"July Morning" is a song by the English rock band Uriah Heep. It is the third track on their 1971 album Look at Yourself.
The song was written in July 1970 by the band's keyboardist Ken Hensley and lead singer, David Byron, in the key of C minor.
The song has four verses and four choruses, featuring an organ introduction and a guitar solo. There is a guitar bridge between the first and second parts of the song.
AllMusic contributor Dave Thompson described the song as the best produced by Uriah Heep, with a "magnificent arrangement and performance", and in 1995, Radiomafia added "July Morning" to their list of "Top 500 Songs".
"July Morning" was first released on the Look at Yourself album and as a single in Japan and Venezuela. The Venezuelan single split the song across both sides of the 7", while the Japanese single featured an edited version of the song, which was later released on the band's greatest hits album Your Turn to Remember in 2016. The live version from Uriah Heep Live was released as a single in the US. In 2009 the band released a new version of the song on the album Celebration.
Uriah Heep's manager Gerry Bron thought Manfred Mann not only played an important part in the original studio recording, but also played a crucial role in its development.
Charts + Monthly chart performance for "July Morning" Chart (1977) Peakposition Soviet Union International Songs (MK) 8
Other appearances The song has been appeared on many Uriah Heep live, compilation and studio albums and videos.
Uriah Heep Live – 1973 The Best of Uriah Heep – 1976 Live in Europe – 1987 Live in Moscow – 1988 The Collection – 1989 Still 'Eavy Still Proud – 1994 Platinum: The Ultimate Collection – 1995 A Time of Revelation – 1996 The Best of... Part 1 – 1996 King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Uriah Heep in Concert – 1997 Rock Progression – 1998 Classic Heep: An Anthology – 1998 Three Classic Albums: ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble, Salisbury, Look at Yourself – 1998 The Best of Pts. 1-2 – 1999 Travellers in Time: An Anthology Vol. 1 – 1999 Future Echoes of the Past – 2001 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Uriah Heep – 2001 Electrically Driven – 2001 Sailing the Sea of Light – 2001 Radio Caroline Calling 70's Flashback – 2001 Remasters: The Official Anthology – 2001 The Box Miniatures – 2002 The Magician's Birthday Party – 2002 Two Sides of Uriah Heep – 2003 The Ultimate Collection – 2003 Revelations: The Uriah Heep Anthology – 2004 Gold: Looking Back 1970–2001 – 2004 From the Front Row... Live! – 2004 The Anthology – 2004 Best of Symfo Rock – 2005 Chapter & Verse – 2005 Between Two Worlds – 2005 Wake Up: The Singles Collection – 2006 Bird of Prey: Best of Uriah Heep – 2006 Easy Livin': Singles A's & B's – 2006 Very Best of Uriah Heep – 2006 Celebration – 2009 Live at Sweden Rock – 2010 Wizards: The Best of Uriah Heep – 2011 Live in Armenia – 2011 Official Bootleg Vol. 3: Live in Kawasaki in Japan 2010 – 2011 Official Bootleg – 2011 Official Bootleg Vol. 4: Live From Brisbane 2011 – 2011 Official Bootleg Vol. 2: Live in Budapest Hungary 2010 – 2011 Uriah Heep Official Bootleg: 19.12.9 Gusswerk – 2011 Official Bootleg Vol.5: Live in Athens, Greece – 2011 Great British Rock – 2011 Rock Legends – 2011 Icon – 2012 Totally Driven – 2015 Your Turn to Remember – 2016
Personnel David Byron – lead vocals Mick Box – lead guitar, acoustic guitar Ken Hensley – keyboards, backing vocals Paul Newton – bass Ian Clarke – drums Manfred Mann – Minimoog synthesizer
Other performances
Soviet Georgian group VIA Iveria recorded the song on their 1975 album Iveria. Hideki Saijo西城秀樹(1955~2018), a Japanese singer and an actor performed the song in his solo stadium concert『BIG GAME '80』in Tokyo and Osaka in Japan. https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/BIG_GAME%2780_HIDEKI German heavy metal guitarist Axel Rudi Pell recorded this song on his album The Masquerade Ball in 2000. Every year on 30 June in Bulgaria, people from all over the country travel to the Black Sea coast to watch the sunrise on 1 July. During the event people often sing "July Morning". Until his death in 2021, John Lawton performed the song at these events, backed by the Bulgarian band BTR. Polish band Kult covered this song on remastered version of their album Kaseta.
References
See also
July Morning