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Tau

Tau (uppercase Τ, lowercase τ or $$\boldsymbol\tau$$; ταυ ) is the nineteenth letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiceless dental or alveolar plosive. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 300.

The name in English is pronounced or, but in Greek it is. This is because the pronunciation of the combination of Greek letters αυ can have the pronunciation of either, or , depending on what follows and if a diaeresis is present on the second vowel (see Greek orthography).

Tau was derived from the Phoenician letter taw (𐤕). Letters that arose from tau include Roman T and Cyrillic Te (Т, т).

The letter occupies the Unicode slots U+03C4 (lowercase) and U+03A4 (uppercase). In HTML, they can be produced with named entities ( and  ), decimal references (  and  ), or hexadecimal references (  and  ).

Modern usage
The lower-case letter τ is used as a symbol for:
 * Specific tax amount

Biology

 * The expressed period of the freerunning rhythm of an animal, i.e., the length of the daily cycle of an animal when kept in constant light or constant darkness
 * The dose interval in pharmacokinetics
 * The core variable in general tau theory
 * Tau in biochemistry, a protein associated with microtubules and implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, some forms of frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Mathematics

 * Divisor function in number theory, also denoted d or σ0
 * Golden ratio (1.618...), although φ (phi) is more common
 * Kendall tau rank correlation coefficient in statistics
 * Stopping time in stochastic processes.
 * Tau, the ratio of the circumference to the radius of a circle, which is equal to 2$\pi$ (6.28318...)
 * Tau functions, several
 * Torsion of a curve in differential geometry
 * Translation in Euclidean geometry (although the Latin letter T is used more often)
 * The Prouhet–Thue–Morse constant

Physics

 * Proper time in relativity
 * Shear stress in continuum mechanics
 * The lifetime of a spontaneous emission process
 * Tau, an elementary particle in particle physics
 * Tau in astronomy is a measure of optical depth, or how much sunlight cannot penetrate the atmosphere
 * In the physical sciences, tau is sometimes used as time variable, to avoid confusing t as temperature
 * Time constant (also relaxation time) of any system, such as an RC circuit
 * Torque, the rotational force in mechanics
 * The symbol for tortuosity in hydrogeology
 * In thermal physics, the symbol for the fundamental temperature $$\tau = k_B T$$

Symbolism

 * In ancient times, tau was used as a symbol for life or resurrection, whereas the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet, theta, was considered the symbol of death.
 * In Biblical times, the taw was put on men to distinguish those who lamented sin, although newer versions of the Bible have replaced the ancient term taw with mark (Ezekiel 9:4) or signature (Job 31:35). Its original sound value is a voiceless alveolar plosive, IPA /t/
 * The symbolism of the cross was connected not only to the letter chi but also to tau, the equivalent of the last letter in the Phoenician and Old Hebrew alphabets, and which was originally cruciform in shape; see Cross of Tau.
 * An essay written around 160 AD, attributed to Lucian, a mock legal prosecution called The Consonants at Law - Sigma vs. Tau, in the Court of the Seven Vowels, contains a reference to the cross attribution. Sigma petitions the court to sentence Tau to death by crucifixion, saying:
 * Men weep, and bewail their lot, and curse Cadmus with many curses for introducing Tau into the family of letters; they say it was his body that tyrants took for a model, his shape that they imitated, when they set up structures on which men are crucified. Stauros (cross) the vile engine is called, and it derives its vile name from him. Now, with all these crimes upon him, does he not deserve death, nay, many deaths? For my part I know none bad enough but that supplied by his own shape — that shape which he gave to the gibbet named stauros after him by men
 * Tau is usually considered as the symbol of Franciscan orders due to St. Francis' love for it, symbol of the redemption and of the Cross. Almost all Franciscan churches have painted a tau with two crossing arms, both with stigmata, the one of Jesus and the other of Francis; members of the Secular Franciscan Order usually wear a wooden τ in a string with three knots around the neck
 * The title and symbol of "Tau" is used by neo-Gnostic bishops as it has some symbolism in many of the modern branches of Gnosticism.

Character encodings
For the Greek and Coptic letter tau:

For the mathematical letter tau:

These characters are used only as mathematical symbols. Stylized Greek text should be encoded using the normal Greek letters, with markup and formatting to indicate text style.

title: Tau


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Meet the Press

Meet the Press is a weekly American television Sunday morning talk show broadcast on NBC. It is the longest-running program on American television, though its format has changed since the debut episode on November 6, 1947. Meet the Press specializes in interviews with leaders in Washington, D.C., across the country, and around the world on issues of politics, economics, foreign policy, and other public affairs, along with panel discussions that provide opinions and analysis. In January 2021, production moved to NBC's bureau on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

The longevity of Meet the Press is attributable in part to the fact that the program debuted during what was only the second official "network television season" for American television. It was the first live television network news program on which a sitting president of the United States appeared, this occurred on its broadcast on November 9, 1975, which featured Gerald Ford. The program has been hosted by 12 moderators, beginning with creator Martha Rountree. The show's current moderator is Kristen Welker, who became moderator in September 2023 following longtime moderator Chuck Todd’s departure.

Meet the Press airs Sundays from 9–10 a.m. ET on the NBC-TV network; 10:30–11:30 a.m. ET in New York and Washington. The program also re-airs at 2 p.m. ET Sundays and 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. ET Mondays on MSNBC on cable. Meet the Press is also occasionally pre-empted by network coverage of sports events held outside the U.S. The program is also rebroadcast on Mondays at 2:30 a.m. Eastern Time on MSNBC, whose audio feed is also simulcast on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. The program is syndicated by Westwood One to various radio stations around the United States, and is on C-SPAN Radio as part of its replays of the Sunday morning talk shows.

Format
The program's format consists of an extended one-on-one interview with the host, and is sometimes followed by a roundtable discussion or one-on-two interview with figures in adversarial positions, either Congressional members from opposite sides of the aisle or political commentators. A half-hour program for the first 45 years of its history, the show was expanded to 60 minutes starting with the broadcast on September 20, 1992.

The program also features in-depth examinations of facts behind political and general news stories (particularly as part of a segment called the "Data Download," introduced after Chuck Todd assumed duties as moderator, which is conducted on a touchscreen within the main set).

History
Meet the Press began on radio on the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1945 as American Mercury Presents: Meet the Press, a program to promote The American Mercury, a magazine that Lawrence Spivak purchased in 1935. Before the program aired, Spivak had asked journalist Martha Rountree, who had worked in radio and had been employed by Spivak as a roving editor for the magazine, to critique plans for a new radio show. As a result, Rountree created a new radio program that she called The American Mercury, on October 5, 1945.

On November 6, 1947, while still on the Mutual Broadcasting System, the television rights to the program were purchased by General Foods. They began to air the show on the NBC television network with the title shortened to simply Meet the Press. The radio version then adopted the new name.

Although some sources credit Spivak with the program's creation, Rountree developed the idea on her own, and Spivak joined as co-producer and business partner in the enterprise after the show had already debuted.

Meet the Press was originally presented as a 30-minute press conference with a single guest and a panel of questioners. Its first guest was James Farley, who served as Postmaster General, Democratic National Committee chairman and campaign manager to Franklin Delano Roosevelt under the first two terms of the New Deal Administration. Martha Rountree served as its first host, the program's only female moderator until 2023. She stepped down on November 1, 1953, and was succeeded by Ned Brooks, who remained as moderator until his retirement on December 26, 1965. Spivak became the moderator on January 1, 1966, moving up from his role as a permanent panelist. He retired on November 9, 1975, on a special one-hour edition that featured a sitting president as guest for the first time, in this case Gerald Ford. The next week, Bill Monroe, previously a weekly panelist like Spivak had been years before, took over as moderator and stayed until June 2, 1984.

For the next seven and a half years, the program then went through a series of hosts as it struggled in the ratings against ABC's This Week with David Brinkley. Roger Mudd and Marvin Kalb, as co-moderators, followed Monroe for a year, followed by Chris Wallace (who would later go on to a much longer run as host of the rival program Fox News Sunday) from 1987 to 1988. Garrick Utley, then hosting Weekend Today, concurrently hosted Meet the Press from 1989 through December 1, 1991. All this occurred despite the increasing ratings of NBC News' other programs (and those of the network generally) during that period. The program originally aired at noon Eastern Time every Sunday (leading into NFL Live incongruously in the fall) before moving to a 9:00 a.m. slot by the early 1990s when it expanded to an hour.

Under Russert
Network officials, concerned for the show's future, turned to Tim Russert, the network's bureau chief in Washington, D.C. He took over as moderator of Meet the Press on December 8, 1991, and remained with the program until his death on June 13, 2008, becoming the longest-serving moderator in the program's history.

Under Russert, the program was expanded to one hour and became less of a televised press conference, focusing more on Russert's questions and comments, Russert also engaged in longer in-depth interviews and hosted panels of experts to discuss the topics featured in that week's broadcast. Russert signed off each edition by saying, "That's all for today. We'll be back next week. If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press."

During the professional football season, Russert, a native of Buffalo, New York, and an avid fan of the Buffalo Bills, sometimes added, "Go Bills!," and occasionally would ask panelists, "How 'bout those Sabres?" if Buffalo's NHL hockey team was doing well. Spoofs of the show featured in a recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live often reflected his impromptu additions in support of the two professional sports franchises. By 2006, Meet the Press was the highest-rated program among the Sunday morning talk shows.

On June 13, 2008, Russert died of a sudden coronary thrombosis (caused by a cholesterol plaque rupture). Former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw hosted a special edition of Meet the Press dedicated to the life of Russert on June 15, 2008, in which Russert's chair was left empty as a tribute.

