Pray For Surf interviewed Rick Wakeman

Pray For Surf interviewed Rick Wakeman

PFS ~ Rick, most readers of this blog will remember you as a member of Yes but you have recorded with many other artists, recorded solo albums, you have studied at the Royal College of Music ... A wild ride musically these four decades?

Rick Wakenman ~ THAT WAS THANKS TO MY FATHER WHO WAS A GREAT PIANIST IN HIS DAY , BOTH CLASSICAL AND LIKE THE GREAT CHARLIE KUNZ OF YEARS GONE BY . MY DAD DRUMMED IN TO ME THAT THE ONLY WAY TO GET AN ALL ROUND AND THOROUGH MUSICAL EDUCATION WAS TO OPEN MY EARS AND HEART TO EVERYTHING THAT WAS OUT THERE...AND SO I DID ! I PLAYED IN DANCE BANDS, WORKING MEN'S CLUBS, CHURCHES (FUNERALS AND WEDDINGS) , TRAD JAZZ BANDS, FOLK BANDS, COUNTRY AND WESTERN (HATED THAT), AND ROCK BANDS OF COURSE . I SOON DISCOVERED THAT MUSIC IS A NEVER ENDING APPRENTICESHIP COURSE.


PFS ~ Beginning with The Gospels in 1987, you have released a dozen albums of music that are faith-focused. What prompted you to write and produce Christian music? ===>Click headline to access website . . .

Rick Wakeman ~ I SUPPOSE THE SIMPLE ANSWER TO THAT IS BECAUSE I WANTED TO ! I LOVE WRITING FOR CHOIRS AND FOR ME THE FINEST CHORAL WORKS ARE ALL BASED AROUND CHRISTIANITY . THE GOSPELS WAS REWRITTEN TWICE AND WILL UNDERGO YET ANOTHER REWRITE IN SOME AREAS THIS YEAR AS WELL . I ALSO PRODUCED A COUPLE OF LIGHT ROCK CHRISTIAN ALBUMS BUT I HAVE A QUESTION MARK OVER THAT ALBUM (CAN YOU HEAR ME) AS ALTHOUGH I REALLY LIKE THE MUSIC , I WOULD HAVE LOVED A BIGGER BUDGET . IT SADDENS ME THAT SO MUCH MUSIC FOR THE CHRISTIAN MARKET DOES NOT HAVE PROPER BUDGETS TO WORK WITH . I ALSO RECORDED SOME PRAYERS WITH MUSIC AND SOME BIBLICAL READINGS AS WELL . I WOULD TRULY LIKE TO DO MORE BIG WORKS WITH ORGAN , CHOIR AND A CAST OF THOUSANDS (SLIGHT EXAGGERATION THERE) AND HOPEFULLY WILL DO IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE . I DO HAVE TWO DIFFERING CHURCH ORGAN PROJECTS PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR .


PFS ~ Your latest, Amazing Grace, is both a CD and a DVD - What was the driving vision behind this project?



Rick Wakeman ~ IT STARTED WITH MY WANTING TO RECORD AMAZING GRACE REALLY AND THEN BEING ASKED TO PRESENT THE STORY OF JOHN NEWTON FOR THE BBC . I REALISED HOW MANY OTHER WONDERFUL TUNES AND MELODIES THERE WERE OUT THERE CONNECTED TO GREAT HYMNS AND THAT MOST OF THEM WERE NEVER ORIGINALLY RELATED AND THE SUBJECT FASCINATED ME . I HAD RECORDED AN ALBUM OF HYMNS BEFORE OF INSTRUMENTAL ARRANGEMENTS AND THIS WAS USED AS THE BASIS FOR THE NEW RECORDINGS WITH LOADS MORE ADDED INCLUDING TWO VERSIONS OF AMAZING GRACE . ROBERT GAROFALO DID AN ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT JOB OF PUTTING VISUALS TO THE HYMNS AND OVERALL IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST SATISFYING THINGS I HAVE EVER DONE AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE END PRODUCT .


PFS ~ Rock fans might be surprised by the musical relevancy of the traditional hymns you selected - Morning Has Broken, Amazing Grace ... Why these songs? How do these "ancient" songs speak to the 21st century person?

Rick Wakeman ~ I PICKED HYMNS WHERE THE MUSIC HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH THE MUSIC . IN OTHER WORDS , IF SOMEONE PLAYED THE TUNE , YOU WOULD NAME THE HYMN . THIS IS PERFECT PAIRING AND IT IS AMAZING HOW MANY PIECES OF MUSIC FOUND THEIR WAY TO THE HYMNS SO MANY YEARS AFTER THE HYMNS THEMSELVES HAD BEEN WRITTEN .



PFS ~ How do you see your work with Yes (and other rock projects) relating to the faith-focused material you have written and recorded?

