The Six Wives of Henry VIII (album)
The Six Wives of Henry VIII is the second studio album by English keyboardist Rick Wakeman, released in January 1973 on A&M Records. It is an instrumental progressive rock album with its concept based on his interpretations of the musical characteristics of the wives of Henry VIII. After signing with A&M as a solo artist, Wakeman decided on the album's concept during a tour of the United States with the progressive rock band Yes. As he read a book about the subject on his travels, melodies he had written the previous year came to him and were noted down. The album was recorded throughout 1972 with musicians from Yes and The Strawbs, the group Wakeman was in prior to Yes, playing on the album.
The organ of St Giles-without-Cripplegate, played on "Jane Seymour".
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboardist and composer best known as a member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his prolific solo career. AllMusic describes Wakeman as a "classically trained keyboardist extraordinaire who plied his trade with Yes and developed his own brand of live spectacular in a solo act."
Wakeman performing in 2017
Wakeman quit the Royal College of Music to become a full-time session musician
Among Wakeman's first sessions were for David Bowie
Wakeman performing with Yes in 1974. By this time, he had a distinctive look of long blonde hair and wearing capes on stage