Wakeman attended Drayton Manor Grammar School. He initially studied piano, clarinet, orchestration and modern music at the Royal College of Music, but he left of his own accord after a year and a half in favour of work as a session musician.
In 1970, Wakeman played with Strawbs and was an active studio musician, playing with such artists as David Bowie, Cat Stevens and Al Stewart, notably playing piano on both Bowie's Life on Mars? and Morning Has Broken by Cat Stevens He joined Yes in 1971, after keyboardist Tony Kaye was asked to leave the band because of his refusal to play anything more than the organ. His first album with the band was Fragile released 1971 in the UK and 1972 in the US, and very nearly his last was Tales from Topographic Oceans, released in 1973. He also played on the studio album Close to the Edge (his favourite Yes album) and his live performances with the group were released as Yessongs. He left the band following the Tales from Topographic Oceans tour.
During his time with Yes, he released his first solo album, The Six Wives Of Henry VIII, which showcases his skills with various electronic and acoustic keyboard instruments. Some members of Yes played their respective instruments on certain tracks.
In 1975, he released the concept album The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table which was supported by a live show featuring ice skating theatrical performances accompanied by a large number of musicians, an orchestra and choirs. The cost of the show was extravagant and it caused Wakeman to declare bankruptcy.
Of all the members of the band, Wakeman is the only non-vegetarian, a difference which contributed to his first departure from the band. The primary reason for that initial departure, however, was musical differences. Wakeman felt Tales from Topographic Oceans was thin on substance and did not connect with its themes. Further, he did not enjoy the experience of reproducing the entire work on stage each night. He felt the length of the songs prohibited the band from playing many of their more popular songs of the time. Following the tour, as the band began work on what would become Relayer, Wakeman felt further alienated from the group. Disenchanted with the direction in which Yes were going, and already into a successful solo career, Wakeman jumped ship.
He rejoined Yes for their 1977 album Going for the One. He remained until their next album, Tormato, a year later. He is reputed to have given the album its name by throwing a tomato at a showing of the art used for the album's cover.[citation needed]
In 1989, he joined with three fellow ex-Yes members to form Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (a.k.a. ABWH). After ABWH's first album, some of the completed tracks for a planned second album were merged with tracks from an in-progress Yes album to create the album Union. Wakeman, along with the combined members of both bands then joined to form a Yes supergroup (made up of past and present members of Yes) for the subsequent tour in 1991. When the tour ended a year later, Wakeman left again. He then returned in 1996 for the Keys to Ascension albums but left before the band could tour. In 2002, he rejoined Yes and has been with the group ever since, but also enjoys a successful solo career.
He has also performed as a guest or session musician for artists as disparate as:
* John Williams,
* Brotherhood of Man,
* Elton John,
* Lou Reed,
* David Bowie (notably mellotron on 'Space Oddity', piano on 'Life On Mars' and 'Changes'),
* Cat Stevens (including piano on Stevens' hit cover of the hymn "Morning Has Broken"),
* T. Rex,
* Ozzy Osbourne,
* Black Sabbath (playing keyboards on "Sabbra Cadabra" and "Who are You" on 1973's Sabbath Bloody Sabbath),
* Brian May and played piano on "There's no one quite like Grandma"[citation needed] by St. Winifred's School Choir.
Although Wakeman was a noted player of the Hammond Organ and the Minimoog, he also played a key part in the popularisation of the Mellotron – an electronic musical instrument that used a bank of prerecorded tape strips, activated by each key on its keyboard. It proved too unwieldy and unreliable for regular touring, and Rick eventually doused his in petrol and set fire to it in a field . Undeterred, Rick worked with David Biro to develop the Birotron, which used the then popular 8-track cassette format rather than bare tape strips. Only 35 Birotrons were produced, it was not a commercial or technical success, and Rick eventually threw his across the stage after it broke down mid-concert, an action he now regrets, as there are only 6 known remaining examples.
He has written the soundtracks for two films by Ken Russell: Lisztomania (1975), which features vocals from Roger Daltrey and which takes as its starting point the music of Liszt and Wagner; and Crimes of Passion (1985), much of which is built around themes taken from Dvorak's New World Symphony.
As announced on the official Yes website, Rick Wakeman will not be joining Yes on their 40th Anniversary tour, he will instead be replaced by his son Oliver Wakeman. In 2008, Wakeman has been touring with a solo show, "Rick Wakeman's grumpy old picture show", an evening of biography, stories and music.
Personal life
A self-confessed former alcoholic, he had several heart attacks in his twenties. The first of them occurred just after he left Yes in early 1974, during the release of Journey To The Centre Of The Earth. He married former Page Three model Nina Carter, although they have since divorced. He has had a renewal of his Christian faith, which began around the time of their marriage.
Children include Adam Wakeman, Oliver Wakeman, Oscar Wakeman, Jemma Wakeman, Ben Wakeman, and Manda Wakeman, who have inherited their father's interest in music.
A passionate football fan, Wakeman has supported Brentford F.C. since he was a child, and later on he also became a director of the West London club. After a disagreement with the board, he moved on to Manchester City F.C. but never stopped loving the Bees. He was also involved in the ownership of the American soccer club Philadelphia Fury in the late '70s, along with other rock celebrities such as Peter Frampton and Paul Simon.
He is a strong supporter of the UK's Conservative Party, and performed a concert in September 2004 for the benefit of the party. The Arthur section of his King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table suite is used as the theme tune to the BBC's Election Night Coverage since 1979 (with the exception of 2001). Wakeman's album Fields of Green '97 featured the track "Election '97/Arthur", which was used by the BBC for their coverage of the 1997 General Election. The music was further revamped for the BBC's 2005 Election Night coverage.
Rick can currently be seen as a contributor on BBC Two's series, Grumpy Old Men. He has also appeared in a number of episodes of Countdown; about twenty per year, according to Wakeman. He currently (2008) presents a weekly Saturday morning programme, "Rick's Place", on Planet Rock. He has also appeared on the satirical panel show Have I Got News For You as a guest.
Rick appeared as himself in "Journey to the Centre of Rick Wakeman", the last episode of season two of Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music, a BBC Radio 4 comedy programme. The episode detailed a fictional war between England and Wales in 2009 which only Rick could stop. The majority of the episode was set inside Rick where Mitch and his team are sent to rouse him from a coma and thus stop the war.
In December 2006, Rick was the guest host for an episode of The Personality Test, a BBC Radio 4 programme where the panel stay the same and the host changes each week. The questions set in the programme are all about the host. Rick set a challenge for a new concept album idea, and the comedian Will Smith suggested "Spiders and Other Invertebrates". Rick said he liked that idea so much, he would include a track of his next album called "Spiders and Other Invertebrates", and would include a sleeve credit to Will. Will responded by saying that Rick had "...just made my life".
Rick has been president of the show business charity The Heritage Foundation (formerly Comic Heritage) for the past two years. The charity erects blue plaques on the homes and/or work-places of late entertainers and sportspeople. He is also Honorary President of the Classic Rock Society, a UK-based organisation helping to promote classic and progressive rock. In October 2007 Rick commenced a new tour 'Rick Wakeman's Grumpy Old Picture Show', where Rick accompanies video performers such as Gordon Giltrap and the English Rock Ensemble.
He also appeared on Top Gear and got a lap time of 1.55.26.
In December 2006 and 2007, Rick was the celebrity who turned on the Christmas lights in Diss, Norfolk, a town close to his home.
On 25 June 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Wakeman among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. In September and October 2019, Wakeman embarked on his first solo American tour in 13 years, playing piano shows. Wakeman's Christmas-themed piano album, Christmas Portraits, was released in November 2019.
In January 2020, Wakeman started recording a new progressive rock album which was set for release in March. The album's title was revealed as The Red Planet and, according to Wakeman, harks back to albums such as The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Criminal Record; it was due for release on 3 April 2020 and features the English Rock Ensemble. It was delayed again to be released "nearer to June realistically", due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dancer
Rick Wakeman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soon the dancing will start
To square old Syd Watter's band
Anticipation is calm, mainly under the arm
As they wait for the dancing to start
Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow
There's a plumber from Hackney with a hooker from Bow
What once held up high I'm afraid now hangs down low
The costumes are strange just like the people inside
Some men four foot six tall, some women four foot six wide
Still the floor's reinforced for the onslaught to come
As they wait for the dancing to start
Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow
Yes they glide round the floor just like hippos in snow
Quick,quick,slow,slow,quick
Here's the Irish contestants, yes it's Doreen and Mick
They each have a number so it's easy to spot
Those who can tango and those who cannot
With their arms in the air and their legs wide apart
They prepare for the dancing to start
Good lord a couple out there are really having a go
He's turned upside down, their bodies now intertwined
What's their number, ay yes, sixty-nine
And Doris there who makes all her own clothes
Unfortunately it's Sydney who's wearing them
Formation teams in a line
Some full of hope and some full of wine
You know the reason why they're there more or less
And their idol's dress
And our solo tenor saxophonist has done for music
What Walt Disney has done for blue movies
Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow
Everyone's eyes are on the big silver cup
Come in number seven, 'cos your time is up
It must please one couple out there on their own
'Cos everyone else has gone home
The lyrics of the song “The Dancer” written by Rick Wakeman captures the essence of a dance party scene in a hall where people are waiting eagerly for the dancing to begin. There is tension in the air as everyone anticipates the arrival of the dance band. The excitement in the room is palpable and despite the strange costumes and odd body shapes of the people, the floor is reinforced for the onslaught that is yet to come.
