| RICK WAKEMAN THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII | |
01. Catherine Of Aragon (3:44) | 02. Anne Of Cleves (7:53) 03. Catherine Howard (6:35) 04. Jane Seymour (4:46) 05. Anne Boleyn 'The Day Thou Gavest Lord Hath Ended' (6:32) 06. Catherine Parr (7:06) Total playing time: 36:36 Rick Wakeman: Mini-Moog Synthesizer, Custom Mixer, Frequency Counter, Steinway 9' Grand Piano, Custom Built Hammond C-3 Organ, RMI Electric Piano & Harpsichord, Mellotron 400-D (Brass, Strings, Flutes, Vocals, Sound Effects, Vibes). In addition to the above instruments a Thomas Goff Harpsichord & A.R.P. Synthesizer were used. All sounds put through 2 stereo Leslies, Fender Dual Showman Amp & 2 JBL Cabinets. Also used a custom built Oscillator, Fuzz & Wahwah Pedal & Binson Echo Unit. Keyboards & Amplification set up by: John Cleary, Michael Tait, Philip Hepple, Claude Johnson Taylor. The organ on 'Jane Seymour' was recorded at St. Gile, Cripplegate. with: Bass: Dave Winter (1,6); Chris Squire (1); Les Hurdle (1,5); Chas Cronk (3) Guitar: Mike Egan (1,2,5,6); Dave Lambert (3); Steve Howe (1) Drums: Alan White (2,4,6); Bill Bruford (1,5); Barry de Souza (3); Electric Banjo: Dave Cousins (3) Vocals: Liza Strike (1,5); Laura Lee (5); Barry St. John (1); Sylvia McNeill (5); Judy Powell (1) All titles written & arranged by Rick Wakeman, except for the Hymn at the end of 'Anne Boleyn' which is 'The Day Thou Gavest Lord Hath Ended' (E.J.Hopkins, arr. Wakeman) Produced by Rick Wakeman & recorded Feb-Oct 1972 'Catherine of Aragon' engineered & mixed by Ken Scott at Trident Studios, London 'Anne Boleyn' engineered by Ken Scott at Morgan Studios, London & mixed by Dave Henshall at Trident Studios Assistant engineer: Pete Flanagan All songs published by Almo Music Corp. (ASCAP) Art director: Michael Doud Design: Ken Carroll Front cover photo: Bruce Rae at Madame Tussauds Inside - Ruan O'Lochlainn Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White & Bill Bruford appear by kind permission of W.E.A. Records Ltd. This album is based around my interpretation of the musical characteristics of the wives of Henry VIII. Although the style may not always be in keeping with conception of their characters in relation to keyboard instruments. Catherine of Aragon Born 1485, Married 1509, Divorced 1533, Died 1536. The youngest child of Ferdinand & Isabella of Spain. She was intelligent, accomplished & spirited although not a ravishing beauty. Henry, anxious for a son to continue the dynasty, ordered her to leave the court after 18 years of marriage & having borne a daughter. She spent her last years in loneliness & sorrow. Prayer & her deep-seated faith sustained her. She died 3 weeks after her 50th birthday. Anne of Cleeves Born 1515, Married 1540, Divorced 1540, Died 1557. She came from the ducal court of Dusseldorf & was schooled in the domestic arts which made her unfamiliar with the world of music of books, which played such a large part in Henry's life. As the Holbein portrait shows, she was neither a captivating beauty nor entirely without appeal. When Catherine Howard appeared it became apparent that the king wanted to free himself from Anne & the political & personal obligations therein. It took 6 months to untie the knot. Anne graciously accepted the honourary title 'King's Sister' & the property that was her compensation, living in comfortable obscurity until 1557. Catherine Howard Born 1521, Married 1540, Executed 1542 A gay, high spirited girl, free with her favours & possessing uninhibited behaviour. Her presence in the Queen's entourage undoubtably accelerated the nullification of the Cleves marriage. Catherine was patently adored by her loving & devoted spouse who showered her with gifts & pampered her in every way. Fine clothes & flattery she enjoyed, as well as the privileges that belonged to her as a queen. Her promiscuous life behind the king's back shattered his idyll. She was revealed as a deceiver who had played with his crown. She was beheaded in the tower on 13 Feb 1542. Jane Seymour Born 1509, Married 1536, Died 1537 It was the very contrast to Anne that appealed to Henry. Jane was calm, meek & gentle & ready to submit to her sovereign's will. In October 1537 Henry received the son, Prince Edward, he had so ardently desired. Although she never recovered from the birth, she was treated more kindly by posterity & was lovingly remembered as the mother of Henry's son. She is the only wife to share his grave. Anne Boleyn Born 1502, Married 1532, Executed 1536 Educated in France, Anne came to the court of King Henry in 1521 where she gained popularity with the younger men. She was of middling stature, long neck with beautiful dark eyes. In 1533 she was crowned as queen. Later that year she gave birth to a girl - her first & greatest failure. Anne's quick temper & savage tongue broke the spell that once had bound Henry to her. She was executed 19 May 1536. Catherine Parr Born 1512, Married 1543, Died 1548 A well-educated lady could discourse with the foremost scholars of the day. She also possessed a sensitivity & sympathies to herself while Henry was alive. Twice widowed when she married the king, she became as much a nurse to him as a wife. She knew how to humour him, ease his pain & soothe his spirits. Although Catherine had her enemies she managed to bring to the royal family a degree of harmony it had scarcely known before. She survived her spouse & married Thomas Seymour, & died shortly after giving birth to his child. (P) © 1973 A&M Records Inc. 
| 
|