After Russert
Mark Whitaker was named by NBC News as the division's Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief and was given "executive oversight" of Meet the Press.

Interim Brokaw era
NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams acted as moderator of the first show following the tribute to Russert on June 15, 2008, with the same guests and subject matter that Russert was planning for when he died.

Following Russert's death, Tom Brokaw was named the interim moderator through the 2008 general elections. Brokaw followed Russert's tradition by signing off with "We'll be back next Sunday because if it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press" (a sign-off that continues to be used by his successors as moderator). In September of that year, the show was presented with limited commercial interruption.

On August 10, 2008, David Gregory moderated the panel discussion during the second half-hour of the broadcast, while Brokaw anchored the first half-hour from the site of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. The following week on August 17, 2008, he moderated the entire broadcast. On December 1, 2008, it was also reported that the December 7, 2008 broadcast would be Brokaw's last, with Gregory becoming the new permanent host the following Sunday.

Under Gregory
David Gregory began his tenure as moderator on December 14, 2008. Four days after Gregory's first regular broadcast, on December 18, 2008, NBC News political director Chuck Todd was named contributing editor of Meet the Press. Throughout Gregory's tenure as moderator, Meet the Press experienced significant ratings declines. In the final three months of 2013, the program placed third among the Sunday morning talk shows in total viewership, behind CBS's Face the Nation and ABC's This Week, for the first time since 1992. It also experienced the lowest ratings in the show's entire history among the key 25-to-54 age viewing demographic during this period. NBC management became uncertain as to the future direction of the program.

A new set was introduced on May 2, 2010, featuring video screens and library-style bookshelves, Gregory would preview the guests to be featured during each week's broadcast using a large video screen. Different, modified intro music was also introduced, with the Meet the Press theme music in a shorter "modernized [style]... the beginning repeated with drum beats" (see "High-definition broadcasting" below for additional information).

Under Todd
In response to declining viewership, rumors surfaced in August 2014 that Gregory would be replaced as the program's moderator. NBC News President Deborah Turness apparently had held discussions with Jon Stewart (then-host of Comedy Central's news comedy program The Daily Show) to replace Gregory, which Stewart later confirmed in a Rolling Stone interview, saying, "My guess is they were casting as wide and as weird a net as they could. I'm sure part of them was thinking, 'Why don't we just make it a variety show?

On August 14, 2014, Turness announced that Chuck Todd, NBC's chief White House correspondent, would take over the role of moderator on September 7, 2014. Because of Todd's fanhood, a Los Angeles Dodgers poster became part of the physical format.

Meet the Press Now
On September 28, 2015, MSNBC premiered MTP Daily, a weekday spin-off also hosted by Todd. It formally replaced The Ed Show as MSNBC's early-evening program after a transitional period following its cancellation. MSNBC explained that the program is meant to "bring the insight and power of Meet the Press to our air every day of the week.” By 2022, the show was airing in the 1:00 p.m. Eastern slot, and in May it was announced that the show would be moving from MSNBC to the free streaming platform NBC News NOW, and rechristened Meet the Press Now, starting June 6, 2022. The show also returned to an early evening slot of 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

Disinformation overtaking media
In a December 2019 interview with Rolling Stone, Todd discussed how disinformation overtook the media during the Trump administration. However, PressThink, a project of the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, took Todd to task for failing to address the issue as it unfolded, in a very detailed discussion of Todd's remarks.

Under Welker
On June 4, 2023, Todd announced he would be leaving his role as moderator. Kristen Welker was named as his replacement for the flagship Meet the Press beginning in September, while spin off Meet the Press Now featured rotating guest hosts, with Welker only hosting Meet The Press Now on Thursdays and Fridays. On Jun 2, 2024 Peter Alexander announced at the end of the broadcast he was filling in for Welker who had welcomed her second child John.

High-definition broadcasting
The set utilized from March 17, 1996 to April 25, 2010, had been designed as an experimental set for high-definition broadcasting, several editions of the program (including the first broadcast of a regular series on a major television network in HD) had aired in the format in the 1990s over experimental HD station WHD-TV in Washington, D.C. Despite this, the program continued to be transmitted in NTSC over the NBC network itself. On May 2, 2010, Meet the Press became the last NBC News program to convert to high definition, and unveiled a new set consisting of large video screens mostly used to display Washington scenery, satellite interview subjects and moderator and subject talking points, along with graphics produced for the format.

In January 2021, production of the program moved from WRC-TV facilities in Tenleytown to a ground floor studio in NBC's new Washington D.C. bureau on Capitol Hill. The move included a new set.

Moderators
The following is the list of moderators for Meet the Press:

Notable guests and events

 * First guest: James A. Farley, the former Postmaster General of the United States and former Democratic National Committee Chair.
 * Whittaker Chambers states Alger Hiss was a communist on the radio broadcast on August 27, 1948, which leads to libel suit from Hiss, the Pumpkin Papers, and Justice's indictment of Hiss by December 1948.
 * First female guest: Elizabeth Bentley, a courier for a Communist spy ring, on September 12, 1948.
 * An interview with Fidel Castro aired April 19, 1959.
 * An interview with Martin Luther King Jr., about the civil rights movement in the United States.
 * Every U.S. president since John F. Kennedy has appeared on Meet the Press, although not necessarily during their presidency. Jimmy Carter used his appearance on January 20, 1980, to announce the United States' boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics. Ronald Reagan appeared seven times before being elected president, but did not appear during his presidency. Bill Clinton was the guest for the 50th anniversary broadcast on November 9, 1997. The interview with George W. Bush was conducted in the Oval Office at the White House on February 8, 2004. The interview was held with then President-elect Barack Obama on December 7, 2008. Donald Trump has appeared on the program a number of times, most recently in September 2023.
 * The first live communications satellite television interview occurred on Meet the Press on September 19, 1965, with the British Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
 * A special edition of the program aired on Christmas Day 2022 to commemorate its 75th anniversary, consisting entirely of clips from the program archives and brief introductory commentaries by Todd.

Distribution
In addition to its broadcasts on NBC, Meet the Press also airs on various other NBCUniversal-owned channels domestically and internationally, including MSNBC, NBC News Now, CNBC Europe in Europe and CNBC Asia in Asia. It is also broadcast in Australia on the Seven Network and in the Philippines on 9TV.

Meet the Press is also available as an audio or video podcast, and is simulcast on radio stations by Westwood One (which also handles distribution of all other NBC-produced radio programming, including NBC News Radio).

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Meet the Press


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Uriah Heep (band)

Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969. Their current lineup consists of guitarist Mick Box, keyboardist Phil Lanzon, lead vocalist Bernie Shaw, drummer Russell Gilbrook, and bassist Dave Rimmer. They have experienced numerous lineup changes throughout their 55-year career, leaving Box as the only remaining original member. Former members of the band are vocalists David Byron, John Lawton, John Sloman, and Peter Goalby; bassists Paul Newton, Mark Clarke, Gary Thain, John Wetton, Trevor Bolder, and Bob Daisley; drummers Alex Napier, Nigel Olsson, Keith Baker, Iain Clark, Lee Kerslake, and Chris Slade; and keyboardists Ken Hensley, Gregg Dechert, and John Sinclair.

Uriah Heep were part of the early 1970s rock scene and have been referred to as major pioneers of the hard rock, heavy metal and progressive rock genres. The band have sold over 40 million albums worldwide, with over 4 million sales in the US, where their best-known songs include "Gypsy", "Easy Livin'", "The Wizard", "Sweet Lorraine", and "Stealin'". They also maintain a significant following and perform at arena-sized venues in the Balkans, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Finland and Scandinavia.

Uriah Heep have released twenty-five studio albums of original material, twenty live albums and forty-one compilation albums (including two greatest hits albums). Thirteen of the band's studio albums have made it to the UK Albums Chart (Return to Fantasy reached No. 7 in 1975), while of the fifteen Billboard 200 Uriah Heep albums, Demons and Wizards was the most successful (No. 23, 1972). In the late 1970s the band had massive success in Germany, where the "Lady in Black" single was a big hit.

Early days (1967–1971)

The band's origins go back to 1967 when 19-year-old guitarist Mick Box formed a band in Brentwood, Essex called Hogwash, which began playing in local clubs and pubs. When the band's singer left, drummer Roger Penlington suggested his cousin David Garrick (who knew the band) as a replacement. Box and Garrick formed a songwriting partnership, and having higher musical aspirations than their colleagues, decided to give up their day jobs and go professional. They set up a new band called Spice. David Garrick changed his surname to Byron. Drummer Alex Napier (born 1947 in Glasgow, Scotland) joined, having answered a music paper ad; bassist Paul Newton of The Gods completed the line-up.

Spice avoided playing covers, and according to Box, always strove "to do something original". Managed initially by Newton's father, the band climbed their way up to The Marquee level, then got signed by Gerry Bron (the Hit Record Productions Ltd.'s boss), who saw the band at the Blues Loft club in High Wycombe. "I thought they were a band I could develop and I took them on that basis", remembered Bron later. He became the band's manager and signed them to Vertigo Records, the newly formed Philips label. The four-piece found themselves booked into the Lansdowne Studios in London, still under the name of Spice. Then the name was changed to that of the well-known character from David Copperfield, Uriah Heep (for, according to biographer Kirk Blows, "Dickens' name being everywhere around Christmas '69 due to it being the hundredth anniversary of his death"). According to Dave Ling's 2001 autobiography of the band, Wizards and Demons, The Uriah Heep Story, though the "Uriah Heep" moniker was chosen in December 1969, the band continued to play gigs as "Spice" until Ken Hensley joined in February 1970. Uriah Heep then decided to widen the sound. "We'd actually recorded half the first album when we decided that keyboards would be good for our sound. I was a big Vanilla Fudge fan, with their Hammond organ and searing guitar on top, and we had David's high vibrato vocals anyway so that's how we decided to shape it", Box recalled. Gerry Bron brought in session player Colin Wood, followed by Hensley, a former colleague of Newton in the Gods, who was then playing guitar in Toe Fat. "I saw a lot of potential in the group to do something very different", remembered Hensley.

