On This Day 16/09/1986 Rick Wakeman

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On this day, 16 September 1986, keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman played Cardiff’s St David’s Hall. Wakeman had recently released the album Country Airs. The album features piano instrumentals inspired by the countryside. The album marked a stylistic shift in Wakeman's output, having established himself primarily with progressive rock, concept albums, and commercial-oriented music at the start of the 1980s.

The album reached number one on the UK New Age chart. It was followed by two sequels, Sea Airs and Night Airs, released in 1989 and 1990, respectively for President Records.

Best known as a member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his prolific solo career. AllMusic describes Wakeman as a "classically trained keyboardist extraordinaire who plied his trade with Yes and developed his own brand of live spectacular in a solo act."

In 1984, Wakeman signed with the independent label President Records in an association that would last until 2007, for which he would produce almost 40 albums.

The first was Silent Nights, Wakeman's first solo album in over two years, featuring Fernandez, Cronk, and Rick Fenn on guitar and released in 1985.

The single "Glory Boys" became a minor pop hit in the UK. In March 1985, Wakeman finished work on his part of the soundtrack to the comedy film Playing for Keeps, which was followed by a tour of the UK, North America, and Australia to promote Silent Nights.It was his first full-scale tour in four years, and his first shows in the US in over five.

A live album from the UK leg was released as Live at Hammersmith. The tour left Wakeman "seriously in debt", and he was forced to remortgage his Camberley home. In September 1985, during the tour's Australian leg, Wakeman fell ill from his alcoholism and has been teetotal since. Also in 1985, a single of Wakeman's theme tunes for the television shows Lytton's Diary and Database was released. By this time he had also composed music for the BBC show Paddles Up and the Channel 4 documentary Supercat. Wakeman also reunited with David Bowie to play the piano on his 1986 single "Absolute Beginners".

On This Day 01/12/1973 Yes

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On this day, 1 December 1973, prog rock giants Yes played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre on the band’s Tales from Topographic Oceans Tour.

Tales from Topographic Oceans was the band's sixth studio album, released on 7 December 1973. It marked a change in their fortunes and polarised fans and critics alike. The double vinyl set was based on Anderson's interpretation of the Shastric scriptures from a footnote within Paramahansa Yogananda's book Autobiography of a Yogi.

The album became the first LP in the UK to ship gold before the record arrived at retailers. It went on to top the UK charts for two weeks while reaching number 6 in the U.S.,and became the band's fourth consecutive gold album.

Keyboardist Rick Wakeman was not pleased with the record and is critical of much of its material. He felt sections were "bled to death" and contained too much musical padding. Wakeman left the band after the 1973–1974 tour; his solo album Journey to the Centre of the Earth topped the UK charts in May 1974.

The tour included five consecutive sold-out shows at the Rainbow Theatre, the first time a rock band achieved this.

It is a fragmented masterpiece, assembled with loving care and long hours in the studio. Brilliant in patches, but often taking far too long to make its various points, and curiously lacking in warmth or personal expression ..."Ritual" is a dance of celebration and brings the first enjoyable moments, where Alan's driving drums have something to grip on to and the lyrics of la la la speak volumes. But even this cannot last long and cohesion is lost once more to the gods of drab self indulgence. —Melody Maker review of Tales from Topographic Oceans, 1973

Setlist

Introduction

The Firebird Suite

(Igor Stravinsky song)

Close to the Edge

Siberian Khatru

And You and I

Close to the Edge

Tales from Topographic Oceans

The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)

The Remembering (High the Memory)

The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)

Ritual (Nous sommes du soleil)

Encore:

Roundabout

Yours Is No Disgrace

On This Day 12/03/1971 Yes

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On this day 12 March 1971, prog rock band Yes played Cardiff University, promoting their Yes Album, the band’s third studio album. A gig the previous month at Cardiff Technical College was cancelled after their van was involved in a road collision.

The tour began at the Lyceum in London—Guitarist Steve Howe's first performance with the band—and ended at the Crystal Palace Bowl, also in London— Keyboard player Tony Kaye's last performance with the band before his 13-year absence.

The tour saw the band play concerts in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, France, Italy, Canada, and the United States over three legs—a European leg, a North American leg and a single-show return to the United Kingdom.

The line-up for the tour unchanged throughout its duration, and was the fifth incarnation of Yes.[8] Steve Howe joined the band two months previously—all concerts during May and June were cancelled while the band found a replacement—and Tony Kaye was replaced by Rick Wakeman shortly after the tour ended in time for rehearsal sessions for Fragile.

Jon Anderson — vocals, harmonium, Dewtron Mister Bassman Bass Pedals

Steve Howe — Gibson ES-175, Martin 00-18 acoustic guitar, vachalia, vocals

Chris Squire — Rickenbacker 4001S, Fender Telecaster bass, vocals

Tony Kaye — Hammond organ

Bill Bruford — Ludwig drums, Paiste and Zildjian cymbals

Setlist

Also Sprach Zarathustra

(Richard Strauss song)

Yours Is No Disgrace

I've Seen All Good People

Clap

Classical Gas

(Mason Williams cover)

Perpetual Change

Everydays

(Buffalo Springfield cover)

America

(Simon & Garfunkel cover)

On tHis Day 15/4/1976 Rick Wakeman

On the day, 15 April 1976, Prog rock keyboard legend Rick Wakeman played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre.
The tour was in support of his latest album No Earthly Connection released the same month and peaking at No.9 in the UK album charts.

Following a lengthy world tour, Wakeman relocated to Herouville, France in January 1976 to record the album with his rock band, The English Rock Ensemble.

His previous two albums, Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1974) and King Arthur, were concept albums that featured a symphony orchestra and choir that were costly to produce. When it came to recording No Earthly Connection, management at A&M Records insisted to Wakeman that an album with an orchestra and choir was no longer an option.