Rick Wakeman ~ I DON'T . I NEVER CONNECT THE TWO IN ANY WAY . I THINK THAT WOULD BE A MISTAKE . I STILL GET SOME PEOPLE COME UP TO ME AND SAY I SHOULDN'T PLAY ROCK MUSIC AS IT'S THE WORK OF THE DEVIL ETC ETC .....I SIMPLY QUOTE THE GREAT CHRISTIAN SONGWRITER PAUL FIELD WHO SAYS AS FAR AS HE'S CONCERNED IT'S COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC THAT THE DEVIL GAVE US !!.....MUSIC IS MUSIC AT THE END OF THE DAY . IT'S INTERESTING TO ACTUALLY TRY AND SAY WHAT RELIGIOUS MUSIC IS ANYWAY ......SURELY IT HAS TO BE THE WORDS OR MUSIC WITH RELIGIOUS OR CHRISTIAN THINKING VISUALS .


PFS ~ Many PrayForSurf readers are Brian Wilson and Beach Boys fans. Have you had any contact with them or their music over the years?

Rick Wakeman ~ I HAVE MET BRIAN WILSON ON ONE OCCASION , BUT IT WAS LITERALLY A "HELLO". THE BEACH BOYS ARE PART OF ROCK MUSIC HISTORY AND ALWAYS WILL BE . ANY SOUND THAT IS UNIQUE WILL ALWAYS HANG AROUND IN FOLKLORE .


PFS ~ Rick, one of your albums was simply entitled Prayers (1993) ... How does prayer a part of your spiritual life?

Rick Wakeman ~ OF COURSE . BUT I'M NOT A RITUAL MAN , ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO ADMIT TO HAVING A FEW WORDS WITH THE BOSS UPSTAIRS EVERY NIGHT JUST BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP . ....RE PRAYER ITSELF , I TOOK A LEAF OUT OF THE CHRISTIAN ARTIST, RODNEY MATHEW'S, METHOD OF PRAYER , WHICH IS ANYTIME , ANYWHERE AND DON'T BE FRIGHTENED TO SAY WHAT YOU THINK TO HIM , EVEN IF YOU'RE ANGRY . RODNEY USED TO GO INTO A FIELD NEAR HIS HOUSE SOMETIMES AND HAVE A RIGHT OLD GO IF HE WAS ANGRY ABOUT SOMETHING . HE TOLD ME THAT HE ALWAYS FELT GOD WAS QUITE HAPPY TO BE SHOUTED AT , THAT'S WHAT HE'S THERE FOR ! AND IT HELPS OUR UNDERSTANDING TOO .


PFS ~ Anything else you'd like to share with PFS readers?

Rick Wakeman ~ ONLY THAT I ALWAYS TRY AND REMEMBER THE WORDS OF MY FATHER WHO WAS SUCH A WISE MAN .....HE TOLD ME TO ALWAYS REMEMBER TO TRY AND BE A REAL CHRISTIAN WHO'S A LIVING PART OF THE REAL WORLD.......... AS THAT WAS THE BEST ADVERT GOD COULD ASK FOR.


PFS ~ Rick, would you be willing to write a prayer some of us might choose to pray along with you?

Rick Wakeman ~ IT'S A PRAYER FOR EACH OF US INDIVIDUALLY...THAT MIGHT START OFF A BIT STRANGE AND SEEM A BIT EGOTISTIC ...BUT STICK WITH IT AND YOU'LL SEE WHERE IT'S GOING . AGAIN IT STEMS FROM MY FATHER WHO ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO HELP OTHERS UNTIL YOU'D HELPED YOURSELF IN YOUR OWN LIFE

DEAR GOD.......

I'D LIKE TO PRAY FOR ME AS I NEED IT AS MUCH, IF NOT MORE THAN ANYONE I KNOW. I WANT YOU TO GIVE ME UNDERSTANDING OF ALL PEOPLES, ALL COUNTRIES, ALL CREEDS, COLOUR AND RELIGIONS.

I PRAY YOU CAN RID MY LIFE OF HATE AND ANGER, SO THAT I MAY BE ABLE TO HELP OTHERS WHO, LIKE ME, HAVE THESE UNNECESSARY FEELINGS.

HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND SADNESS SO I CAN COMFORT THOSE WITH SORROW IN THEIR LIVES.

I PRAY FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS , SO THAT I CAN LEARN TO FORGIVE OTHERS.

I PRAY FOR REALISATION IN MY HEART THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE IS MUCH THAT GOES ON AROUND ME THAT I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND.... BITTERNESS IN WAR, UNTIMELY DEATH, CRUELTY TO EACH OTHER, UNNECESSARY POVERTY AND PURE EVIL TO NAME BUT A FEW........YOU , AND YOU ALONE KNOW THE ANSWERS, AND THAT CAN GIVE SOLACE TO SO MANY.

I PRAY THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS BE WITH ME , BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN EVER BE WITH OTHERS............AMEN

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