The Birotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument designed as a successor to the similar Mellotron , and financed by Rick Wakeman .
178-568: The Birotron was named after its inventor, Dave Biro, and developed with investment from regular Mellotron player Rick Wakeman . Like the Mellotron, the instrument produced sounds from magnetic tape , but it used eight-track tape in a loop. As such tapes never need rewinding, this avoided the problem that the Mellotron had, where a sound would stop playing after around eight seconds. The instrument has 37 keys and features 19 eight-track cartridges. Tapes could be easily exchanged or replaced, and it
356-644: A Birotron , a tape replay keyboard that used 8-track tape cartridges and contributed funds to its development. He is reported to have given the album its name by throwing a tomato at a showing of the art used for the album's cover. Wakeman's final albums for A&M were released in the late 1970s. Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record (1977) is an instrumental rock album (apart from humorous vocals from Bill Oddie ) similar to The Six Wives of Henry VIII but loosely based on criminality, and features Yes bandmates Chris Squire on bass and Alan White on drums, with Frank Ricotti on percussion. The album went to No. 25 in
534-441: A "revered progressive electronic act." Edgar Froese's guitar style was inspired by Jimi Hendrix , as well as the avant-garde composers Iannis Xenakis and Karlheinz Stockhausen , while Christopher Franke contributed elements of György Ligeti and Terry Riley . Yes -like progressive rock influence was brought in by Steve Jolliffe on Cyclone . The sample-based sound collages of Johannes Schmoelling drew their inspiration from
712-550: A California-based Christian organisation founded by journalist Dan Wooding, author of Wakeman's biography. The pair reconnected in 1989, and their first venture was In the Beginning , an album of atmospheric music with Biblical readings read by Wakeman's then-wife Nina. Wakeman donated the album's entire proceedings to ASSIST. In 1994, Wakeman completed the Simply Acoustic Tour, a series of solo piano concerts in
890-465: A European tour and recorded a new rock score for a colourised re-release of The Phantom of the Opera , featuring Chrissie Hammond on vocals, put out as Phantom Power in 1991. He embarked on two UK tours supporting his two The Classical Connection albums with himself and Paton in a stripped back stage production. In the first half of the 1990s, Wakeman performed and released music in aid of ASSIST,
1068-428: A Real Train" where lush soundscapes and synth pads are used along with repetitive synth sequences, much like in their 1975 releases Rubycon and Ricochet , as well as some of their music from the early 1980s. The group have also been sampled countless times, more recently by Recoil on the album SubHuman , by Sasha on Involver , and on several Houzan Suzuki albums. Michael Jackson also expressed being
1246-593: A South American tour in September 2000, following a renewed interest in progressive rock there. The band featured a new line-up of Fernandez, Damian Wilson on vocals, Adam Wakeman on keyboards, Ant Glynne on guitar, and Lee Pomeroy on bass. Wakeman was particularly pleased with his playing, calling it his "best in a long time." The group returned in April 2001, followed by several European dates. Later that year, Wakeman entered discussions with Keith Emerson regarding
1424-400: A Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda . Wakeman had doubts about its esoteric concept, and felt a lot of its music was too experimental which required further rehearsal. He distanced himself from the group, and spent time in the bar at Morgan Studios and played on "Sabbra Caddabra" on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath by Black Sabbath in the adjacent studio. Yes toured the album for six months, playing
1602-716: A band, the London Symphony Orchestra , the English Chamber Choir , Patrick Stewart as the narrator, and guest performances from Trevor Rabin , Ozzy Osbourne , and Bonnie Tyler . Released in 1999, the album went to number 34 in the UK, Wakeman's first album to enter the chart in 12 years. Recording was temporarily disrupted because of Wakeman's health. In December 1998, Wakeman was featured on an episode of This Is Your Life . Wakeman accepted an invitation to revive his English Rock Ensemble for
1780-502: A concert performance of Sergei Prokofiev 's Peter and the Wolf , which greatly influenced him and has since named Prokofiev as a musical hero. At seven, Wakeman began weekly piano lessons with Dorothy Symes paid for by his father, who spent almost half of his income on tuition. Lessons with Symes lasted for eleven years; she recalled Wakeman "passed everything with a distinction", was an "enjoyable pupil to teach, full of fun and with
1958-536: A documentary film about the 1976 Winter Olympics directed by Tony Maylam . The film premiered in February 1977 as a double bill with Genesis: In Concert . The track "After the Ball" was one that Wakeman forgot to write; he proceeded to play it as a completely improvised single take, rather than confessing to the producers. In 1977, the press named Wakeman as one of the acts on A&M Records who threatened to leave if
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#17327932612712136-659: A double, so we padded it out and the padding is awful". During the Topographic Oceans tour Wakeman recorded his new 40-minute work Journey to the Centre of the Earth , based on Jules Verne 's same-titled science-fiction novel . He came up with the idea in 1971, but shelved the project until The Six Wives of Henry VIII was complete. After working on the music with Lou Reizner , David Measham , Wil Malone , and Danny Beckerman, which features an orchestra, choir, and
2314-529: A fan of Tangerine Dream, specifically their 1977 soundtrack for the film Sorcerer . It inspired him to get a Synclavier II, which a demo of would be used as the intro for Beat It . In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Tangerine Dream existed as several short-lived incarnations, all of which included Froese, who teamed up with several musicians from West Berlin's underground music scene, including Steve Jolliffe , Sven-Åke Johansson , Klaus Schulze , and Conrad Schnitzler . Froese's most notable association
2492-413: A few flashing lights. Some concerts were even performed in complete darkness, as happened during the performance at York Minster on 20 October 1975. As time went on and technology advanced, the concerts became much more elaborate, with visual effects, lighting, lasers, pyrotechnics, and projected images. By 1977 their North American tour featured full-scale Laserium effects. Through the 1970s and 1980s,
2670-443: A few vocals on the band's other releases, such as the track "Kiew Mission" from 1981's Exit and "The Harbor" from 1987's Shy People , the group only returned to featuring vocals on a larger scale in a musical trilogy based on Dante 's Divine Comedy . This was followed by a 2007 album Madcap's Flaming Duty and a 2010 cover collection Under Cover – Chapter One . After their 1980 East Berlin gig, when they became one of
2848-640: A five-album deal with A&M Records as a solo artist. The commercial success of Fragile allowed Wakeman to buy a new home in Gerrards Cross and start a car collection, which he rented out through his new business, the Fragile Carriage Company. In the 1972 Melody Maker readers' poll, Wakeman ranked second in the Top Keyboardist category behind Keith Emerson . That same year, Yes followed Fragile with Close to
3026-404: A five-piece band formed of musicians that Wakeman played with in a west London pub: vocalists Ashley Holt and Gary Pickford-Hopkins , drummer Barney James , bassist Roger Newell, and guitarist Mike Egan. A&M wanted to use better known musicians, but Wakeman wanted the album to be known for its music rather than the performers. After cutting the album A&M refused to sell it, but as Wakeman
3204-481: A flying object one night which inspired him to read up on the origins of man and mysterious phenomena such as the Bermuda Triangle , Stonehenge , and the pyramids. Wakeman wrote the album without playing any of its music beforehand, and summarised it in the liner notes: "A futuristic, autobiographical look at music, the part it plays in our pre-earth, human and after life". Upon its release in April 1976,
3382-698: A fund raising event for a church before it was expanded into a full album. Wakeman played the album with Remedios and his band at the Royal Albert Hall in London and in the following year, in Caesarea , Israel that was broadcast internationally on television. He returned to rock with Time Machine , loosely based on the science fiction novel by H. G. Wells and features Roy Wood and Tracy Ackerman as guest vocalists. Released in 1988, Wakeman intended to record it with an orchestra and choir and put on
3560-498: A further 24 dates in the following year. In May 2009, Wakeman performed his debut album The Six Wives of Henry VIII in its entirety for the first time at Hampton Court Palace , as part of the 500th anniversary celebrations of Henry VIII 's accession to the throne. He had originally asked to perform there in 1973, but was declined until he was invited 36 years later. The shows were released on CD and DVD as The Six Wives of Henry VIII Live at Hampton Court Palace . In 2010, Wakeman
3738-459: A good sense of humour", but lacked discipline when it came to practising. Wakeman's first ever recital was "See a Monkey on a Stick", a piece of thirteen notes that he performed on stage in adult life. In 1960, Symes entered Wakeman in his first music competition and he went on to win many awards, certificates, and cups in contests around London. Wakeman's first keyboard was a reed organ from Woolworths that he said cost £4. At twelve he took up
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#17327932612713916-543: A group of companies that Wakeman directed to help build and market the instrument alongside Packhorse Road Case Company. Peter Robinson was in charge of operations. Over 1000 advance orders (totaling over one million dollars in paper) came in from charting major music artists such as John Lennon , Paul McCartney , Keith Emerson , Rod Argent of the The Zombies , John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin , Roger Whittaker , Captain and Tennille , Rod Stewart , Patrick Moraz of
