Firefly (Uriah Heep album)
| Firefly | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Uriah Heep | ||||
| Released | February 1977 | |||
| Recorded | October–November 1976 | |||
| Studio | Roundhouse Recording, London, England | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length |
35:20 (original release) 52:11 (CD reissue) | |||
| Label |
Bronze (UK) Warner Bros. (US) | |||
| Producer | Gerry Bron | |||
| Uriah Heep chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
Firefly is the 10th studio album by British rock band Uriah Heep, released in February 1977 by Bronze Records in the UK and Warner Bros. Records in the US. It was their first album without lead vocalist and founding member David Byron, and the first of three albums with new singer John Lawton.
Bassist Trevor Bolder made his Uriah Heep debut on this album. Barring a break of about 18 months in the early 1980s, he remained with the group until his death in 2013.
The first single from the album was "Wise Man".
The original vinyl album was a gatefold sleeve, with a cardboard lyric liner.
The album was remastered and reissued by Castle Communications in 1997 with four bonus tracks, and again in 2004 in an expanded deluxe edition.
Reception
A retrospective review by AllMusic said that the album "pursued a stripped-down sound harking back to the group's early-'70s successes," and concluded that "Firefly remains one of the most cohesive albums from Uriah Heep's mid- to late-'70s period".[1]
Track listing
All tracks written by Ken Hensley, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Hanging Tree" | Hensley, Jack Williams | 3:40 |
| 2. | "Been Away Too Long" | 5:03 | |
| 3. | "Who Needs Me" | Lee Kerslake | 3:39 |
| 4. | "Wise Man" | 4:40 | |
| 5. | "Do You Know" | 3:12 | |
| 6. | "Rollin' On" | 6:21 | |
| 7. | "Sympathy" | 4:44 | |
| 8. | "Firefly" | 6:21 |
1997 bonus tracks
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Crime of Passion" (B-side of "Wise Man" single) | 3:37 | |
| 10. | "Do You Know" (previously unreleased demo version recorded in 1976) | 3:16 | |
| 11. | "A Far Better Way" (previously unreleased version different from the rough mix released on the Time of Revelation box set in 1996) | Hensley, Box, Kerslake, Bolder, Lawton | 5:50 |
| 12. | "Wise Man" (TV backing track - previously unreleased mix originally used during an advertising campaign) | 4:48 |
2004 deluxe edition bonus tracks
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9. | "Crime of Passion" (B-side) | Hensley, Box, Kerslake | |
| 10. | "A Far Better Way (Demo Mix)" | Hensley, Box, Kerslake, Bolder, Lawton | |
| 11. | "I Always Knew" | Hensley, Box, Kerslake, Bolder, Lawton | |
| 12. | "Dance Dance Dance" | Hensley, Box, Kerslake, Bolder, Lawton | |
| 13. | "Been Away Too Long (Alternative Version)" | ||
| 14. | "Do You Know (Demo Mix)" | ||
| 15. | "Who Needs Me (Alternative Live Version)" | Kerslake | |
| 16. | "Wise Man (T.V. Backing Track)" |
Personnel
- John Lawton – lead vocals
- Mick Box – guitar
- Trevor Bolder – bass guitar
- Lee Kerslake – drums, vocals on "Firefly"
- Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitars, vocals on "Firefly"
Additional personnel
- Engineer – Peter Gallen
- Assisted by John Gallen
- Cover concept and coordination – Gail Clarke
- Cover painting – Martin White