Interviews

• 'Martin hudson Classic Rock Society interview - 2012
• 'Strawbs Web interview - May 2009
• 'Notes from the Edge' Interview - September 2008 (offsite link)
• Rockarea.eu interview - 2008
• Blogger News Network interview - 2008
• RevelationZ Website interview
• Sea of Tranquility Website interview
• 'ProgressiveWorld.net' interview
• 'Wondrous Stories' interview - February 2002
• Lantern FM interview - 30th December 1998

Oliver Wakeman on flying from here to there and reflections of what was and what will be.
Interview by Martin Hudson - reprinted with permission

Prior to handing out the Classic Rock Society BOTY Awards he revealed what it now feels like to have performed with a legendary rock band and what the future now holds. Martin Hudson began by taking Oliver back to the beginning of the journey.

"Going back, I had the phone call, I think, in January 2008 because they, Yes, were supposed to be doing the 40th anniversary tour with Jon (Anderson). I was in the kitchen at home and the phone rang and Lisa, (Oliver's wife), said, 'You've got to pick the phone up it's Steve (Howe).'

I asked her how she knew that and she said she didn't know? I picked it up and it was Steve and he said, "Are you sitting down? We'd like you to join Yes." He told me to have a think about it, so I put the phone down and me and Lisa talked about it for about ten seconds. I phoned him back and said yes, why not."

Reflections

"The first six months were really hard because we were planning for the 40th anniversary tour with Jon and he got sick, so I had six months worth of learning all this material for that tour. At that time Jon's plan was to put together a sort of big Yes package with new material and I was recording piano parts for him. I was listening to some of Jon's new music and chatting to Steve but once Jon got sick he got in touch with me and said he wasn't doing the tour.

So suddenly from going from normality to craziness, I went straight back to normality. Obviously that was quite disappointing. Even though the audiences aren't what they used to be for Yes in their heyday in the 70's you're still dealing with a band with an enormous legacy and an enormous expectation. Added to that people would automatically be comparing me to dad (Rick Wakeman) and it made it an enormous amount of pressure to deal with."

Difference

There was some disappointment of not then being part of the classic band with Jon Anderson, but touring with the then unknown Benoit David. Did that make a difference?

"Yes and no. It was a shame that I never got the chance to play with Jon purely because I have known him for a long time. I did do some work with him on this album that was talked about at the time, which was just to rerecord some piano parts that he and dad had come up with and listening to some of Jon's new songs and coming up with some ideas for that and that obviously never happened.

"So the whole thing started up again and working with Benoit in the band was just as exciting and I was still getting to travel round the world even though the audiences were going to be smaller because Jon wasn't there. I was still going to meet lots of new people and play in much bigger venues that I'd ever played before.

So yes, it was disappointing that Jon wasn't there but the excitement with everything else was valid. It also made it easier with Jon not being there because Benoit and I gelled quickly together. We have become very firm friends and even though he joined six months after I did visibly we sort of joined at the same time.

Signing the death warrant!

"In 2009 we did the aborted tour where we just did a week and then Chris (Squire) got ill. Then I went out to tour with The Strawbs. I came back and then did a tour with Yes in the summer with Asia. Then I went out on tour again with The Strawbs in the autumn and went back out with Yes again touring around Europe in the autumn.

"Chris and I talked a lot on the tour bus about this new album and he said he wanted new material. So I ended up being very much involved in trying to get that going right from the start. In some way I sort of got involved in writing my own death sentence pushing it that involving Trevor Horn would be great." Oliver laughs loudly here. "Chris said that he didn't think he'd do it. Now I'd like to go back to myself three years ago and give myself a smack round the head," he laughed again.

"So we talked more about it and that was the time we recorded the Live In Lyon album. Then in 2010 we toured in February in the U.S. and then had a couple of weeks off before locating to a house in Phoenix where we started writing the new album. We came up with some really good stuff. I was working as a sort of engineer, writer, and helping to arrange things and put things together. All seemed quite happy and positive and then I ended up writing some more material before we booked in to the studio.

The Studio

"We turned up at the studio but it didn't feel quite normal as we were concentrating on an old Buggles song. That to me didn't feel in the spirit of what we were trying to achieve as this new version of Yes. It's not for me to say what Yes should be because I was only a minor part of it, but I felt that Chris, Steve and Alan (White) had made a brave decision in replacing dad and John with myself and Benoit. Steve had actually said that after three years of touring we had now earned the right to go in to the studio and try to prove ourselves.

I felt we should stand or fall by what we could create. Steve and I talked about doing a version of some classical music and Yessifying it in the old ways as they had with the track America. So we turned up and we started looking at this old Fly From Here song and I didn't quite understand why. It suddenly stopped being the five of us to being Trevor, Chris, Steve and Alan. Then Trevor went away and it got back to the five of us working on other songs, but it had changed and still to this day exactly how I don't know. I was then due to go back out there in January but my plane ticket kept getting delayed and then I phoned up and was told basically, 'You're out'!

"It was a bit of a shock. I remember going back in to the lounge and sitting in front of the fire and saying to Lisa, 'I'm out of the band.' She looked at me and we just sat there quietly. We didn't really understand why. I think I got an email from Chris about two or three weeks later saying, 'you didn't do anything wrong.' It was Trevor's decision. It was a business decision to get Geoff Downes in over me but obviously my own opinion is that they should have stuck with the five-piece and built upon the line-up and acceptance of the fans that had been coming to the shows and were warming to us. Chris did say to me that he thought there wasn't a Yes song that that line-up couldn't play because the technical ability was there and we all got on.

"After all of that I agreed to do the tour but the hardest thing was keeping quiet about it because I wasn't allowed to tell anybody for four months. I had to get up on stage every day and smile and be happy. Then the photo of Geoff and the band doing the album was released the day before my last show with Yes in the US. The timing of that was pretty hard."

There were some highs to go with the low!

"So that was the low point. High points? I played July 4th with Yes and it was a joint tour with Peter Frampton where we played to up to 150,000 Americans. That was quite an intense thing getting up on that stage and I really enjoyed it. I also enjoyed the irony of all those Americans celebrating their independence by hiring two famous British bands'."

Oliver laughed, "I can remember thinking, why didn't they book an American band, why book two English bands' to entertain you. The irony of that struck me as quite amusing. So that was a high point. Finishing my first ever show with Yes, which was in Hamilton, Canada, might not be the highest point but it as one of those moments when you think, gosh.

"Then that first tour was promoted as Howe, Squire & White from Yes before we went out again in the summer and that's when they started using the Yes name, it was officially Yes! I remember walking out on to the stage with the Yes logo behind me and thinking, that's pretty cool. The last high point was seeing the Live In Lyon album. I still haven't heard the Fly From Here album but I know I'm on it in a couple of places, but receiving a copy of Live In Lyon on triple vinyl was quite a special thing, particularly as with that album I had all the tapes and gone through everything and put it together really with Karl Groom.

