URIAH HEEP   LIVE 1973
1973
Bronze Records & Peter Bowyer present Uriah Heep Live, January 1973

01. Introduction (0:49)
02. Sunrise (4:17)
03. Sweet Lorraine (5:00)
04. Traveller In Time (3:24)
05. Easy Livin' (2:57)
06. July Morning (11:48)
07. Tears In My Eyes (5:00)
08. Gypsy (13:54)
09. Circle Of Hands (8:55)
10. Look At Yourself (7:24)
11. The Magician's Birthday Party (1:45)
12. Love Machine (3:26)

Total playing time: 69:18

Bonus track (not available on US CD versions):

13. Rock 'n' Roll Medley: (8:33)
    a. Roll Over Beethoven (Berry)
    b. Blue Suede Shoes (Perkins)
    c. Mean Woman Blues (Demetrius)
    d. Hound Dog (Leiber/Stoller)
    e. At The Hop (Singer/Medora/White)
    f. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (Williams/David)
    g. Blue Suede Shoes

Total playing time: 77:18

David Byron: Vocals
Ken Hensley: Keyboards, Organ, Vocals
Mick Box: Guitar, Vocals
Lee Kerslake: Drums, Vocals
Gary Thain: Bass, Vocals

Produced by Gerry Bron
Production assistant: Peter Gallen
Recorded during the British Tour, Jan '73
Recorded by Pye Mobile Recording Unit
Engineers: Alan Perkins, Neville Crozier & Richard Brand
Mixed at Lansdowne Recording Studios by Peter Gallen & Ashley Howe
Mastered by Tom Coyne
Tour manager: Mel Baister
Equipment managers: Del Roll, Todd Fisher, Chris Healey, Billy Joe Reisch & Bas Marshall
Sound equipment: Europa Hire
Lighting: Edwin Sgirley & Andy Bridge from ESP Lighting

Sleeve design: Fabio Nicoli Associates
Photos: Fin Costello
Sleeve notes: Geoff Brown (Melody Maker)
Sleeve co-ordinators: Lillian Bron & Adrian Matthews

All songs published by Sydney Bron Music Co.Ltd. except 'Rock'n'Roll Medley'

CD artwork by Creation Graphics, Luton, England
REvised sleeve & Notes prepared by Red Steel Productions for the Essential label
Co-ordination: Robert M. Corich
All tracks remastered Dec '95 by Mike Brown & R.M.Corich

'If 1972 had proved a landmark year for UH in the escalation of the band's appeal, then 1973 was to prove a landmark year for profits both from touring & in album sales. UH had recorded & released two very successful studio albums in the space of 12 months during the previous year &, with the fast increasing repertoire from a total of five studio albums in the space of 3 years, it was obvious that Bronze Records should want to capitalize fully on the band's rapidly increasing popularity. With the five band members working flat out on an extensive touring schedule, it would not have been possible to start recording another studio album until the summer of 1973. For maximum commercial capitalization, Gerry Bron recommended a live album be drawn from concerts scheduled for the latter part of 1972 & early 1973. Several English concerts were taped using a mobile studio in early 1973 (with the exception of the album masters, none of the other concert recordings appear to have survived from this period, the original masters being wiped & the tapes re-used long ago). Compiling the album from recordings of a concert in Birmingham, England in January of 1973, Bronze Records prepared the live extravaganza in record time.

Issued as a double album & packaged in a lavish cover emulating a tour programme, Bronze Records took the unusual (of the time) but brilliant step of releasing the double package at the bargain price of just L3.99. This was just a little more than the cost of a single LP in 1973. A vibrant recording & the price coupled with an extensive marketing campaign paid off, the album achieved sales in excess of one million units in a very short space of time. If the press had tried to ignore UH (& they had!) it was obvious that this was a band that could be ignored no longer.

'UH Live 1973' was voted one of the best albums of 193 by much of the music press & to this day remains rivaled only by Deep Purple's 'Made In Japan' as one of the best live albums of the era. UH continued to tour extensively world wide in 1973 taking time out to record what was to become the band's 6th studio album, called 'Sweet Freedom', this was recorded in France during the summer of 1973'.
    © 1996 Robert M. Corich

'We were on a UK tour & had put by three shows to record on the mobile. I remember the first two shows were disastrous due to technical reasons beyond the band's control, & when we arrived for the sound check at the Birmingham Odeon the stage was so small we almost didn't record that night foreseeing lots of technical problems. We decided to go for it & I remember Gerry Bron, our manager, saying that from the very first note played he knew we had it in the can, & that's the way it stayed. The cover idea was to produce a programme type booklet so that when you played the album on your stereo you had lots of interesting information to read about the band & almost believe you were at the concert. I think this album is a glowing testimony to the band in full flight & shows what a great chemistry we had between the five of us & it deserves to be there with the all time great albums of the '70's. The rock & roll medley is still a knockout when I hear it & I hope you enjoy this re-mastered version as much as I do.'
    Mick Box, Sydney, Australia, 15/11/95

'This is a great record & I like listening to it. It was recorded under very uncertain circumstances in a building we were convinced would not work. So we just relaxed & went for it & that was when we were at our best. On 'our night', Heep was a great live band & there is so much energy on this record, a lot of contemporary bands would do well to check it out! It is full of the 'foot on the floor' rock & roll that we were known for & it also contains a lot of the spontaneous stuff that became so popular everywhere we played. This record brings back many good memories... & a little sadness too.'
    Ken Hensley, St. Louis, USA, 27/1/96


Originally released in UK early 1973, Bronze BRSP1; released in US & Canada 1973 - Mercury Records

(P) © 1973 Bronze Records Ltd.

Bronze Records

(P) © 1996 Castle Communications Plc

Castle/Essential
Live 1973