Rick Wakeman has announced four releases to follow live DVD Starmus, featuring Brian May, which was launched last week.
The additional titles include three DVD/CD sets and an all-new orchestral CD, with launch dates between August 5 and November 25.
The flurry of activity comes as Wakeman gears up for a tour with Yes offshoot Anderson, Rabin & Wakeman – who are working on their own new material.
The Starmus DVD, on sale now, was recorded at the Starmus Festival on Tenerife, where Wakeman and Queen guitarist May collaborated with the English Rock Ensemble for an astronomy-themed show.
On August 5 a special edition of classic 1925 Lon Chaney movie Phantom Of The Opera is released, featuring a specially-commissioned Wakeman soundtrack. The restored and remastered film is signed by the keyboardist and comes in a special edition featuring Chaney photographs and reproduced lobby cards.
A package centred on Wakeman’s 1980s TV show Gastank arrives on September 16, containing some of the impromptu performances delivered by Wakeman, his house band and special guests including Steve Hackett, Andy Fairweather Low and Phil Lynott. It’s the first time all episodes of the show will have been made available, along with a CD of the musical skits. A signed, limited-edition box set comes with a shirt, book and reproduction AAA pass.
The limited-edition Gospels deluxe box set is released on October 21, featuring operatic tenor Ramon Remedios, who leads a suite inspired by the four Gospels, which Wakeman wrote in aid of the Camberley United Reform Church. The set includes all known recordings related to the project, an in-depth interview with Wakeman, and a reproduction concert programme.
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Finally, brand-new orchestral piece Rainbow Suite is launched on November 25. Performed with assistance from the Orion Orchestra, it’s described as “therapeutic music designed for people with an autistic spectrum disorder to enjoy – as well as aficionados of quality music.”
Wakeman recently said of his reunion with Jon Anderson and Trevor Rabin: “It hit home to us all, certainly to me, that, ‘Hold on a minute, we’re not immortal.’
“Anything can happen almost overnight. If there’s something you want to do and you feel you have to do, you have to do it. You can’t say, ‘When we’ve got a bit of time, we’ll do that.’ We spoke to each other and went, ‘We’ve got to do this.‘”
Their North American tour commences on October 4, with UK dates to follow in March.
The inside story behind Anderson, Rabin & Wakeman
Anderson, Rabin & Wakeman tour dates
Oct 04: Orlando Hard Rock Live, FL
Oct 06: Hollywood Seminole Hard Rock Casino, FL
Oct 07: Clearwayer Ruth Eckerd Hall, FL
Oct 09: Durham Performing Arts Centre, NC
Oct 10: Atlanta Fox Theatre, GA
Oct 15: Glenside Keswick Theatre, PA
Oct 16: Glenside Keswick Theatre, PA
Oct 19: Boston Wang Theatre, MA
Oct 21: Wallingford Toyota Oakdale Theatre, CT
Oct 22: Huntington Paramount, NY
Oct 24: Montclair Wellmont Theater, NJ
Oct 26: Red Bank Count Basie Theatre, NJ
Oct 28: Atlantic City Borgota Event Center, NJ
Oct 29: Akron Goodyear Theater, OH
Nov 01: New York Beacon Theatre, NY
Nov 02: Pittsburgh Heinz Hall, PA
Nov 04: New Buffalo Four Winds Casino, MI
Nov 05: Chicago Theatre, IL
Nov 07: Nashville Schermerhorn Symphony Centre, TN
Nov 09: St Louis Fox Theatre, MO
Nov 11: New Orleans Saenger Theatre, LA
Nov 12: San Antonio Majestic Theatre, TX
Nov 14: Austin Moody Theater, TX
Nov 16: Denver Paramount Theatre, CO
Nov 17: Salt Lake City Capitol Theater, UT
Nov 19: Las Vegas Pearl, NV
Nov 20: Phoenix Celebrity Theatre, AZ
Nov 22: Los Angeles Orpheum, CA
Nov 25: San Francisco Masonic, CA
Mar 12: Cardiff Arena
Mar 13: Birmingham Symphony Hall
Mar 15: Brighton Dome
Mar 16: Bournemouth International Centre
Mar 19: London Hammersmith Apollo
Mar 21: Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
Mar 22: Edinburgh Usher Hall
Mar 24: Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Mar 25: Manchester Apollo
