Beautiful Dream: 1975-1977

Description

• Four mid-70s albums from rock trailblazers Uriah Heep.

• Including a wealth of rarities and non-album versions, including demos and live tracks.

Alongside Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, British legends Uriah Heep were at the vanguard of rock and metal during the 1970s, releasing their debut album in June 1970. Featuring David Byron on lead vocals, Mick Box on lead guitar and Ken Hensley on keyboards, 'Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble’ is quite rightly regarded as a major influence on the development of hard rock and heavy metal. 1970 was the centenary of Charles Dickens’ death, and having originally been called Spice, they switched to the more Dickensian Uriah Heep when Hensley joined their ranks after spells in The Gods and Toe Fat.

The 1970s were a very prolific time for Uriah Heep, sometimes releasing two albums in the same year. This collection captures a transitional period for the band during the middle of that decade which saw a significant number of line-up changes. Releasing their eighth album, 'Return To Fantasy’ (CD1), in 1975, the band still featured what many see as the core of the classic version of Uriah Heep; vocalist David Byron, guitarist Mick Box, multi-instrumentalist Ken Hensley, drummer Lee Kerslake, but now joined by Jon Wetton on bass. As the album’s title would suggest, the new record harked back to the more fantasy driven themes that had given Uriah Heep a global legion of fans. The album features the singles 'Return To Fantasy’, plus the more poppy, rock 'n’ roll number, 'Prima Donna’. Uriah Heep’s ninth album, 'High And Mighty’ (CD2), was released in 1976. Produced by the band themselves, and featuring the single 'One Way Or Another’, 'High And Mighty’ found Uriah Heep moving away from the progressive hard rock towards a more commercial sound. Featuring the same line-up that had recorded 'Return To Fantasy’, it was the last to feature vocalist David Byron. Released in 1977, 'Firefly’ (CD3) was the first record to feature former Lucifer’s Friend singer, John Lawton. Also making his debut with the band was former Spider From Mars bassist Trevor Bolder. Featuring the single 'Free Me’, and produced by Gerry Bron with Ken Hensley, 'Innocent Victim’ (CD4) was also released in 1977. Featuring the same line-up as 'Firefly’, it was the second album to feature singer John Lawton.

Uriah Heep continue to tour and release new albums until the present day. In 2025 they launched their farewell tour, celebrating 55 years of music.