~ YES keyboardist and solo artist Rick Wakeman signs entertainment firm BME as Film/TV music reps ~
Los Angeles, California -- Rick Wakeman, best known as the keyboard wizard for the seminal progressive rock band YES, has signed with BME to represent him as a composer, songwriter, and producer targeting the Film and Television markets. Wakeman has composed scores and written for a variety of films, including Ken Russell’s LISZTOMANIA, CREEPSHOW 2, THE BURNING, Kathleen Turner’s CRIMES OF PASSION, the winter Olympics film WHITE ROCK, and many others. Known around the globe for his work with YES, which includes the classic keyboard work on the hit song “ROUNDABOUT” (see above link), Wakeman established his credibility as a musical storyteller through his concept albums “Journey To The Center Of The Earth,” “The Myths and Legends of King Arthur,” and “The Six Wives of Henry VIII.” Most recently, Wakeman has just finished a worldwide tour with YES, new recordings for an upcoming greatest hits album with YES, the release of his new solo album “OUT THERE” (as Rick Wakeman and the New English Rock Ensemble), and is in the midst of a one-man musical/storyteller tour throughout the U.S.
BME, a music and entertainment company with offices in Los Angeles and
Nashville, has been making the rounds with Wakeman at film studios and
television producers' offices. “After all of his success as a rock star,
composer, keyboardist, and songwriter, people are now realizing that Rick is
also a classically trained musician who does his own orchestration as well as
composing and playing. His approach to discussing films and film music, along
with his natural comedic personality, has made it a pleasure to bring him to
these meetings – the response has been overwhelming” states BME’s west coast VP
Mason Cooper. Industry veteran/BME owner Alan Brewer, who first worked with
Wakeman on the films THE BURNING and PLAYING FOR KEEPS, expresses “This is a
unique time in his life, where all circumstances have come together, and Rick is
ready to focus on writing television themes and scoring feature films on a more
full time basis. It's wonderful that success has interrupted him over the
years, but suddenly the Hollywood phones are ringing and he’s answering the
call.” Already being discussed are projects as diverse as a dramatic feature
score, a TV pilot theme song, and scoring and songwriting for an animated film.
Wakeman Trivia: A few items from the “did you know” file ...
Rick created and performed the piano arrangement on the CAT STEVENS classic
“Morning Has Broken”; Rick played keyboards on the recording of the
DAVID BOWIE standard “Space Oddity”; Rick has written and produced
songs for OZZY OSBOURNE; SIR TIM RICE wrote lyrics on Rick’s concept
album “1984”; Rick owned a professional soccer team; unlike
Henry VIII, Rick has not executed any of his wives...