Seeing that arrive on my doorstep as a triple vinyl album with the Yes logo on it and my picture on the inside and remembering growing up and seeing the triple version of Yessongs was special. Even through all the hurt and harshness that went through that whole situation and the difficulties it brought to me and my family, just seeing that little bit of triple vinyl made me feel quite proud of myself."

A new beginning

"I basically then decided to sit down and start writing because I had this material that was left over from the new Yes album. I had lots of songs I'd put together before, so I put together a new rock album, Cultural Vandals, which is the follow-up to the Mother's Ruin album. Hopefully that will be coming out later this year. This will be with the same musicians, although the bass player has changed.

I'm working on another larger scale project and as you know I've started working with Gordon Giltrap on a new project that is very exciting. Gordon phoned and said, 'Would you play on my new album?' So I agreed and then he phoned up the next day and said, 'No, I've changed my mind.' I thought okay, alright, he's had a look on You Tube and decided it doesn't work for him," laughed Oliver. He said, 'No, no, I'd like to do a collaboration.'

He said he hadn't done any rock music for such a long time and decided he wanted to do another rock album but with someone whose style he enjoyed and someone who is established in that genre. I think because of the fact we had done a gig together back in 2009 and he'd heard my stuff that I'd done in rock and with The Strawbs and Yes he knew that I had a certain presence in that market. So we met up and he's got some beautiful guitar pieces and he's taken some of my piano pieces to work on guitar parts for. And I've started putting words and melodies to some of his guitar stuff. It is coming together and the album's going to be good.

"There will be live concerts too with Gordon. Four or five in October, one for the CRS, and a twenty-date tour in March, 2013. Other live work too by the end of the year doing my own material and then the larger project next year too. Getting music out in the shops or on-line or whatever is where your visible presence comes from. It's difficult when you're working on projects, particularly after having done Yes and The Strawbs where it's higher profile where you're interacting with people who you're with every night.

With Yes I did over 150 shows over a three year period and I did about 50 with The Strawbs and that's an awful lot of interaction with lots of people, particularly where you're playing in theatres where some nights you're playing to 3000. We did some big outdoor festivals where we played to 100,000. So when you're interacting with that many people and then suddenly not playing live but just in a room writing you don't have that interaction. In that set up you're not craving attention but you do want people to know you're still around."

Two parts of Yes!

"Benoit and I will do something at some point because we're still good friends. Through the whole Yes thing he was the person that was there with me all the time. We shared an apartment in LA for about eight weeks and we were good friends before that point. After spending that amount of time with him we naturally gravitated towards each other.

We went to a lot of places together for the first time and so struck up a firm friendship. We spent a lot of time working together and he's heard a lot of the material that I've got that was earmarked for Yes and he might now be the person that sings it. We'll have to wait and see because there's always lots of plans and ideas but the trouble is you don't want to start promising too much too soon in case it doesn't happen.

A return?

In conclusion I asked Oliver if, even though he looked back on being replaced by Yes as a dark period of his career, would he go back if invited?

"It's tricky because you should never say never. It's all still a bit raw even though it's been nearly a year. It's one of those things, you never say never because you'd look foolish if something did happen, but the reality is that the line-up seems to be constantly changing.

Now Benoit has gone too and somebody else is in, it does seem a bit crazy. I think Benoit and I were numbers sixteen and seventeen in the band and I had an idea for the album cover. Obviously there would be a Roger Dean cover, but I said what I thought would be a good cover would be a photograph from the drivers seat of a car and on the steering wheel you could have a Yes logo and in the background you should see the milometer going straight from fifteen to seventeen. I thought that would be an amusing album cover. I think it got a mild snigger from some of the band but dismissed completely."

CRS Awards

"Getting asked to present the CRS awards was weird. I was quite surprised to be asked. As you know I've gone from standing in the audience waiting and just watching other people, to standing in the audience and hearing myself in the nominees and then going to winning it once and then winning it again and again. That was an exciting period but then getting the chance to hand out awards to people is a real honour.

I still maintain that, as you say, there are high points in your life and winning my first ever CRS award and standing up there, with you actually, and feeling so genuinely grateful and having since played in front of an awful lot of people all around the world I can still go straight back to that feeling of standing on the stage in front of those CRS people and musicians that I've hung out with over the years. It's almost a feeling of not being worthy and why am I giving out the awards."

Maybe it's because Oliver Wakeman has now been up there and can call himself, among others, an ex-Yes keyboard player!! It's a well-deserved tag.

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KEYS TO SUCCESS - THE PROGRESSIVE WORLD OF OLIVER WAKEMAN
Interview by Lindsay Sorrell - 23rd May, 2009

Oliver Wakeman is not a man to shy away from challenges. Yes fans on the US side of the pond recently discovered this when, like the proverbial duck to water, he seemingly effortlessly embraced the role of keyboard player for the "In the Present" tour alongside Benoit David (an impressive soundalike vocalist called upon to deputise for the incapacitated Jon Anderson), and iconic Yes-men Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White.

Despite being aware of the critical comparison he would inevitably receive while taking over his father's role (Rick was advised not to undertake the tour for health reasons, and suggested Oliver would prove a more-than-worthy replacement), Oliver's own keyboard craftsmanship soon dispelled any fears that he was not equal to the task.

The tour was a great success, and Oliver will soon be taking his place in the Yes line-up for further tours this year. Additional proof, if any were needed, of Oliver's versatility and willingness to undergo scrutiny followed shortly after the 'In the Present' tour, when he joined Strawbs (with whom Rick had been keyboardist at the time of his meteoric rise to fame).

Oliver's baptism into the English prog rock 'electric' Strawbs (the band also performs as a three-piece acoustic outfit) came in March of this year, on a tour of Canada. He inherited the piano stool from John Hawken, Strawbs' much-loved keyboard player who had originally joined the band in 1973. John had recently decided to retire from arduous touring schedules, and again, inevitable comparisons and the reluctance of 'doubting Thomases' would surely have proved too much for some. Oliver, however, accepted the challenge on the chin, spurred on by his own respect for the band's music.

Apart from clearly being highly sought-after for his keyboard expertise (he hasn't won the Classic Rock Society's 'Keyboard Player of the Year' award three times in a row for nothing!), Oliver also has his own band, The Oliver Wakeman Band, who have many performances under their belts and recently recorded a live DVD in Poland entitled 'Coming to Town'. The DVD has recently been released in Europe and the US and a live CD taken from the same concert has been released and will be out this month in the US.

