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.
Pay The Price
Wishbone Ash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby don't care who's mad about her,
Always got the boys hanging out to get her,
Knows just when to smile
But she can bite like a crocodile.
Don't want to get heavy, don't ask me why,
Got everything in place from her foot to her eyelash.
Just might dance, but not for a while
Knows it when you think she's nice,
But if you want her to be yours, boy,
You got to pay the price.
Better get ready for tears and sorrow -
She'll be here today and she'll be gone tomorrow
Waving her pretty hand.
She's got a date with another man.
Too busy to stay in one place too long,
Got itchy feet, got to be moving on.
See you again, out on the tiles,
Your broken heart will mend, baby, up in a while.
Now you know she's cold as ice
And if you want her to be yours, boy,
You got to pay the price.
The lyrics in Wishbone Ash's song Pay The Price tells the story of a woman who is constantly pursued by men and knows how to play them to get what she wants. She is confident, attractive, and seems to have everything in place, from her flawless beauty to her charms. However, she is unattainable and refuses to be tied down to anyone. She thrives on attention and will flirt and dance but will not commit to anyone as she is always on the move.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the woman's high standards and the price that a man has to pay if he wants to be with her. The lyrics suggest that she is not interested in being in a serious relationship and implies that men should proceed with caution if they are looking for something more than casual. The song's lyrics ultimately warn men about the woman's fickle nature and encourage them to be prepared for heartbreak if they pursue her.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you know
The singer wants to address the listener, indicating they may be familiar with the subject of the upcoming conversation.
Baby don't care who's mad about her,
The woman being discussed is not concerned with the jealousy or anger of others as she attracts male attention.
Always got the boys hanging out to get her,
Men are consistently seeking the attention of this woman.
Knows just when to smile
The woman is socially savvy enough to know when it is appropriate to put on a happy face.
But she can bite like a crocodile.
She has a dark side and can be vicious.
Don't want to get heavy, don't ask me why,
The singer does not want to delve too deeply into this topic or explain his reasoning.
Got everything in place from her foot to her eyelash.
The woman is well put-together and in control of her appearance.
Just might dance, but not for a while
She may indulge in dancing, but not until she's ready.
She don't want nobody cramping her style.
The woman does not want anyone who will interfere with her way of being or living.
Knows it when you think she's nice,
She is aware of your opinion when you find her charming.
But if you want her to be yours, boy,
If you want to claim her as your own, you must adhere to certain terms.
You got to pay the price.
There is a cost you must be willing to pay to be with her.
Better get ready for tears and sorrow -
Be prepared for pain and agony.
She'll be here today and she'll be gone tomorrow
The woman is fickle and unreliable.
Waving her pretty hand.
She will leave with a dismissive and nonchalant gesture.
She's got a date with another man.
She is not interested in a commitment and has other suitors.
Too busy to stay in one place too long,
She has a restless spirit and cannot stay in one location for an extended period.
Got itchy feet, got to be moving on.
She has a constant urge to be on the move and explore the world.
See you again, out on the tiles,
The singer predicts they will run into the woman at some point in the future when they are out socializing.
Your broken heart will mend, baby, up in a while.
Although heartbreak is inevitable, the artist tries to offer reassurance that the pain will eventually subside.
Now you know she's cold as ice
The woman's demeanor is indifferent and detached.
And if you want her to be yours, boy,
The artist emphasizes the need to assert dominance in order to win her over.
You got to pay the price.
Again, the singer emphasizes the cost that must be paid to have a chance with her.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN STILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Ferguson
Damn,been listening to this album for almost 40 years,still love all tracks.
tommaguzzi 1
Never gets old for me
Zeone Martins
@tommaguzzi 1 One of their best albums. It's a shame people don't give a chance to much of their material after Argus
Miro Vegar
Awesome BAND and ALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!!
Duane Goodson
I like track number 8 the best. : )