4094-664: A guest performer, which led to the pair touring the UK together as Anderson/Wakeman. Wakeman scored the 2007 documentary film In Search of the Great Beast 666 , about the life of occultist Aleister Crowley . He toured the UK in 2007 with a new production, the Grumpy Old Picture Show. Inspired by his appearances on Grumpy Old Men , the show combined live performances and stories with visual accompaniments including old photos and pre-recorded sketches. The initial run of 14 dates were so successful, Wakeman completed
4272-773: A lack of sleep five days prior to the show, and a wrist injury from a fall, took a toll on his health, and he needed morphine injections to get through the performance. Soon after the show, he suffered a minor heart attack. During his recovery at Wexham Park Hospital , Wakeman started to write new music for his next album, The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table . Despite being advised to reduce his workload and temper his excessive lifestyle, Wakeman made plans to record and tour and continued to smoke and drink. In September and October 1974, he completed his debut North American tour, performing Journey to
4450-472: A matter of principle" as the record company was prepared to sign them without hearing any of the group's music. He looked back at this moment: "I basically sealed my financial fate, and things went downhill fast." His father's death in November 1980 prompted him to leave Switzerland and return to the UK, which led to a record deal with Charisma Records to avoid bankruptcy. For several months of 1980 Wakeman
4628-484: A million dollars in today's money) in the investment. Despite receiving over 1000 orders worldwide, the only musicians other than Wakeman to have actually received a Birotron are Tangerine Dream (who bought two), Klaus Schulze and professor Tom Rhea. This rendered the Birotron to become the rarest instrument in the world to be used on albums, tours, and a top charting hit single before its' sudden disappearance within
4806-496: A minor pop hit in the UK. In March 1985, Wakeman finished work on his part of the soundtrack to the comedy film Playing for Keeps , which was followed by a tour of the UK, North America, and Australia to promote Silent Nights . It was his first full-scale tour in four years, and his first shows in the US in over five. A live album from the UK leg was released as Live at Hammersmith . The tour left Wakeman "seriously in debt", and he
4984-631: A more relaxed attitude to his studies, spending much of his time drinking in pubs and hanging out with the staff at the Musical Bargain Centre, a music shop in Ealing . Wakeman's first booking as a session musician , and his first time in a recording studio, occurred when guitarist Chas Cronk entered the shop in need of an organist and brass arranger for members of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue . The shop owner suggested Wakeman, who attended
5162-498: A number of sources; one instance is Steve Reich 's Music for 18 Musicians on parts of Logos Live , and the track " Love on a Real Train " from the Risky Business soundtrack. Classical music has had an influence on the sound of Tangerine Dream over the years. György Ligeti , Johann Sebastian Bach , Pierre Boulez , Iannis Xenakis , Maurice Ravel , and Arcangelo Corelli are clearly visible as dominant influences in
5340-445: A piano suite of similar length based on themes from King Arthur . Wakeman composed an orchestral piece as a tribute to the life and achievements of primatologist and climate campaigner Jane Goodall for the 2024 Starmus Festival , which he performed with himself on piano. Tangerine Dream Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music band founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese . The group has seen many personnel changes over
5518-495: A piano version of " Life on Mars? " live on BBC Radio 2 as a tribute following the death of his longtime friend David Bowie . The strong reception from listeners and viewers of the YouTube video led Wakeman to release a single of the track with a piano version of " Space Oddity " and an original song, "Always Together", in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support . The reception from the single and YouTube video inspired Wakeman to produce
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5696-624: A pioneering act in electronica . Their work with the electronic music Ohr label produced albums that had a pivotal role in the development of the German musical scene known as kosmische Musik ("cosmic music"). Their "Virgin Years", so called because of their association with Virgin Records , produced albums that further explored synthesizers and sequencers , including the UK top 20 albums Phaedra (1974) and Rubycon (1975). The group also had
5874-625: A potential music project, but the idea was shelved. In 2001, Wakeman performed in his first pantomime role as Abanazar in a production of Aladdin in Truro , for the Christmas season. He made a cameo appearance in the 2002 thriller horror film Alone as a hospital patient. In 2003, Wakeman starred in the BBC television show Grumpy Old Men , and stayed on as a regular until the show ended in 2006. The show increased his national profile and made him
6052-409: A re-recording of the original album with new equipment and arrangements, but the idea was rejected. It was revived in 1996 when Wakeman received offers from three record companies willing to fund and release a new "epic" album. After a deal with EMI Classics was made, a story based on three unnamed travellers and their attempt to follow the original route was finalised, and recording began in 1998 with
6230-494: A regular in the after dinner speech circuit. In April 2002, Wakeman rejoined Yes for the fifth and final time, and said it took eight months to get the necessary paperwork to make it happen. The band toured worldwide with the Full Circle Tour and 35th Anniversary Tours , which ran from 2002 to 2004. Wakeman described the band's playing during his return: "It was far and away the best the band had ever been ... there
6408-621: A request from a South American concert promoter, for which Wakeman wrote new music based on additional Arthurian legends. The re-record version runs for 88 minutes, and features actor Ian Lavender as narrator. It was Wakeman's first album produced via online direct-to-fan support, and released on 19 June 2016, the same day that Wakeman performed it live at London's O2 Arena for the Stone Free Festival. In 2013, Wakeman played on The Theory of Everything by Ayreon . In August 2013, Wakeman performed 12 solo piano shows as part of
6586-407: A rock band, Wakeman chose to record the piece in concert due to the high costs of a studio. To help finance the project, he sold some of his cars and "mortgage[d himself] up to the hilt", all of which cost around £40,000. Two concerts were held at London's Royal Festival Hall on 18 January 1974 with the London Symphony Orchestra , the English Chamber Choir , actor David Hemmings as narrator, and
6764-408: A saxophonist & flute player who appeared on numerous albums and concerts, contributing one track on Goblins' Club ; and most recently Thorsten Quaeschning of Picture Palace Music (2005–present). A number of other members were also part of Tangerine Dream for shorter periods of time. Unlike session musicians, these players also contributed to compositions of the band during their tenures. Some of
6942-521: A session musician on Dragonfly (1970), which was the first album released with Wakeman's name on its credits. During his stint in the Spinning Wheel, Strawbs frontman Dave Cousins invited him to join the band in March 1970. The group went to Paris to perform at a rock circus with various bands backing the circus acts. During one show, and unbeknownst to Wakeman, he pushed Salvador Dalí off
7120-412: A single bass note on the piano at the end of " Walk on Guilded Splinters " by Marsha Hunt , so he could be paid the session fee. In 1970, Wakeman performed on Seasons by Magna Carta , and records by Brotherhood of Man , Paper Bubble, Shawn Phillips , and White Plains . He took part in a one-off recording with Visconti and Marc Bolan that was released as a single under the pseudonym Dib Cochran and
7298-808: A solo act." Born and raised in West London , Wakeman quit his studies at the Royal College of Music in 1969 to become a full-time session musician . His early sessions included " Space Oddity ", among other tracks, for David Bowie , and songs by Elton John , Marc Bolan , Cat Stevens , and Lou Reed . In 1970, Wakeman joined the folk rock group the Strawbs , during which his virtuosity gained national press coverage. He left in 1971 to join Yes, with whom he played on some of their most influential albums across two stints until 1980. During this time Wakeman began
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7476-650: A solo career in 1973 and became an iconic and prominent figure in progressive rock. His highest-selling and most acclaimed albums are his first three: The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), the UK number-one Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1974), and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (1975), all concept albums . In 1974, he formed his band the English Rock Ensemble, with which he toured worldwide and continues to perform, and went on to score his first major film, Lisztomania (1975). Wakeman had uneven success in
7654-591: A solo piano album of tracks that he had played on in his career, plus original tunes and adaptations of classical pieces. Piano Portraits was released in January 2017 and peaked at No. 7 in the UK, Wakeman's highest-charting album since 1975. It also reached gold certification from the British Phonographic Institute . In 2018, Wakeman released a follow-up, Piano Odyssey , this time with some orchestral arrangements. Like its predecessor,
7832-519: A star-studded ice show, but the idea was cancelled due to lack of funds. In March 1988, in a move to improve their finances, Wakeman and Carter sold their Camberley home and moved to Peel on the Isle of Man . A coach house on the site of their home was converted into a recording studio that Wakeman named Bajonor Studios, named after the first letters of his family. The 24-track studio was built as Wakeman had lost several opportunities to score films due to
