------------------------------------------------------- SEPTEMBER 12, 2004 ------------------------------------------------------- Source: San Diego Union-Tribune http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20040912-9999-1a12varga.html Contributed by Donna Hayes A no to booze, a Yes to papadom By George Varga Actor-musician Jack Black has publicly hailed Rick Wakeman for playing "the greatest rock organ solo of all time" on "Roundabout," the 1972 hit by the pioneering English prog-rock band Yes. But Black, a member of the satirical rock duo Tenacious D and star of the recent film "School of Rock," might find other reasons new and old to sing Wakeman's praises. The veteran keyboardist, who in the early 1970s performed on landmark albums by David Bowie and Lou Reed, will host a new English reality TV series this fall that borrows the premise of Black's hit comedy. "I have the job of turning eight orchestral musician kids into a rock band," said Wakeman, 55, who performs Thursday with Yes in Alpine at Sycuan Casino's Concerts in the Park. "I don't know what they'll call it yet, but reality TV is big, like it or not." Wakeman, in fact, is something of a regular on the airwaves in his homeland. He has been featured on the TV shows "Grumpy Old Men," "Countdown," "Have I Got News for You," "He Said/She Said" and "Through the Keyhole." In addition, Wakeman hosted the BBC comedy series "Live at Jongleurs" between 1994 and 1998. "I'm better known in England now for my comedy stuff on TV than for music," he said. "I'll sit down halfway through a program and play piano (on air), and people come up to me afterward and say 'I enjoyed the comedy, but you should play piano more often!' "I don't do jokes, but I do anecdotal stories." One of his best anecdotes stems from Wakeman's late-1973 tour of England with Yes to promote "Tales From Topographic Oceans," an overwrought double album that he viewed with justifiable disdain. When a miscommunication with a stage crew member in Manchester led to Wakeman's Indian dinner being delivered mid-concert, instead of after the show, the long-tressed keyboardist didn't waste any time. He had the multi-course meal set up under and around his Hammond organ, then proceeded to eat it during an extended instrumental passage with long stretches of keyboard-free music. "That's true," Wakeman said. "It wasn't meant to be delivered on stage, but it was, and it smelled so nice I ate it." Does he remember his order? Indeed he does: "I had a chicken vindaloo curry, with Bombay potatoes aloo, rice pilaf, papadom and naan. Unfortunately, the smell was quite strong and most of the people in the audience could smell it as well." So could his bandmates singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squirre, guitarist Steve Howe and drummer Alan White with whom he most recently reunited under the Yes banner two years ago. "I won't say it went down ridiculously well," Wakeman admitted, "although Jon popped over and ate a papadom." Not surprisingly, the virtuoso keyboardist left the band a few months later in 1974 to formally launch his solo career. Wakeman, who has made 104 solo albums, has rejoined and quit Yes at least four or five times since 1974. He sounds genuinely happy to be back in the group, which this year is celebrating its 35th anniversary, albeit with only Anderson and Squire intact from the original lineup. "People look at us as taking ourselves too seriously, but this band is true Spinal Tap in every sense," said Wakeman, who named one of his two autobiographies "Say Yes," uses 16 or so electric keyboards on stage, and has checked into hotels under the pseudonyms Lord Elpus and Bob Uppendown. "The road crew we have are mostly quite younger than us. They look at their jobs as nurturing a bunch of senior citizens, and it's almost a minor miracle to them when we walk on stage unaided." Once a near-fatal victim of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, Wakeman stopped drinking in 1985 after he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and alcoholic hepatitis. He also suffered three heart attacks and had chronic pneumonia. Now a born-again Christian and avid golfer, he believes the tension between Yes' members over the years has yielded some positive results. "We're a band that almost has five leaders and sometimes we have fearsome arguments, but it's one of the things that makes Yes work," said Wakeman, who is considering settling in Southern California. "We're all completely different characters and we all disagree about so much. But at the end of the day what we agree on is that the music is important to us. When we walk on stage we have incredible unity, and that's one of the reasons Yes has survived so well." Divorced several times, Wakeman has two daughters and four sons. One of them, Adam, 30, is now on tour as a keyboardist with Black Sabbath, a band the elder Wakeman recorded with 32 years ago. "I played on 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,' and now my son is with them playing the parts I played on their album before he was born. It's got to be some sort of record!" Wakeman hopes to be remembered by future generations "for some of the music I've been involved with." But what if that music is from the dreaded "Tales From Topographic Oceans?" "Yeah, that's a bit of a worry, isn't it?" he said. "If I was lucky enough to go to heaven I might have to have a word with God about that one." Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, inquiries, corrections, or additions, contact yitp@yesservices.com