The Gonzo Daily: AUDIO: Wakeman’s journey to centre of Sheffield

Keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman will take Sheffield fans on a magical journey that almost never happened when he performs his landmark concept album, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, writes Graham Walker.

The Sheffield City Hall date - Thursday, May 8, 2014 - with full orchestra and choir, celebrates the album’s 40th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of Jules Verne’s classic book, on which it was based.

AUDIO: Listen to Graham Walker’s full chat with Rick Wakeman - CLICK HERE.

But for more than 30 years the original score went missing, before turning up as a “water damaged block of paper mache” at the bottom of a box, Rick revealed in an exclusive chat with The Star.

Conductor Guy Protheroe, from the English Chamber Choir, helped him to piece it back together and get it onto a computer in a workable form to re-record at Abbey Road Studios.

Yet as the original vinyl offering only allowed 36 minutes of recording, many songs never appeared on the original album, but are being included for the first time on a CD version due out next month.

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