8010-445: A successful career composing film soundtracks, creating over 60 scores. From the late 1990s into the 2000s, Tangerine Dream continued to explore other styles of instrumental music as well as electronica. Their recorded output has been prolific, including over one hundred albums. Among other scoring projects, they helped create the soundtrack for the video game Grand Theft Auto V . Their mid-1970s work has been profoundly influential in
8188-555: A total of 27,000 people. As the arena floor was already set up as an ice rink for a different attraction, Wakeman chose to present the show as an ice pageant with fourteen ice skaters and the musicians' stage placed in the round and decorated as a castle. The shows, though well received and a contributory factor to the album's commercial success, were expensive to produce. In 2009, the concerts were listed in ranked 79th on VH1's 100 Greatest Shocking Moments in Rock and Roll program. By 2008,
8366-1003: A totally free open-air concert in Eberswalde on 1 July 2007 and at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt on Main on 7 October 2007. 2008 saw the band in Eindhoven Netherlands playing at E-Day (an electronic music festival); later in the year they also played the Night of the Prog Festival in Loreley , Germany, as well as concerts at the Kentish Town Forum, in London on 1 November, at the Picture House, Edinburgh on 2 November, and their first live concert in
8544-682: A tour of Europe, Canada and the USA called The Electric Mandarine Tour 2012 : The 1st leg was a 5-date European tour, beginning on 10 April in Budapest (Hungary) via Padua (Italy), Milano (Italy), Zurich (Switzerland), and ending on 10 May in Berlin (Germany). The 2nd leg was a North-American tour that started with the Jazz Festival in Montréal (Canada) on 30 June, followed by a concert on 4 July at
8722-460: A two-hour oratorio with a 30-piece choir, in 1994. The concerts were free with donations to ASSIST. Wakeman left Yes in May 1997 before he could tour with them, due to scheduling conflicts and lack of coordination between the artists' management. In June 1997, Wakeman became the host of the stand-up comedy television show Live at Jongleurs . Later in 1997, his 20-minute choral piece "Noah", written for
8900-655: A uniform of the school shirt put on the wrong way round. In 1963, at fourteen, Wakeman joined the Atlantic Blues, a local blues group that secured a year's residency at a mental health rehabilitation club in Neasden . Two years later, Wakeman passed his O Levels in English, maths, art and music, and went on to study music, art, and British constitution at A-level . In 1966, he joined the Concordes, later known as
9078-400: A world tour with a four-piece group of Fernandez, guitarist and bassist Alan Thomson , and his son Adam Wakeman on additional keyboards. The tour lasted until 1994, and was organised as Wakeman wished to tour with a second keyboardist to "free [him] up to do more things" on stage. The tour marked the release of Wakeman with Wakeman , an album of keyboard compositions written and performed by
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#17327932612719256-427: Is Froese's chosen successor and is currently the longest-serving band member, having joined in 2005. Quaeschning is currently joined by violinist Hoshiko Yamane who joined in 2011 and Paul Frick who joined in 2020. Prior to this Quaeschning and Yamane performed with Ulrich Schnauss from 2014 to 2020. Schnauss only played two shows with Froese in November 2014 before Froese's passing. Tangerine Dream are considered
9434-452: Is This Dream of Your Youth" features an extended organ solo and "Temperament of Mind", a solo piano piece that developed from improvisations when the band would lose power, received a standing ovation. Wakeman was featured on the front page of Melody Maker for the first time, calling him "tomorrow's superstar" and "pop find of 1970". Also in July 1970, Wakeman launched a folk music night at
9612-479: Is that absolutely no one thought it could work". Despite several faults, Biro and his manager Ed Cohen showed it to Wakeman who was so impressed by the endless loop feature that he turned to them and stated: "How would you like to make some money with this thing?" Wakeman invested in the instrument by setting up a factory and technical team to research and develop the instrument. As part of the deal, Wakeman retained full rights with an offer of compensation to Biro should
9790-561: The Dream Mixes series. In 2005, he released his first solo album Neptunes under the name Jerome Froese. In 2006, Jerome left Tangerine Dream to concentrate on his solo career. His second solo album Shiver Me Timbers was released on 29 October 2007, and his third, Far Side of the Face , was released in 2012. Beginning in 2011, Jerome Froese joined with former Tangerine Dream member Johannes Schmoelling and keyboardist Robert Waters to form
9968-636: The Edinburgh Festival Fringe . In June 2015 he announced Wakemanfest, a three-day music festival at the Gliderdrome in Boston, Lincolnshire that October, featuring performances from himself and the English Rock Ensemble, the Strawbs , The Cadbury Sisters, and Chrissie Hammond. It was postponed, in addition to a piano tour of Scandinavia following the festival, after Wakeman had an undisclosed "serious health scare" and took time off at
10146-516: The MIDEM music festival. A single from the album, "I'm So Straight I'm a Weirdo", featuring Wakeman on lead vocals, was released in 1980. Wakeman hosted the Channel 4 music show Gastank with Tony Ashton that aired in January and February 1983. He then released a second album for Charisma, Cost of Living , a mixture of instrumental and rock tracks with Rice on vocals, which failed to impact
10324-547: The Mellotron during this period. The band's 1973 album Atem was named as one of British DJ John Peel 's records of the year, and this attention helped Tangerine Dream to sign to the fledgling Virgin Records in the same year. Soon afterward they released the album Phaedra , an eerie soundscape that unexpectedly reached No. 15 in the UK Albums Chart and became one of Virgin's first bona fide hits. Phaedra
10502-543: The Moody Blues , Uriah Heep , The Beach Boys , Vangelis , Gary Wright , Chicago , Tangerine Dream , The Faces , Klaus Schulze , Dudley Moore , Synergy , and Elton John . Wakeman used the instrument on his solo album Criminal Record and on Yes's Tormato . In late 1978, Wakeman said that no more than 30 to 35 unfinished models had been built, (a number surpassing other Birotronics employee counts estimating only 13 to 17 models were ever fully completed), and
10680-420: The Royal College of Music in London with the intention of becoming a concert pianist. To enter he needed to pass eight music exams to earn his A-level in the subject, which required him, as his mother remembered, "to do two years' work in ten months". He put in the effort following a ten shilling bet with his music teacher who believed he would not succeed, and refusing his father's offer to work with him at
10858-539: The Tangerine Dream: Zeitraffer exhibition, which opened on 17 January 2020 at London 's Barbican and runs until 2 May 2020. On 9 June 2020, Paul Frick became the first member to join the group following Edgar's death after having made guest appearances with the band, starting in November 2018. Later on, the group started working on a new studio album entitled, Raum , featuring Froese's archival recordings in early 2022 via Kscope. Frick has
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#173279326127111036-901: The 2007 album Madcap's Flaming Duty features more poems set to music, some again from Blake but also e.g. Walt Whitman . Pink Floyd were also an influence on Edgar Froese and Tangerine Dream, the band in its very early psychedelic rock band phase playing improvisations based on Pink Floyd's " Interstellar Overdrive ". Madcap's Flaming Duty is dedicated to the memory of the late Syd Barrett . The title refers to Barrett's solo release The Madcap Laughs . The band's influence can be felt in ambient artists such as Deepspace, The Future Sound of London , David Kristian , and Global Communication , as well as rock, pop, and dance artists such as Porcupine Tree , M83 , DJ Shadow , Ulrich Schnauss , Cut Copy , and Kasabian . The band also clearly influenced 1990s and 2000s trance music , notably Chicane ; both " Offshore " and "Sunstroke" borrow heavily from "Love on
11214-418: The 50th anniversary of the band's foundation. The album is based on ideas and musical sketches by founder Edgar Froese and was completed by the remaining members of the band. On 31 January 2020, Tangerine Dream re-released their December 2019 album Recurring Dreams , an eleven-track collection of new recordings of some of the band's classic tracks, worldwide through Kscope . This was launched to coincide with
11392-531: The BBC television film The Day After the Fair and the feature documentary Mackintosh . Also in 1987, Wakeman put out his first Christian music album titled The Gospels , a double album based on the four Gospels that features tenor vocalist Ramon Remedios, actor Robert Powell as narrator, and the Eton College Chapel Choir . The music was originally written for a 1985 concert as part of
11570-695: The Bluesfest in Ottawa (Canada) and continued as a 10-date US journey beginning in July in Boston, then New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and California. On 16 November 2014, Tangerine Dream performed in Melbourne, Australia, as part of Melbourne Music Week. They were the final shows with Froese. Tangerine Dream played two consecutive nights at the Union Chapel, Islington London on April 23 & 24 2018,
11748-562: The Centre of the Earth plus selections from Six Wives with the National Philharmonic Orchestra , the Choir of America, and his rock band named The English Rock Ensemble. Under doctors' orders, Wakeman was required to pass a heart monitor test before each performance. The tour continued to Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, finishing in March 1975. Recording for King Arthur finished in January 1975, and features
