White Rock (album)
1977 studio album by Rick Wakeman
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White Rock is the second soundtrack album by English keyboardist Rick Wakeman, released in January 1977 by A&M Records.[3] It was produced as the soundtrack to White Rock, a 1977 documentary film about the 1976 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck, Austria.[4][5]
| White Rock | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1977 | |||
| Recorded | January–September 1976 | |||
| Studio | Advision, Fitzrovia and The Music Centre, Wembley | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 34:52 | |||
| Label | A&M[1] | |||
| Producer | Rick Wakeman | |||
| Rick Wakeman chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Lisztomania | ||||
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In 1999, Wakeman released a sequel soundtrack, White Rock II.
Recording
Wakeman had forgotten about a track he had been asked to compose, titled "After the Ball". Instead of confessing to the producers that he forgot to write something, he said he had a composition ready and proceeded to play a completely improvised track. The first take was a success, without the need to record a second take. "After the Ball" has become part of Wakeman's repertoire, featured on several future albums and videos.
"Ice Run" uses parts of "Anne of Cleves", a track from Wakeman's first album, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973). The comparison can be made by listening to "Anne of Cleves" at 00:48 and "Ice Run" at 3:29.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [6] |
| The New Rolling Stone Record Guide | [7] |
The Pittsburgh Press wrote that the album "is electronic, popular and interesting... Wakeman plays more keyboards than most people know exist."[8]
Track listing
Side one
- "White Rock" – 3:10
- "Searching for Gold" – 4:20
- "The Loser" – 5:30
- "The Shoot" – 3:59
Side two
- "Lax'x" – 4:53
- "After the Ball" – 3:03
- "Montezuma's Revenge" (traditional) – 3:56
- "Ice Run" – 6:11
Personnel
Music
- Rick Wakeman – Moog synthesiser, Steinway grand piano, Mellotron, Mander pipe organ, RMI Computer Piano, marimba, RMI Rock-Si-Chord, Hohner clavinet, Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond C3 organ, grand piano
- St Paul's Cathedral Choir
- Tony Fernandez – drums, percussion
Production
- Rick Wakeman – production, arrangements
- Paul Hardiman – mastering
- Richard Lewzey – assistant on "After the Ball" and "Montezuma's Revenge"
- Ken Thomas – tape operator
Charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[14] | Silver | 60,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||