The Six Wives of Henry VIII is the first studio album (also a concept album) from the English keyboardist and composer Rick Wakeman as a solo artist, released in January 1973 on A&M Records. It is an instrumental progressive rock album with its concept based on his interpretations of the musical characteristics of the six wives of Henry VIII. Wakeman decided on the concept in 1972 while he toured the United States with the progressive rock band Yes. As he read a book about the wives on his travels, melodies he wrote the previous year came to him and were noted down. Wakeman plays a variety of keyboard instruments including piano, Minimoog synthesiser, Mellotron, harpsichord and organ. Musicians from Yes and Strawbs, who he performed with prior to Yes, also play on the album.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. It reached number 7 on the UK Albums Chart and number 30 on the US Billboard 200. It was certified gold in 1975 by the Recording Industry Association of America and has sold 15 million copies worldwide. In 2009, Wakeman performed the album live for the first time at Hampton Court Palace for the 500th anniversary of Henry's accession to the throne. Each track was re-scored with added elements that could not be there due to time restrictions on the vinyl record.
Conception:
In August 1971, Rick Wakeman joined the English progressive rock band Yes to replace keyboardist Tony Kaye. While on tour of the United States in early 1972 to promote their fourth album Fragile (1971), he bought four books at an airport bookstall in Richmond, Virginia, one of them being The Private Life of Henry VIII by Nancy Brysson Morrison. As he read about Anne Boleyn on the subsequent flight to Chicago, a theme he recorded in November 1971 ran through his mind. He often scribbled down pieces of music while travelling, but could not find a theme to put them to. Said Wakeman, "I had been searching for a style to write in and suddenly I found it in writing music about these six ladies...I would concentrate on one of the wives and then music just came into my head and I would write it down. Sometimes I was flying, other times I was on stage, or just in front of the piano at home...The "Six Wives" theme gave me the thread, the link, I needed to give me a reason for putting these pieces of music together." He explains the album's concept in its liner notes: "The album is based around my interpretations of the musical characteristics of the wives of Henry VIII. Although the style may not always be in keeping with their individual history, it is my personal conception of their characters in relation to keyboard instruments."
More info about recording, release and reception:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Six_Wives_of_Henry_VIII_(album)
Additional musicians:
Bill Bruford – drums (A1, B2)
Ray Cooper – percussion (A1, B2)
Dave Cousins – electric banjo (A3)
Chas Cronk – bass guitar (A3)
Barry de Souza – drums (A3)
Mike Egan – guitar (A1, A2, B2, B3)
Steve Howe – guitar (A1)
Les Hurdle – bass guitar (A1, B2)
Dave Lambert – guitar (A3)
Laura Lee – vocals (B2)
Sylvia McNeill – vocals (B2)
Judy Powell – vocals (A1)
Frank Ricotti – percussion (A2, A3, B3)
Chris Squire – bass guitar (A1)
Barry St. John – vocals (A1)
Liza Strike – vocals (A1, B2)
Alan White – drums (A2, B1, B3)
Dave Winter – bass guitar (A2, B3)
Track listing:
All tracks were written by Wakeman, except where noted.
Side A:
"Catherine of Aragon" – 3:44
"Anne of Cleves" – 7:53
"Catherine Howard" – 6:35
Side B:
"Jane Seymour" – 4:46
"Anne Boleyn 'The Day Thou Gavest Lord Hath Ended'" – 6:32 (Wakeman, E. J. Hopkins)
"Catherine Parr" – 7:06
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