11926-678: The Concorde Quartet, playing dance and pop songs at local events with his cousin Alan Wakeman on saxophone and clarinet. Wakeman used the money earned from their gigs to buy a Hohner Pianet , his first electronic keyboard. That year he also formed a dance band called the Green Dolphin Trio, spending a year's residency at a social club in Alperton , and Curdled Milk, a joke on " Strange Brew " by Cream , to play at
12104-643: The Earwigs. After a short return stint in the Ronnie Smith group, Wakeman spotted an advertisement in the Melody Maker for an organist in the Spinning Wheel, a pub band at The Greyhound in Chadwell Heath , for seven nights a week. He got the job and moved there with his first wife. Wakeman's prominence rose during his tenure with the folk rock group the Strawbs . He had played the piano as
12282-426: The Edge , which is considered a landmark progressive rock album and features Wakeman playing a church organ and harpsichord. He is credited on the final track, " Siberian Khatru ". Wakeman picked the album as "one of the finest moments of Yes' career." The Close to the Edge Tour marked the first time Wakeman wore a cape on stage after a fan offered his own for one of the band members to wear. He then had his own made;
12460-417: The English Chamber Choir, premiered in London. Wakeman performed the piece with the choir once more in 2011. In 1998, he started work on Return to the Centre of the Earth , a sequel album to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Journey to the Centre of the Earth . The idea first came to Wakeman in 1991 during a tour of Italy, which led to discussions about the project with Atlantic Records that year about
12638-410: The English Rock Ensemble, and saw further relief when A&M agreed to pay royalties in advance. At the suggestion of Wakeman's manager, Brian Lane , Wakeman rehearsed with Bill Bruford and John Wetton for six weeks with the plan to form a new band, but the story broke in Melody Maker which effectively caused the group to split. Wakeman took up work recording the soundtrack to White Rock ,
12816-542: The Imagination , featuring tracks of varied styles including songs and instrumentals. In February 2023, Wakeman and his band performed two shows at the London Palladium featuring The Six Wives of Henry VIII , Journey to the Centre of the Earth and King Arthur performed in their entirety, plus a selection of songs he performed with Yes. The shows were released as a live album. In February 2024, he toured
12994-629: The Netherlands (3-date tour), Belgium (Het Depot), France ( La Gaîté Lyrique ), Poland (2-date tour), Romania ( Transilvania International Film Festival ), the United States (16-date tour), Canada (3-date tour), Germany (12-date tour), the United Kingdom (10-date tour), and Poland (1-date). Tangerine Dream began as a surreal krautrock band, with each of the members contributing different musical influences and styles, before becoming
13172-682: The New World Orchestra, English Chamber Choir, and the Nottingham Festival Vocal Group. Its a concept album based on King Arthur and its related characters and stories. Following its release in March 1975, the album went to No. 2 in the UK and No. 21 in the US, and earned gold certifications in Brazil, Japan, and Australia. The album was promoted with three sold-out shows at Wembley Arena with Wakeman performing with an orchestra, choir, and his rock band to
13350-510: The One (1977), in November 1976. Keyboardist Patrick Moraz had left during the early stages in part due to the "enormous psychological pressures within the group". Upon hearing the band's new material of more accessible and concise songs, Wakeman agreed to play on the album as a session musician and joined the band in Montreux. Wakeman subsequently agreed to rejoin the band full-time, but noticed
13528-634: The Tides ), Largo (from Xerxes) (on Tyranny of Beauty ), Symphony in A Minor (by J. S. Bach), and Concerto in A Major / Adagio (by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ) (both on Ambient Monkeys ). Since the 1990s, Tangerine Dream have also recorded cover versions of Jimi Hendrix' " Purple Haze " (first on 220 Volt Live ) and The Beatles ' " Eleanor Rigby ", " Back in the U.S.S.R. ", " Tomorrow Never Knows ", and " Norwegian Wood ". An infrequently recurring non-musical influence on Tangerine Dream, and Edgar Froese in particular, have been 12th–19th-century poets. This
13706-794: The UK (November 5 – 14) Edgar Froese died suddenly in Vienna on 20 January 2015 from a pulmonary embolism . On 6 April 2015, the group's remaining members (Quaeschning, Schnauss and Yamane) and Bianca Acquaye (Froese's widow), pledged to continue working together in an effort to fulfill Froese's vision for the group. However, ex-member Jerome Froese announced on his Facebook timeline that, in his opinion, Tangerine Dream will not exist without his father. Tangerine Dream played their first show following Froese's death on 9 June 2016 in Szczecin , Poland. On 29 September 2017, Tangerine Dream released their new studio album entitled, Quantum Gate , celebrating
13884-430: The UK and No. 128 in the US. The track "Birdman of Alcatraz" was used as the theme music to the BBC drama series My Son, My Son and subsequently released as a single. Rhapsodies (1979) was recorded in Montreux and released as a double album , with Wakeman playing shorter tracks of varied musical styles. It features Bruce Lynch , Frank Gibson Jr. , and Tony Visconti as guest musicians. It also peaked at No. 25 in
14062-460: The UK and No. 30 in the US, and Time named the record one of the best albums of the year. At the Melody Maker readers poll awards in September 1973, Wakeman came out first in the top keyboardist category. Yes's double concept album Tales from Topographic Oceans was released in November 1973, containing four side long pieces based on ideas from Hindu scriptures in Autobiography of
14240-507: The UK charts at No. 1, a first for the label. Journey also reached No. 3 in the US, and earned Wakeman a Grammy and Ivor Novello Award nomination. The album has sold an estimated 14 million copies worldwide. On 27 July 1974, Wakeman headlined the Crystal Palace Garden Party concert , performing selections from Six Wives and Journey in its entirety. By this time, his excessive smoking and alcohol consumption,
14418-562: The UK new age chart. Wakeman followed this with a tour of the Far East, and soundtrack work for Hero , the film to the 1986 World Cup . In 1987, Wakeman joined the rock band Sky as a guest musician for an Australian tour. His association with new age music continued as the host of a weekly new age radio show on Capital Radio , and the release of The Family Album , with a track dedicated to each of his family members and pets. The original pressing included music Wakeman had composed for
14596-471: The UK with the Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Yes sets, followed by the start of his Final One Man Solo Tour of North America. The tour featured the debut of his 30-minute piano composition "Yessonata", featuring various themes and melodies from Yes songs that he had originally played on. In November 2024 a 20-minute recorded version of Yessonata was released as an album of the same name, paired with
14774-468: The UK. After touring with Yes in 1979, and failed attempts at making a new album with the band in Paris and London, Wakeman and Anderson left the group in early 1980. In 1980, after a four-year hiatus, Wakeman reformed the English Rock Ensemble for a European tour. Later that year he came close to forming a band with drummer Carl Palmer , bassist John Wetton , and guitarist Trevor Rabin , but opted out "on
14952-536: The US for over a decade, at the UCLA Royce Hall , Los Angeles on 7 November. In 2009, the group announced that they would play a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, on 1 April 2010, titled the Zeitgeist concert, 35 years after their milestone concert there on 2 April 1975. The entire concert was released as a 3-CD live album on 7 July 2010. Tangerine Dream embarked in spring and summer 2012 on
15130-577: The US in aid of ASSIST. Recordings from shows in Virginia and the Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California was released on The Piano Album in 1995. The latter show was attended by 8,000 people. Wakeman formed Hope Records to release this new Christian music, and decided to use the royalty payments to fund the production of more albums for the label. In October 1992, Wakeman embarked on
15308-463: The Union Tour tour of 1991–1992 as his favourite with Yes, where he formed a strong friendship with their 1980s guitarist and singer-songwriter Trevor Rabin . Wakeman confirmed his exit from the group in 1993 following managerial disputes with the band's and his own. Wakeman continued with his solo career in parallel; in 1990 he revived his English Rock Ensemble with Holt, Fernandez, and Paton for
15486-707: The White Hart pub in Acton called the Booze Droop. It failed to make an impact and Wakeman owed the landlord money, so Bowie agreed to perform an acoustic set for £5 to help raise funds. The gig had around 12 attendees, as people thought the advertisements for the gig were a joke. The income that Wakeman earned in sessions and the Strawbs allowed him to buy a home in West Harrow . Despite being paid well, Wakeman soon became disillusioned with session work because he
15664-517: The album had sold an estimated 12 million copies worldwide. From 1979 to 2005 (excluding 2001), and from 2019 onwards, the BBC configured "Arthur" to be the opening theme of its electoral Broadcast in the United Kingdom . Wakeman toured King Arthur with an augmented formation of the English Rock Ensemble for three months from October 1975, across North and South America. The stage production
15842-482: The album in its entirety which Wakeman also disagreed with. He openly criticised the album to the press, and his growing frustrations culminated in an incident whereby he ate a curry on stage during a show in Manchester . In 2006, Wakeman clarified that his total dislike of the album is "not entirely true" and recognises some "very, very nice musical moments", but "we had too much for a single album but not enough for
