Hensley wrote, or co-wrote, the majority of Uriah Heep's songs during this period, including such hits as "Look at Yourself", "Lady in Black" (on both of which he also sang lead vocals), "Easy Livin'", "Stealin'" and "Free Me".
Biography
Born in London, Hensley moved with his parents, three brothers and sister to Stevenage, Hertfordshire in 1955. He started to learn how to play guitar at the age of 12, from a Bert Weedon manual. His first gig was at The Mentmore Pen Factory, in Stevenage (September 1960). After that, he played with The Blue Notes, Ken And The Cousins and Kit And The Saracens (1962). In 1963, this band evolved into The Jimmy Brown Sound, and they even recorded some now lost songs. At this time, Hensley's first "professional" opportunity almost came about: they were going to back Ben E. King on a British visit, but it never happened.[citation needed]
In Early 1965, Hensley lost his interest in soul music and formed a band called The Gods, with the young guitarist Mick Taylor, well known later for his work with The Rolling Stones. Ken wrote most of the material, sang and played the Hammond B3 organ (mainly because the band already had the talented Mick Taylor on guitar). What he didn't know then, was that he would be such an influential musician playing exactly the organ. The Gods' line-up included, at one time or another, vocalist and guitar/bass player Greg Lake (later of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer), bass player Paul Newton (who would be later the first Uriah Heep bassist), drummer Lee Kerslake (later also of Heep), bassist John Glascock (later of Jethro Tull), and guitarist Joe Konas. In early 1968 they signed with Columbia Records, and recorded 2 LPs and several singles. After that, Newton left the band to join Spice, an Essex-based band.
The band eventually split but Cliff Bennett, from Rebel Rouser, decided to make a more progressive sound, and called The Gods guys to join him. So, by the name of Toe Fat, they released 2 LPs (only the first one with Ken). During this time, Ken also played on a dubious recording: Head Machine's "Orgasm" (not exactly a band, a project more likely). At this time, Ken played mainly guitar again, as in the beginning of his career.
Paul Newton asked Hensley (Christmas 1969) to join forces in Spice, since they were looking after a keyboards player to make their sound less bluesy and more progressive at the time. In January 1970, Spice changed its name into Uriah Heep. Also on the line-up were guitarist Mick Box and vocalist David Byron. With Uriah Heep, Ken Hensley found a place to develop and show to the world his songwriting and lyrics abilities, keyboards and guitar playing. The major success came, and Heep is now acclaimed as one of UK's most legendary rock bands. The chemistry of the most classic line-up including Hensley, Byron, Box, Kerslake and bassist Gary Thain, plus the management provided by Gerry Bron (Bronze Records), were the launching points of their tremendous capability of making great music. During his time with Heep (1970 - 1980), they recorded 13 studio albums, and one of the most acclaimed live albums of all times: "Uriah Heep Live - January 1973" (not to mention lots of compilations and singles). Hensley also recorded his first 2 solo albums, "Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf" (1973) and "Eager To Please" (1975) during this time. With the departure of Thain (died in 1975) and Byron, other excellent musicians also got into the Heep family: John Wetton (Family, King Crimson, Roxy Music, later of UK and Asia), Trevor Bolder (from Spiders From Mars, later of Wishbone Ash) and John Lawton (Lucifer's Friend), among others. The chemistry though, wasn't the same anymore.
In 1980 Hensley left the band, not happy with the musical directions they were choosing at the time. After trying to put a new band together first in the UK (Shotgun), he later moved to the USA and played a few gigs in North America with the suggestive name of Ken Hensley Band.
In 1982 Hensley joined Blackfoot, a hard rock Florida-based band. With them, he recorded 2 albums and achieved again some success, but he left after Bron told him about Byron's sad death in 1985. He had also released by this time his third solo LP, "Free Spirit" (1980).
Hensley had been since then almost in retirement, in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), making only a few appearances in some musical projects, with W.A.S.P., Cinderella and others. Blackie Lawless (W.A.S.P.) has defined exactly what Hensley means to the rock'n'roll history:
"Ken Hensley wrote the rule book for heavy metal keyboards as far as I'm concerned."
This could be debated as Jon Lord of Deep Purple may have written the rule book for heavy metal keyboards in general. Ken Hensley likely wrote the rule book for heavy metal piano as heard in Paradise/The Spell from Demons and Wizards. The period also gave birth to many other amazing keyboardists/organists, not the least of which were Alan Taff Freeman of Nektar, and John Evan of Jethro Tull.
Surprisingly though, things began to change in the mid 90s after years of silence. In 1994, "From Time To Time", a collection of lost recordings, was released featuring rare songs recorded by Ken between 1971 and 1982, as well as some very good early versions of Heep's classic songs, played by Ken and his roommates at that time, namely guitarist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke (both of Free). Other musicians on the songs were bassist Boz Burrell (King Crimson and Bad Company), guitarist Mick Ralphs (Bad Company), drummers Ian Paice (Deep Purple, Whitesnake) and Kenny Jones (The Who), amongst others.
In 1999 Hensley's musical activities began to increase, besides his work with St. Louis Music. He recorded an album, "A Glimpse Of Glory", together with his band Visible Faith. An eclectic collection of ballads and hard rock tunes, this album was hugely acclaimed by fans who were hungry for new material from Ken.
During the fourth Uriah Heep Annual Convention in London, May 2000, plans were made for a one-off concert by the so-called "Hensley/Lawton Band". Ken was joined by former Heep singer John Lawton, their first public collaboration since John's departure from Heep in 1979. With them were Paul Newton (Heep's original bassist), and 2 members of John's band, Reuben Kane on lead guitar and Justin Shefford on drums. They played a sort of old Heep classics and some of Ken's solo songs to an amazed audience, and the concert was recorded for a proper CD release, followed by a tour in Europe culminating with a concert in Hamburg, Germany, featuring a full orchestra and a new rendition of Heep's old classic "Salisbury"!
This is definitely not the end of the story, since Hensley has been quite busy working on his solo career. "Running Blind", his first effort in 21 years, was released worldwide and followed by a world tour with his band called "Free Spirit", that included some incredible musicians: Dave Kilminster (guitar), Andy Pyle (bass) and Pete Riley (drums). Kilminster and Riley later also played in the Keith Emerson Band (Kilminster is part of Roger Waters band nowadays). He now plays regular annual shows at small venues in Scandinavia, such as the "Summer Party" in Fredrikstad, Norway, where he has been playing consecutive gigs every August for nearly six years.
After moving to Spain, Hensley kept his schedule busy and released "The Last Dance" (with new songs), "The Wizard's Diary" (Uriah Heep classics re-recorded in 2004) and "Cold Autumn Sunday" (Ken's solo songs re-recorded in 2005).
Featuring a number of special guests, the rock opera "Blood On The Highway" was recorded at the end of 2006 and released in May 2007. The story portrays the rise and fall of a rock'n'roll star and the eventual restart. The lead vocals role was split between Ken himself, plus Glenn Hughes (ex-Deep Purple, Trapeze, Black Sabbath), Jorn Lande (ex-The Snakes, Masterplan), John Lawton (ex-Lucifer's Friend, Uriah Heep) and Eve Gallagher.
In September 2008, Ken Hensley joined the stage again with John Lawton, Lee Kerslake and Paul Newton, all of Uriah Heep fame plus the addition of ex-Focus guitarist Jan Dumée, for the "Heepvention 2008" fans meeting. Two shows with one acoustic one day and a full set the day after set the standard for Uriah Heep's music through 2 decades.
Hensely continued to write and record a series of new albums, beginning with a collection of songs under the title of Love & Other Mysteries, recorded near his home in Spain and followed in 2011 by Faster, his first studio recording of new songs with his live band, Live Fire. A CD of one of his solo concerts was released by Cherry Red Records in 2013, shortly followed by a live CD recorded with Live Fire during a September/October tour. Trouble, an album of 10 new songs recorded with a revised Live Fire line-up was released, again by Cherry Red, in September the same year.
Fortune
Ken Hensley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When we were even less together
I appeared to have my back to the wall
And the way things were going
There was no way of knowing
If I was having any luck at all
An old man awaited his death
Part of me cried out but none turned to hide
For no curses distorted his breath
It was than that I took to thinking
And my hands took to writing
And my dreams came in answer to the call
Waiting in wonder my thoughts ran like thunder
Could it be that I've been wasting my mind
I grew sort of cold as the vision unfolded
Bursting the shackles of time
So I gathered what I had
And took a look at what was going down
And it made me kinda sad
Seeing all the circles going slowly 'round
And the stars sang in harmony
It was so perfect that it laid me down
And the rainclouds were tossed away
Seemed like the world was lost and I would drown
In its sound
Somewhere along the way
I don't know where I had
Really believed I was poor
Looking not seeing
The point of my being
When all of my fortune is sure
The song "Fortune" by Ken Hensley explores the theme of self-discovery through the story of a man who feels like he's hit rock bottom. He reflects on his past, feeling like he's gone nowhere in life and that his luck has run out. Suddenly, he encounters an old man who is waiting for his death. This encounter prompts him to reevaluate his life and take action towards finding his purpose. He begins to write and starts having vivid dreams that guide him towards making meaningful changes in his life.
The lyrics offer a sense of hope and optimism in the face of adversity. The singer realizes that despite feeling poor and unlucky, he possesses something more valuable than material wealth. He discovers that his fortune lies in his ability to create, dream, and connect with the world around him. The imagery of stars singing in harmony and rainclouds being tossed away highlights the transformative power that can be unlocked within oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Although now it seems like never
Despite this feeling of a distant past
When we were even less together
When we were less connected than before
I appeared to have my back to the wall
I appeared to be in a difficult or impossible situation
And the way things were going
And given the circumstances at the time
There was no way of knowing
There was no way to predict
If I was having any luck at all
If I was experiencing any good fortune
Silently, suddenly standing before me
An old man appeared before me without warning or sound
An old man awaited his death
The man seemed to be preparing for his imminent death
Part of me cried out but none turned to hide
Although I was scared and emotional, no one else seemed affected
For no curses distorted his breath
He appeared to be at peace and not struggling
It was than that I took to thinking
It was then that I began to contemplate and reflect
And my hands took to writing
I began to write down my thoughts and ideas
And my dreams came in answer to the call
My aspirations and hopes were realized and responded to
Waiting in wonder my thoughts ran like thunder
I waited in amazement as my thoughts raced and became clear
Could it be that I've been wasting my mind
Was it possible that I had not been using my mental abilities to their fullest potential?
I grew sort of cold as the vision unfolded
I became apprehensive as the vision became more clear
Bursting the shackles of time
Breaking free from the constraints of time and space
So I gathered what I had
I collected my possessions and resources
And took a look at what was going down
And assessed the situation and circumstances around me
And it made me kinda sad
And it made me somewhat upset or disappointed
Seeing all the circles going slowly 'round
Observing the same patterns and trends repeating in a slow cycle
And the stars sang in harmony
The stars seemed to create a harmonious sound
It was so perfect that it laid me down
It was so beautiful and perfect that it overwhelmed me and made me feel weak
And the rainclouds were tossed away
The negative or sad feelings and situations were dispelled
Seemed like the world was lost and I would drown
It felt like the world was overwhelming and that I would be consumed by it
In its sound
In the beauty or power of the experience
Somewhere along the way
At some point in my journey or development
I don't know where I had
I was not sure where or how I developed this belief
Really believed I was poor
Believed that I lacked wealth or resources
Looking not seeing
Observing but not truly understanding or comprehending
The point of my being
The purpose or reason for my existence
When all of my fortune is sure
When my good fortune and blessings are certain and guaranteed
Contributed by Reagan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Vladimir Pisarev
/Мы в этот мир пришли не для себя.../
Один неверный шаг и жизнь как смерч –
Закрутит и разрушит всё вокруг.
