Uriah Heep – Wizard

Video: Uriah Heep  performing  “The Wizard” aired on 27 May 1972 at ZDF Disco Nr.16
The band mimes live instruments over their studio track, typical of 1970s German TV music shows.

This song was written by Ken Hensley and Mark Clarke, who was Uriah Heep’s bassist for a short period, during a 1971 tour and the early stages of the recording of Demons & Wizards. This song was Clarke’s only writing contribution, as he got tired of touring and left the band as soon as they had found a replacement, Gary Thain. Clarke would later play with bands like Rainbow, Mountain and Billy Squier.

Mark Clarke got to sing a couple of lines in the middle part of the song, as the melody was deemed too high for Heep’s main lead vocalist David Byron. It has also been disputed whether Clarke or his replacement Gary Thain is playing bass on the song, but it is indeed Clarke playing.

When “The Wizard” aired on ZDF Disco, Uriah Heep’s lineup was:
David Byron (lead vocals)
Mick Box (guitar, backing vocals)
Ken Hensley (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals)
Mark Clarke (bass, backing vocals)
Lee Kerslake (drums, percussion)

“The Wizard” – Single by Uriah Heep from the album Demons and Wizards
Released 10 March 1972
Songwriters Ken Hensley, Mark Clarke
Producer Gerry Bron
Charted Mo.34 West Germany; No.8 Switzerland; No.86 Canada.