Their 1970 debut album, …Very 'Eavy …Very 'Umble (released as Uriah Heep in the United States), introduced Hensley's heavy organ and the band's guitar-driven sound, with David Byron's theatrical, dynamic vocals soaring above thunderous sonic backgrounds, although acoustic and jazz elements also featured in the mix. The album's title references the signature phrase of the Dickens character ("very 'umble"). Hensley had little to contribute to the debut: Box and Byron wrote most of the material, including "Gypsy", in many ways (according to Blows) "a marriage of contrasts" that, in time, became their trademark. In a 1989 interview, Mick Box recalled: "The funny thing was we wrote it at the Hanwell Community Centre, and Deep Purple were rehearsing in the room next door to us. You can imagine the kind of racket we were both making between us." During the winter of 1970, three-quarters into the recording of the album, drummer Alex Napier was replaced by Nigel Olsson, recommended to Byron by Elton John. The debut was not popular with rock critics (especially in the US, where Rolling Stone reviewer Melissa Mills infamously promised to commit suicide "if this band makes it"). In the course of the album's making the writing relationship between Box, Byron and Hensley was beginning to develop. "It was very quick, because we were all into the same things. It was like it was meant to be, there was that kind of chemistry", Mick Box recalled.

When Nigel Olsson returned to Elton John's group in the spring of 1970, Keith Baker took his place. The band's second album, Salisbury (February 1971), was more squarely in the progressive rock genre, with its 16-minute title track featuring a 24-piece orchestra. One of the album's tracks, "Lady in Black", described by Donald A. Guarisco as "a stylishly arranged tune that builds from a folk-styled acoustic tune into a throbbing rocker full of ghostly harmonies and crunching guitar riffs", became a hit in Germany upon its re-release in 1977 (earning the band the Radio Luxemburg Lion award). Produced by Gerry Bron, the second album was significant for Ken Hensley's rise to the position of main songwriter.

In December 1970 Keith Baker left the band and was replaced by Iain Clark (from another Vertigo band, Cressida). With him the band toured Germany in late December 1970/January 1971 and made their first US tour in the spring of 1971, supporting Three Dog Night and Steppenwolf.

By this time, Gerry Bron's deal with Philips/Vertigo was over, so he set up his own label, Bronze Records. The third album was recorded in the summer months of 1971, during the band's three visits to Lansdowne. "It was the point in time when the band really found a solid musical direction", said Bron later. The third album, Look at Yourself, released in October 1971, marked the solidification of disparate ideas that had been a prominent feature of Salisbury and presented the unified sound and direction. "July Morning" has often been cited as the standout track. "I think that 'July Morning' is one of the best examples of the way the band was developing at that point in time. It introduced a lot of dynamics, a lot of light and shade into our sound", Ken Hensley said. The album peaked at No. 39 in the UK.

Success (1972–1976)

By the end of 1971 it became clear, according to Hensley, that he, Byron and Box had become the tightly knit nucleus of the band. Feeling marginalised and having recently been badly shaken up when he was involved in an accident in Germany in one of the band's cars, first bassist Paul Newton left, in November 1971, and was briefly replaced by Mark Clarke. Newton recalled in a 2000 interview on Uriah Heep's website his departure: "Well, as you know, my father managed the band in the early days, with the Gods and Spice. He bought a lot of the gear and so on. When we became Uriah Heep and Ken joined the band – and Ken is the first to admit it –  he had very definite ideas about what he wanted to do in a band. I suppose in some ways it was like the band was a vehicle which Ken needed and used to put his own ideas together. And there's nothing wrong with that as such. I mean, let's face it, the fact that what we did was successful was great for me too. But after a while you're bound to get some in-fighting in a situation like that. There were other problems too, because Gerry Bron was now the manager and my father was trying to get back some money from him –  get some of his money back on the equipment and so on. There was a lot of unhappiness on all sorts of levels and everybody was unhappy in a lot of ways. I actually wanted to leave the band for quite a while before I actually left but I didn't. Anyway, with the heavy work schedules and the pressures and so on, I ended up collapsing on stage one night and the other members of the band decided I should go. It was funny because I didn't want to go and there was a lot of animosity but at the same time it was a tremendous relief".

During that same November, Iain Clark was replaced by Lee Kerslake, once of the Gods. New Zealander Gary Thain, a then member of Keef Hartley Band, joined Uriah Heep as a permanent member in February 1972 halfway through another American tour, replacing Mark Clarke who was exhausted and nearing a mental breakdown. "Gary just had a style about him, it was incredible because every bass player in the world that I've ever known has always loved his style, with those melodic bass lines", Box later said. Thus the "classic" Uriah Heep formed, and according to biographer K. Blows, "Everything just clicked into place."

The result of this newly found chemistry was the album Demons and Wizards, which reached No. 20 in the UK and No. 23 in the US in June 1972. While its title and Roger Dean's sleeve both suggested that the band was romantically working medieval myth into their songs—and surely songs like "Rainbow Demon" and "The Wizard" (co-written by Mark Clarke, during his short stay) did have thematic links with fantasy world – a more straightforward, hard-rocking approach was also apparent. To discard any possible insinuations concerning any kind of concept behind it, Hensley's note on the sleeve declared the album was "just a collection of our songs that we had a good time recording". Both critics and the band's aficionados hold the album in high regard, which, according to AllMusic, "solidified Uriah Heep's reputation as a master of gothic-inflected heavy metal". Ken Hensley remembered: "The band was really focused at that time. We all wanted the same thing, were all willing to make the same sacrifices to achieve it and we were all very committed. It was the first album to feature that line-up and there was a magic in that combination of people that created so much energy and enthusiasm."

Two singles were released from the album: "The Wizard" and "Easy Livin, the second (a defiant rocker, according to Blows, "tailor-made for Byron's extrovert showmanship") peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Six months later, in November 1972, Uriah Heep's fifth studio album The Magician's Birthday (No. 28 UK, No. 31 US) came out, with "Sweet Lorraine" released as an American single and the title track (a multi-part fantasy epic featuring Hensley–Byron vocal duel and Box's extensive guitar solo in the middle) being the album's highlight. "Uriah Heep used to have an image, now they have personality", wrote Melody Maker in 1973. Much of it stemmed from the flamboyant Byron. "David was the communication point, the focal point of the whole group's stage presentation. He had so much charisma, so much ability", admitted Hensley many years later. But Hensley too developed into a sophisticated instrumentalist and stage persona, whose writing and keyboard flair ignited the rest of the band.

A lavishly packaged (an eight-page booklet plus) double album Uriah Heep Live followed, recorded at the Birmingham Town Hall in January 1973. Having completed another Japanese tour, the band (due to tax problems) went abroad to record to Chateau d'Herouville in France. It was there that the solid, but rather mainstream-sounding, Sweet Freedom (No. 18 UK, No. 33 US) was created with "Stealin'" released as a single. Having gained worldwide recognition, the band quit the fantasy world in lyrics and made an obvious stab at versatility by adding funk ("Dreamer") and an acoustic number along the lines of contemporary singer/songwriters ("Circus") elements to the palette. Ken Hensley meanwhile had been gradually recording his own, mellower material; his solo debut Proud Words on a Dusty Shelf was released the same year.

Wonderworld (June 1974), recorded in Munich's Musicland Studios in January, disappointed fans and band members alike. "Recording abroad disrupted the band's normal method of operation and that had a big negative effect on the group. Our communication was falling apart, we were arguing over stuff like royalties and we were getting involved in matters beyond music", Hensley said. Box remembered weeks spent in the studio as "dramatic" for all the wrong reasons. "David was drunk for most of the time, Kenny was having an emotional time of it and I was constantly trying to help them so it was difficult for me too. There was also a little bit of friction because (artistic) Kenny didn't like all the attention that (flamboyant) David was getting." Gary Thain was in even more serious trouble. According to Blows, "A strenuous touring schedule, compounded by the bassist's heavy drug dependency (inherent even before joining Heep) was taking its toll, though matters came to a head while on tour during September", when the bassist received a serious electric shock on stage in Dallas during a gig at Southern Methodist University’s Moody Coliseum on 15 September 1974. The rest of the US tour was then canceled and their UK dates rescheduled to October. Soon after going out of hospital, Thain, in Sounds, openly accused manager Gerry Bron of having turned Uriah Heep into a mere "financial thing" and was fired two months after the group's final gig of 1974 at New Theatre in Oxford on 14 December. A year later, on 8 December 1975, Gary Thain was found dead in his Norwood Green home, having overdosed on heroin.

John Wetton (ex-Family and King Crimson) joined the band in March 1975 and with him Return to Fantasy (June 1975) was recorded; representing a revitalised Uriah Heep, it soared up to No. 7 in the UK. "It was a relief to have someone solid and reliable, and he had a load of ideas too", Box remembered. The following "Year-long world tour" (according to a headline in NME), was marred by a new accident. Mick Box fell off stage in Louisville, Kentucky, on 2 August 1975, breaking the radial bone in his right arm (but he persevered through both the set and the tour, receiving three injections a night). On 26 March 1976 at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, Minnesota, John Wetton had an accident of his own when he (like his predecessor, Thain) received an electric shock on stage.

In November 1975 The Best of Uriah Heep compilation was released, preceded by two solo albums: Byron's debut Take No Prisoners and Hensley's second, Eager to Please.

High and Mighty followed in June 1976. It was considered lightweight; even Box stated: "less of the 'eavy and more of the 'umble" (making pointed reference to Uriah Heep's self-description as "'umble" in Dickens' David Copperfield). The matter of production here became the point of major contention. With Bron committed to non-musical projects (including his air-taxi service) the band decided to produce the album themselves. The manager later insisted the result was Heep's worst album, while Hensley accused the manager of deliberately ignoring the band's interests. The album, though, was launched in the most lavish manner (with journalists and business people being flown off to the top of a Swiss mountain for a reception). However, it was not matched with the quality of live concerts, which were increasingly chaotic due to Byron's inconsistency on stage. "He'd always got drunk after the show but it had never got to the point where it would jeopardize the show itself. The performance had always been first and foremost with David. It was when the show started to come second that the problems began", Hensley remembered. "The distance between David and the rest had grown to unworkable proportions", according to Blows. "It's a tragedy to say it but David was one of those classic people who could not face up to the fact that things were wrong and he looked for solace in a bottle", commented Bron. In July 1976, after the final show of a Spanish tour, Byron was sacked. Soon bassist John Wetton announced he was quitting. Obviously he was not comfortable in the band, nor were his colleagues with him. Hensley later explained: "When he joined, we thought that we could replace a great bass player (Thain) with another great bass player, but we ignored the personality factor, which is crucial. It was like grafting on a new piece of skin but it just didn't work—the body rejected it."

Post-David Byron period (1976–1981)

Uriah Heep recruited bassist Trevor Bolder (ex-David Bowie, Mick Ronson), and after having auditioned David Coverdale (Deep Purple, Whitesnake), Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople) and Gary Holton (Heavy Metal Kids), brought in John Lawton, formerly of Lucifer's Friend and the Les Humphries Singers, with whom they turned totally away from fantasy-oriented lyrics and multi-part compositions back towards a more straightforward hard rock sound typical of the era. Box later said: "Image-wise he wasn't quite what we were looking for, but his pipes were perfect and so we went for the music end of it." Hensley agreed: "He had a voice that I thought would give a new dimension."

Firefly was released in February 1977, displaying "renewed effervescence and energy in unveiling what was clearly a new beginning for Heep" (per. K. Blows), "a new vigour and confidence" (according to a Record Mirror review) and also the new singer's abilities: the latter (according to AllMusic), although lacking the multi-octave range of David Byron, "boasted an impressive and emotionally rich hard rock voice that instantly jelled with the Uriah Heep sound". The band then toured the US supporting Kiss. Paul Stanley later recalled: "They were incredibly professional, and so consistent that their worst nights were excellent and their best were tremendous."

Innocent Victim, released in November 1977, "had a slight edge on Firefly" according to Box, but still in retrospect this "blend of sharp, short rockers and pop-friendly ballads" looked like "an attempt to court the American AOR market". The single "Free Me" (whose "acoustic style and accent on harmonies brought the group dangerously close to Eagles territory", according to AllMusic) became an international hit. In Germany the album sold over a million copies and became Uriah Heep's most successful, which coincided with the success of the re-released "Lady in Black". For some time during this period, there were three Uriah Heep singles sitting together in the German Top 20, these being "Wise Man" (from Firefly), "Lady in Black" and "Free Me".

In the end of 1978, Fallen Angel came out, having completed a hat-trick of studio albums to feature a consistent lineup (only the second time in their career that they had done so). "Too poppy" for Mick Box's liking (but still, "too eccentric to fit the bill of an AOR record", according to Allmusic), it was well received at the time (Sounds gave it 4 stars) but failed to chart. Meanwhile, the relative stability of the Lawton period belied the behind the scenes unrest having to do with Ken Hensley's earning much more than his colleagues. "Everything he wrote, he had to use… And if you insist in using everything you end up with substandard albums", disgruntled Box opined. The major rift, though, developed between Hensley and Lawton. As K. Blows writes, "the combination of constant friction between the two (resulting in the nearest thing to violence the group had seen) and the constant presence of Lawton's wife on the road finally led to the vocalist getting the chop, shortly after playing the Bilzen Festival in Belgium in August 1979".

Ex-Lone Star John Sloman was brought in, a younger singer who played keyboards and guitar and was, in the words of Box, "an all rounder". But almost instantly, Lee Kerslake departed, after a row with Bron, whom the drummer accused of favouritism towards Hensley's material. Several tracks of the next album had to be re-recorded with a new drummer, Chris Slade (of the Manfred Mann's Earth Band). Conquest LP was released in February 1980 (worldwide except the United States, where it was never released) and received 5 stars from Record Mirror, but, according to Box, "was a difficult album to record" and represented "a confused Heep", even "a mess" (in the words of Trevor Bolder). The band went on the 10th Anniversary Tour with Girlschool as support and attracted respectable crowds. Hensley was very unhappy, primarily with Sloman, and he explained why: "The band had chosen John and I had opposed that decision. He was a good musician and he looked great but I thought he had little going for him vocally. The way that he interpreted songs were totally different to the way I had written them. I could understand wanting to move on but this was like the difference between Black Sabbath and Gino Vannelli. We weren't addressing our basic problems, in that we weren't re-establishing our musical direction and John definitely wasn't helping us to do that."

A meeting at the manager's office concerning the songwriting dissent was the last straw and, in September 1980, Hensley quit. Gregg Dechert, a Canadian who had worked with Sloman in Pulsar, came in and the band went on a 23-date tour of the UK. After that Sloman left, citing musical differences for a reason. He would later go on to work with UFO, Gary Moore and Robert Palmer. Hensley's acrimonious departure left the group in a state of collapse. Box and Bolder visited David Byron with attractive propositions. "We couldn't believe it when he said he didn't want to know", the guitarist remembered. Bolder, who by that time "had had enough of Gerry Bron and the management", decided to join Wishbone Ash. When Dechert left, Uriah Heep were down to just Mick Box with the name and contract.

Peter Goalby era (1981–1986)
Box remembered: "I locked myself in my flat for two days and drank myself senseless in complete self-pity. But I somehow managed to pull myself together and consider my options." First he rang Lee Kerslake (who in the meanwhile had co-founded Blizzard of Ozz with Ozzy Osbourne) and the drummer brought along with him bassist Bob Daisley. Then John Sinclair came in, whom Box knew from the times he was a member of Heavy Metal Kids, and who currently played with a Los Angeles band called Lion. The band's new vocalist became Trapeze's Peter Goalby. The latter had once auditioned for Uriah Heep and failed, ironically Hensley being the only band member who had supported him as a choice. "With us all contributing to the writing we forged our new direction", Box recalled.

Produced by Ashley Howe, the Abominog album (according to Blows) was "important ... in the way it pulled Heep out of the Seventies and thrust them into the Eighties with determination muscle", even if it sounded a bit too American. Released in March 1982 (and preceded in February by the Abominog Junior EP), it won favour with the critics. Sounds gave it a five star review, the newly established rock magazine Kerrang! declared it "the most mature and perhaps best album of their career", and in retrospect it is still seen as "one of the most consistent and engaging albums in the group's lengthy catalog". The album did relatively well in the American charts (No. 56) after its US release in September 1982, and the band successfully performed at the Castle Donington Monsters of Rock event a few weeks prior to this, on 21 August.

Head First (May 1983), produced again by Ashley Howe (who, according to Goalby, became "like the sixth member of the band"), followed much in the same vein, pursuing (according to AllMusic) "a similar combination of heavy metal firepower and AOR sleekness". Not long before its release Daisley left the band to return to Ozzy Osbourne, and Trevor Bolder re-joined Uriah Heep. Both albums, Abominog and Head First, updated the band's sound and generated a brief, newfound interest in Uriah Heep among younger heavy metal fans.

Uriah Heep toured the US supporting Rush, Judas Priest and Def Leppard, whose vocalist Joe Elliott remembered: "They were the best band that we've ever toured with either as a headline or support, because there was no ego, no pretentious kind of stuff. They were good in as much that we learnt a lot from them."

By this time Gerry Bron was Uriah Heep manager no longer (they were looked after by Neil Warnock in Europe and Blue Öyster Cult's management team in the US) and then, finally, Bronze Records collapsed under the weight of debts, which, according to Box, "cost Heep a lot of money". Massive Asian and South American tours followed before the band returned to the studio with producer Tony Platt and a new deal with CBS's Portrait label secured by new manager Harry Maloney. Meanwhile, David Byron died of a heart attack and liver disease on 28 February 1985 at the age of 38.

Equator (March 1985) sold poorly, due to the fact that "CBS just did a terrible job getting it into the shops", as Box saw it. On the other hand, what Kirk Blows described as "a solid piece of product that had the potential to do extremely well" was regarded less favourably by later reviewers. Jason Anderson, for one, argues that with this "lackluster" album, high only "in high-schmaltz rating", the band squandered the chance that Portrait gave it.

Totally exhausted and having serious voice problems, Goalby left in November 1985 after an Australian tour. "I loved and believed in Uriah Heep but it kicked the shit out of me in the end", were his parting words. Then John Sinclair quit, deciding to join Ozzy Osbourne, and keyboardist Phil Lanzon (Grand Prix, Sad Café) came in, fitting in immediately into the Box-envisaged scheme of things.

American singer Steff Fontaine, formerly of Christian metal band Joshua, joined in July 1986 but was criticised for being totally "unprofessional" (he missed, for some reason, a San Francisco gig) and was sacked in September 1986 after just one American tour. Fontaine's position was offered then to ex-Grand Prix, Praying Mantis and Stratus vocalist Bernie Shaw, and that in retrospect was a winning move. Shaw "felt honoured at being invited to join such a legendary band", while for Box "it was like everything falling into place".

New members, Raging Silence and Different World (1986–1993)
The lineup remained unchanged from 1986 until 2007, with veteran Mick Box at the helm, Trevor Bolder on bass, Lee Kerslake on drums, vocalist Bernie Shaw and Phil Lanzon on keyboards. Their principal tour circuit has been in Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Japan and Russia. In December 1987 they became the first ever Western rock band to play in the Soviet Union, under Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of glasnost (Western pop acts Boney M, Cliff Richard, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Elton John had already played shows there in the late 1970s during the pre-Gorbachev era). At Moscow's Olympic Stadium the band played ten consecutive nights to a total of 180,000 people (following a reception that Bernie Shaw remembered as being "something like Beatlemania"), which was represented in the international press as not just an achievement for Uriah Heep but a major breakthrough for Western music in general. The concerts were recorded and issued as the Live in Moscow album, which included three new tracks. Ironically, it was this behind the Iron Curtain excursion that did well to re-establish Heep's name back at home. After a series of sell-out dates in Czechoslovakia, East Berlin and Bulgaria the band returned to Britain for the Reading Festival in August 1988 and toured the UK with the Dogs D'Amour.

Raging Silence, produced by Richard Dodd and released in May 1989, was followed by a return to the Soviet Union, concerts in Poland, East Berlin, six dates in Brazil and another British tour. "The last two years have been the most enjoyable of all my time in Heep", Trevor Bolder was quoted to say at the time. The band played in the Central TV studios in Nottingham on 29 November 1989 (the film was shown as part of the Independent TV series Bedrock and a few years later it was repeated in the Cue Music series) and celebrated its 20th anniversary with a series of compilations and re-issues.

Produced by Trevor Bolder and released early in 1991, Different World got a mixed reception from the press (put down in Kerrang!, hailed in Metal Hammer) and sold poorly. "Yet another technically sound but artistically bland recording from Uriah Heep" (according to AllMusic) failed to chart and marked the end of the band's contract with Legacy Records. Touring incessantly, the band issued some compilations of which Rarities from the Bronze Age and The Lansdowne Tapes (featuring previously unreleased material from the early 1970s) are considered most noteworthy. Still, the first half of the 1990s is regarded even by the Heep fans as "the wilderness years".

Sea of Light and Sonic Origami (1994–2006)
In late March and early April 1995, the band's former singer John Lawton briefly rejoined Uriah Heep for two weeks to tour South Africa and Austria with Deep Purple, filling in for Bernie Shaw, who was suffering from voice problems at the time.

The album Sea of Light (released in April 1995) produced by the band along with Kalle Trapp was well received and in retrospect is seen as the band's return to form, the key to success being (according to critic Donald A. Guarisco) the way it "forsook the ill-judged pop metal stylings of albums like Equator for a return to the gothic-tinged old-school metal style that highlighted classic Uriah Heep albums like Look at Yourself".

Produced by Pip Williams, Sonic Origami, originally issued in Europe and Japan in the fall of 1998, then, a year later, in the U.S., had "a grand, epic tone throughout" that, according to rock critic Steve Huey, "doesn't always match Uriah Heep's journeyman-sounding prog-tinged hard rock, still being a solid entry in its chosen genre". The release was followed by a successful European tour, which continued through 1999.

The band released The Legend Continues DVD and then toured the UK. A reunion gig with Ken Hensley and John Lawton took place in London on 7 December 2001 in the course of the Magicians Birthday Party, which since then became a tradition, even though Hensley never actually joined again.

Earlier in 2001, during the summer, the group embarked on its first US tour in seven years and returned the following year to headline both nights of Classic Rock Productions Classic Rock Festival at the Patriots Theater at the Trenton War Memorial in Trenton, New Jersey, on 5 and 6 October 2002, alongside Mostly Autumn, Asia, Karnataka, Focus and Nektar. Uriah Heep played an electric show the first night and an all acoustic show the second.

For most of the years that followed Uriah Heep have returned to Britain for a tour or just their annual showcase concert, the Magicians Birthday Party, which in 2003 was held at the now demolished London Astoria. All the while Mick Box acted as a manager for the band until, on 5 April 2005, they retained Simon Porter as their manager.

Wake the Sleeper and Into the Wild (2007–2013)

In early 2007, drummer Lee Kerslake had to leave the group due to ill health. In March of that year the band recruited Russell Gilbrook as their new drummer and immediately started recording a new studio album entitled Wake the Sleeper, where they used double drums in the songs Wake the Sleeper and War Child. Originally slated for a summer 2007 release, Universal Music finally released Wake the Sleeper on 2 June 2008.

In October 2009 Uriah Heep released their 40th-anniversary album Celebration – Forty Years of Rock, containing new studio recordings of twelve of their best known tracks, plus two brand new songs. "This collection underlines again that Uriah Heep are deserving great respect for their past achievements but far more importantly it makes it crystal clear that this is a band with a bright future as well as a glorious history", wrote Chris Kee in his 9/10 review in Powerplay magazine's February 2010 issue.

A United States tour for June/July 2010 was delayed due to immigration problems; the first two dates had to be rescheduled. This resulted in an appearance at B. B. King's in New York City as being the first date of the tour. Then Uriah Heep performed live on the Progressive Rock stage at the inaugural High Voltage Festival in London's Victoria Park on 25 July 2010. They played their 1972 album Demons and Wizards in its entirety, being joined by ex-Whitesnake man Micky Moody on slide guitar.

Uriah Heep released their 22nd studio album Into the Wild on 15 April 2011 in Europe (3 May in North America) via Frontiers Records.

Bassist Trevor Bolder died on 21 May 2013 after suffering from pancreatic cancer. He was 62 years old. British bassist John Jowitt (Ark, IQ, Arena) came in temporarily, followed by Dave Rimmer.

Outsider and Living the Dream (2013–2019)
In May 2013, when the band toured The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland, they were again joined by their late 1970s era singer John Lawton, who was covering for Bernie Shaw taking time off for a routine medical procedure. Then both Bernie and John fronted the group for their show in San Javier, Spain on 12 July.

Uriah Heep entered the studio in January 2014 to begin recording their 23rd studio album Outsider, which was released in June 2014. The album featured new bass player Dave Rimmer, who had been a substitute for Trevor Bolder the previous year.

In March 2015 they went on the "Down Unda Tour" visiting Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Auckland. On 25 September, they announced the release of their greatest hits album Totally Driven, a collection of re-recordings of classic Heep songs made in 2001, which was released on 12 November. On 15 October that year, the group played alongside Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake at a special two-hour concert at Crocus City Hall in Moscow.

Swedish singer Stefan Berggren, from Berggren Kerslake Band (BKB), subbed for Bernie Shaw on lead vocals at the Rosenheim Festival in Germany on 14 July 2016 and again later that same year for a New Year's Eve festival in Sibiu, Romania, when Shaw had a family commitment.

2016 also saw the group play a few Japanese dates and the Legends Rock Cruise.

Former bass player John Wetton died on 31 January 2017 from colorectal cancer.

On 16 November 2017, it was reported that Uriah Heep would begin recording their 24th studio album, titled Living the Dream, with producer Jay Ruston. The album was released on 14 September 2018, and the band was set to embark on a world tour in support of it that would take them into 2019.

Chaos and Colour (2020–present)
In a July 2020 interview with Sea of Tranquility, guitarist Mick Box and bassist Dave Rimmer confirmed that Uriah Heep were scheduled to begin recording their 25th studio album in early 2021. When asked about a possible release date, Box said: "I think release is all down to the record company, I've gotta be honest. We never get a shout on that. They always seem to have some reason to release it at this time, that time, whatever time." In November 2021, Box revealed that the recording sessions of the new album were finished and "over in L.A. now being mixed".

Two former Uriah Heep members died in 2020: Lee Kerslake after a long cancer battle on 19 September, and Ken Hensley after a short illness on 4 November. They had both each recorded a solo album earlier that year, posthumously released in early 2021. Another former member of Uriah Heep, vocalist John Lawton, died on 29 June 2021, at the age of 74.

On 27 January 2023, Uriah Heep released its 25th studio album, Chaos & Colour, which was preceded by the two singles "Save Me Tonight" and "Hurricane".

On a spring 2024 US tour with Saxon, keyboardist Lanzon was called away due to family commitments. Adam Wakeman (son of Rick Wakeman) came in to sub for Lanzon.

Musical style and influence
Uriah Heep's music has predominantly been described by critics and journalists as progressive rock and heavy metal,      with influences from acid rock, blues, and folk. Uriah Heep's distinctive features have always included a massive keyboard sound, strong vocal harmonies and (in the early years) David Byron's quasi-operatic vocals. In a 2018 interview, guitarist Mick Box cited "five-part vocal harmonies, Hammond organ and wah-wah guitar" as the main elements of the band's sound.

Uriah Heep have been cited as an influence by numerous acts, including Iron Maiden, Queen, Accept, Ghost, Fates Warning, Sodom, Death, Dio, King Diamond, Avenged Sevenfold, Krokus, Demons & Wizards (who were named after the band's album with the same name), Axel Rudi Pell and Fifth Angel.

Current members

 * Mick Box – guitars, backing vocals (1969–present)
 * Phil Lanzon – keyboards, backing vocals (1986–present)
 * Bernie Shaw – lead vocals (1986–present)
 * Russell Gilbrook – drums (2007–present)
 * Dave Rimmer – bass, backing vocals (2013–present)
 * Adam Wakeman – keyboards, backing vocals (2024–present; substitute for Lanzon)

Discography
Studio albums

 * ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970)
 * Salisbury (1971)
 * Look at Yourself (1971)
 * Demons and Wizards (1972)
 * The Magician's Birthday (1972)
 * Sweet Freedom (1973)
 * Wonderworld (1974)
 * Return to Fantasy (1975)
 * High and Mighty (1976)
 * Firefly (1977)
 * Innocent Victim (1977)
 * Fallen Angel (1978)
 * Conquest (1980)
 * Abominog (1982)
 * Head First (1983)
 * Equator (1985)
 * Raging Silence (1989)
 * Different World (1991)
 * Sea of Light (1995)
 * Sonic Origami (1998)
 * Wake the Sleeper (2008)
 * Into the Wild (2011)
 * Outsider (2014)
 * Living the Dream (2018)
 * Chaos & Colour (2023)

title: Uriah Heep (band)


text:
Chamomile

Chamomile (American English) or camomile (British English; see spelling differences) ( or  ) is the common name for several daisy-like plants of the family Asteraceae. Two of the species, Matricaria chamomilla and Chamaemelum nobile, are commonly used to make herbal infusions for beverages. There has been limited (though thus far insufficient) research as to whether consuming chamomile in foods or beverages is effective in treating medical conditions.

Etymology
The word chamomile is derived via French and Latin, from the Greek χαμαίμηλον, from χαμαί, and μῆλον. First used in the 13th century, the spelling chamomile corresponds to the Latin chamomilla and the Greek. The spelling camomile is a British derivation from the French.

Species
Some commonly used species include:
 * Matricaria chamomilla – often called "German chamomile" or "Water of Youth"
 * Chamaemelum nobile – Roman, English, or garden chamomile; also frequently used (C. nobile Treneague is normally used to create a chamomile lawn)

A number of other species' common names include the word chamomile. This does not necessarily mean they are used in the same manner as the species used in the herbal tea known as "chamomile". Plants including the common name chamomile, of the family Asteraceae, are:
 * Anthemis arvensis – corn, scentless or field chamomile
 * Anthemis cotula – stinking chamomile
 * Cladanthus mixtus – Moroccan chamomile
 * Cota tinctoria – dyer's, golden, oxeye, or yellow chamomile
 * Eriocephalus punctulatus – Cape chamomile
 * Matricaria discoidea – wild chamomile or pineapple weed
 * Oncosiphon pilulifer – globe chamomile
 * Tripleurospermum inodorum – wild, scentless or false chamomile

Uses
Chamomile may be used as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages, mouthwash, soaps, or cosmetics. It is used to "upholster" chamomile seats, raised beds which are about half a meter tall, and designed to be sat upon. Chamomile lawns are also used in sunny areas with light traffic.

Tea
Chamomile tea is a herbal infusion made from dried flowers and hot water, and may improve sleep quality. Two types of chamomile are used, namely German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile).

Use in beer and ale
Chamomile has historically been used in making beer and ale. Unlike for tea, in which only the flowers are used, the whole plant has been used to make beers and ales, adding a bitter flavor component favored by craft breweries and homebrewers.

Research
The main compounds of interest in chamomile flowers are coumarins, flavonoids, and polyphenols, including apigenin, quercetin, patuletin, luteolin, and daphnin. It is currently unclear whether chamomile is effective in treating any medical conditions. Chamomile is under preliminary research for its potential anti-anxiety properties. There is no high-quality clinical evidence that it is useful for treating insomnia.

Drug interactions
The use of chamomile has the potential to cause adverse interactions with numerous herbal products and prescription drugs and may worsen pollen allergies. People who are allergic to ragweed (also in the daisy family) may be allergic to chamomile due to cross-reactivity.

Chamomile is not recommended to be taken with aspirin or non-salicylate NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), as it may cause drug–herb interaction. Chamomile consists of several ingredients including coumarin, glycoside, herniarin, flavonoid, farnesol, nerolidol and germacranolide. Despite the presence of coumarin, as chamomile's effect on the coagulation system has not yet been studied, it is unknown whether a clinically significant drug–herb interaction exists with anticoagulant drugs. However, until more information is available, it is not recommended to use these substances concurrently.

Chamomile should not be used by people with past or present cancers of the breast, ovary, or uterus; endometriosis; or uterine fibroids.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Because chamomile has been known to cause uterine contractions that can invoke miscarriage, pregnant women are advised to not consume Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). Although oral consumption of chamomile is generally recognized as safe in the United States, there is insufficient clinical evidence about its potential for affecting nursing infants.

Agriculture
The chamomile plant is known to be susceptible to many fungi, insects, and viruses. The following fungi are known to attack this plant: Albugo tragopogonis (white rust), Cylindrosporium matricariae, Erysiphe cichoracearum (powdery mildew), E. polyphage, Halicobasidium purpureum, Peronospora leptosperma, Peronospora radii, Phytophthora cactorum, Puccinia anthemedis, Puccinia matricaiae, Septoria chamomillae, and Sphaerotheca macularis (powdery mildew). Also, yellow virus (Chlorogenus callistephi var. californicus Holmes, Callistephus virus 1A) causes severe damage to this plant. Aphids (Aphis fabae) have been observed feeding on chamomile plants and the moth Autographa chryson causes defoliation.The insect Nysius minor caused shedding of M. chamomilla flowers,

Historical descriptions
The 11th century part of Old English Illustrated Herbal has an illustrated entry. Nicholas Culpeper's 17th century The Complete Herbal has an illustration and several entries on chamomel.

In culture

 * In The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902), Peter's mother gives him chamomile tea to cure his stomachache.
 * Mary Wesley's 1984 novel The Camomile Lawn features a house in Cornwall with a lawn planted with chamomile rather than grass.
 * In the 2001 No Doubt song "Hey Baby", chamomile is featured in the line "I'm just sippin' on chamomile", sung by Gwen Stefani.
 * Chamomile is the national flower of Russia.

title: Chamomile


text:
Phi (disambiguation)

Phi (Φ, φ, or ϕ) is the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet.

Phi or PHI may also refer to:

Mathematics

 * Golden ratio (φ)
 * Phi coefficient, a measure of association for two binary variables introduced by Karl Pearson
 * Euler's totient function or phi function
 * Integrated information theory (IIT) the symbol of which is φ is a mathematical theory of consciousness developed under the lead of the neuroscientist Giulio Tononi
 * Standard normal distribution, $$\Phi(x)$$ notating its cumulative distribution function and $$\phi(x)$$ its probability density function

Physics, chemistry and biology

 * Phi meson, in particle physics
 * Magnetic flux (Φ)
 * Peptide PHI (Peptide histidine isoleucine)
 * 6-phospho-3-hexuloisomerase, an enzyme
 * Phenyl group (Φ), a functional group in organic chemistry
 * Pre-harvest interval
 * pH(I), the isoelectric point

Computing

 * Xeon Phi, an Intel MIC microprocessor
 * Φ (Phi) function, in static single-assignment form compiler design

Medicine

 * Permanent health insurance, against becoming disabled
 * Protected health information, in US law

Other science

 * Phi phenomenon, in visual perception
 * Krumbein phi scale, for the size of a particle or sediment

Arts and entertainment

 * Phi (KinKi Kids album) (2007)
 * Phi (Truckfighters album) (2007)
 * Sailor Phi, a villain in the Sailor Moon manga
 * Phi, a character in the visual novels Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward and Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma.
 * Phi: A Voyage from the Brain to the Soul, a book by Giulio Tononi (2012)
 * Phi, a character from Beyblade Burst Turbo, a TV show written by Hiro Morita

Organizations

 * Packard Humanities Institute
 * Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, a nonprofit organization based in New York City, US
 * Pepco Holdings Inc.
 * Petroleum Helicopters International, an American commercial helicopter operator
 * Philadelphia’s major professional sports teams
 * Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League
 * Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association
 * Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball
 * Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League
 * Post-Polio Health International
 * Phi, a collegiate secret society at Princeton University

Other uses

 * Voiceless bilabial fricative (IPA symbol: )
 * Phi, a village in Sesant, Cambodia
 * Phi, ghosts in Thai culture
 * Philippines, IOC country code

title: Phi (disambiguation)


text:
Pi (letter)

Pi (/ˈpaɪ/; Ancient Greek /piː/ or /peî/, uppercase Π, lowercase π, cursive ϖ; πι ) is the sixteenth letter of the Greek alphabet, meaning units united, and representing the voiceless bilabial plosive. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 80. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Pe. Letters that arose from pi include Latin P, Cyrillic Pe (П, п), Coptic pi (Ⲡ, ⲡ), and Gothic pairthra (𐍀).

Uppercase Pi
The uppercase letter Π is used as a symbol for:
 * In textual criticism, Codex Petropolitanus, a 9th-century uncial codex of the Gospels, now located in St. Petersburg, Russia.
 * In legal shorthand, it represents a plaintiff.
 * In Mathematical finance, it represents a portfolio.

In science and engineering:
 * The product operator in mathematics, indicated with capital pi notation $Π$ (in analogy to the use of the capital Sigma $Σ$ as summation symbol).
 * The osmotic pressure in chemistry.
 * The viscous stress tensor in continuum mechanics and fluid dynamics.

Lowercase Pi
The lowercase letter $\pi$ is used as a symbol for:
 * The mathematical real transcendental (and thus irrational) constant π ≈ 3.14159..., the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter in Euclidean geometry. The letter "π" is the first letter of the Greek words 'periphery' and  'perimeter', i.e. the circumference.
 * The prime-counting function in mathematics.
 * Homotopy groups in algebraic topology.
 * Dimensionless parameters constructed using the Buckingham π theorem of dimensional analysis.
 * The hadron called the pion (pi meson).
 * Often inflation rate in macroeconomics.
 * Sometimes profit in microeconomics.
 * A type of chemical bond in which the p orbitals overlap, called a pi bond.
 * The natural projection on the tangent bundle on a manifold.
 * The unary operation of projection in relational algebra.
 * Policy in reinforcement learning.
 * Polyamory (in the earliest polyamory pride flag design, created by Jim Evans in 1995, pi stands for the first letter of polyamory).

History
An early form of pi was, appearing almost like a gamma with a hook.

Variant pi
Variant pi or "pomega" ($$\varpi\,\!$$ or ϖ) is a glyph variant of lowercase pi sometimes used in technical contexts. It resembles a lowercase omega with a macron, though historically it is simply a cursive form of pi, with its legs bent inward to meet. It was also used in the minuscule script. It is a symbol for:
 * Angular frequency of a wave in fluid dynamics (angular frequency is usually represented by $$\omega$$ but this may be confused with vorticity in a fluid dynamics context).
 * Longitude of pericenter in celestial mechanics.
 * Comoving distance in cosmology.
 * Single-scattering albedo in radiative transfer.
 * Mean fitness of a population in biology.
 * Fundamental weights of a representation (probably to better distinguish from elements $$w$$ of the Weyl group, than the usual notation $$\omega$$).
 * The lemniscate constant.

Character encodings
The various forms of pi are present in Unicode as:

title: Pi (letter)


text:
Koppa (letter)

Koppa or qoppa (Ϙ, ϙ; as a modern numeral sign: ϟ) is a letter that was used in early forms of the Greek alphabet, derived from Phoenician qoph (𐤒). It was originally used to denote the sound, but dropped out of use as an alphabetic character and replaced by Kappa (Κ). It has remained in use as a numeral symbol (90) in the system of Greek numerals, although with a modified shape. Koppa is the source of Q|Latin Q, as well as the Cyrillic numeral sign of the same name (Koppa).

Alphabetic
In Phoenician, qoph was pronounced ; in Greek, which lacked such a sound, it was instead used for before back vowels Ο, Υ and Ω. In this function, it was borrowed into the Italic alphabets and ultimately into Latin. However, as the sound had two redundant spellings, koppa was eventually replaced by kappa (Κ) in Greek. It remained in use as a letter in some Doric regions into the 5th century BC.

The koppa was used as a symbol for the city of Corinth, which had the early spelling of Ϙόρινθος.

Numeric
Koppa remained in use in the system of Milesian Greek numerals, where it had the value of 90. It has continued to be used in this function into modern times, though its shape has changed over time. In the Greek cursive script, the Q-like shape with a closed circle on top (handwritten as ) was often broken up at the side or at the top. These are also the shapes in which it was borrowed into the early Cyrillic alphabet (Ҁ), as well as into Gothic, in both cases with the same numeric function. In modern Church Slavonic, a similar-looking but unrelated letter Ч is used instead of the former. Similarly, in the Coptic script, the identical-looking sign ϥ is also used as a numeral for 90, although as an alphabetic letter it has an unrelated sound value,, derived from Egyptian demotic. Later, in minuscule handwriting, the shape changed further into a simple zigzag line.

Typography
Modern typography of the numeral Koppa has most often employed some version of the Z-shaped character. It may appear in several variants: as a simple geometrical lightning-bolt shape ; with the top part curved rightward, evoking to some degree the original uncial form ; in a characteristic shape with a shorter top arm slightly curved to the left, resembling a Hebrew letter Lamedh ; or with the same lamedh shape turned upside down. Other variants common in older print include shapes based on the open uncial form. Some of these shapes may be indistinguishable from realizations of the other Greek numeral, Stigma, in other fonts. Koppa has also sometimes been replaced by a lowercase Latin "q", a mirrored uppercase "P", or a "5" turned upside down.

As with the numeral usage of stigma (digamma) and Sampi, modern typographical practice normally does not observe a contrast between uppercase and lowercase forms for numeric koppa.

Computer encoding
The Unicode character encoding standard originally (since version 1.1 of 1993), had only a single code point for Koppa, which was marked as uppercase and could be used either for an epigraphic or a numeral glyph, depending on font design. A lowercase form was encoded in version 3.0 (1999). A second pair of code points specifically for the original closed epigraphical shape was introduced in version 3.2 (2002). This left the older two code points (U+03DE/U+03DF, Ϟϟ) to cover primarily the numeral glyphs.

As of 2010, coverage of these code points in common computer fonts is therefore still inconsistent: while the most commonly used version of the numeral glyph will be located at the lowercase code point U+03DF in recent fonts, older fonts may either have no character at all or a version of the closed epigraphic form at that position. Conversely, older fonts may have the numeral glyph at the uppercase code point, while this position may be filled with any of several less common glyphs in newer ones. Since there had never been a consistent typographic tradition for a specifically uppercase numeral koppa, the typographer Yannis Haralambous proposed two new variants for it, and , noting that he himself found them not "entirely satisfactory". A serifed version similar to his koppa was adopted as the reference glyph for the Unicode code charts, along with a lowercase form with heavy curved arms and pointed angles:. Some current Unicode fonts have adopted these new shapes, while many font designers have opted for some combination of the more traditional glyphs, including the uncial and the lamedh-shaped ones.

title: Koppa (letter)


text:
Talk:Jabad

 * Martin and RK decided to make this page a redirect to Chabad Lubavitch.

title: Talk:Jabad


text:
Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early to mid-1970s. Their albums include Wishbone Ash (1970), Pilgrimage (1971), Argus (1972), Wishbone Four (1973), There's the Rub (1974), and New England (1976).

Wishbone Ash are noted for their extensive use of harmony twin lead guitars, which had been attracting electric blues bands since Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page had played together in the Yardbirds in 1966. Their contributions helped Andy Powell and Ted Turner to be voted "Two of the Ten Most Important Guitarists in Rock History" (Traffic magazine 1989). Melody Maker (1972) described Powell and Turner as "the most interesting two-guitar team since the days when Beck and Page graced The Yardbirds". Several notable bands have cited Wishbone Ash as an influence, including the Eagles, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Thin Lizzy, Metallica, Dream Theater, Overkill and Opeth.

Formed in Torquay, Devon, in 1969, out of the ashes of the trio The Empty Vessels (originally known as The Torinoes, later briefly being renamed Tanglewood in 1969), which had been formed by Wishbone Ash's founding member and creative force Martin Turner (lead vocalist, and bass guitar) in 1963 and complemented by Steve Upton (drums and percussion) in 1966. Wishbone Ash formed when Martin Turner and Steve Upton set up auditions for a guitarist and subsequently ended up with two guitarists because they could not decide between the two. So as a result, guitarists/vocalists Andy Powell and Ted Turner completed the original Wishbone Ash line-up. In 1974, Ted Turner left the band, and was replaced by Laurie Wisefield. The band continued on with strong critical and commercial success until 1980. There followed line-ups featuring former bass players from King Crimson (John Wetton), Uriah Heep (Trevor Bolder), and Trapeze (Mervyn Spence). Wisefield left in 1985. In 1987, however, the original line-up reunited for several albums – Nouveau Calls, Here to Hear and Strange Affair – until 1990, when Upton quit the band. After Martin Turner was replaced in 1991, the band recorded The Ash Live in Chicago, before Ted Turner left in 1993. This left Andy Powell as the sole remaining original founding member of Wishbone Ash to continue the band on into the future.

Formation and rise to fame (1969–1980)
Wishbone Ash was formed in October 1969 by bass guitarist Martin Turner and drummer Steve Upton. When Tanglewood's original guitarist, Martin's brother Glenn Turner left the trio and returned to his native Devon, their manager, Miles Copeland III advertised for a guitar player and also for a keyboard player. After an extensive search for a guitarist, the band could not decide between the final two candidates, Andy Powell and Ted Turner (no relation to Martin). It was suggested that they try both guitar players "just to see what it sounds like". Differing from the twin lead sound of Southern rock pioneer The Allman Brothers Band, Wishbone Ash included strong elements of progressive rock, and also of folk and classical music. After the band members wrote several suggested band names on two sheets of paper, Martin Turner picked one word from each list – 'Wishbone' and 'Ash'.

In early 1970, the band secured an opening spot for Deep Purple. Its guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore, later recommended Wishbone Ash to producer Derek Lawrence, as well as helping them secure a record deal with Decca/MCA Records. The band's debut album, Wishbone Ash, was released in December 1970. One year later, the group released Pilgrimage. The band peaked commercially in 1972 with Argus, their highest placed entry in the UK Albums Chart (#3). The album was voted by the readers of Sounds as the "best rock album of the year", also "Top British Album" (Melody Maker). The band were getting international acclaim for their live performances as they gained popularity around the world.

The band had now begun to play major arenas as headliners. Wishbone Four (1973) was the band's first record without producer Derek Lawrence, as the band decided to produce the album themselves. In December 1973, the band released a double live album, Live Dates. There was an album released called Wishbone Ash Live in Memphis, which was a promo to FM radio stations but never sold in stores. Not long after, guitarist Ted Turner left the band. After replacing Turner with guitarist Laurie Wisefield (ex-Home), the band relocated to the US and recorded There's the Rub (1974). Locked In (1976), produced by Tom Dowd, saw the band moving towards US soft-rock territory and the group began touring with a keyboard player.

