Where are they now? - Oliver Wakeman &
Benoît David
This page last updated: 6 Mar 2010
On this page: Benoît David - Oliver Wakeman
David
also sings with
progressive rock
group Mystery
and tribute band Close to the Edge (MySpace page),
who perform the music of Yes from 1971-4. Close to the Edge played
a handful of Quebec
shows in 2009 and are considering
2010 dates depending on David's availability. The rest of the
band are Richard Lanthier
(bass, Moog Taurus, backing vocals), Phil Charmettant (guitars, lap
steel, backing vocals), Simon Mercure (keys, backing vocals) and Pierre
Dragon (drums).
Mystery released Beneath the Veil
of Winter's Face (Unicorn Records,
UNCR 5040) in 2007. The rest of the band currently consists of Michel
St-Père (guitars, keys, backing vocals), Steve Gagné
(drums, backing vocals, keys), Benoit
Dupuis (keys, backing vocals), Dean Baldwin (guitars, keys, backing
vocals), Francois Fournier (bass, backing vocals). The band play
live: they supported Saga in Sep
2009 for one show in Canada and play RoSfest
(Gettysburg, PA) on 30 Apr 2010. They plan to release a new
album around May 2010,
which has been somewhat delayed by David's
commitments to Yes.
(Benoît David should not be
confused with jazz pianist David
Benoit.)
Oliver Wakeman currently plays keys with Yes—details on main page.
Solo
Oliver's regular band consists of himself (keys, piano), Paul
Manzi (vocals), David Mark Pearce (guitars), Paul Brown (ex-Medicine
Man;
bass), Dave
Wagstaffe
(Landmarq, Peter Banks,
ex-John Wetton; drums). Now out is "Coming to
Town", a live DVD of a show in Katowice, Poland in
Oct 2007. Bonus material includes an interview with O. Wakeman, photo
gallery and biography. A limited edition version
of the release came with an audio CD of the show, and that CD has
now had a separate, general release in Europe the US as Coming
to Town - Live in Katowice. Wakeman and Manzi
have also worked together as a duo.
Oliver's latest solo album was Mother's
Ruin (Progrock
Records) with Oliver on keys and acoustic guitar and Moon Kinnaird (a.k.a.
Ian Gould; ex-Landmarq;vocals),
Tim Buchanan (Smokestack;
bass), Pearce (guitars), Wagstaffe (drums), Karl Groom (Shadowland,
Threshold;
recording
engineer). Artwork and design were
also by Oliver. Oliver
has also been working on an album follow-up to Mother's
Ruin featuring his current band
and to be called Cultural
Vandals. In
a Jun 2008 interview,
Oliver said the band are going to start work on the album in early
2009, but those plans appear delayed by his work with Yes. In an interview around
Nov 2008, he said: "when I get a
gap I intend to try and record my
next solo album which is to be called Cultural Vandals. It is all
written I just need time to finish off the keyboard parts and start
recording the other guys. Maybe we'll get a gap to play live too next
year [2009] on a mini tour." In
Jan 2009, he said, "My own band have been rather quiet during this
period of activity but rest assured there is a new studio album being
planned. It has all been written, I'm just trying to organise the
recording schedule and company to release it." In a May 2009 interview,
Oliver
says:
I
have a lot of solo material that I'd like to record too – four very
different albums' worth. One will be a rock album, another Celtic rock,
the third is a rock opera, and the fourth is made up of piano pieces. I
really hope to start recording them before the end of the year. I like
to use a studio in Virginia Water, Surrey, where I have a great
relationship with the engineer Karl Groom. I produce my own recordings
myself.
In the Jun 2008 interview, Oliver also said that he was "a fair way through a solo project on the piano". Oliver has also started work on a singer-songwriter-style album featuring various musicians he has worked with over the years. Oliver's Enlightenment and Inspiration, originally part of a 3CD boxset but since deleted, has been re-released by Blue Dot Music as a download album through iTunes. Oliver has also now been commissioned to do a new instrumental album in the same style as Enlightenment and Inspiration.
With
other acts
Oliver is in the Strawbs (with whom both his father and brother Adam
have worked). The band has
played dates in 2009, including their 40th
anniversary weekend event 12-3 Sep, in London. (Dad Rick
also played a set with Dave
Cousins.) The Strawbs also played the Memories of Woodstock
festival in the West Midlands in Aug. He
also worked on an album with the
band, Dancing
to the Devil's Beat, now
out. Oliver contributed some writing and arrangements to the album, and
has also
handled the orchestral parts. The rest of the band is
Rod Coombes (drums), Dave Cousins (guitar), Chas Cronk (bass) and Dave
Lambert (guitar).
Oliver was in the Starcastle reunion. This was a partial reunion of
the 1970s line-up
of Starcastle, known to many Yes fans as being very influenced by Yes;
the line-up was Steve Tassler (drums), Al
Lewis (lead vocals), Matt Stewart (guitar), Steve Hagler (guitar),
Bruce Botts (guitar), Woody Lingle (bass), John Jowitt
(IQ, Arena, Frost; bass), Oliver Wakeman
(keys). Joined by Annie Haslam (ex-Renaissance; guest
vocals
on
one
song),
but
without
Jowitt,
they played at the 2007 RosFest
(Rites of Spring) festival in Phoenixville, PA, but had to cancel their appearance
at RosFest 2008. Their 2007 performance was announced as being released
on CD in 2009.
Oliver is now working with
Lewis on a new project.
Clive Nolan (Arena,
Pendragon; keys, backing vocals) & Oliver Wakeman (keys)
have been working on a third album, which may or may not be based on
the
"Frankenstein" story. The Nolan/Wakeman piece "Shadows of Fate" is
covered on the
acoustic live DVD "A Rush of Adrenaline" (Music Video Distributors in
the US) by
Nick Barrett & Clive Nolan.
Oliver will be performing with his father Rick and siblings at the 2009 RWCC Xmas concert: see details under Rick.
Anam Cara Featuring Oliver Wakeman & Rachel consisted of Wakeman, Rachel Heffer (Rachel & Common Ground; vocals, harp), Wagstaffe (drums), Buchanan (bass), Pearce (bass). They released a 4-track single, 'The View from Here' (Watermark Records) and an album has been written and recording started, but the project has gone on temporary hold following the birth of Heffer's daughter.
It was planned for Oliver to guest on several tracks of Hybrid's forthcoming album Regeneration.
Any news, additions or corrections, please e-mail Henry
Potts. Thanks.