Despite his busy schedule, however, Oliver willingly agreed to be interviewed shortly before he was due onstage for Strawbs' concert at The Cheese and Grain in Frome, mid-way through the band's May UK tour. The George Hotel, just minutes' walk from the venue, provided a pleasant setting for a relaxed chat, and Oliver patiently worked through a lengthy list of questions with me, several of which had been provided by members of Witchwood, Strawbs' Yahoo discussion group. The interview went something like this

LS: Please tell me a little about your musical career to date.

OW: I started out with a band called Obsession when I was about 17. It was a band that played original material which was quite unusual on the Devon music scene at the time. I joined the band following a telephone call intended for Adam (Oliver's younger brother, and a fellow keyboard player); I told them he was busy with another band but I was available, and that's how I ended up getting the gig! My time with the band lasted for around three years and involved the recording of one album, 'Debut of Desire', which included one of my own compositions and a not-very-often seen promotional video.

College years followed, and I gained a diploma in graphic design, which has frequently proved useful. I worked part-time as a graphic designer for many years, and took various 9 - 5 corporate jobs. I've also used what I learned to design tour programmes and flyers for various musicians including Steve Hackett, Gordon Giltrap, Eric Norlander, my father and many others. I also design my own album sleeves, adverts and website. It's really satisfying to be able to design my own artwork so it turns out precisely as I'd like it.

In tandem with the graphic design work, I continued playing live with Smokestack, a well-regarded blues band in the North Devon area which regularly played theatres, pubs, weddings and various other functions, although I finished playing with them back in 2003.

LS: Has growing up as part of such a musically-talented family led to sibling rivalry?

OW: Well, Adam and I are the greatest of friends, constantly in touch with each other. Although we both play keyboards our paths have usually gone in different directions and we've frequently ended up involved with quite different musical genres. Apart from working with dad, Adam has been involved with artists including Annie Lennox, Victoria Beckham and Atomic Kitten.

Incidentally, I last saw dad a few weeks ago at his Hampton Court Palace performances of 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII' when Adam was also playing. Adam was adding more keyboards to the sound with The English Rock Ensemble.

LS: Is there any one style of music you most enjoy listening to?

OW: My mood dictates my choice of listening material. That includes a love of prog rock and classical music, and a wide diversity of artists which includes Yes, Strawbs, It Bites, Dan Reed Network, Harry Connick Jnr., Suzanne Vega and Tori Amos. I also have a fascination for music which I don't attempt to play, such as swing and jazz; rather than spending my time analysing what and how it is being played, I am able simply to sit back and just enjoy it.

There are very few genres I don't like, but I suppose they would include most heavy rap and dance music, although I generally like to keep an open mind regarding music I hear.

LS: Do you have a particular formula for composing music?

OW: No, I have no particular formula; my writing styles have always been quite eclectic, including pieces for piano, rock opera, instrumentals, Celtic music... just as with my choice of listening, my mood influences my writing style. 'Picture of a Lady' from 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' album (written with Clive Nolan) took about twenty minutes flat. Sometimes my writing simply flows spontaneously, other times not. Also, sometimes I write the lyrics first, other times the music; I am comfortable writing any way it happens. I never discard anything I write however; it might take years to see the light of day, but eventually bits and pieces I have composed surface and make their way into my work. I also write the initial bass and guitar parts for the musicians in my own band. Of course they then amend, adapt or improve the parts as they wish.

LS: Do you play any instruments aside from keyboards?

OW: I do play lead guitar and acoustic guitar, and in fact I have played guitar as a session musician in the past although this happened only on a few occasions and I'm not sure any of them saw the light of day. However, playing guitar puts pressure on certain muscles and makes it more difficult to play keyboards, so I wouldn't pick up a guitar for a while before any professional keyboard engagements. I also sing backing vocals with The Oliver Wakeman Band, and on various CD recordings.

LS: Are Yes and Strawbs very different bands to work with?

OW: Regarding playing, with Yes intense concentration is always required as the music is very technical. With Strawbs the music is still challenging, but there is a greater focus on the 'song' rather than the technical arrangement. Yes' songs are usually adapted and arranged in such a way as to utilise the instruments in a more technical way, whereas Strawbs' songs tend to build around a skeletal framework and the lyrics are generally more dominant.

There are pros and cons to each way of working, although for me it is the best of both worlds as I get to experience and learn from both bands and the experience they have. Yes is a big production which needs to be very regimented, with everything planned according to a tight schedule. For instance, soundchecks, rehearsals,'meet-and-greets', interviews and so on are all strictly timetabled. Yes is a five-piece band with a production crew of fourteen, whereas Strawbs has a crew of just two, and "spur of the moment" decisions are more possible.

The members of both bands are all great people to play with, and basically I enjoy it all. It's really a "win/win" situation, which provides an excellent learning curve.

LS: Does it ever seem slightly bizarre to be working with both Strawbs and Yes?

OW: Possibly in some ways, but I've always had a great love for prog rock, and particularly enjoy the music of both bands. I first became aware of Strawbs' music at around the age of thirteen when my mother retrieved a collection of vinyl albums from the family loft. In amongst the albums was 'From the Witchwood', which now has a place in my top five albums, well definitely top ten anyway.

I hope my understanding and genuine enjoyment of the band's music allows me to preserve passages which are essential, while simultaneously I like to add my own signature whenever possible. Incidentally, the other albums my mother brought down from the loft included 'Tales from the Topographic Oceans', 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII' and 'The Grand Illusion' by Styx (another of my top ten albums, and a band of which I've always been a big fan).

Of course, prior to my recent work with Yes and Strawbs I'd recorded ten albums and a DVD, and I've always considered it of paramount importance to believe in the music and have respect for the artists with whom I work. In the past I've turned down work with several artists because I haven't really felt I'd be able to add anything, a situation which I wouldn't find satisfying.

LS: Had you ever seen Strawbs play prior to joining them for the Canadian tour earlier this year?

OW: Yes, several times. I followed them around on a tour in about 1989. It was at a time when Don Airey was with the band on keyboards, along with Richard Hudson, Tony Hooper and the others. I saw them at The Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple, and I also remember seeing them play in Weston-super-Mare. Travelling around to see Strawbs actually involved me hitch-hiking around the West Country.

I first hung out with Strawbs' lead vocalist Dave Cousins when he was working with Lantern Radio in Bideford, near where I was living in North Devon. That must have been around 1992. Incidentally, I've never met John Hawken nor seen him play, but greatly appreciate his playing from having listened to Strawbs' albums. His style differs from my own and it has been very enjoyable playing his parts on stage.

LS: Would you like to tell me a bit about the making of Strawbs' forthcoming album, 'Dancing to the Devil's Beat'?

OW: Making the new album was a lot of fun and I was particularly pleased to be involved with a bit of writing for the album as well as being responsible for the orchestral parts and some of the arrangements. This made me feel like a real member of the band, adding creative input rather than just turning up and playing a few pads and solos.

