The Wizard (Uriah Heep song)
| "The Wizard" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Uriah Heep | ||||
| from the album Demons and Wizards | ||||
| B-side | Why | |||
| Released | May 1972 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock, folk rock | |||
| Length | 2:59 | |||
| Label |
Bronze Mercury | |||
| Writer(s) | Ken Hensley, Mark Clarke | |||
| Uriah Heep singles chronology | ||||
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"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-D. 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]
Chart performance
| Country (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Switzerland | 8 |
| Germany | 34 |
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
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