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.
Ships In The Sky
Wishbone Ash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Open my eyes to a new way
Wailing sailing wind of wonder
Carry me cross your dividing line
Ships in the sky, I've seen 'em pass by
Shining bright in the night
Don't look behind you
Do I imagine these footsteps behind me
Can't see with this smog in my face
Tracy trace your hands they are shaking
Tell me what you have seen
Ships in the sky, I've seen 'em pass by
Shining bright in the night
Don't look behind you
The song "Ships In The Sky" by Wishbone Ash speaks to the concept of a new beginning, a fresh start, and the unknown possibilities that come with it. The lyrics create an image of sailing out into the world, braving the wind and the elements with eagerness and a sense of adventure. The opening lines of the song emphasize this idea of a new beginning, with the image of morning bringing something new and the desire to open one's eyes to a new way. The second line introduces a sonic element, the wailing wind, that adds to the sense of motion and movement, as though the singer is already being carried forward on their journey.
The next lines, "Ships in the sky, I've seen 'em pass by / Shining bright in the night / Don't look behind you," suggest a sense of wonder and amazement at the unexpected sights the singer is encountering as they venture forth. The ships in the sky are a metaphorical representation of these new experiences, shimmering and ethereal in the dark. The idea not to look behind implies that the singer is fully committed to moving forward, embracing the journey and the future rather than dwelling on the past or being held back by fear or hesitation.
The final lines of the song, "Do I imagine these footsteps behind me / Can't see with this smog in my face / Tracy trace your hands they are shaking / Tell me what you have seen," add a note of uncertainty and tentativeness to the overall message. The singer is questioning their perception, wondering if they are seeing and hearing things that aren't really there. The smog suggests a lack of clarity or clear vision, both literal and metaphorical. The introduction of Tracy, whose hands are shaking, implies that there may be others joining the singer on their journey, but these lines leave it open to interpretation as to whether Tracy's presence is comforting or not. Overall, the song speaks to the desire for new experiences and a sense of awe and wonder at the unexpected things that may come with venturing forth into the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
Morning morning give me something
The singer is asking for something to start their day with.
Open my eyes to a new way
The singer is hoping to see things from a different perspective.
Wailing sailing wind of wonder
The singer is marveling at the beauty of the wind on the water.
Carry me cross your dividing line
The artist is asking the wind to take them across the line that separates one place from another.
Ships in the sky, I've seen 'em pass by
The artist has seen imaginary ships in the sky.
Shining bright in the night
The imaginary ships are bright and visible at night.
Don't look behind you
The singer is telling someone not to look back.
Do I imagine these footsteps behind me
The artist is questioning whether they are being followed.
Can't see with this smog in my face
The artist is having trouble seeing due to the smog in the air.
Tracy trace your hands they are shaking
The artist is asking Tracy to calm down and focus.
Tell me what you have seen
The singer is asking Tracy to share her own experiences.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Phil Jackson
No smoke without fire and Just Testing are two of my favourite albums from the Laurie Wisefield years ..His writing and playing were in my view the energy and creativity needed after Ted Turner left the band ...In the years that followed Andy Powell has always amazed me with his energy and ability to keep the wheels turning for what is one of the best working bands that still survive and prosper since the early seventies ..Bravo! Wishbone Ash ..still thrilling us all :)
1990
Martin Turner was the main creative force. They never recovered from his leaving. Plus,he could really sing.
Kashaslove
Hi Phil. I asked Andy and he said this is Laurie!
Bob Biker
Phil Jackson , I agree 110% ! growing up and coming of age in the late 60's and the 70"s I was witness to the greatest generations of music performed by the greatest bands in the history of recorded music. I especially remember one cold night in 1973 when Fleetwood Mac opened for Wishbone Ash, and after Fleetwood Mac's set was over we waited for over two hours for Wishbone Ash to take the stage only to find out we would have to wait a little longer as one of the planes trucks carrying some of Wishbone Ash's equipment never arrived in town, however Fleetwood Mac had their Roadies unload their gear from their trucks so Wishbone Ash could use what they needed to go on. once they took the stage the magic started they played the entire Argus album plus many songs from their earlier records, with Ted Turner memorizing us all as the whole band left it all on the stage that cold winter night in 1973.
Phil Jackson
Hello Kashaslove....The greatest thrill of life for me was to grow up in the sixties and seventies seeing all of the greatest bands from the UK and America progress to become even greater . Thank you for your comment... they are my most played albums too :) Phil
Kashaslove
Thanks Phil!
Robert McDougall
Just that classic Wishbone Ash sound, this I always felt was one of their most under-rated albums.
Peter Qvarnström
Timeless album. So good.
Jürgen Seibert
what a great and underrated band
AGoodOldRebel
Very unusual sound, would never have found this song if I wasn't looking for airship music.
Thanks for posting this!