1984 (Rick Wakeman album) After leaving Yes in early 1980, Wakeman resumed his solo career and reformed his band, the English Rock Ensemble, and completed a European tour. For his next project, Wakeman secured a recording deal with Charisma Records which granted him an advance and without a deadline to complete an album. Wakeman estimated the album took around two-and-a-half years to produce from conception to completion. It stemmed from his longtime wish of working with other musicians, blend electronic keyboards with an orchestra and choir, and to write an album based on the future rather than historical concepts. He chose to make a
The First Tape Album tracks The First Tape Album The First Tape Album is a part-studio, part-live cassette-only album released by UK the neo-progressive band Twelfth Night in 1980. Th First Tape Album was the first by the band with the classically trained keyboard Rick Battersby, who was an old friend of the band (he had helped them with dry ice for their first band contest appearance). Twelfth Night was the first band he joined. His inclusion made the music fuller and more adventurous. The studio tracks ("Freddie Hepburn" and "Sequences") were recorded at Multium Studios, in Wokingham, England, in December 1979. "Fur Helene