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 Laurieâs style was not to everyoneâs 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.
Silver Shoes
Wishbone Ash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rregretting what you are
The memory of your claim to fame
Is left to bitter stars.
It hurts when people let you know
You're not a movie star
It's harder now than yesterday,
As the lines begin to show.
Waiting, crazy hotel lady,
To try and get some wine,
Waiting for the elevator
To take you to your blind.
Silver shoes and see-through blues
Hit me right between the eyes.
Cocktail bars, straight-edge cars,
Are your dreams come true.
Tomorrow shouldn't know it,
But now it's showin' through and through.
It hurts when people let you know
That you're not a movie star.
The song "Silver Shoes" by Wishbone Ash is a melancholic, introspective piece that speaks to the bittersweet journey of a woman who has lost her way. The opening lines speak of a "silver lady lost in a haze" who is "regretting what she is" - perhaps referring to how she has ended up where she is in life or how she has been perceived by others. The "memory of her claim to fame" is now "left to bitter stars", suggesting that whatever success she had in the past is now a distant memory.
The chorus is a powerful evocation of the pain of being told that your star has faded - "it hurts when people let you know you're not a movie star". The woman is waiting in a hotel, possibly alone, looking for a way to numb the pain ("waiting crazy hotel lady, to try and get some wine") while the world keeps turning around her ("waiting for the elevator to take you to your blind"). The line "silver shoes and see-through blues hit me right between the eyes" is a powerful image that suggests the woman's beauty and vulnerability.
The song also speaks to the price of fame, with the lines "cocktail bars, straight-edge cars, are your dreams come true". The woman may have achieved her dream of being a movie star, but at what cost? The closing lines suggest that while the pain of rejection is still keenly felt, the woman is resigned to her fate. "Tomorrow shouldn't know it, but now it's showin' through and through" implies that she has come to the realization that her star is no longer shining, but she's going to put on a brave face and soldier on regardless.
Line by Line Meaning
Silver lady, lost in a haze,
Addressing a woman who seems to be unsure of herself and her surroundings
Regretting what you are
Feeling a sense of dissatisfaction and remorse about one's current state
The memory of your claim to fame
Thinking back to a past achievement that once defined oneself
Is left to bitter stars.
But now it seems distant and unattainable, like something that can only be admired from a distance
It hurts when people let you know
Feeling the pain of disappointment and shame when one's inadequacies are exposed
You're not a movie star
Being faced with the reality that one's dreams of fame and glamour will never come to fruition
It's harder now than yesterday,
Acknowledging that the burden of this realization has only grown heavier over time
As the lines begin to show.
Seeing the physical and emotional toll that this realization has taken
Waiting, crazy hotel lady,
Describing a woman who is constantly waiting for something, and has possibly lost touch with reality
To try and get some wine,
Using alcohol as a way to escape from her problems
Waiting for the elevator
Hoping that a change of scenery will somehow bring her closer to her dreams
To take you to your blind.
But ultimately unable to see the truth of her situation
Silver shoes and see-through blues
Alluding to the materialistic and superficial nature of the woman's desires
Hit me right between the eyes.
Making a deep and lasting impression on the singer
Cocktail bars, straight-edge cars,
Describing the symbols of luxury and status that the woman desires
Are your dreams come true.
But ultimately recognizing that these dreams are only illusions, and will never bring true happiness
Tomorrow shouldn't know it,
Feeling a sense of shame and guilt about these desires, and wishing that they could be hidden from the world
But now it's showin' through and through.
But ultimately realizing that these desires have become an integral part of one's identity, and that they cannot be denied
It hurts when people let you know
Returning to the theme of disappointment and shame, and the pain of being faced with one's own inadequacies
That you're not a movie star.
Realizing that one's dreams of fame and fortune will never be realized, and that one must find a new path in life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDY POWELL, LAURIE WISEFIELD, MARTIN TURNER, STEVEN UPTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brian Rootz
This band is like the best kept secret in Rock n' Roll history.
Eric Wilder
Actually, (& Simply Stated Here):
THAT Would be "The Pretty Things" Brian, & with THAT stated:
MUCH RESPECT to the GREAT "Wishbone Ash"!!
1990
@Keith Jones I'm glad you approve.
Keith Jones
@1990 Excellent advice, another great album đ
Mark Robinson
They were at the top of their game here
Mark Robinson
You are right
Larry Austman
The sound from the first note is outstanding-----and a big shout out to Steve Upton whose perfectly understated but perfect drumming is often overlooked.. What a great drummer!!!!
Ajan Deka
What i feel like whether Kieth Moon of the who is playing drum.
Dennis Benzle
Larry Austman .your adrumer
biblioman
I bought this when it came out. Still sounds great 42 years later.