When I work on something I really make sure it is something I feel very strongly about, and I can hand-on-heart say that I think this album is very strong, with good songs and performances. It's very fitting for Strawbs' 40th anniversary, and an album I am proud to have been a part of.

LS: What equipment are you using onstage on this tour?

OW: I use four different keyboards; a Korg 01/W, a Korg Triton, a Moog Little Phatty and either a Yamaha P250 or a P200.

LS: What keyboards do you use for the Mellotron sounds, and what is the sample source for the tron sounds?

I use a multilayered sound on one of the Korg keyboards. I tried to use tron samples, but didn't find that worked as well without having reverb and outboard effects that weren't always available at every show. I much prefer the touch sensitivity of modern keyboards; for instance, in Strawbs' 'Down by the Sea' I hit a key hard with my left hand little finger to get the cymbal crash sound, whilst the other left hand fingers are putting together a low string chord with the right hand playing a top brass line. I'm giving all my secrets away now!

LS: It was great to read your Canadian blog [www.oliverwakeman.co.uk and select Stories/Strawbs Canadian tour/- DG]. Are you planning a repetition for this UK Strawbs' tour?

OW: Thanks to the person who liked my blog! Yes, I intend to write another following this tour. I shall be putting it together whilst on the Yes US tour; things have been a little hectic of late!

LS: Do you get nervous before playing, or have any particular ways to deal with pre-show nerves?

OW: No, not really. I like a few moments of quiet prior to a show if possible, to try and get focussed. Usually the first song is spent getting accustomed to everything going on, the levels of the different instruments and so on, and when the first song is over I generally start to relax.

LS: You have recorded several 'new age' type CDs; do you have a particular interest in new age culture?

OW: I developed an interest in alternative therapies when I had "hands on" healing for various aches and pains, which I found helped me. My son, Arthur, was actually born to an album called 'Chakras' which I wrote back in 2001. The album was a commissioned piece of work, part of a set of sixteen albums (I only wrote the one album for the set). Incidentally, my mum has studied aromatherapy, and basically I think anything which induces relaxation can be beneficial.

LS: 'Heaven's Isle' is a beautiful album. How did it come about?

OW: Thank you. I think of it as being a very "innocent" album; I don't mean that in a negative way, I'm proud of it. The music in the album relates to the beautiful and fascinating Isle of Lundy. 'Heaven's Isle' was produced in association with The Landmark Trust, who own the Island. It was also my first album, released in 1997! (It was re-released in 1999 with a couple of extra tracks. The album is available from Verglas.com if anyone is interested!)

LS: Do you remember any gig, with any band, which stands out as your most enjoyable?

OW: The Mohegan Sun Casino in Montville, Connecticut with Yes was terrific, and also the last show I did on the Canadian Strawbs' tour, in Hamilton, Canada. There was a Yamaha grand piano and the whole thing was fantastic. You'll know that if you read my blog on Myspace! Oh, and Strawbs at Huntingdon Hall in Worcester a few nights ago was amazing too. Actually, I enjoy all the gigs I play!

LS: What are your immediate plans after Strawbs' UK tour finishes?

OW: I shall spend two weeks learning Yes material, followed by six weeks' touring the USA with them. In August I shall be playing with Strawbs again, at the 'Memories of Woodstock' festival at The West Midlands Showground. After that I have three weeks off for a family holiday, and I also hope to buy a new house. Towards the end of the year I'll be touring with Yes again, and hopefully there will be some European gigs, including the UK.

In September I shall also be playing at Strawbs' 40th Anniversary weekend at Twickenham Rugby Ground, as will dad. I have a lot of solo material that I'd like to record too - four very different albums' worth. One will be a rock album, another Celtic rock, the third is a rock opera, and the fourth is made up of piano pieces. I really hope to start recording them before the end of the year. I like to use a studio in Virginia Water, Surrey, where I have a great relationship with the engineer Karl Groom. I produce my own recordings myself.

LS: Do you have time for any non-musical hobbies?

OW: Not really. I like to spend as much time as possible with my wife and my young son Arthur when I'm not working.

Following several prompts from others in my party who were attending the evening's show (and having told Oliver I didn't want to be responsible for making him late onstage!) we eventually concluded after about an hour's conversation. There was just time to make it round to the venue before Strawbs took to the stage, and an electrifying evening of prog rock followed, wildly applauded by a highly appreciative audience.

It was sheer delight to watch Oliver and Dave Lambert (lead guitar) smiling broadly at each other as they wove their sounds intuitively around each other's playing, while Chas Cronk (bass) and Rod Coombes (drums) provided the most solid yet inspired rhythm section imaginable. Strawbs' founder, Dave Cousins, filled the air with his trademark impassioned vocals, and the band's encore, "Where Is This Dream Of Your Youth", showcased Oliver's blistering, dramatic keyboard skills.

And no, Dave Cousins very definitely wasn't looking at his watch during Oliver's piece de resistance, as Oliver had earlier jokingly enquired of me! It was obvious the entire band enjoyed Oliver's dramatic keyboard finale just as much as the delighted crowd. Many thanks to Oliver for taking time out of his extremely busy schedule for this interview.

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Rockarea.eu interview by Piotr Spyra

Firstly I'd like to congratulate you and your band on giving a great concert in Poland and releasing a brilliant DVD.

Thank you very much, I am extremely proud of the DVD and think that the guys in the band played really well on the night. I also think that Metal Mind did a great job in capturing the performance so well.

What criteria did you use to select tracks for the concert in Poland? In my opinion you didn't treat 'Hound of the Baskervilles' the way it deserved?

Sorry about the Hound not being played as much. What happened was - we had rehearsed a longer set but at the last minute had to make a few adjustments to make sure we didn't run over time. Unfortunately the songs that we removed were from Hound. If we get to do another DVD I'll make sure there are Hound songs in there - I promise!

What are your memories from your visit in Poland? What sort of impression did the Silesian Theater and Poland in general make on you?

I really enjoyed my visit to Poland, we were performing in Katowice and thought the theatre was absolutely beautiful. I had an explore around the theatre during the afternoon and thought it was wonderful.

The day after the show, the band and I travelled out to Krakow and I think it is such a beautiful city. The buildings and history on show in the town is incredible. We spent the whole day really enjoying ourselves. We also had a very nice lunch at a beautiful old restaurant, it seemed to have been unchanged since the 40's and was like stepping back in time.

That evening a rock opera 'She' was put on stage, weren't you afraid that your concert could be somehow overshadowed by it and lose some spotlight?

Not really, I knew that our show was to be a completely different type of show to Clives. Clive was making use of a lot of visual effects, acting and stage props as well as the music - whereas we were a bit more of a rock and roll approach. 5 guys on stage, 5 sets of instruments and the songs. I enjoy the elaborate shows but I also think that a bit of straight ahead rock show can be very entertaining as well. I think, judging by the response we received from the crowd during the concert and afterwards that they enjoyed it too!

I think that you cannot be dissatisfied with the audience - you were welcomed as stars of the evening!

I do have to say that they were fantastic - having a great audience really helps you on stage. It's always great to play to people but when they are responding and singing along it takes to to a different level, you feed off their energy and it just makes the whole event great fun for everyone. We must have spent well over a hour chatting, signing and having photos taken after we came off stage. The band and I felt very honoured by the good wishes and comments people were giving us. It really finished off a wonderful evening.

For years you've been releasing various kinds of music, not only rock pieces. Right now it seems that situation is quite stable with the band's lineup fixed. So, do you plan to put out 'Oliver Wakeman Band' album? Maybe you've got some other ideas?

I do have a follow up album to Mother's Ruin called Cultural Vandals which I am hoping to record early next year which will feature the guys from the DVD but I also have a piano album I'm recording and last year I recorded a live album with the 70's classic rock band Starcastle which should be due out next year.

I couldn't find any information concerning the change in lineup after Mother's Ruin release. Moon Kinnaird is listed as a band member on the album. When did Paul Manzi take his place and what were the reasons of this change?

After I finished the album I decided that the time was right to start performing music from my back catalogue and the current album live. Firstly I asked all the musicians who had performed on the album if they were available for rehearsals, unfortunately Moon was unable to commit himself to the live shows and so that left me in the position of trying to find a vocalist that could do the songs justice. Tim's circumstances meant he was unable make a regular rehearsal schedule as well. Dave Wagstaffe (the drummer) mentioned that he had worked in the past with a bass player called Paul Brown in a band called Janison Edge and he was also aware of a vocalist called Paul Manzi who lived in London and was looking to get back to his rock singing following a 'time-out' period away from singing.

The rehearsal a couple of weeks later will still rank as one of the best music days of my career so far. The two Pauls came along, extremely personable, well rehearsed and phenomenal players!

I need to admit that I'm a fan of your collaboration albums recorded with Clive Nolan - Jabberwocky and Hound of the Baskervilles. Any chance you'll record albums in this style in the future?

Clive and I have talked about writing a third album together and I have also written one on my own which is ready to be recorded - it's just that I have another couple of albums I want to release first!

It seems that as a solo musician you have more space for displaying your great skills. Do you prefer to play with a band/lead singer or maybe solo?

I enjoy playing is all types of set up. In a band it's great fun because you can really let rip sometimes because of the support you get from the other musicians but I also really enjoy the challenge of playing solo piano or as a duo. There is no-where to hide when you play solo and you have to be very accurate and I find that challenging but great fun.

You're a versatile musician so is there anything that you can surprise your fans with?

Not sure really, I like to think that in this day and age where lots of artists put out album after album that are quite similar, I will always hopefully release something slightly different to my last release!

You designed a few artworks for covers of your albums. I think that DVD's cover is the best one, which one is your favourite?

I must agree, I really like the artwork for the DVD. I also like a lot of the inlay artwork I put together for the Mother's Ruin album. I studied at Art college in my youth and have worked as a freelance graphic designer, it is something I really enjoy.

When I was a child I remember my father getting his latest album cover through the post and he was looking at it for the first time (I can't remember which album is was now) and saying - they've mucked up the cover again. I remember thinking at the time that if I ever released albums I would try and control the cover artwork as much as I could or if I couldn't do the artwork I would use people I could trust.

I do think it's so important, you spend so much time on the music it doesn't seem right to then just release it with a cover that doesn't do the music justice.

Do you think any of your albums was a turning point in your career?

There have been a few that have made a more of an impression, Jabberwocky was a very important album for me, it introduced me to a wider audience. 3 Ages was an album that I think proved to people my ability to write and perform complex instrumental work and Mother's Ruin was a great way of showing that I could write for a band. I think as an artist, every release is a progression of sorts and hopefully they all help shape you.

How did your position on prog rock scene develop? Was it improving gradually or did any album make you suddenly become much more popular, attracted large numbers of fans and increased sales?

As above, I think Jabberwocky made a big difference as did Mother's Ruin.

Do you find it easy to be a keyboard player and a son of a legendary keyboard player? Did that help you in your career or just the opposite?

It's a bit of a double edged sword. Maybe people will pay you a bit more attention at first because of the Wakeman name but if you can't deliver or have your own personality people get bored pretty quickly and move on.

I think I've spent enough time doing this now that hopefully people are looking at me as my own person. Obviously the link with Dad will always be there and it's something I'm very proud of.

One of the things that is always in my mind is that Dad has released loads of great records and I want to make sure all the records I release are building on a list of Wakeman albums that are of a high quality and enjoyed by people.

Unfortunately due to health problems of Jon Anderson it was impossible for you to play with Yes which cancelled the tour. Do you think that this could be rescheduled for some other time? Is Jon's health improving so that we can hope to see you all on stage soon?

I'm hoping that all will be re-organised and that I will get to perform with the guys and play some of those great tracks. It was a great honour just to be asked and something I was really pleased about. Fingers crossed - but we'll just have to wait and see!

However, I did a duo show that other day and as a bit of a tribute my singer and I did a version of Wondrous Stories which was really well received and fun to play!

I wish you every success and hope that some day we'll meet after your concert in Poland. Please write a few words for your fans and RockArea readers.

I'd just like to say thanks to all the people who support artists like myself. We really need people who enjoy good music to allow us to keep doing what we're doing!

Questions: Piotr Spyra
Translation: Gosia Michalska

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Blogger News Network Interview by Simon Barrett

Oliver Wakeman is the son of Rick Wakeman. And just like his dad he has opted for a career in the music world, and just like Rick he has become one of the pillars in the world of Prog Rock. Oliver is not the first progeny to follow in their fathers footsteps, many have tried, and most have failed. Oliver is different, Oliver has that spark. Yes there maybe some similarities between Rick and Oliver, but they are completely different composers and performers.

I have been a fan of Rick Wakeman since the very early 70's, my god I am getting old! It was through a rather convoluted route that I discovered Oliver, but discover I did.

I am a huge fan of prog rock, and Oliver is part of the re-emergence of prog rock. I guess we could call it Prog Rock 2.0. Oliver has just released a new DVD Coming To Town, and it is well worth seeking out. Even my wife Jan, who thinks that the music world begins and ends in Nashville really likes it!

I had the opportunity to talk with this gifted musician:

I really liked Coming To Town it had a great combination of old and new techniques. You have created a great band. How long have you been playing together and who are the rest of the band?

Thanks for the kind words. We have been a band for about 5 years. I had done a number of solo projects, and played lots of music, with lots of bands. I decided it was time to have a stable platform. The band is Paul Manzi on vocals, and a great job he does. Paul Brown on bass, and I have a great story about him. David Mark Pearce is on guitars, and Dave Wagstaff is the guy on the drums.

Paul and Paul were great, because they actually turned up for rehearsals.

A really funny story involves Paul the the Bass player. I had sent the song notation to him in the mail. He turns up for the try-out, and fits right in. I really liked his style. After the session I was talking to him, thanking him for being well prepared, well it turned out my letter never got to him, he did it all by ear, on the fly.

Track 3 of the DVD Is big and sweeping, it reminded me a lot of some of your fathers compositions.

Oh, you are talking about The Agent. There is a bit of a story behind that one. I had just been ripped off, and I was in a really bad mood. I started writing, just as a way to blow off steam. I had the first part done when my wife Lisa asked me when I was coming to bed. 'In a minute? was my answer?. I sat and wrote, the music just started to flow.

The Wakemans are a musical family, I guess its in the genes. What attracted you to the Prog rock genre?

Actually I am classically trained, and I put a lot of stock in that, to me it is very important. From an early age I used to spend hours playing on the piano at home when no one else was around. My first real playing experience was in an R&B band, I played with them for about 3 years. We played in pubs and clubs, it was a lot of fun, and I learned a great deal. here was a lot of improv in our music.

If we call it prog rock 2.0. There is a big difference with it from the 1970?s version. In 1.0 there was what I would call turf wars. This next generation seems to be much more open to collaboration. Is that the key to modern success?

Yes I guess the music scene is a little different today. It is a different world, Prog Rock doesn?t get a lot of media support they it did in the 70?s and 80?s. The bands today are all good friends and we help each other. We don?t have a lot of airs and graces.

Is it a blessing of a curse having Rick Wakeman for a dad?

That?s a difficult one to answer, it is both. It is great having the name recognition, the curse part is being compared to him. My father is a wonderful musician. I go out on stage and just do the best I can.

I know your sister Jemma is in the music business, I have seen her perform on a couple of DVD?s, I believe you also have a brother, is he also a musician?

Jemma has a great voice, she is still in university and only gigs occasionally, Adam is a session musician, and pretty much you can find him wherever Ossie Osbourne is. Oscar is also in university and there are a couple of other brothers floating around, my dad has been married more than once.

I was watching Coming To Town last night and I was trying to figure out the setup you use, but the camera angle was not cooperating. I know that you were playing a Korg T1 and a Roland, what are the other two keyboards?

They are a Korg 01W, and a Korg Triton Pro. The T1 in the music industry is an antique, and it is old, I think it was bought in 1996. It is also big and heavy. The problem was that I used the T1 in the studio, and when I was playing live I had to fight to get the same sound from the other keyboards. So the T1 has become part of the live act.

Coming To Town was recorded in Poland, and we shipped our gear in a van. I really wanted to take Yamaha keyboard with me, it has a great Moog sound, but I was worried about having all my eggs in one basket. I needed something to work with in England, plus the van only had so much room.

Yes were planning a tour, and I understand that you were invited to be the keyboard player, alas Jon Anderson has been sidelined with some medical issues. Was this a big disappointment?

It was a very great honor to be asked to play with Yes. Disappointed, yes I suppose I was, in someways But maybe the will be another opportunity. Jon is a great guy, and it was two weeks before we were going to start rehearsals. I understand though, my dad has had his problems with illnesses.

The cute bit about being asked to play with Yes was that I made it to the front page of the BBC and CNN web sites. I even took screen prints!

What is next for Oliver Wakeman?

Early in 2009 we are going to start work on a new album, I already have the title picked out 'Cultural Vandals?, I am also a fair way through a solo project on the piano.

Thanks for talking with us Oliver and I am sure I speak for everyone here at Blogger News in wishing you every success in your future projects.

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RevelationZ Website Interview

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Sea of Tranquility Website Interview

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"ProgressiveWorld.net" Interview

When the label fixed the time and date of my interview concerning the new Nolan/Wakeman project, I was told that Clive Nolan was the one who would call me at home in the coming days. So I was surprised, at first, when I heard the voice of Oliver Wakeman on the other end of the phone when it finally came time to do the interview. But I immediately changed my mood,'cause Oliver (with no offense to Clive, who is a great musician as well) is one of my favorite keyboards players, as he has clearly inherited the best musical traits of his famous father, Rick. So let's start unraveling the hound...

Igor Italiani: Hi Oliver, so you are once again partner in crime with Clive...

Oliver Wakeman: Yeah! We have a lot of fun when we do albums together. Clive lives a couple of hundred miles away from where I live, so sometimes we spend a weekend together, playing something, having a couple of beers. At the end of the day we enjoy a lot working together, as we are good friends too. You know, being friends makes work a lot easier so ... we like what we write and we work along great!

II: So now, can you tell me if it was difficult to gather for the second time the huge list of guests at hand for The Hound Of The Baskervilles?

OW: Yes, the people who played on the first album did an excellent job, but we had certain rules when we recorded the second one. We decided again to call mainly members of bands in which we play or with whom we collaborate, [however] this time, for example, we called John Jowitt [IQ] instead of Ian Salmon, because now Ian plays for Arena [which is the main band of Clive Nolan - II] ... you know, a lot of people think that there are problems with people who have been in Arena, maybe concerning Clive, but there is none. We enjoy working together, so we just wanted to show that we are friends and we work well together. Obviously some people were available, some others not, and we also wanted to put in some new people as well. For example, Karl Groom engineered the first album, so we thought it would be nice to let him play on the second one. Another one is Michelle [Young], who sang backing vocals on the first album, and now has a song of her own on The Hound....

II: But is there some other artist you and Clive would like to have in the future?

OW: Mmh, yeah, probably there are lots of people that we would like to have as guests in the future... Some people that I would really like to work with are... I don't know ... I'm a big fan of Julian Lennon, I think he is excellent, even if I have lost sight of what he is doing now. You know, he shares the same thing I live, and that's being the son of a famous musician just trying to do music on his own.

II: Yeah, you could do a great duet...

OW: Yeah, we could do Lennon & Wakeman... sounds good! Well, let me see if I can recall some other ones... wow, there's hundreds...

II: I was thinking, in this precise moment, about Peter Gabriel...

OW: Oh, it would be great, fantastic. In fact one of my dreams was to work -- I don't know if you heard about it, but to do an album with Steve Howe, and I've finally made it [The 3 Ages Of Magick]. That's a dream that came true for me! Well, I've been truly lucky to actually work with some of the people I've dreamed about while I was growing up, so... I don't know, there are hundreds more, it all depends if they want to work with me, ah, ah, ah...

II: Speaking about the future, do you think you'll do another Nolan/Wakeman album soon or not?

OW: Oh yes, we will do it. I don't know how soon it would be, because Clive writes albums with Arena and I compose other solo albums as well; we are very busy and we tend to use gaps between sessions to work on other ideas. We also live away from each other, so it's not just the case of popping next door and say hello and do some work, you really have to plan your time. I know we want to do another CD, but all I can say at the moment is that hopefully it won't take three years, maybe only two!!!

II: Oliver, this time you recounted a Doyle novel, so, if you could choose now a story for your third collaboration, what would it be?

OW: Wow, that's a hard one. We don't know yet, we talked about 2 or 3 different ideas, but we haven't made any decision yet. At the moment I think that while we have already gone through 2 classical [pieces of literature], probably we will go again through another one. I don't think we will venture into some story of [a] sci-fi [nature]. But I'm not gonna tell you what we discussed for the third opus yet, we will save that for a little while longer, eh, eh...

II: OK... in the meantime can you introduce The Hound Of The Baskervilles to the audience? Maybe for someone who still hasn't listened it?

OW: Well, I have to tell them to listen it! Mmh, I suppose that if I should ask someone who isn't so sure, I suppose I would ask him if they like a good story, and good music. If they like good stories and good music, and if they want to try something little different from what people usually do, well, give a try to The Hound Of The Baskervilles, hopefully you won't be disappointed. I think that Clive and I are doing something that nobody else is doing at the moment. I really think that we are the only ones who are doing classic novels mixed with music. I mean, in the seventies there were quite a few. But today, if anybody does concepts, it tends to be their own stories.

II: You recorded and mixed the album at Thin Ice Studios. What's the best advantage in having a studio all for themselves?

OW: Well, the studio is actually rented out to other artists as well, so we couldn't use it whenever we wanted to, we had to book it in advance. In fact I had the studio booked the month before The Hound... to do the other album of mine, so I had to stop Clive from coming in sometimes, ah, ah, ah... The advantage is that it is in the same building as the record company, however both me and Clive have personal studios as well, so we can do an awful lot of work before we even enter the Thin Ice Studios. When we are in the Thin Ice Studios we work very carefully. Obviously we have a lot of fun, but we also look for everything to be used in the best way possible, because an album like The Hound... is really expensive. So we have to make sure we stay within a budget, to keep the record company happy. Another thing is that Karl is great at working in the studio, so it's excellent to have a person like him that handles a lot of stuff, too. I like Karl's work a lot.

II: But it's true that you had some problems with the recordings?

OW: Well, what happened originally was that we planned to record the album early last year, and we started, but we suddenly realized that all the people we would like to get onto the record were doing different things. Peter Banks for example was also tied up for my solo album, so the first three months of the year I had to work on that, too. Finally it came down to finding out when the other musicians were free to play on The Hound.... Personally I wanted to remain in the studio for only 6 weeks, but it wasn't possible. Nevertheless, the fact that it took a little more time gave us the opportunity to work on it a little bit longer, so in the end we had a better result, I think.

II: Do you think you'll be able to do at least some shows with The Hound...or Jabberwocky?

OW: Yeah, I really hope to do some concerts. It would be really good fun; I think it would be a very good show. The problem obviously is finding the time again to get the musicians together, but you know ... never say never. We are not planning a tour at the moment, but it would be good to see it happen. Keep the fingers crossed!

II: Talking about live shows, I think that almost always the best places to play conceptual prog albums are theaters. What's your opinion on that one?

OW: Yeah, I agree with you. I think that theaters are great, because they are set up for a show. You know, gigs are great, you can get great atmosphere in a gig, but the theater has something special. I would like to do more theater shows, I think that would be wonderful.

II: Oliver, the concept albums you play on so brilliantly are having a sort of rebirth in England, or not? I mean, do you think prog rock can return to prominence soon or not?

OW: I hope so, certainly it would make my life easier, ah, ah. You know, England has lots of talented musicians, but radio stations, magazines and TV stations are really set up for pop music, so there's not much you can do about it. It seems the situation is slowly getting better, but I think that it will be hard to see the same scene we had back in the seventies. In other countries, for example, you find great shops who still have a lot of prog music; in this country you don't, and this can be very frustrating. I probably sell more records in Germany or Holland than I do in England, which is a bit strange being English. All I can do is keep working and hoping that the situation will change someday. I think that maybe it could take only a couple of artists to make the public realize that there's more under the same bands that we see everyday on TV.

II: The beautiful sound you have is linked to the one of the 70s. Is there also something you really like of the music scene of today?

OW: Yeah, I like a lot of music styles. Nu-metal, I like some of it; and it's the same for every type of music, I always like some of it. I worked on a radio station for 3 years, and I used to play prog and rock music, and I also used to play some strange music. I used to play anything that wasn't being played anywhere else, I always chose unusual music, so I got to learn other types of music very quickly. There are always good musicians in every form... for example, I'm not a major jazz fan, but I enjoy some of it. The only music I'm not really keen on is dance and pop music. For me, as a piano player, a lot of my music comes through emotions, putting your soul into the music, and unfortunately I don't see it displayed in pop music. In my opinion, this genre is not designed to let your emotions really flow. It's OK, but I don't get the feeling in listening to that.

II: Yes, same as I. Now can you tell me something about the new Michelle Young record where Clive played and managed production? You know, I prepared this question for Clive...

OW: Oh, fine... well, Michelle is excellent. She is very, very good. I like her new album a lot. Actually I've listened to it quite a few times. The album has a lot of great songs, and I also think that she sang brilliantly in the song she did for The Hound... [“By Your Side”]. We asked her to do lead vocals but she did also the backing vocals in a wonderful way, and we couldn't ask for more!

II: Oliver, can you tell me about your beginnings as a keyboard player, because you are also the son of one of the main keyboards players of rock.

OW: Well, my dad, while I was growing up, was always away on tour. He was always very busy, so I started off just sitting at his piano, and told myself to practice hard. Over the years I also went to classical lessons, and then I went and played in the pubs, so my beginnings as a keyboardist were a sum of these three things: playing on my own, then going to lessons, and then playing in the pub when I was an early teenager. I'd like to say that I've learnt as much from myself and playing in pubs, that I did from my classical training. Classical training can teach you how to read or to move your fingers correctly, but playing piano on your own teaches you to write your music, and playing in a pub, in front of people, teaches you how to deal with the response of an audience. I think you can't learn music from just one of these aspects, you have to go through all three.

II: OK, Oliver. I have one final curiosity... is there the possibility to see you, Adam, and your father Rick playing together on the same stage?

OW: Mmh, I don't know. I mean, dad has worked with Adam an awful lot, and I don't mind doing a little show here and there with him as well, but I personally prefer to do things on my own; even if I like a lot what Adam and Rick do together. I'd like people to think that I can actually work hard as other people to try to make music... I know that some people will see that Rick is my dad, but I'd like people to think that I'm working for myself and on my own.

II: Yeah, I can understand, even if it could be a dream that you, Adam and Rick are surrounded by castles of keyboards...

OW: Ah, ah, ah...it would be good fun. You know, when I was younger one of my problems, I think, was that I hadn't done any music, and I wanted to have people recognize me as a songwriter on my own, not because I'm Rick's son. So, once I get myself more established, you know, it may happen. I think we could unleash a lot of power from all those keyboards.

II: OK, Oliver. That's enough. Thank you for the wonderful talk and I hope to see you here in Italy as soon as possible?

OW: Oh, thank you. Let me say a big hello to all the prog fans! It's great to have these fans, who are so dedicated to this kind of music; they are so genuinely interested in what you write when you compose. They really do care about everything that's around the realization of a record, like in the old days. It's very rewarding for me to get that, as a writer and as a composer, because they pay attention to everything you do, and this makes you work harder. Just thank you to all of you.

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"Wondrous Stories" Magazine Interview - February 2002

It was BOTY (Best of the Year - Classic Rock Society annual awards - ed) Award's Night and Bernard Law took time out to chat with Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman about their latest project The Hound Of The Baskervilles.

Between the sound check and the first act of the evening, Bernard Law took the opportunity to meet with Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman in a quiet corner of the dressing room to discuss the up coming release of the keyboards duo's second album 'The Hound of The Baskervilles.' But the conversation began with a light hearted warning from Clive.

"I tell lies all the time in interviews," he laughed. ''I tell everyone something different. So the stories in different magazines don't match. But yours is the first interview this time, so it will be nearer to the truth Probably!"

We'd best start with some facts then. "The album's pressed, done and ready. The promotional copies are out and the album will be released on February 4th,a Clive confirms. The duo's much admired first album 'Jabberwocky' includes lots of wonderful music and a host of featured appearances from many in the classic rock realm The new album continues in a similar vein.

"Yes, it's similar to 'Jabberwocky' in that there are loads of guests, like Bob Catley on vocals, Arjen Lucassen on guitar, John Jowitt on bass, Tony Fernandez an drums There's loads and loads of them! You'd be better look on the album sleeve for the full list,', Clive continued.

Oliver Wakeman joined in. "we didn't ask Dad (Rick) to be involved this time though. He was great on 'Jabberwocky', but this time as it's more structured - narration based - we needed someone with a more commanding voice. So we asked Robert Powell. He has that really dramatic voice.''

"Working with Rick was fun though," Clive confirmed. "He did the narration on Jabberwocky because we didn't need a third keyboard player really But it was great fun working with him."

Clive and Oliver actually met via a mutual friend, Arena's drummer Mick Pointer. "He was the point of contact, and it grew from there really," said Oliver "When we come together to produce the music we actually co-write. we come together with various bits and pieces we've worked on separately and work on them together until we're both happy But sometimes in the studio we get bored with what we're working on and play around with other stuff! Some of the music on 'Hound of the Baskervilles' was around when we were working on 'Jabberwocky' because of that.

A smiling Clive took up the story. 'We wrote sixty-seven minutes of music, but binned some material. We had five songs to begin with. It is fun to do, and a challenge, but we had something to work from."

"Things are virtually finished before we start working together in a way We have bags of ideas. we just need a strategy and tickle it along," Oliver concluded.

Many people know of the 'Hound of the Baskervilles', and indeed any Sherlock Holmes stories through the television or films. There's one very good old black and white film version featuring Basil Rathbone as Holmes, and a not so clever Hammer version too.

"This album's based on the book rather than the film," Oliver stated. "We're both massive Sherlock Holmes fans. It was a great advantage really knowing the story so well before we started on the music."

Again Clive started laughing. Unfortunately, we had to change the ending. We wanted specific voices at the close, particular people singing. Regrettably that means the ending is nearer to the Hammer film ending because of it But the main events in the book are all there."

With a concept album, it's very important that all the various facets gel. with a great cast of musicians and singers it would be disappointing not to have excellent sound production, and 'Hound of the Baskervilles' certainly has that. Clive and Oliver along with Karl Groom, whose guitar work also makes an appearance, produced the album. But quite often it's the whole package that makes successful albums, including the graphics. Many classic albums wouldn't quite have the same feel in the wrong sleeve! The artwork for 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' is quite atmospheric and sets the scene well.

"The artist Peter Pracownik did all the paintings for the album. It's all very Gothic. You might know his work from some of his other pieces. He did the sleeve for the Limp Bizkit album. We are really pleased with how it looks. But I did all the design and the layout" explained Oliver.

Clive, as you would expect, has been extremely busy with commitments to Pendragon and up coming work with the new Arena album and undoubted tour. Oliver too has his projects and design work. with such tight schedules and the need to plan sometimes a year ahead, making plans to work together can be nearly impossible.

"Well, Hound of the Baskervilles had a two year gestation period It makes it difficult because there's so much to do. We will hopefully do a third album together though. We're getting pretty used to writing together as a team. We'd probably work with fewer people but do more with them next time. We've ideas for a concept, that's not a problem. It will be a literary selection again, but we're not telling you what it is," Clive said coyly. "In fact, there are several ideas. But remember there's the budget factor too. It takes time and money to do it properly." Given the standard of the music and the wonderful capabilities of the various people involved there would be a lot of people who would enjoy seeing the album performed live. Clive shakes his head. 'We're not likely to tour with it. There would be too much messing. Everyone is busy Bob Catley will be back working with Magnum, Robert Powell wouldn't be available. "Some of the other musicians wouldn't be available. we have talked about it though, and we would love to do it. But it's got to be practical. we could possibly go out as a five piece and do selections from both albums. That is something we have discussed But even then it would be incredibly difficult with all the other commitments we all have There is the possibility of one of the Progfests, but the offer really needs to match the practicalities Even then, it would still be incredibly difficult."

Oliver took up the theme, "We'd love to do a launch party too, but again we couldn't get everyone together There's probably somewhere in London with a great atmosphere we could use - a pub or club that would have the right feel. But it won't happen because of the practicalities It's pretty much impossible".

With the changing room becoming fuller and noisier and Clive, Oliver and myself keen to catch the stage bound Damian Wilson's set, Clive had just one more thing to remind me, "The Hound of the Baskervilles' is available on Verglas, Catalogue number VGCD022'. He could even remember that! The truth is out there!"

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Interview with Lantern FM - 30th December 1998

Ian Starling from Lantern FM interviews Oliver Wakeman on the future release of the album "Jabberwocky", broadcast 30th December 1998:

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