Wishbone Ash can trace its origins back to Torquay, Devon, England, a seaside resort in the southwest of the country. It was there that Martin Turner and Steve Upton first performed together; Turner on bass, Upton on drums, before moving to London in 1969 to seek fame and fortune. In the capital the decision was made to place an advertisement for a keyboard player and a lead guitarist. The resulting audition threw up two guitar leads, but nobody could decide who to choose and the trademark twin-lead sound of Wishbone Ash was born.
Ted (David) Turner and Andy Powell soon went through the poverty and growing pains of a new band, but were fortunate that Miles Copeland was championing their cause and a fairly rapid progression was achieved. The first Album, Wishbone Ash, was released in December 1970 and their second, Pilgrimage, surfaced just six months later to reach #6 in the NME charts. Great things were just 11 months away with the release of Argus (1972) -- possibly the band's best album; certainly their most commercially successful -- which reached #2 in the UK charts and went gold. Argus is considered to be one of the great rock classics of all time. The next album, Wishbone Four, only 12 months later, went silver.
After these early highs, Ted Turner decided that he had had enough, and left the band to be replaced by Laurie Wisefield. Although Laurie’s style was not to everyone’s taste, he was generally well liked by the fans and brought a slightly harder edge to the folk-tinged progressive rock that was the Wishbone Ash formula. Wisefield was a dynamic player and became an excellent partner to Andy -- they were to play together for a very successful 11 years and the MKII version of the band is very well thought of for most of its output. About this time the band became more influenced by America and would eventually move there.
The next album, There's The Rub (1974), was recorded in Florida and produced by Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk. Once again it was to do well, achieving silver disc status. There's the Rub included the instrumental piece F.U.B.B. Steve Upton was arrested in New Zealand for announcing at a concert it's full title. In New Zealand, swearing in public is a criminal offense, and when Upton announced the title at an outdoor concert, a woman sunbathing in her garden nearby complained to the mayor. Upton spent the night in jail, and the album reached #3 in New Zealand due to the publicity.
It was inevitable that a turkey was due and to fans Locked In (1976) fit this bill. This record was not released -- it escaped! Fortunately things were much better with the quality of the following albums and although the high chart positions were gone, the fans were enjoying some competent, well-crafted output.
After 11 years in the band, Martin Turner decided to leave. This move began a period of frequent changes of bass player with the likes of John Wetton and Trevor Bolder being two of the better known; however, Wishbone Ash always has attracted musicians of the highest order. A much more controversial move was the introduction of Clair Hamill to fill in some of the vocal talent Martin had taken away with him. Clair was not popular with the fans which was perhaps a little unfair. She had contributed backing vocals on Just Testing (Turner's last album (1980), which he had also produced) and had co-written the excellent Living Proof, which is still a crowd favourite today. Her stay was short-lived with Andy Powell taking on more vocal duties. Wisefield left in late 1985 and the band continued to tour with various replacements, but were very much in limbo until 1987 when a miracle occurred. Miles Copland persuaded the original lineup to reform for a project for a music charity that he was helping, and a Hammersmith Odeon concert which the BBC recorded resulted. The project produced an instrumental album Nouveau Calls (1987), which was very well received. Even better received was the fact that three years of the original lineup were to follow.
Just when things were going so well, Steve Upton decided to quit the business entirely in 1990, to be replaced by Ray Weston. Martin Turner carried on for another year before leaving to pursue a solo career, and Ted left two years later. The next five years saw lots of personnel changes, but eventually resulted in a good period of stability with Ray Weston returning and Bob Skeet joining on bass in 1998.
The new millennium has also seen stability in respect of Andy's guitar partner, with the last 6 years being filled by Ben Granfelt and subsequently Muddy Manninen, both of whom come from Finland. 2005 saw Wishbone Ash celebrate their 35th year. 2006 heralded the new album Clan Destiny (the first featuring Muddy as guitarist). 2007 saw the exit of long-term drummer Ray Weston, due to the increasingly hectic pace of band life. Joe Crabtree (formerly of The David Cross band) stepped up to fill his place. With regard to new releases, 2007 saw First Light, which features original recordings of the songs featured on their debut album, as well as some outtakes. Also released that year was the new album The Power of Eternity (partly featuring Joe Crabtree on drums), which coincided with the Autumn tour.
Wishbone Ash are still performing 150 gigs a year in the U.S. and Europe. They get very supportive crowds with good numbers turning out all over Europe -- the U.S. tends to attract smaller audiences, but very committed fans. If you want to hear classic Wishbone Ash, get ahold of Argus. Visit their web site www.wishboneash.com, where tour dates and albums, etc. can be obtained.
Capture the Moment
Wishbone Ash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Capture that moment with no thoughts to intrude in your way.
Go with the feeling; don’t be scared to strike out on your own.
All your spells and your potions will protect you from feeling alone.
All you aspire to, all will be there for you.
The illusion of fredom is what gets us through the night.
Stay in that sweet spot, let the fear and the loathing slide by.
Capture the moment as you ready yourself to fly
The song "Capture the Moment" by Wishbone Ash is a reflective piece about living in the present and not letting negative thoughts or fears hold you back. The lyrics urge the listener to fully embrace each new day, savoring each moment without any intruding thoughts. The song suggests that by going with your gut feelings and not being afraid to take risks, you can lead a fulfilling life without feeling alone. The lyrics suggest that the magic of life surrounds us, and we only need to capture it to be happy.
The chorus speaks to the idea of reassurance, stating that everything we aspire to will be there for us if we let go of our fears and embrace life. The song describes the "illusion of freedom" that gets us through the night, but ultimately, rebirth and renewal are what lead to true happiness. By staying in the "sweet spot" and letting go of negative emotions, one can "ready themselves to fly."
Line by Line Meaning
Savour the moment as you take your first breath of the day.
Enjoy the beginning of your day and appreciate the moment.
Capture that moment with no thoughts to intrude in your way.
Live in the present and remain focused on the moment without any distractions affecting you.
Go with the feeling; don’t be scared to strike out on your own.
Follow your instincts and do not hesitate to pursue your path in life.
All your spells and your potions will protect you from feeling alone.
The things you cherish will keep you from feeling lonely.
All you aspire to, all will be there for you.
Everything you strive for is possible to achieve.
The illusion of freedom is what gets us through the night.
The idea of freedom gives us hope and the strength to overcome our fears and troubles during difficult times.
Rebirth and renewal are the lessons of all that’s right.
The idea of being reborn and renewed is the foundation of all that is good and just in life.
Stay in that sweet spot, let the fear and the loathing slide by.
Stay where you feel comfortable and at ease, and do not let fear and negative emotions affect your state of mind.
Capture the moment as you ready yourself to fly
Appreciate and embrace the moment as you prepare yourself for the next phase of life.
Contributed by Kaylee C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mark Robinson
great guitar as always.
David Rowe
Sweet song