1976's New England returned to the traditional Wishbone Ash style. Front Page News (1977) was the band's last album of this period that was recorded in the US. In 1978, after years of experimental albums, the band decided to return to its roots with No Smoke Without Fire, the first to be produced by Derek Lawrence since Argus in 1972. The album contained mainly songs written by Laurie Wisefield and Martin Turner. The band spent six months making the next album, Just Testing which was released in February 1980. Pressured by MCA to make more commercial music, Andy Powell, Laurie Wisefield and Steve Upton expressed to bassist/vocalist Martin Turner that they planned to recruit a lead singer / frontman, thus restricting Martin Turner's duties to bass guitar only. Turner felt unable to support such plans and described the position he was being put in as "untenable". Following a band meeting at his house, Martin Turner parted company with the band. Ironically, the band never recruited the proposed frontman and Turner, in his 2012 autobiography, described the situation as "constructive dismissal". However this was not a view held by the rest of the remaining band members or the then management.

Line-up changes (1981–1986)
Turner was replaced by bassist and vocalist John Wetton, formerly of Family, King Crimson, Roxy Music, Uriah Heep and U.K. Number the Brave was released in April 1981 and featured Wetton's lead vocals on just one song, although during album sessions he had offered songs such as "Here Comes the Feeling" that would eventually sell millions when released on Asia's 1982 debut album. Wetton did not continue with Wishbone Ash beyond the album sessions and instead co-founded Asia.

Wetton was replaced on the Number the Brave tour by the former Uriah Heep bassist Trevor Bolder. Also joining the band was female backing vocalist, Claire Hamill, who had sung on both the Just Testing and Number the Brave albums. In 1982, after Hamill's departure, the band experimented with heavy metal on the Twin Barrels Burning album. It became the highest charting Wishbone Ash album in years (UK #22).

Bolder left the group to rejoin Uriah Heep in 1983, to be replaced by bassist/vocalist Mervyn Spence (ex-Trapeze). The group continued with a rock side on 1985's Raw to the Bone, which became the first Wishbone Ash album not to make the charts. Not long after, Wisefield left after serving as guitarist in the band for eleven years, going on to a varied career that would include work with Tina Turner, Joe Cocker, Roger Chapman, Jeff Wayne and the Queen musical We Will Rock You. He was replaced by Jamie Crompton, who in turn was succeeded briefly by Phil Palmer. Early in 1986, Mervyn Spence quit as well, to be replaced by ex-Kinks bassist Andy Pyle.

Reunions and departures (1987–1994)
In 1987, I.R.S. Records founder and original Wishbone manager Miles Copeland III began a series of albums entitled No Speak, which featured all instrumental music. To launch the label successfully, Copeland needed a big name band that would bring publicity to the project. Copeland approached the four founding members of Wishbone Ash about having the original line-up record an all-instrumental album. For the first time in fourteen years, Andy Powell and Steve Upton joined forces with Martin Turner and Ted Turner to record the album Nouveau Calls, released in February 1988. The original line-up's tour of 1988 was a huge success, as the band played large venues for the first time since the late 1970s. In August 1989, the band released a reunion album with vocals entitled Here to Hear, featuring mainly songs written by Ted and Martin Turner.

In 1990 the band went back into the studio to record the follow-up to Here to Hear. The band were shocked when founding member Upton, the band's drummer for their entire career, announced his retirement from the music industry. They enlisted drummer Robbie France, but replaced him with Ray Weston when it was determined that personal conflicts between France and Martin Turner could not be resolved. Strange Affair was released in May 1991, featuring mainly songs written by Andy Powell and Ted Turner.

Later in 1991, the band decided to continue without founding member Martin Turner, with the bassist/vocalist being replaced by returnee Andy Pyle, who had been in the band years earlier. The band toured throughout 1992/93, releasing the live album The Ash Live in Chicago. 1994 saw the second and final departure of Ted Turner. Following Turner's departure, Pyle and Weston also left the band.

Reunion years to present (1995–present)
At this stage Andy Powell was the only original member left in Wishbone Ash. Powell enlisted guitarist/songwriter Roger Filgate, bassist/vocalist Tony Kishman, and drummer Mike Sturgis. The new line-up debuted on a short UK/European tour in spring 1995. By the time of the band's 25th anniversary tour in late 1995, Tony Kishman was finding touring difficult due to other performing engagements in the United States. Founding member Martin Turner replaced him on bass and vocals for the duration of the tour, before Kishman returned to record lead vocals for the band's next album. Illuminations was released in 1996 and featured the Powell, Filgate, Kishman, Sturgis line-up. Powell relied on fan donations and outside assistance to help finance the album.

In 1997, Filgate, Kishman, and Sturgis departed, so Powell brought former drummer Weston back into the fold, along with new members guitarist Mark Birch and bassist Bob Skeat. Wishbone Ash then went on to release two electronic dance albums on UK indie label Invisible Hands Music. The albums contained electronic beats blended with Wishbone Ash guitar riffs. Trance Visionary was the first of the pair, spawning a 12" single of four mixes that reached number 38 on the UK dance chart. Psychic Terrorism followed. The band then released an acoustic album of classic and new songs entitled Bare Bones before hitting the road in 2000 to celebrate their 30th anniversary. A filmed show was held at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, where the band welcomed special guests Wisefield and Hamill as well as other friends for a star-studded concert that resulted in Live Dates 3 and a live DVD.

In 2001, Mark Birch was replaced by Finnish guitarist Ben Granfelt. The band hit the road for their most extensive touring schedule in years. Wishbone Ash returned to the studio in 2002 for the Bona Fide album. 2003 saw the band touring across the world with Savoy Brown, playing their largest number of American dates since the 1980s. Ben Granfelt left the band in 2004 to continue working on his solo career. Granfelt's mentor, Muddy Manninen joined the band. In late 2006, the band released a new studio album entitled Clan Destiny. In 2007, longtime drummer Ray Weston left the band, stating that he was tired of constant touring and wanted to concentrate on different things. He was replaced by Joe Crabtree, known for his work with Pendragon and King Crimson violinist David Cross. In late 2007, the band released Power of Eternity; their first with new member Joe Crabtree.

On 25 November 2011 Wishbone Ash released their 23rd album, the well received Elegant Stealth, which is also the first album to be recorded by the same line up as the predecessor since 1989. In 2013 a court case relating to a trade mark infringement and the use of the name 'Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash' was decided. The court ruled in favour of Andy Powell with the comprehensive judgement forming a clear history of the band since its inception. On 19 February 2014 the 24th studio album Blue Horizon was released. The reviews for this album were generally very positive. As of 2014 this line-up of the band, having been together since 2007, became the longest-lasting line-up of Wishbone Ash in the group's history. On 16 May 2015, Wishbone Ash recorded a live to vinyl album at Metropolis Studios.

On 21–23 May 2015, Wishbone Ash recorded the DVD Live in Paris at in France. The performance included additional percussion and guitar contributions from Andy's son Aynsley Powell. In May 2017, it was announced that Mark Abrahams, a long time Wishbone Ash fan, would be joining on guitar duties. Abrahams is a guitarist who previously owned Vision Guitars, a guitar shop in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England.

On 24 September 2019 it was announced that Wishbone Ash were signed to Steamhammer/SPV and released Coat of Arms, their first studio album in six years, on 28 February 2020. The album's lead single, "We Stand as One", was premiered on to the band's 50th anniversary in autumn 2019 and was released on 10 January 2020. The second single "Back in the Day" was released on 7 February 2020. The album cover has been created by a heraldry artist Olaf Keller in the Regal Coat of Arms design studio.

For some dates on their 2021 tour, drummer Mike Sturgis rejoined the band in place of Joe Crabtree. In February 2022 Mike Truscott became Wishbone Ash's official drummer.

In August 2023 the band announced the release of a live album, Live Dates Live.

Martin Turner ex Wishbone Ash
Martin Turner began touring in 2004 with "Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash", performing material by the classic line ups of the band. Occasionally Ted Turner and Laurie Wisefield have joined his group on stage as guests. He published his autobiography in 2012.

In 2013 Andy Powell took legal action to protect the Wishbone Ash registered trademark and prevent Martin Turner from using his chosen group name. The court ruled in favour of Andy Powell and Martin Turner's application to appeal was refused. Since then he has toured and recorded with his band as "Martin Turner ex Wishbone Ash".

Special events
Wishbone Ash have developed two group gatherings, AshCon in the UK and AshFest in the United States. These began in 1994 and have developed into gatherings of the 'faithful' and have since become annual fixtures.

Personnel

 * Current members
 * Andy Powell – guitar, vocals (1969–present)
 * Bob Skeat – bass, backing vocals (1997–present).
 * Mark Abrahams – guitar (2017–present)
 * Mike Truscott – drums, percussion (2022–present)

Discography
Studio albums

 * Wishbone Ash (1970)
 * Pilgrimage (1971)
 * Argus (1972)
 * Wishbone Four (1973)
 * There's the Rub (1974)
 * Locked In (1976)
 * New England (1976)
 * Front Page News (1977)
 * No Smoke Without Fire (1978)
 * Just Testing (1980)
 * Number the Brave (1981)
 * Twin Barrels Burning (1982)
 * Raw to the Bone (1985)
 * Nouveau Calls (1987)
 * Here to Hear (1989)
 * Strange Affair (1991)
 * Illuminations (1996)
 * Trance Visionary (1998) (electronic re-recordings)
 * Psychic Terrorism (1998) (electronic re-recordings)
 * Bare Bones (1999) (acoustic re-recordings)
 * Bona Fide (2002)
 * Clan Destiny (2006)
 * Power of Eternity (2007)
 * Elegant Stealth (2011)
 * Blue Horizon (2014)
 * Coat of Arms (2020)

title: Wishbone Ash