The lyrics provide an interesting commentary on the state of the dancing culture and the people who participate in it. They highlight the stark contrast between the expectations of the dancers and the reality of the situation. Some people on the dance floor are not skilled dancers and struggle to keep up with the music. The costumes too, are unusual, making the people inside them look stranger than what they might normally look.
As the song progresses, we see some dancers daring to take risks and trying out more complex moves. The line, “Good Lord a couple out there are really having a go” showcases how some dancers are more comfortable and confident than others. The lyrics climax with a statement about a couple who finally win a big silver cup, implying that their moment of glory has arrived after everyone else has given up and gone home.
Overall, the song “The Dancer” provides a humorous and ironic commentary on the dance culture and brings to light the various absurdities that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
The tension is there in the hall as they stand
The atmosphere is tense and anxious as people gather in the hall.
Soon the dancing will start
They are all waiting for the dancing to start.
To square old Syd Watter's band
The band led by Syd Watter is there to play square dance music.
Anticipation is calm, mainly under the arm
People are anticipating the dancing to start but remain calm and composed.
As they wait for the dancing to start
People are eagerly waiting for the dancing to begin.
Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow
The dance steps are slow, slow, quick, quick, slow.
There's a plumber from Hackney with a hooker from Bow
A plumber from Hackney is dancing with a hooker from Bow.
What once held up high I'm afraid now hangs down low
Someone's particular body part isn't as firm as it used to be.
The costumes are strange just like the people inside
The costumes are unusual, much like the people who wear them.
Some men four foot six tall, some women four foot six wide
Some of the people are extremely short while others are quite wide.
Still the floor's reinforced for the onslaught to come
The dance floor is reinforced to handle the weight of the many dancers.
Yes they glide round the floor just like hippos in snow
The dancers are moving like hippos on the snow-covered ground.
Quick, quick, slow, slow, quick
The dance steps include quick, quick, slow, slow, quick.
Here's the Irish contestants, yes it's Doreen and Mick
The Irish contestants, Doreen and Mick, have arrived on the dance floor.
They each have a number so it's easy to spot
Every contestant has a number so they can be easily identified.
Those who can tango and those who cannot
Each contestant has a different level of tango expertise.
With their arms in the air and their legs wide apart
The dancers have their arms in the air and legs wide apart in preparation for dancing.
Good lord a couple out there are really having a go
A daring couple is wildly dancing on the floor.
He's turned upside down, their bodies now intertwined
The man is upside down while embracing his partner.
What's their number, ay yes, sixty-nine
The couple's identifying number is sixty-nine.
And Doris there who makes all her own clothes
Doris makes her own clothes.
Unfortunately it's Sydney who's wearing them
Unfortunately, someone else is wearing Doris's clothes.
Formation teams in a line
The formation teams are arranged in a line.
Some full of hope and some full of wine
Some of the formation teams are full of optimism while others are full of wine.
You know the reason why they're there more or less
Everyone knows why the formation teams are gathered there.
And their idol's dress
The attire of the idol being honored is on display.
And our solo tenor saxophonist has done for music
The solo tenor saxophonist is amazing at his craft.
What Walt Disney has done for blue movies
The saxophonist is as influential as Walt Disney is for blue movies.
Everyone's eyes are on the big silver cup
All eyes are on the big silver cup on display there.
Come in number seven, 'cos your time is up
The winner, number seven, has been declared.
It must please one couple out there on their own
One couple is pleased with their performance as they're the only ones remaining.
'Cos everyone else has gone home
Everyone else has left the venue.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RICK WAKEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind