Showing posts with label Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble. Show all posts

Friday, January 20, 2023

Keyboard Legend Rick Wakeman To Release New Concept Album “A Gallery Of The Imagination”

Released on 24th February 2023 on Madfish Music

Keyboard legend Rick Wakeman will be releasing his new concept album “A Gallery Of The Imagination” on February 24, 2023 on Madfish Music.

The initial idea for “A Gallery Of The Imagination” stems from Rick’s first piano teacher, Mrs Symes, with whom he studied from the age five until his time at the Royal College of Music. She taught him that music was like painting pictures: that when you play, you are painting pictures through music, an important lesson that Rick never forgot.

Having written a vast array of new music recently, all of different styles, Rick recalled the advice of his beloved teacher and decided to present the tracks for the new album as if they were pictures in a gallery. Just as there are many different styles in an art gallery, so there are many different musical styles on “A Gallery of the Imagination”. It contains many clear prog influences, especially in the Moog solos and there are also two solo piano numbers, which reflect Rick’s classical roots and show influences from the Romantic period. Equally important is the strong song and melodic influence on “A Gallery Of The Imagination” with eight unconventional vocal tracks, with Rick’s distinctive descriptive music carefully arranged around the lyrics.

Examples of the variety contained within the album are the fun yet wistful elements in “A Day Spent on the Pier”, a track describing time spent at the seaside, written in Southwold and evoked by Rick’s own memories of happy childhood days spent on the helter skelters in Brighton and Clacton and on the pier in Southsea. Rick wrote “The Eyes of a Child” with his thirteen grandchildren in mind, aware of the responsibility of trying to fix the world for following generations whereas “Cuban Carnival” celebrates the light-hearted fun times Rick spent in Cuba with his band, the English Rock Ensemble. As listeners take a musical walk-through Rick’s “Gallery”, they will find more than enough to fire the imagination and come up with their own mind paintings whilst listening to his new album. Fans can get a taste of what’s to come with the first single “The Dinner Party” available on streaming services https://RickWakemanMadfish.lnk.to/AGOTI

Says Rick, “One of my great loves is going to museums and art galleries and seeing all the different types of art, so I thought, why not a music gallery... the Gallery of the Imagination? People can paint their own mind pictures to the different types of music that are on the album. It is very diverse and for me it works very well because the concept holds it all together”.

One of the ideas Rick would like to pursue around album release is for listeners to draw or paint their own pictures or even create sculptures to the music which, in turn, could be displayed. “It is a very tactile album,” Rick explains. “I’d like to feel that people can actually touch the music.”

The line-up on “A Gallery Of The Imagination”, as with Rick’s previous album “The Red Planet”, features The English Rock Ensemble: bassist Lee Pomeroy, guitarist Dave Colquhoun, drummer Ash Soan and on vocals Hayley Sanderson, famous for her work as a vocalist on “Strictly Come Dancing”, with each artist recording their individual parts in their own studios. Join Rick for a stroll around “A Gallery Of The Imagination” – as he says: “A gallery that belongs to everyone”.

A Gallery Of The Imagination” Trailer: https://youtu.be/Lvbm3cj0U1s

A Gallery Of The Imagination” Track List
01 Hidden Depths
02 The Man In The Moon
03 A Mirage in the Clouds
04 The Creek
05 My Moonlight Dream
06 Only When I Cry
07 Cuban Carnival
08 Just A Memory
09 The Dinner Party
10 A Day Spent On The Pier
11 The Visitation
12 The Eyes of a Child

A Gallery Of The Imagination” will be released on the following formats and is available to pre-order here: https://RickWakemanMadfish.lnk.to/AGOTI

• CD (jewel case)
• 2 disc set - CD+DVD inc. surround sound audio & hi-res stereo
• 2LP in gatefold sleeve
• 2LP on clear vinyl in a gatefold sleeve
• Super Deluxe Limited Edition multi format set featuring 2LP, CD & DVD inc. surround sound audio & hi-res stereo plus a 24 page perfect bound book presented in a lift off lid box
• Digital

Keyboard engineering: Erik Jordan
Mixing & editing: Erik Jordan at The Nursery
Additional mixing: Toby Wood
Mastering: Simon Heyworth at Super Audio Mastering
Producers: Rick Wakeman & Erik Jordan
Executive Producer: Rob Ayling

For more high res images please see: https://www.madfishmusic.com/media/rickwakeman/

RICK WAKEMAN - LIVE IN THE UK

For more information:
www.rickwakemansmusicemporium.com/
www.rwcc.com
www.instagram.com/rickwakemanmusic
https://www.facebook.com/RickWakemanMusic
https://twitter.com/GrumpyOldRick

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Keyboard Legend Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble Return To Prog On New Album "The Red Planet"


Keyboard Legend Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble will be releasing “The Red Planet” on April 3, 2020. The album features 8 newly composed pieces, especially for this project, and harks back to Wakeman's critically acclaimed debut album “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” where there were 6 heavy keyboard pieces based around a central subject matter. It is a serious return to “Wakeman Prog”...

Rick has blown the dust off his favourite analogue keyboards and along with his with the latest keyboards, has used the same formula he devised when making his legendary albums “The Six Wive's of Henry VIII” and “Criminal Record.”

Upon being asked about the expectations of his Prog Fans, that they are hoping he will have shoved the “Prog Fader” up to 11, he replied, “That could be a problem.... as it's already at 14!!!”

The first 1,000 units of vinyl come in 180-gram red double vinyl, signed and numbered, in a special “Pop-Up” album cover. The first 2,000 units of the CD edition signed and numbered, in a special “Pop-Up” CD album cover. These collectors items are sure to sell out quickly, fans are advised to pre-order to avoid disappointment, or worst still buy copies from auction sites.


The English Rock Ensemble (ERE) features:
Rick Wakeman - Keyboards
Dave Colquhoun- Guitars
Lee Pomeroy - Bass
Ash Soan - Drums

Produced by Rick Wakeman and Erik Jordan

This is the first release on the newly formed R&D MultiMedia, which is a transatlantic partnership between music business veteran and long time Wakeman sidekick Rob Ayling and rock journalist and producer Doug Harr.

To pre-order Rick Wakeman's “The Red Planet” and other special offers: www.musicglue.com/rick-wakeman-the-red-planet

Play Back event package: https://www.musicglue.com/rick-wakeman-the-red-planet/products/star-vice-admiral-star-playback-event-at-the-national-space-centre-with-bag-of-goodies-signed-event-programme-and-signed-cd-slash-dvd

Rick Wakeman's official website: www.rwcc.com

R&D Media: www.RNDmultimedia.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com