Premier.tv

★ Rick Wakemans Video vault