Return to Fantasy
1975 studio album by Uriah Heep
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Return to Fantasy is the eighth studio album by English rock band Uriah Heep, released on 13 June 1975 by Bronze Records in the UK and Warner Bros. Records in the US. It was the first of the two albums to feature John Wetton as the new bass player, who replaced Gary Thain in early 1975.
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| Return to Fantasy | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 13 June 1975 | |||
| Recorded | Spring 1975 | |||
| Studio | Lansdowne and Morgan, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:35 | |||
| Label | Bronze | |||
| Producer | Gerry Bron | |||
| Uriah Heep chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Return to Fantasy | ||||
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The sleeve-art is by British artist Dave Field.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 5/10[3] |
Return to Fantasy "retains the musical experimentation that marked Sweet Freedom and Wonderworld, but has an overall harder-rocking feel that makes it more consistent than either one of those albums", said Donald A. Guarisco in his retrospective AllMusic review. He criticized some of the album's "genre-hopping", and concluded, "In the end, Return to Fantasy lacks the coherence of a top-shelf Uriah Heep classic like Demons and Wizards but remains a strong and likable album that is guaranteed to please the group's fans".[2] The review by Canadian journalist Martin Popoff was very critical of the album's recording "dominated by blaring but thin organ and sloppy drumming" and of David Byron's "distant and unsure" performance, judging the album "completely adrift without a trace of spark".[3]
Track listing
All tracks are written by David Byron, Mick Box, Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Return to Fantasy" | Hensley, Byron | 5:52 |
| 2. | "Shady Lady" | 4:46 | |
| 3. | "Devil's Daughter" | 4:48 | |
| 4. | "Beautiful Dream" | 4:52 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Prima Donna" | 3:11 | |
| 6. | "Your Turn to Remember" | Hensley | 4:22 |
| 7. | "Showdown" | 4:17 | |
| 8. | "Why Did You Go" | 3:53 | |
| 9. | "A Year or a Day" | Hensley | 4:22 |
| Total length: | 40:35 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Shout It Out" (B-side to single "Prima Donna") | Hensley | 3:34 |
| 11. | "The Time Will Come" (B-side to single "Return to Fantasy") | 4:10 | |
| 12. | "Beautiful Dream" (previously unreleased version) | 5:49 | |
| 13. | "Return to Fantasy" (edited version) | 3:39 | |
| Total length: | 57:49 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Shout It Out" (B-side) | 3:34 |
| 11. | "The Time Will Come" (B-side) | 4:08 |
| 12. | "Prima Donna" (alternate demo version) | 4:05 |
| 13. | "Why Did You Go" (alternate demo version) | 5:18 |
| 14. | "Showdown" (alternate demo version) | 4:18 |
| 15. | "Beautiful Dream" (alternate demo version) | 5:48 |
| 16. | "Return to Fantasy" (extended version) | 7:18 |
| Total length: | 75:08 | |
Personnel
- Uriah Heep
- David Byron – lead vocals
- Mick Box – guitars
- Ken Hensley – keyboards, guitars, synthesizer, backing vocals
- Lee Kerslake – drums, percussion, backing vocals
- John Wetton – bass guitar, Mellotron, backing vocals
- Additional musicians
- B.J. Cole – pedal steel on "Why Did You Go"
- Mel Collins – saxophone on "Prima donna"
- Production
- Gerry Bron – producer
- Peter Gallen – engineer
- Dave Burns, Dave Harris – assistant engineers
- Harry Moss – mastering engineer at EMI Abbey Road Studios, London
- Dave Field – illustration
- Joe Gaffney – photography
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[17] | Silver | 60,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||