16020-478: The album reached No. 7 in the UK. He concluded the series of piano albums with Christmas Portraits , a Christmas-themed piano album, in 2019. In September and October 2019, Wakeman embarked on his first solo tour of the US in 13 years, playing piano shows. In June 2020, Wakeman returned to his progressive rock roots with The Red Planet , an instrumental album inspired by Mars and featuring his English Rock Ensemble. In March 2023, Wakeman released A Gallery of
16198-459: The album went to No. 9 in the UK and No. 67 in the US. Wakeman toured the album worldwide, which featured a scaled down stage production compared to his previous tours. By the summer of 1976, Wakeman fell into financial trouble after touring had met its minimal expectations and its expenses had exceeded its profits, and had to come up with £350,000 "in a matter of weeks". He sold his Rolls-Royces, ended his Fragile car service company, and disbanded
16376-610: The annual school dance. The band were unpaid after Wakeman lost control of his car and drove across the headmaster's rose garden at the front of the school, thereby forfeiting their performance fee to pay for the damage. In 1967, Wakeman began a tenure with the Ronnie Smith Band, a dance group based at the Top Rank ballroom in Watford . He was sacked in the following year for not taking the dance music seriously enough, but
16554-423: The band Loom, which plays original material, as well as Tangerine Dream classics. Thorsten Quaeschning, leader of Picture Palace Music, was brought into Tangerine Dream in 2005 and contributed to most of the band's albums and CupDiscs since then. The group had recording contracts with Ohr, Virgin, Jive Electro , Private Music, and Miramar, and many of the minor soundtracks were released on Varèse Sarabande. In 1996,
16732-588: The band founded their own record label, TDI , and more recently, Eastgate . Subsequent albums are today generally not available in normal retail channels but are sold by mail-order or through online channels. The same applies to their Miramar releases, the rights to which the band bought back. Meanwhile, their Ohr and Jive Electro catalogs (known as the "Pink" and "Blue" Years) are currently owned by Esoteric Recordings . To celebrate their 40th anniversary (1967–2007), Tangerine Dream announced their only UK concert: at London Astoria on 20 April 2007. The band also played
16910-715: The band in August 1971 made the front page news in Melody Maker , his second cover feature in a year. With Yes his earnings rose from £18 to £50 to a week. Fragile was recorded in five weeks so the band could resume touring and help finance a new set of keyboards for Wakeman. The album features a solo track written by each member; Wakeman's track, "Cans and Brahms", is an adaptation of the third movement of Symphony No. 4 by Johannes Brahms played on electronic keyboards. He called it "dreadful" as contractual disputes between Atlantic Records , who had signed Yes, and A&M prevented him from writing his own composition. Wakeman said he
17088-568: The band in a direction somewhat reminiscent of material throughout their career. In later years, Tangerine Dream released albums in series. The Dream Mixes series began in 1995 with the last being released in 2010. The Divine Comedy series, based on the writings of Dante Alighieri, spanned 2002–2006. From 2007 to 2010, the Five Atomic Seasons were released. Most recently, the Eastgate Sonic Poems series, based on
17266-596: The band toured extensively. The concerts generally included large amounts of unreleased and improvised material and were consequently widely bootlegged . They were notorious for playing extremely loudly and for a long time. The band released recordings of a fair number of their concerts, and on some of these the band worked out material that would later form the backbone of their studio recordings. Most of Tangerine Dream's albums are entirely instrumental. Two earlier albums that prominently featured lyrics were Cyclone (1978) and Tyger (1987). While there were occasionally
17444-604: The band. In the same year, Wakeman recorded the soundtrack to the slasher horror film The Burning in New York City. Wakeman's next album was Rock 'n' Roll Prophet , a humorous spoof on the pop duo the Buggles released in 1982 on his own label, Moon Records. Initially titled Maybe '80 , it was recorded in Switzerland in 1979 but remained unreleased until he secured the rights for it following an appearance at
17622-525: The bootleg recording of the Mannheim Mozartsaal concert of 1976 ( Tangerine Tree volume 13), the first part of the first piece also clearly quotes from Franz Liszt 's Totentanz . The first phrase is played on a harpsichord synthesizer patch and is answered by the second half of the phrase in a flute voicing on a Mellotron . During the 1990s, many releases included recordings of classical compositions: Pictures at an Exhibition (on Turn of
17800-443: The building suppliers. Wakeman entered the college on a performer's course with the piano as his first study, clarinet his second, and orchestration and modern music his third, but quickly found out that "everyone else there was at least as good as me; and a lot of them much better", and switched to a teacher's course. His orchestration professor, Philip Cannon , had a long-lasting influence on his compositional skills. He adopted
17978-545: The chance to join the band, after Tony Kaye had been asked to leave following his resistance to learn instruments other than the piano and organ. Wakeman agreed to meet Yes as they rehearsed for their fourth album, Fragile (1971), and during his first session with the band, " Heart of the Sunrise " and " Roundabout ", two of the band's iconic songs, were put together. Wakeman decided that Yes presented more favourable opportunities and declined Bowie's offer; his arrival into
18156-440: The chart and "did nothing" to improve his finances. By this time, Wakeman was "managerless, penniless and homeless". In February 1983, he and Carter moved to Camberley , Surrey after the birth of their daughter Jemma. Wakeman took up work by recording the soundtrack to the official 1982 FIFA World Cup documentary film G'olé! , which was released around the same time as Cost of Living which hampered potential sales. He wrote
18334-459: The clarinet. In his teenage years, he learned to play the church organ , became a Sunday school teacher, and chose to be baptised at eighteen. Wakeman described himself at school as "a horror ... I worked hard in the first year, then eased up". In 1961, during his time at Drayton Manor school, Wakeman played in his first band, the trad jazz outfit Brother Wakeman and the Clergymen, with
18512-463: The composition of Jeanne d'Arc (2005). For concerts and recordings, they were usually joined by Linda Spa on saxophone and flute, Iris Camaa on drums and percussion, and Bernhard Beibl on guitar. In 2011, electric violinist Hoshiko Yamane was added to the lineup and is featured on some of the most recent albums. In late 2014, Bernhard Beibl announced on his Facebook page that he would stop collaborating with Tangerine Dream. Shortly thereafter, it
18690-459: The development of electronic music styles such as new-age and electronic dance music . On 29 September 2017, the band released an all-new music studio album entitled Quantum Gate . In December 2019, they released Recurring Dreams , a compilation of new recordings of some of the band's classic compositions. On 26 November 2021, the band released an EP entitled Probe 6–8 (including three tracks: "Raum", "Para Guy" and "Continuum"), whose concept
18868-536: The early albums. A Baroque sensibility sometimes informs the more coordinated sequencer patterns, which has its most direct expression in the La Folia section that comes at the very end of the title track of Force Majeure. In live performances, the piano solos often directly quoted from Romantic classical works for piano, such as the Beethoven and Mozart snippets in much of the late 1970s – early 1980s stage shows. In
19046-572: The emerging new wave and punk music movements at that time was also a possible marketing challenge. Ultimately, very few models were ever built to completion and no one in fact actually knows how many Birotrons were made, as the instrument never entered mass production. The instruments' many unusual parts (such as iron bracing, tape headblocks, perfectly symmetrical capstans, and motor-tachometer units) were only made by singular companies who could not mass produce these parts timely or inexpensively, and Wakeman later said he lost around £50,000 (upwards of half
19224-474: The false accusations on his website, clarifying that the visit was not staged for political reasons. Wakeman later revealed that Castro gave him some earth surrounding Che Guevara 's grave. In June 2006, Wakeman toured the US with a solo piano tour. This was followed by a performance of Return to the Centre of the Earth with his band, orchestra, and choir in Quebec, Canada. The show featured Jon Anderson as
19402-415: The famous Zodiak Free Arts Lab , although one grouping also had the distinction of being invited to play for the surrealist painter Salvador Dalí . The music was partnered with literature, painting, early forms of multimedia , and more. It seemed as though only the most outlandish ideas attracted any attention, leading Froese to comment: "In the absurd often lies what is artistically possible." As members of
19580-473: The film as Thor , the god of thunder. A few years later, he recalled the album in a more negative light as "there was hardly anything of mine on it in the end", and criticised its mixing and production. No Earthly Connection (1976) was recorded in France and features Wakeman and his English Rock Ensemble. Initially it was to be about mythological gods, but its lyrical subject matter changed after he witnessed
19758-569: The first major Western bands to perform in a communist country, Tangerine Dream released a double live album of one of their performances there, called Poland , recorded during their tour in the winter at the end of 1983. With Poland , the band moved to the Jive Electro label, marking the beginning of the Blue Years . Throughout the 1980s, Tangerine Dream composed scores for more than 20 films. This had been an interest of Froese's since
19936-535: The first was made of sequins and cost US$ 300. The concert film Yessongs , filmed in 1972 at the Rainbow Theatre , featured his solo spot in the show. Also that month at the venue, Wakeman was a guest musician at the Who 's orchestral performances of Tommy . He also developed music for the 1972 film, Zee and Co. In January 1973, Wakeman released his debut solo album, The Six Wives of Henry VIII . It
20114-476: The general public. A further problem was the increasing popularity of string synthesizers , and digital technology in the form of the computer chip which was now used by emerging competitors like the Fairlight CMI system which would render the Birotron immediately obsolete because of its' reliance on 8 track cartridges as a sound storage medium. Its' association with art and progressive rock as opposed to
20292-751: The group came and went, the direction of the music continued to be inspired by the Surrealists , and the group came to be called by the surreal-sounding name of Tangerine Dream, inspired by mishearing the line "tangerine trees and marmalade skies" from the Beatles ' track " Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds ". Froese was fascinated by technology and skilled in using it to create music. He built custom-made instruments and, wherever he went, collected sounds with tape recorders for use in constructing musical works later. His early work with tape loops and other repeating sounds
20470-458: The group for 17 years, leaving in 1988 because of exhausting touring schedules, as well as creative differences with Froese. Other long-term members of the group include Peter Baumann (1971–1977), who later went on to found the new-age label Private Music , to which the band was signed from 1988 to 1991; Johannes Schmoelling (1979–1985); Paul Haslinger (1986–1990); Froese's son Jerome Froese (1990–2006); Linda Spa (1990–1996, 2005–2014),
20648-407: The group until 1992. Wakeman's most significant album of the 1990s was Return to the Centre of the Earth (1999), his first UK top 40 album in 18 years, and his piano album Piano Portraits (2017) produced his first UK top 10 album since 1975. Starting in 2009, Wakeman revisited his three hit albums of the 1970s by performing them live with new and expanded arrangements. From 2016 to 2020, Wakeman
20826-458: The high cost of renting large, professional studios, so he built his own as a compromise. Wakeman recorded there from 1990 until 2001. The new age-themed Aspirant Sunset , released in 1990, was the first, and marks the first album with his longtime recording engineer Stuart Sawney. Wakeman donated 50p from every sale of his Aspirant album trilogy to CPRE, The Countryside Charity . Wakeman befriended fellow Isle of Man resident Norman Wisdom , and
21004-495: The instrument become successful. Development progressed in 1975, when Biro and Birotronics technicians Neil Bemrose, Stuart Osborne, Tony Merrill, Roger Rogers, and Alan Shepherd helped produce a revised and improved model at 'Birotronics Ltd.' Wakeman's factory and rehearsal facility run by business partner and CEO Peter Robinson in High Wycombe , England. The Birotron was announced in September 1975 and marketed by Complex 7,
21182-479: The instrument performed to his satisfaction in a studio setting. But problems arose when it was used on tour with Yes a year prior. Its precise voltage requirements made it unsuitable for use in countries outside the UK, and a decision had yet to be made to either produce several models to work on different voltages, or add a built-in transformer. Wakeman said a key problem was that the instrument had "teething problems" that did not bother him, but would be unacceptable to
21360-610: The label signed the controversial punk band the Sex Pistols . He denied any involvement and said it was a publicity stunt derived by A&M to drop the band. Wakeman was a key figure in getting American punk band The Tubes their first record deal, having suggested to George Daly that he contact A&M executive Kip Cohen , who signed the group. Wakeman's fortunes changed when he was invited to join Yes in Montreux , Switzerland, as they were working on new songs for Going for
21538-401: The late 1960s, when he scored and acted in the experimental film " Auf Scheißer schießt man nicht ", directed by Hansjürgen Pohland . Many of the group's soundtracks were composed at least partially of reworked material from the band's studio albums or work that was in progress for upcoming albums; see, for example, the resemblance between the track "Igneous" on their soundtrack for Thief and
21716-638: The lyrics. 1984 was released in June 1981 and reached number 24 in the UK. Plans to have the album adapted into a musical were cancelled after lawyers from Orwell's estate blocked its development. In July 1981, Wakeman performed Journey to the Centre of the Earth for two shows in Durban , South Africa. This was followed by a world tour until the end of 1981, with a line-up of Holt, Fernandez, Tim Stone on guitar, Steve Barnacle on bass, and Cori Josiah on vocals. The tour became problematic due to growing friction within
21894-448: The mid-1970s. Their technical competence and extensive experience in their early years with self-made instruments and unusual means of creating sounds meant that they were able to exploit this new technology to make music quite unlike anything heard before. Tangerine Dream's earliest concerts were visually simple by modern standards, with three men sitting motionless for hours alongside massive electronic boxes festooned with patch cords and
22072-484: The more notable members are Steve Schroyder (organist, 1971–1972), Michael Hoenig (who replaced Baumann for a 1975 Australian tour and a London concert, included on Bootleg Box Set Vol. 1 ), Steve Jolliffe (wind instruments, keyboards and vocals on Cyclone and the following tour; he was also part of a short-lived 1969 line-up), Klaus Krüger (drummer on Cyclone and Force Majeure ) and Ralf Wadephul (in collaboration with Edgar Froese recorded album Blue Dawn , but it
22250-499: The music industry. As of 2019, only two working models are known to exist. Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman CBE (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist and composer best known as a member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his prolific solo career. AllMusic describes Wakeman as a "classically trained keyboardist extraordinaire who plied his trade with Yes and developed his own brand of live spectacular in
22428-415: The new edition of Melody Maker had printed the headline "Wakeman rejoins Yes" hours after he agreed. He then learned that Lane had informed the press of his return without consulting him. Wakeman described Going for the One as "the album Yes should have made instead of Topographic Oceans ", and considered the 15-minute track "Awaken" as one of the group's best. Tormato (1978) features Wakeman playing
22606-645: The next two decades following a change in musical fashion and financial issues from two divorces. His most popular album was the conceptual rocker 1984 (1981), which was followed by the minor pop hit single "Glory Boys" from Silent Nights (1985). He expanded into other areas such as hosting the television show GasTank , composing for television and film, forming record labels, and producing his first new-age , ambient , and Christian music with Country Airs (1986) and The Gospels (1987), respectively. In 1989, he reunited with former Yes bandmates for Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe , which led to his third period in
22784-667: The pair. They released No Expense Spared in 1993, Romance of the Victorian Age in 1994, and Vignettes in 1996. In 1993, Wakeman's financial situation took an unexpected turn when he was demanded to pay almost £70,000 to the Inland Revenue for interest charges and unpaid penalties related to tax he had paid for the preceding six years. He later wrote: "With help from Brian Lane 's office and Yes's accountants, in my signing away all publishing income from everything I had ever written ... Twenty-two years' work had vanished in
22962-542: The period known as the Pink Years (the Ohr logo was a pink ear). Subsequent albums, beginning with Alpha Centauri , relied heavily on electronic instruments. The band's music during the early 1970s prominently featured organ from Steve Schroyder (on Alpha Centauri ) or Peter Baumann (on subsequent releases), commonly augmented by guitar from Froese and drums from Christopher Franke . They also started their heavy usage of
23140-434: The piano on his 1986 single " Absolute Beginners ". The latter half of the 1980s saw Wakeman venture into new musical genres. In 1986, he released his first album of new age music titled Country Airs , formed of solo piano tracks inspired by walks in the countryside. It was a record he never had wanted to make, but was in need of money and accepted a £5,000 advance from Coda Records to record it. It reached number one on
23318-513: The project being shelved, along with a potential double album of its music. In early 1984, Wakeman contributed three songs to the soundtrack of B.C. Rock . In 1984, Wakeman signed with the independent label President Records in an association that would last until 2007, for which he would produce almost 40 albums. The first was Silent Nights , Wakeman's first solo album in over two years, featuring Fernandez, Cronk, and Rick Fenn on guitar and released in 1985. The single "Glory Boys" became
23496-560: The record company pay Wakeman for the error, which was donated to one of Stevens' schools. Wakeman played the Hammond organ on Madman Across the Water by Elton John , and was a feature artist on Orange by Al Stewart . Bowie invited Wakeman to his home and played the outline of some songs for him on a guitar to learn, which Wakeman later called "the finest selection of songs I have ever heard in one sitting in my entire life". The result
23674-454: The rest of the band as he prioritised session work and contributed little to the music. He struggled to cover his mortgage and bills with money earned from the group, and started to consider other career options. In July 1971, Bowie invited Wakeman to join his new backing band, the Spiders from Mars , on the same day that bassist Chris Squire of the progressive rock group Yes offered him
23852-693: The second supported by ex- Japan and Porcupine Tree musician Richard Barbieri . In October and November 2019, Tangerine Dream went on its 16 step Random & Revision Tour. 2023 saw the band embark on the largest tour of their entire career, including a 19-date tour of North America (September 8 – October 5: taking in Miami, Asheville, Atlanta, Dallas, Austin, Albuquerque, Tucson, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, Seattle, Philadelphia, Washington, New York, Montreal, Toronto and Chicago), 13-dates in Germany (October 10 – 28), and 10-dates in
24030-559: The session as he was desperate to pay his rent for the week. In late 1971, an album of covers with Wakeman on the piano, the John Schroeder orchestra , and an unknown female vocalist was released as Piano Vibrations . His name is omitted from the cover and liner notes, and was paid £36 for the four sessions it took to record it. The Strawbs' album From the Witchwood (1971) marked the growing differences between Wakeman and
24208-426: The session at Olympic Studios where he met producers Denny Cordell , Gus Dudgeon , and Tony Visconti , and engineer Keith Grant . Cordell was impressed with Wakeman's skills and offered him more session work for artists at Regal Zonophone Records . Wakeman accepted the additional income to compensate the small grant he had received to study, and began skipping classes in favour of the more lucrative sessions which
24386-750: The show's various characters. The show was initially held at the Brighton Festival , and Wakeman went out to perform it live with his band at other venues, including the Cheltenham Festival . Around the same time, Wakeman scored the soundtrack to Bullet to Beijing , a made-for-television film starring Michael Caine and Jason Connery . He also scored its sequel, Midnight in Saint Petersburg . Also in 1995, Wakeman played Mellotron on two songs of Ozzy Osbourne 's album Ozzmosis , "Perry Mason" and "I Just Want You". In
24564-498: The soundtrack for the film She with assistance from Justin Hayward and Maggie Bell , and his second Russell feature, Crimes of Passion , with Bell on vocals, Fernandez on drums, and past Strawbs bandmate Chas Cronk on bass. Wakeman based the music around the themes of Symphony No. 9 by Antonín Dvořák . Wakeman also spent early 1983 writing the score to the ballet Killing Games , but problems during its development led to
24742-406: The stage as he made a special guest appearance during his piano solo: "I didn't know who he was. I thought, 'Silly old sod, coming on the stage waving his stick'." The Strawbs' first major concert, on 11 July 1970 at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall , was recorded and released as Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios , both of which brought Wakeman's virtuosity into the national spotlight. "Where
24920-469: The suggestion of his management and family. In January 2016, Wakeman reunited with former Yes bandmates Jon Anderson and Trevor Rabin and the three announced the formation of their new band, Anderson Rabin Wakeman , later renamed Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman. The three toured from 2016 to 2018, performing Yes music across the band's history. In January 2016, Wakeman performed
25098-487: The summer of 1995, Wakeman agreed to return to Yes which marked his fourth time in the group and the return of the "classic" line-up. They worked on new studio material and performed live shows in 1996 which was released on Keys to Ascension (1996) and Keys to Ascension 2 (1997). In March 1997, Wakeman staged the North American premiere of The New Gospels for five dates after it was reworked and extended into
25276-425: The television audience that night planned to watch Blue Movie , a controversial film by Andy Warhol , but it was temporarily banned from being broadcast. Wakeman explained: "It seems most of them, rather than watch repeats, switched over to Whistle Test and saw my preview of Henry ... and suddenly it seemed as if the whole country had discovered my music ... it was a tremendous break." The album reached No. 7 in
25454-441: The term) and electronic dance music . In the 1980s, along with other electronic music pioneers such as Jean-Michel Jarre (with whom Edgar Froese collaborated on Jarre's 2015 album Electronica 1: The Time Machine ) and Vangelis , the band were early adopters of the new digital technology, which revolutionized the sound of the synthesizer, although the group had been using digital equipment (in some shape or form) as early as
25632-504: The three seconds it had taken to sign my name." Wakeman credits his 1993 appearance on the evening talk show Danny Baker After All as a turning point in his television career, after he told a story about being arrested in Moscow for smuggling a KGB uniform out of the country. In mid-1995, Wakeman became involved with Phillip Gandey's family circus entertainment project Cirque Surreal , writing and recording "timeless" pieces to enhance
25810-506: The tour marked Wakeman's first major US tour in ten years. Tracks originally put down for a second album were added to an in-progress Yes album and released as Union in 1991, which transformed Yes into an eight-piece formation with Wakeman sharing keyboards with original Yes member Tony Kaye . Wakeman has openly stated his dislike for Union , partly due to the fact that session musicians were brought in to re-write and perform parts that he and Howe had already put down. However, he later chose
25988-511: The track "Thru Metamorphic Rocks" on their studio release Force Majeure . Their first exposure on US television came when a track for the then in-progress album Le Parc was used as the theme for the television program, Street Hawk . Some of the more famous soundtracks have been Sorcerer , Thief , Legend , Risky Business , The Keep , Firestarter , Flashpoint , Heartbreakers , Shy People and Near Dark . Tangerine Dream also composed 35 hours of music stems for
26166-423: The two made an album together. In late 1988, Wakeman got together with former Yes bandmates Jon Anderson , Bill Bruford , and Steve Howe to form a new group, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe . The band originated when Anderson had become increasingly frustrated with Yes's commercial direction, and left the band to make music that reflected the band's 1970s sound. Their self-titled album was released in 1989, and
26344-494: The unique distinction of being the first addition to the group who did not ever personally meet Froese. It was announced on 22 June 2021 that Ulrich Schnauss has decided to stop performing live. Since then, the band's official website lists him as a former member. In March 2023, the band embarked on the longest tour of their entire career, with concerts in Portugal ( Casa da Música ), Switzerland ( Geneva 's Electron Festival),
26522-516: The video game, Grand Theft Auto V . In 2016, Tangerine Dream released their own version of the theme music for the television series Stranger Things . Tangerine Dream had inspired music for the series. Several of the band's albums released during the 1990s were nominated for Grammy Awards. Since then, Tangerine Dream with Jerome Froese took a directional change away from the new-age leanings of those albums and toward an electronica style. After Jerome's departure, founder Edgar Froese steered
26700-490: The work to 54 minutes. It features his English Rock Ensemble, the Orion Orchestra and English Chamber Choir conducted by Guy Protheroe , and narration by actor Peter Egan . In April and May 2014, Wakeman performed the expanded album on a 14-date UK tour to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the original. The re-recording of Journey became the catalyst for a new and expanded version of King Arthur , following
26878-434: The works of famous poetic authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Franz Kafka, began in 2011, with the last appearing in 2013. Also, beginning in 2007, Tangerine Dream released a number of EPs, referred to as "CupDiscs" by the band. Edgar Froese also released a number of solo recordings, which are similar in style to Tangerine Dream's work. Jerome Froese released a number of singles as TDJ Rome, which are similar to his work within
27056-445: The years, with Froese the only constant member until his death in January 2015. The best-known lineup of the group was its mid-1970s trio of Froese, Christopher Franke , and Peter Baumann . In 1979, Johannes Schmoelling replaced Baumann until his own departure in 1985. This lineup was notable for composing many movie soundtracks. Since Froese's death in 2015, the group has been under the leadership of Thorsten Quaeschning . Quaeschning
27234-416: Was " Changes ", " Oh! You Pretty Things ", and " Life on Mars? " for Bowie's album Hunky Dory , which feature Wakeman on piano. He later reflected: "David was incredibly influential to me. I learned more about how to work in a studio from David than anybody. He was tremendous in that respect." Wakeman played a series of piano glissandos on " Get It On " for T. Rex , after frontman Marc Bolan offered him
27412-598: Was a member of Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman . He continues to record albums and perform concerts worldwide in various capacities. His most recent album was Yessonata , released October 2024. Wakeman's discography includes over 100 solo albums spanning a range of musical styles. He has also gained notoriety for his appearances on the television programs Live at Jongleurs , Countdown , Grumpy Old Men , and Watchdog , and for his radio show on Planet Rock that aired from 2005 to 2010. Wakeman has written an autobiography and two memoirs. In 2017, he
27590-650: Was a pianist in Ted Heath 's big band while he was in the British Army . Mildred worked at a removals firm. Wakeman attended Drayton Manor Grammar School in Hanwell , in 1959. The family spent their summer holidays in Exmouth . As a youngster Wakeman heard his parents, uncle, and aunts play the piano and sing songs from his upstairs bedroom, which made him want to take up the instrument. His father took him to
27768-519: Was announced that Tangerine Dream would no longer be touring with Linda Spa or Iris Camaa, but that Ulrich Schnauss had been brought into the fold. Edgar Froese's death in January 2015, however, left this a short-lived line-up. Bianca Froese-Acquaye , Edgar Froese's widow, has taken up the mantle of continuing the legacy of the group and works closely in a non-musical capacity with the remaining members. Tangerine Dream has released over one hundred albums (not counting compilations and fan releases) over
27946-474: Was awarded the Spirit of Prog Award at the annual Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards . In 2012, Wakeman recorded a new and extended version of Journey to the Centre of the Earth , following the discovery of the original conductor's score three years prior which was considered lost. As the original album was shortened to fit a single LP, Wakeman re-recorded the album with the previously cut parts which expanded
28124-500: Was developed further on their following album Raum , their latest studio album to date which was released on 25 February 2022. Edgar Froese arrived in West Berlin in the mid-1960s to study art. His first band, the psychedelic rock -styled The Ones , disbanded after releasing only one single. After The Ones, Froese experimented with musical ideas, playing smaller gigs with a variety of musicians. Most of these performances were in
28302-486: Was first evident on the 1981 album Exit , the track title "Pilots of the Purple Twilight" being a quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson 's poem Locksley Hall . Six years later, the album Tyger featured poems from William Blake set to music; and around the turn of the millennium, Edgar Froese started working on a musical trilogy based on Dante Alighieri 's Divine Comedy , completed in 2006. Most recently,
28480-499: Was forced to remortgage his Camberley home. In September 1985, during the tour's Australian leg, Wakeman fell ill from his alcoholism and has been teetotal since. Also in 1985, a single of Wakeman's theme tunes for the television shows Lytton's Diary and Database was released. By this time he had also composed music for the BBC show Paddles Up and the Channel 4 documentary Supercat . Wakeman reunited with David Bowie to play
28658-419: Was frowned upon at the college. After a year Wakeman dropped out with the encouragement from his clarinet professor Basil Tschaikov. Wakeman became a full-time session musician, performing and arranging music for other musicians, films, and television and radio jingles as often as eighteen times in a week. He estimated to have participated in around 2,000 sessions in his career. His ability to produce what
28836-415: Was his partnership with Christopher Franke . Franke joined Tangerine Dream in 1970 after serving time in the group Agitation Free , originally to replace Schulze as the drummer. Franke is credited with starting to use electronic sequencers, which were introduced on Phaedra , a development that had not only a large impact on the group's music but on many electronic musicians to this day. Franke stayed with
29014-605: Was homeless due to his financial difficulties and second divorce, and resorted to sleeping on benches in Kensington Gardens until a former roadie let him sleep at his house. Wakeman's first album for Charisma was 1984 , a concept rock album based on George Orwell 's same-titled dystopian novel , with a band including Steve Barnacle on bass, Gary Barnacle on saxophone, and Frank Ricotti on drums. The album features tracks with Chaka Khan , Jon Anderson , Kenny Lynch , and Tim Rice on lead vocals, who also wrote
29192-667: Was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Yes . He was awarded a CBE for his services to music and broadcasting in 2021. Richard Christopher Wakeman was born in Perivale , Middlesex on 18 May 1949. The only child of Cyril and Mildred Wakeman (née Eastment), the three lived in Wood End Gardens in nearby Northolt . Cyril worked at a building suppliers which he joined as an office boy at age fourteen, and worked his way up to become one of its directors. He
29370-482: Was intended that musicians could add their own sound library recordings to the instrument. Biro first started designing a tape-replay instrument in 1974 after hearing Wakeman play the Mellotron on Tales from Topographic Oceans by Yes . He used the keyboard from an old piano and parts from a local hardware store, plus a set of automotive eight-track decks from a junkyard. Biro built the prototype in his father's garage with "no plans, no drawings. nothing. All I remember
29548-525: Was needed in a short time led to his nickname, One Take Wakeman. Among his first sessions were playing on Battersea Power Station by Junior's Eyes and, in June 1969, the Mellotron on " Space Oddity " by David Bowie for a £9 fee after Dudgeon needed a player, as neither knew much about the instrument. Wakeman went on to play on several tracks on Bowie's second album, David Bowie , and organ and piano on American singer Tucker Zimmerman 's only single, "Red Wind". In one session, Visconti had Wakeman play
29726-459: Was never credited for his contributions on Fragile , including piano sections on " Heart of the Sunrise " and " South Side of the Sky ", despite being told that management would sort the issue. He enjoyed the music too much to cause further rifts. Fragile reached the top ten in the UK and the US, and the Fragile Tour marked Wakeman's first visit to North America. During the tour he signed
29904-627: Was no staleness, there was a lot of freshness." The only new studio material worked on during this time were bonus tracks on The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection . After the 2004 tour Yes entered a four-year hiatus, during which Wakeman retired from large scale tours following ongoing health problems. When the band regrouped in 2008, Wakeman's son Oliver replaced him on keyboards. In April 2005, Wakeman and his band performed three shows in Havana , Cuba, including an outdoor show attended by an estimated 10,000 people. They came about after Wakeman
30082-424: Was not involved in the songwriting. He bought a Minimoog synthesiser at half price from actor Jack Wild , who thought that it was defective because it only played one note at a time . Wakeman was involved in several notable sessions in 1971. He arranged and played the piano on " Morning Has Broken " by Cat Stevens , but was omitted from the credits and for many years was not paid. Stevens later apologised and had
30260-507: Was offered to perform there to support a charitable foundation that supports a children's cancer hospital. The first two shows were filmed and released as Made in Cuba , proceeds from which were given to the hospital. Cuban leader Fidel Castro greeted Wakeman, thanking him for his humanitarian support. Wakeman received some criticism following the visit, which upset him personally and made him consider retiring from live performance. He addressed
30438-460: Was one of the first commercial albums to feature sequencers and came to define much more than just the band's own sound. The creation of the album's title track was something of an accident: the band was experimenting in the studio with a recently acquired Moog synthesizer , and the tape happened to be rolling at the time. They kept the results and later added flute, bass guitar, and Mellotron performances. The Moog, like many other early synthesizers,
30616-413: Was recorded in 1972 during gaps in touring and recording with Yes, and features members of the band, the Strawbs, and other guest musicians. The album is instrumental with its concept based on Wakeman's musical interpretations of the characteristics of the six wives of Henry VIII . The album was previewed with Wakeman performing excerpts on the BBC television show, The Old Grey Whistle Test . Much of
30794-547: Was released only in 2006; also credited for one track on Optical Race (1988) and toured with the band in support of this album). Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, Tangerine Dream was often joined on stage by Zlatko Perica or Gerald Gradwohl on guitars, and Emil Hachfeld on electronic drums. Jerome Froese left in 2006 after a concert at the Tempodrom in Berlin. Until late 2014, Tangerine Dream comprised Edgar Froese, as well as Thorsten Quaeschning, who first collaborated in
30972-406: Was scaled back in comparison to his previous tours, featuring only his rock band with a two-piece wind section. The line-up was Wakeman's first with new drummer Tony Fernandez , who would perform on many of his future albums and tours. In 1975, Wakeman composed the soundtrack for Lisztomania , a biography film about composer Franz Liszt written and directed by Ken Russell . Wakeman appears in
31150-411: Was so sensitive to changes in temperature that its oscillators would drift badly in tuning as the equipment warmed up, and this drift can easily be heard on the final recording. This album marked the beginning of the period known as the 'Virgin Years'. Their mid-1970s work has been profoundly influential in the development of electronic music styles such as new-age (although the band themselves disliked
31328-568: Was soon reinstated at the ballroom in Reading . Here he met singer Ashley Holt, who later sang on many of Wakeman's future albums and tours. Around this time, Wakeman frequented the Red Lion pub in Brentford where he took part in jam sessions with several known musicians including John Entwistle , James Royal , Nick Simper , and Mitch Mitchell . In 1968, Wakeman acquired a scholarship at
31506-473: Was the obvious precursor to the emerging technology of the sequencer , which Tangerine Dream quickly adopted upon its arrival. Released in 1970 by record label Ohr , the first Tangerine Dream album, Electronic Meditation , was a tape-collage Krautrock piece, using the technology of the time rather than the synthesized music they later became famous for. The line-up for the album was Froese, Klaus Schulze, and Conrad Schnitzler . Electronic Meditation began
31684-470: Was under contract with its US division, a cassette was sent to co-founder Jerry Moss who liked it and ordered its worldwide release. After touring Topographic Oceans , Wakeman retreated to his Devonshire home. He heard early ideas for Yes's next album, felt he could no longer contribute to the style of music they were making, and confirmed his departure from the band on his twenty-fifth birthday. Later that day, A&M informed him that Journey had entered
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