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February 1972 - February 1975
Mick Box - Guitars David Byron - Vocals Ken Hensley - Keyboards Gary Thain - Bass Lee Kerslake - Drums Albums released: Demons And Wizards The Magician's Birthday Uriah Heep Live Sweet Freedom Wonderworld |
Iain Clarke left the band beeing replaced by Lee Kerslake, (born 16 April 1947 in Bournemouth, Hampshire now Dorset, England). Lee Kerslake joined on November 23rd 1971 (after a session at Jubilee Studios, London) and had been followed by bassist Gary Thain. Thain replaced Man Clarke in an American tour time. One of the group's concerns had been the health of Gary Thain. A strenuous touring schedule, compounded by the bassist's heavy drug dependency (inherent even before joining Heep). Gary Thain was electrocuted while on stage in Dallas - "all I remember is going to the amplifier to adjust the equalisers, the next thing that happened was I blacked out" - resulting in hospitalisation, cancelled dates in America and the postponement of three in England too. Bron was not too sympathetic, thinking of the group's interest, resulting in a war of words that finally spilled out into the pages of Sounds, with the musician complaining that "the music's been forgotten, it's now a financial thing." Bron explained Thain's outburst as "a misunderstanding" in a bid to diffuse the situation but from that moment on Thain's days were surely numbered. Three months later, he was out of the band, with all parties in agreement that he was in no physical condition to continue. On December 8th 1975, Gary Thain, aged 27, was found dead in his Norwood Green home, having overdosed on heroin. |
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Mick Box |
Lee Kerslake |
David Byron |
Gary Thain |
Ken Hensley |