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.
Say You Will
Wishbone Ash Lyrics
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Feelings in the air,
I been around, my feet on the ground
Still I find despair.
Wandering around without you,
Walking the lonely streets today.
She tries to carry on as well as she can,
When nobody believes in love any more,
Doing the best she could.
Still we lie
Still we cry.
I wonder what you see today
So often being led astray,
Reading through the lines.
I'm not asking any more
You must have seen this before.
I'm asking all this time, will you care for me?
Say you will
Say you will
I'm asking to share this time with you.
And now I find you lost again,
Misunderstood by your friends,
And you turn around.
I'm asking, what do you say?
I'm only heartbeats away
I'm asking to share this time with you.
Say you will
Say you will
I'm asking to share this time with you.
The lyrics of Wishbone Ash's song "Say You Will" speak to the complexities of love and relationships. The opening lines describe the feelings of love and hope for the future, but also the feeling of despair that can linger even in the midst of love. The verses continue with a sense of wandering and loneliness without the person you love. The female protagonist in the song is portrayed as someone who is trying to carry on, but is met with disbelief and skepticism from those around her, who no longer believe in love.
The chorus of the song is a plea for connection and understanding between the two lovers. The singer wants the other person to say that they will share this time together, despite the misunderstandings and difficulties they may face. The last two verses of the song continue the theme of misunderstanding and distance between the two lovers, and the singer's continued plea for the other person to say they will be there with her.
Overall, the song explores the ups and downs of love, the feelings of loneliness and despair that can come with it, and the importance of communication and connection in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Seeing the love before my eyes
Witnessing a strong connection between two people and recognizing the signs of love.
Feelings in the air,
The atmosphere is charged with emotions that are palpable and noticeable.
I been around, my feet on the ground
I have worldly experience and am practical in my outlook.
Still I find despair.
Despite my level-headedness, I am still prone to feelings of hopelessness.
Wandering around without you,
Existing without the person who is the object of my desire and affection.
Walking the lonely streets today.
Moving through empty spaces and experiencing a sense of isolation.
She tries to carry on as well as she can,
The subject of the song is making an effort to cope with their situation.
She cries to be understood.
The subject is seeking empathy and acknowledgement from others.
When nobody believes in love any more,
A common mindset that assumes love is no longer a viable or worthwhile pursuit.
Doing the best she could.
Despite the odds, the subject is trying their hardest to persevere.
Still we lie
Even in the face of difficulties, people tend to deceive themselves and others.
Still we cry.
Emotions can be overwhelming and lead to tears.
I wonder what you see today
Questioning what the other person is feeling and experiencing in the present moment.
So often being led astray,
Frequently being misled and deceived by others or one's own emotions.
Reading through the lines.
Analyzing and interpreting subtle cues and signs in order to better understand what is happening.
I'm not asking any more
No longer being passive or complacent, the subject is asserting themselves and their desires.
You must have seen this before.
The subject assumes that the other person has had experience with similar situations before.
I'm asking all this time, will you care for me?
The singer is directly requesting emotional support and love from the other person.
Say you will
The singer is hoping for a positive response from their request for support.
I'm asking to share this time with you.
The artist wants to spend more time with the other person and deepen their connection.
And now I find you lost again,
The other person is currently experiencing confusion or uncertainty.
Misunderstood by your friends,
Those around the other person are not understanding their situation or perspective.
And you turn around.
The other person is altering their course of action or demeanor.
I'm asking, what do you say?
The artist is inquiring about the other person's response to their emotional request.
I'm only heartbeats away
The singer feels very close to the other person, both physically and emotionally.
I'm asking to share this time with you.
The singer wants to spend more time with the other person and strengthen their relationship.
Say you will
The singer continues to hope for a positive response from the other person.
Say you will
Repeating the request for emotional support and love to emphasize its importance.
I'm asking to share this time with you.
The artist wants to spend more time with the other person and develop a deeper bond.
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC, SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DANIEL JOSEPH SPILS, DAVID EUGENE MARTIN, KEVIN JOHN GOLDMAN, REGINALD L. WATTS, THADDEUS JEFFREY TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind