The Wizard (Uriah Heep song)

"The Wizard"
Single by Uriah Heep
from the album Demons and Wizards
B-side	Why
Released	May 1972
Format	7"
Genre	Progressive rock, folk rock, hard rock
Length	2:59
Label	Bronze Mercury
Writer(s)	Ken Hensley, Mark Clarke
Uriah Heep singles chronology
"Look at yourself" (1971) "The Wizard" (1972) "Easy Livin'" (1972)

"The Wizard" is a single from rock band Uriah Heep's 1972 album Demons & Wizards and was the first single to be lifted from the album. It was composed by Mark Clarke and Ken Hensley.^[1] It is a gentle, semi-acoustic ballad whose lyrics deal with a man wandering until he meets "the Wizard of a thousand kings", a possible reference to the druid Merlin, to Gandalf, to an angel or even God. This song is the first Uriah Heep single which had a music video. The song is in the tuning of C-G-C-F-A-C#. The song is written in the key of C major.^[2]

The style of "The Wizard" represents a country rock ballad.^[3]

The song was composed by keyboardist-guitarist Ken Hensley and the band's short time bassist Mark Clarke.^[4] "The Wizard" also was the only composition that includes Clarke as a member of the band. Clarke also call the studio version of the song. "The Wizard" tells the story of man who is walking in mountains and meets the wizard. The song has charted at #34 in Germany and at #8 in Switzerland.^[5] On the "Equator" tour, around the time of Byron's passing, Uriah Heep would dedicate "The Wizard" to him.

Cover versions

A cover version of "The Wizard" was released by power metal band Blind Guardian on their 1995 single "A Past and Future Secret", and 1996 compilation album The Forgotten Tales.

Chart performance

Personnel

• Mick Box — Guitar
• Lee Kerslake — Drums
• Mark Clarke — Lead vocals, bass guitar
• Ken Hensley — Keyboards, 12-string acoustic guitar
• David Byron — Lead vocals

References

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics