Mark: How are things with Uriah Heep at the
moment?
Mick: Everything in the Heep camp is
good. New "Wake the Sleeper" CD, 18
month world tour being planned.
M: First things first... ten years is a long time
to wait for a new album! Have you felt it just
wasn't the right time or did you believe there
would never be another new album?
Mick: Yes we always knew there would
be more CD's with new Heep music on them. The
10 year hiatus is explained thusly. Our last CD
Sonic Origami was loved by the fans, press and
the record company. However when we put an 18
month world tour together the record company did
not support it in the markets we toured as they
had promised and we said then that we would not
give them another CD. It is heartbreaking to put
your life and soul into something and have it
ruined like that.
It took a while to get out of the contract
and then the record industry went into free fall
with the internet explosion. First they attacked
the internet and took Napster to court but they
found out there were millions of free downloads
and it was impossible to police. They then had
to embrace the internet and in doing so the record
industry could never be the same again. Companies
folded up, disappeared, amalgamated and there
were plenty of firings and not many hiring's.
With the industry in this fragile state we could
not find a new recording home.
Eventually when the dust settled, Sanctuary
Records UK who owns our back catalogue decided
to offer us a contact to make a new CD. We thought
that this was a good idea and we recorded a CD
which they loved and we could not wait for the
fans to hear. However such is the state of the
business before it could be released Universal
bought out Sanctuary. We then had a 1 year nail
biting time to find out if Universal were ever
going to release it. When they heard the CD they
loved it and wanted to release it so it was a
huge sigh of relief and we are very happy with
them thus far.
M: "Wake the Sleeper" is one of this
year's unanticipated hits in my opinion. How has
early reception been for the album?
Mick: It has been wonderful and it is
a good feeling to give the fans the CD they have
been waiting for, for so long.
M: What kind of expectations did you have for
the album? It seems like many bands from your
era don't even bother to release new material
anymore because they think the fans don't want
it (I beg to differ).
Mick: We needed to record a new CD and
the fans deserved one, so it was only ever a question
of when. When the opportunity arrived we took
it with both hands and applied all the passion
and energy that we still have into making the
CD. Once it was in the hands of the fans and the
media and first reports and reviews came in we
were delighted. We just want this CD to reach
a wider audience and if we are lucky get some
airplay to raise our profile.
M: With the shaky ground the music industry stands
on these days, what made you decide that a major
label signing was the right move for the band?
Mick: It was by default but in the end
we are very happy about that.
M: When you were writing and recording the new
album, what goals did you set for the music? Were
there conscious things you wanted to hear, accomplish,
or experiment with? After 20 albums there can't
be much left to achieve can there?!
Mick: Sure there is! We just wrote the
best songs that we possibly could with the strongest
lyrics we could come up with and gave them all
the Heep treatment. We recorded this as a band
all in one room and this was inspired by our producer
Mike Paxman who heard the songs in the rehearsal
room and wanted that power on the CD. It sounds
so much better recording as a band than doing
it piecemeal.
M: Drummer Lee Kerslake is absent from Uriah Heep
on this album as well. Can you tell us a little
about his health issues and how he is doing these
days?
Mick: At the end of a very long touring
year I sat down with Lee before we had our Xmas
break and we discussed where to go from here.
We are mates first and the discussion was about
Lee taking time off to get his health issues taken
care of. We said that if you do not have your
health then you have nothing. In all honesty it
was like a weight taken off his shoulders once
the decision was made. He is in a very good space
now and we talk nearly every week and have a good
laugh. I really thought that me and Lee where
destined to be in the same band until we die with
our boots on but it was not to be.
M: Was it more complicated than usual to work
with a new drummer for Wake the Sleeper?
Mick: It was very simple as Russell is
a very accomplished drummer and vocalist. It was
very strange at first not having Lee there but
once we were focused on the songs things went
very quickly and we were excited about the results.
M: "What Kind of God" is a downright
amazing song. Would you mind telling our readers
a little about that song and thoughts/ideas/inspirations
behind it?
Mick: It was based on a book called "Bury
Your Heart at Wounded Knee" The American
Indians living spiritually off the land and then
the cowboys arrive killing them with their rifles
and taking away their land. If you were an Indian
you would ask that question. What kind of god
do you worship? Since then the song has been associated
by some listeners to the wars of religion that
are around the world today.
M: What song do you feel best represents Uriah
Heep in 2008?
Mick: "Tears of the World"
is a good start. It has a worldly message, typical
Heep Harmonies, lots of Hammond Organ and a Wah
Wah guitar from the Wizard of Wah!
M: Thanks so much for your time. Great, great
album. Do you have any parting thoughts you'd
like to leave our readers with?
Mick: Our NY agent is looking at putting
a tour together in the early part of year 2009.
It would be great to play in the USA/Canada again
and make it a market that we frequent every year.
A special thanks goes out to all of those fans
that have bought "Wake the Sleeper"
and those that have bought our other CD's down
the years as it is much appreciated. 'Appy Days!
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