Rick Wakeman's anecdote on creating "Morning Has Broken" with Cat Stevens

[davd_indigo]

This YouTube audio only anecdote was posted on another forum. I found it entertaining and fascinating. And it's one more instance where the "suits" in charge of things had things wrong.

[Mandolin Picker]

Thanks for this. One of my favorite hymns and always liked that arrangement.

[Anderton]

This YouTube audio only anecdote was posted on another forum. I found it entertaining and fascinating. And it's one more instance where the "suits" in charge of things had things wrong.

To "entertaining and fascinating," I'd add "hilarious!" Thanks much for posting that!! Someone should get Wakeman to write a book.

[AlamoJoe]

Fantastic post David...What a great story....Thanks for posting!

[1001gear]

Funny guy. What a horrible piano part. :snicker:

[davd_indigo]

To "entertaining and fascinating," I'd add "hilarious!" Thanks much for posting that!! Someone should get Wakeman to write a book.

I totally agree about the book. He could tell some great stuff about Yes working up their material I bet. But I've also thought about people like the loose knit members of the Wrecking Crew. I heard Hal Blaine on NPR maybe 15 years ago telling an anecdote about playing on sessions for Frank Sinatra. He told about them booking a double session so that tech dudes could tighten all the bolts on the music stands and everything in general was prepared so that Frank could breeze in with his entourage, rehearsed and ready to record, do his thing and leave. This made me hope that someone did maybe a round table series of interviews with some of them and recorded more of these stories. And yes, I've seen the documentary but I'm talking about something more extended.

[AlamoJoe]

I totally agree about the book. He could tell some great stuff about Yes working up their material I bet. But I've also thought about people like the loose knit members of the Wrecking Crew. I heard Hal Blaine on NPR maybe 15 years ago telling an anecdote about playing on sessions for Frank Sinatra. He told about them booking a double session so that tech dudes could tighten all the bolts on the music stands and everything in general was prepared so that Frank could breeze in with his entourage, rehearsed and ready to record, do his thing and leave. This made me hope that someone did maybe a round table series of interviews with some of them and recorded more of these stories. And yes, I've seen the documentary but I'm talking about something more extended.

Did you see the documentary on The Wrecking Crew? I think it was on PBS but now I don't remember.

[husker]

Wakeman has written a book - two of them actually.

https://www.amazon.com/Grumpy-Old-Ro...s=rick+wakeman

https://www.amazon.com/Further-Adven...s=rick+wakeman

I have them both. He is fascinating and funny, just as you would expect. Just the story of how he purchased and smuggled a Soviet Army uniform out Russia is worth the price itself...