Song:Easy Livin'
Album:The Best Of
The big difference between Uriah Heep and Deep Purple is Uriah Heep never had that big radio hit. Easy Livin' was a top 40 hit and that's as high as they got. So they are mainly an album band. They have also gone through 40 members over the years which is staggering. They started out in 1967 when 19 year old guitarist Mick Box formed Hogwash. When the lead singer left, drummer Roger Penlington suggested his cousin David Byron. They started writing together and they formed Spice with drummer Alex Napier and bassist Paul Newton. Manfred Mann manager Gerry Bron signed them and got them a deal with Philips' new label Vertigo. While recording their debut album, they changed the band name to Uriah Heep from Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. Then they added lead singer and organist Ken Hensley who had been in The Gods with Newton. He didn't contribute much to the 1970 album Uriah Heep because he had just joined the band. Box and Byron wrote all the songs. Elton John's drummer Nigel Olsson joined for a while. But he was replaced by Keith Baker when he returned to John. The 1971 album Sanctuary was more in the progressive rock vein and Hensley wrote half of the songs. Their next album Salisbury was on Bron's Bronze label. Newton left because his dad was the band's original manager and he was trying to recoup his expenses from Bron. By the time the 1972 album Demons and Wizards was recorded, Gary Thain of Keef Hartley Band was the new drummer. That was Uriah Heep's breakthrough album. Easy Livin' reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified Gold. Just when they seemed to be going somewhere, Thain was a serious drug addict. After he was fired from the band, Thain died from a drug overdose on Dec. 8, 1975. Then John Wetton of King Crimson joined and he helped Uriah Heep be more professional. Except Byron's alcoholism got out of control and he was fired. Wetton also left. Uriah Heep is still around. Box is the lone original member still with the band. This budget comp is a good intro to their music. Certainly Uriah Heep peaked in the 70s but they continue to tour and record. Here's Uriah Heep performing Easy Livin' on the German TV show Disco 1972.
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