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.
The Power
Wishbone Ash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I glance at the clock face
This road makes the journey long
My head is in deep space
Well I'm loving and I'm living
But I need some reflection
Laying down the right chord
Timed to perfection
But here as I move
Into great silence
I dig deep in my soul
And come to the essence
I find that there is no past
Only this hour
So let me take that chance
And harness the power
The Power
Well I'm loving that I'm living
But I need some reflection
Putting my thoughts into words
Timed to perfection
All is calm
It's the heathen hour
The sinners go down to pray
The lyrics of Wishbone Ash's song "The Power" delve into the themes of self-reflection and finding inner peace amidst the chaos of life. The singer finds himself lost in an "electric world," but takes a moment to glance at the clock face and realizes the journey ahead will be long. His head is "in deep space," signifying a state of detachment from the world around him. He yearns for reflection and sets about laying down the right chord, timed to perfection. There is a sense of urgency in the lines about timing, as if he knows this moment is crucial in his quest for inner peace.
As the song progresses, the singer moves into "great silence," indicating a deep meditative state. He reflects on his inner self and delves deep into his soul. In doing so, he realizes that there is no past, only this hour. This line has a profound meaning - the past is behind us, but what we do in the present moment is what sets the stage for our future. The singer acknowledges this fact and takes a chance to harness the power of the moment. In other words, he seizes the present moment to find inner peace and strength.
In the final stanza of the song, the singer continues to reflect on his life. He acknowledges that he is loving and living, but needs some reflection. He puts his thoughts into words, which are timed to perfection. The song ends with a sense of calm - "all is calm" - as the heathen hour fades away, and the sinners go down to pray.
Line by Line Meaning
Lost in an electric world
Feeling disconnected and disoriented in a fast-paced modern world
I glance at the clock face
Noticing the passing of time as I struggle to keep up
This road makes the journey long
The challenges on my path make my journey feel never-ending
My head is in deep space
I am lost in thought, disconnected from the present moment
Well I'm loving and I'm living
Despite my struggles, I am alive and grateful for life
But I need some reflection
I need to take a step back and evaluate my life
Laying down the right chord
Finding the right path or solution to my problems
Timed to perfection
Doing things at the right moment or pace for maximum effectiveness
But here as I move
As I continue on my journey
Into great silence
Finding peace in moments of quiet and solitude
I dig deep in my soul
Reflecting on my innermost thoughts and feelings
And come to the essence
Discovering my true self and values
I find that there is no past
Realizing that the past is gone and cannot be changed
Only this hour
Focusing on the present moment, which is all we have
So let me take that chance
Seizing the opportunity to make the most of my life
And harness the power
Using my newfound wisdom and insights to make positive changes
All is calm
Finding peace amidst chaos and turbulence
It's the heathen hour
A time of night when wickedness is thought to be at its strongest
The sinners go down to pray
Acknowledging one's flaws and seeking redemption despite difficult circumstances
Contributed by Joshua F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
James Keffer
Fantastic this is great song and great CD love it