С годами лишь научимся беречь
Всё то, о чём поведал мудрый друг…
А в молодости жизнь – как день один…
Летим вперёд, не ведая дорог…
И только с появлением морщин
Полюбим жизнь, что дал авансом Бог…
А мы, собрав ошибки в рюкзачок,
Потащим в зрелость ношу на плечах…
Как в сказке той, где старый башмачок
О туфельке мечтает сгоряча…
Чем раньше мы поймём, что жизнь одна,
И лучше не доспать, чем всё проспать,
Тем раньше станет нам судьба верна.
Мы сможем жизнью с толком управлять…
Как много не успели мы сказать
Тем людям, что уже ушли от нас…
А память будет злиться и терзать
За то, что говорили: «Не сейчас…»
Упущены моменты, дни, года,
А мы листаем прошлое опять,
Где «Нет» исправить хочется на «Да!»,
Вот только слишком поздно исправлять…
Надежды безразличием губя,
Заметить тех, кто рядом, не хотим…
Мы в этот мир пришли не для себя,
А для того, чтоб мир дарить другим…Как дела, Саша, вообще?
Serge Miller
Although now it seems like never
When we were even less together
I appeared to have my back to the wall
And the way things were going
There was no way of knowing
If I was having any luck at all
Silently, suddenly standing before me
An old man awaited his death
Part of me cried out but none turned to hide
For no curses distorted his breath
It was than that I took to thinking
And my hands took to writing
And my dreams came in answer to the call
Waiting in wonder my thoughts ran like thunder
Could it be that I've been wasting my mind
I grew sort of cold as the vision unfolded
Bursting the shackles of time
So I gathered what I had
And took a look at what was going down
And it made me kinda sad
Seeing all the circles going slowly 'round
And the stars sang in harmony
It was so perfect that it laid me down
And the rainclouds were tossed away
Seemed like the world was lost and I would drown
In its sound
Somewhere along the way
I don't know where I had
Really believed I was poor
Looking not seeing
The point of my being
When all of my fortune is sure.
Alexander Karnaukhov
Кен ушел, вместе с ним ушла и эпоха... Вечная память великому музыканту!
Дакота Дакота
Сегодня его хоронят.Даже не верится ,что его уже нет.Долгая память ему и Царствие Небесное.
Виталий Ткаченко
@Алон Зарченко Да, отец его с детства воспитывал в строгой Христианской вере. Царствие ему Небесное!
Алон Зарченко
Прими, господи, душу раба твоего верного...
Серж Прохоров
Мне 54, слушал и любил хипов с детства. Для меня,да и только ли для меня,он были инопланетяне. Прошли годы, вырос мой старший сын и вот в 2016 он пошёл на сольный концерт Кена Хенсли во Львове. После концерта он СФОТОГРАФИРОВАЛСЯ! с КЕНОМ!!! Когда я увидел это фото,ч не поверил своим глазам! Не знаю,что со мной было бы если бы я просто увидел ЕГО в молодости? Спасибо тебе великий музыкант за шикарную музыку моей юности . Светлая память тебе.
svv svv
Один из лучших клавишников хард-рока-вечная память тебе Кен Хенсли!
Ivan Иван
@Виталий Ткаченко согласен 👍
Виталий Ткаченко
@Bek Bek Он не "после" - они вместе...
Bek Bek
Второй после Лорда...
Анна Чирук
Слушаю и плачу, Земля тебе пухом Кен Хенсли ,