Rick Wakeman - Life On Mars (David Bowie)

[78rohan]

Go Rick!!

[scada99]

Mr. Wakeman is AWESOME!! If I could play as well as just ONE of his fingers, I'd play every piece of music ever written. When ninjas need help they call Chuck Norris, When Chuck needs help he calls Mr. Wakeman!!

[henry220449]

Un des tous grands du piano!

[wiltner]

Rick is one of the finest Piano and keyboard players of all time. He is often overlooked when people discuss Chic Corea, Herbie Hancock, etc.

He was the first to play 2 seperate keyboards live at the same time and invented the multi keyboard stand. He plays Classical , Rock, Jazz, Ragtime , Pop, Music Hall equally well. Without him keyboards and modern keyboard playing would not be where it is today.

[DrusillaDarko]

As with 'Changes'...Wakeman contributed a lot to this song. Not enough to get a writers credit tho. He may have deserved an arrangers co-credit to be fair.

[sirensealight]

The hair is the same but where's his space cape!!! He used to really glam it up when he was in YES

[stouffer54321]

Hey that's the guy off Countdown, I didn't realise he could play the piano, he's quite good really. He ought to make an album or something.

[alterego55]

They used to have his Nursery Rhyme Concerto on Youtube, but it was removed, probably because of copyright issues. It is great if you haven't seen (or heard) it.

[rebure]

YES is not really my music. I lov Bowie !!!

AND THIS IS GREAT MUSIC !!!!!!!!!!

[helicoptered]

venerate musicians

[soultemptress]

I understand what you are saying Hawkeyesurfer. I've been a fan since Yes. Our HS concert band did the 6 Wives back in 1976 and we all worked so hard to do it justice. Alot of our friends were fans, they thought we did pretty well. I know I truly enjoyed doing homage to it.

[hawkeyesurfer]

It's great to see so many Rick Wakeman fans writing comments. I thought I was the only one. Everyone I know goes "Rick who?", very sad :(

[wallysorchard]

Very sad indeed - It should be, you lucky *** watching Rick Wakeman

[FliXeRoCk107]

I know, and my most exiting news is that im going to see him play the six wives of Henry the Eights (the whole album) and its the only time he will ever do it. I'm so exited!

[ClassicStudioT]

Hi there, head on over to: ROCKONDIGITALDOTCOM to the interviews section and the ON AIR section - you will find lots of Wakeman stuff online there too...

[AllStarBugler]

Both concerts were awesome, the 2nd better than the 1st. Well worth the trip from Philly. Like going to see Beethoven....

[snapshotsid]

The keys master.

[jupitorman]

i met rick at the back of thr odeon bham in the 70s if i only new he playd on life on mars wow

[SlaveToTheDivas]

Wakeman played the original piano part on the Hunky Dory sessions for which he was paid the princely sum of 30 quid!

[mediakeyne]

superb musician and a funny guy, who likes a pint and a pie

[InfidelAntichristian]

this is amazing I like David Bowie and Prog rock, I guess this is the closest we will see of those 2 being combined.

[earbender]

dude, rick wakeman played on david bowie records.

[RadioBazterd]

Ricks the best all-round keyboardist, his use of synthesizers is second to none (being a synth player myself) he's a good pianist too.

[procommenter]

He's the best pianist. Who's more proficient?

[neil73]

Your joking right? There are many, MANY pianists that are technically better than Rick Wakeman, and i say that as someone who is a Wakeman fan. However, Rick's prowess as a composer sets him apart from the rest of the classical world: You never hear of the great pianists composing their own music, or at least hardly ever. If you want to see some astounding piano playing, type 'Valentina Lisitsa' into the search bar and choose Rachmaninoff etude 39 no 6

[amccann7]

what an amazing musician Rick Wakeman is! Absolutely brilliant!

[LudwigVonKoopa64]

that sounds awesome!

[Olexandr92]

It is awesome!!

people,if you want,please check my version of RW's ''Mermaid''.I hope you'll enjoy!!thanks

[fitzygerald]

this is just amazing

[BoysKeepSwingin2]

Wakeman is one of the best pianists ever!

[BoysKeepSwingin2]

sounds great!

[mitchyfender]

Amazing Ricks keyboard playing never ceases to amaze me over the years.

[arabiansanchez]

When Rick Wakeman heard Bowie's original basic guitar version and vocal for this, when he was a 21 year old sessionist, he later said it was the best song he'd ever heard.

But THEN, along with other musicians and producers, they added stuff like THIS atop.

Life On Mars? is the best song ever, and alot of that is to do with Wakeman.

[ruffelle]

Beautiful.

[thewhoyouknow]

Just PERFECT!

[Mitch2tall]

I couldn't help but shed tears when I heard this piece. So much must have been pent-up inside and this music moved me like no other.

[julieschoice]

what a most beautiful piece, so full of emotion. lovely i could watch and listen all night. julie labbe

[anto89Prato]

solo una parola:bellissimo!!!

[plasticPlaystation]

Rick!

[dickturpinnet]

Excelente interpretación lollollollol

[jacekzm]

Fantastic, eccentric, exotic, imaginative, quaint, queer, rococo, unreal, wierd, fanciful, whimsical! If I could compose this piece I would compose it exactly the same way! Brilliant

[sid1662]

Nice...

[alan271164]

Great Stuff....but what about the genius of "Mike Garson" who has been with David Bowie from the earlier years to now!!

[Markismus]

What a tremendously moving and spine tingling performance! These moments are so rare. Ricks heart and soul are in this piece, I'm sure. It's why we all bow to the man.

[arabiansanchez]

Bowie made a joke in the accompanying notes saying that piano was by rick wakeman (due to my inferior inability), or something to that effect.

[Fedidovisk]

Perfeito! Possui tanta técnica que se permitiu exclusivamente à interpretação.

[carrietide]

Rick plays BEAUTIFULLY.

[teameymelli1]

this is tremendous skill

[binnyman]

I believe that Rick said in an interview (possibly from this DVD) that Bowie came to him with the song, and, as Rick puts it, he "was very good at arranging a song for David, putting all the bits and pieces together". Props to Mick Ronson, but this work seems to be an awful lot of Wakeman magic. Peace :-)

[THEBOOTLEGDAVIDBOWIE]

Absolutely bloody amazing

[flapdoodle07]

I second that. I had a tear welling in my eye.

[Joe22c]

How this video has 4 stars and NOT 5 surprises me.

[ronniekray1984]

amazing timeless !!!!!

[Squeaky1423]

BEAUTIFUL!

[hampuzzy37]

aaah, relaxing and magical

[mrshow1]

Rick Wakeman rules.

[LuisEduardoGalindo]

I Didn´t quite know he wrote it, thanks

[hspera]

Simply gorgeous! The most beautiful Bowie's song performed by this amazing musician. You're right, Wakeman composed the arrangement for "Life On Mars?" and played it in Hunky Dory. It's just awsome listen to it again more than 30 years later. Thank you very much for sharing.

[jeffhmason]

Just to be clear, Bowie wrote the song and Rick played the keyboards on the original album. Rick's not credited on the LP/CD with doing this arrangement either, so I'm not sure where that bit of "news" comes from. Mick Ronson, the guitarist in the Spiders  From Mars arranged most of Bowie's work at that time and is credited with arranging other Hunky Dory album cuts such as "Changes" and "Fill Your Heart".

[hspera]

So that's it. I just thought all keyboards arrangements were composed by Wakeman in this album, and you made it clear now.

[THEBOOTLEGDAVIDBOWIE]

Look carefully at your Hunky Dory Album. Yes he is credited

[flapdoodle07]

.. Yep! You are right. Rick also played records for T- Rex ( Get It On ), Cat Stevens ( Morning has broken ).. and too many others

[BloggStandard]

Get it On was with Elton

[AllStarBugler]

Get it On was with T Rex. The Elton album Rick played on was Madman Across the Water. I wonder if they keep in touch...

[flapdoodle07]

Rick is credited. I have an original pressing of Hunky Dory and Rick Wakeman is on the back sleeve as Richard Wakeman on piano.