@@robdean704 Also the rift between Dickie & Simon Jones, I think Pete was the only only one who had no beef with anyone, Tongy was just there a session guitarist for UH
@@SweetT79lets not forget tongys parts on the record though. He laid out a lot of great parts during the recording before Nick came back. Always feel he is overlooked. Especially the riff right at the end of Bittersweet Symphony
I saw them in Dublin in ’97 as a 5 piece just before the album came out. They were incredible, my jaw hit the floor. The best band I have ever seen live.
@@Gabriel-zk9gb I saw them in Belfast during the reunion tour and felt the same about ST not being there - they were still great but there was definitely something lacking in the sound. They have always been a combustible bunch of people and maybe 5 was one man too many. They also probably didn’t want to split the money 5 ways - that’s rock and roll bands for you.
@@edwardmulholland7912 yeah thats true but they hired this violin guy as a fifth member. I would definitely go with Tong instead of the violin player. Maybe they tried to minimize the tension in the band but I don't recall hearing or reading that Tong was causing problems
@@Gabriel-zk9gb I don’t think Tong was the problem - ever. He came into a tense situation, he had been a friend of the band from way early on. They had tried to replace McCabe with a few people - an impossible task if you think about it really. Tong was a big part of the Urban Hymns sessions - but the x-factor was missing (pardon the expression) that’s why they brought McCabe back, forget Ashcroft’s revisionism. Having Tong there all the way through those sessions changed the dynamic - don’t forget that those guys went through a lot together, and it was intense. I think it’s called youth - that and their sometimes extreme drug use didn’t help. Some things just aren’t meant to last long and The Verve are a good example of that - that, and the fact that the record company and management probably took Richard to one side and said to him that he was the writer and the star of the band. That business attitude has destroyed many a band because money became a factor. At the end of the day The Verve made 3 brilliant albums (4 if you include their reunion album) and a load of fantastic singles with B-sides that most bands would murder for. I’m just happy that all that work is out there. It’s very doubtful they will work together again. How can anyone go back to where they were in their 20’s? Nobody can. I would like it if they were all on good terms - but life’s not that simple for any of us.
So happy this exists, but bums me out how little views it has. This is a true gem of an interview. Listening to true masters talk about their work and experiences around one of my favorite albums. Thank you so much for uploading this!
Totally agree, so much great insight into where the band were at the time, how the album came about, the influences etc. Amazing how Nick always managed to channel those influences into such tasteful, inventive and original playing.
I've seen them twice. They were phenomenal. Simon and Pete are the glue and one of the best rhythm sections ever. Nick is a musical wizard, his guitar ambience is unlike anything I've ever heard, and Richard is a Prophet.
I was hoping for a reference to aphrodites child for rolling people. Four Horsemen from 666. Anyone else ever wondered about this? Somewhere else on this album it also quotes "we are the people, the rolling people " on Altamont. Well it's always been a mystery to me all these decades. So great to hear these guys have such fond memories of this album. Their music together is a part of who I am. It couldn't have been any different the stars aligned when they plugged in. Can't thank you all enough Verve if you ever read this. Thanks for being the sound track of my life.
Yeah it’s directly nicked from that. And a lot of stuff from Vangelis’ first solo LP ‘Earth’ too ‘Come On’ obviously. ‘Let it Happen’ is very close to the earlier ‘A Man Called Sun’.
@@robertloader9826cheers for that. ah really I never knew that though. I don't actually know the track il get stuck into it now. Cheers for the reply nice one
Despite their comeback in 2007-08, with a good album and great live shows, hearing about the break up in 1998 still saddens me. In particular when you hear them talking at the end of the interview about the outtakes of new material and the direction that the band would have gone in from there. There's still a bit of a sense of what might have been
Saw them in Haigh hall in 98. A Storm in Heaven gets regular plays in my house. Superb album. A Northern Soul is a good album too. But I've not put on Urban Hymns in years...
Totally agree a storm in heaven is breathtakingly good ranks alongside any of the top ten albums of all time I found Thor’s cave from the album cover art work quite stunning place in Staffordshire 👍
I really enjoyed hearing their perspectives. R A is a fucking genius and they should put their egos aside. These guys could make a banger of an album that would benefit all.
Interesting/telling that the interviewer asks them about "Space and Time" (which Nick was barely involved with) and Nick says "yes" and talks about "Neon Wilderness" and "Deep Freeze" for 10 minutes
Two people, both with the music in their heads just sounding and feeling different, creative difference that led to personal difference. That's my opinion on what troubled The Verve for so long.
Story could be different if Mad Richard had shared some of the publishing. I always like how Blur did it: 'Song By:' plus 'Music By:', so everyone gets a bit for their contributions.
Richard is great at creating cores of songs but don't think Ashcroft ever fully appreciated the importance of Nick and the Simon's to the success of UH, the way he talks these days it's like he sees it as his album and the instrumentalists are incidental when In reality they were key. Such an insult to Nick McCabe's talent which Imo was the biggest USP The Verve have from other groups. Found out that harsh reality in his solo career, if only he'd celebrated Nick's talent rather than be threatened by it. In his solo career you can hear what Richards songs on UH would have been like without the rest of the band, not all bad but pretty bland and nowhere near what they could be...
loved the first 2 verve albums but never really got into urban hymns- bittersweet symphony and lucky man were great but just sounded like a richard ashcroft solo album to me
I could listen to them talking about recording all their tracks all night long. Unbelievable shame that Richard chose to pursue his rather underwhelming solo career over working with one of the best bands ever.
It’s funny how Ashcroft has rewritten history around the songs on the album … if you listen to the pre Mcabe versions on RUclips which are readily available and compare them to the versions Mcabe put his musical expertise on there is such a noticeable difference it’s almost night and day … listen to Sonnet, the pre Mcabe version sounds like it’s a coverband version of the finshed song … and when you learn that his contribution to Bittersweet was the Orchestral loop that pretty much defined the song it’s hard to deny that the album was essentially a Nick Mcabe album …and then you realize that he probably contributed musically to the songs of Ashcrofts solo album because they were all demoed and worked on during the Urban hymns sessions ….. Ashcroft has said some pretty condescending and dismissive things around the rest of the band , and it’s become apparent through time and his mediocre solo albums where the true talent in the Verve was!!
Early verve was so good so incredible that urban hymns was a bit of a damp squib for me.its not a bad album but its nowhere near as good as the first two and early ep's.forth was solid and the b sides/unreleased tracks were superb.ashcroft is a talented guy but without the other lads - nick especially , his music is so so bland and mor.
Nick McCabe was the true core of the band
The conflict between Richard and Nick was the core and creative spark from day one.
@@robdean704 Also the rift between Dickie & Simon Jones, I think Pete was the only only one who had no beef with anyone, Tongy was just there a session guitarist for UH
@@SweetT79lets not forget tongys parts on the record though. He laid out a lot of great parts during the recording before Nick came back. Always feel he is overlooked. Especially the riff right at the end of Bittersweet Symphony
@@alasdairduncan3796 Yes, I do agree & he was there from the beginning too to help them out. I saw him stand in for Coxon with Blur & The Shining
This interview shows how articulate and observant Nick McCabe is, which is no surprise if you hear him play.
I saw them in Dublin in ’97 as a 5 piece just before the album came out. They were incredible, my jaw hit the floor. The best band I have ever seen live.
Simon Tong had a massive impact on the sound ofbthe band. I personally was missing him a lot during the 2008 Reunion
@@Gabriel-zk9gb
I saw them in Belfast during the reunion tour and felt the same about ST not being there - they were still great but there was definitely something lacking in the sound.
They have always been a combustible bunch of people and maybe 5 was one man too many. They also probably didn’t want to split the money 5 ways - that’s rock and roll bands for you.
@@edwardmulholland7912 yeah thats true but they hired this violin guy as a fifth member. I would definitely go with Tong instead of the violin player. Maybe they tried to minimize the tension in the band but I don't recall hearing or reading that Tong was causing problems
@@Gabriel-zk9gb
I don’t think Tong was the problem - ever. He came into a tense situation, he had been a friend of the band from way early on. They had tried to replace McCabe with a few people - an impossible task if you think about it really. Tong was a big part of the Urban Hymns sessions - but the x-factor was missing (pardon the expression) that’s why they brought McCabe back, forget Ashcroft’s revisionism. Having Tong there all the way through those sessions changed the dynamic - don’t forget that those guys went through a lot together, and it was intense. I think it’s called youth - that and their sometimes extreme drug use didn’t help.
Some things just aren’t meant to last long and The Verve are a good example of that - that, and the fact that the record company and management probably took Richard to one side and said to him that he was the writer and the star of the band.
That business attitude has destroyed many a band because money became a factor.
At the end of the day The Verve made 3 brilliant albums (4 if you include their reunion album) and a load of fantastic singles with B-sides that most bands would murder for.
I’m just happy that all that work is out there.
It’s very doubtful they will work together again.
How can anyone go back to where they were in their 20’s? Nobody can. I would like it if they were all on good terms - but life’s not that simple for any of us.
I could listen to McCabe all day
So happy this exists, but bums me out how little views it has. This is a true gem of an interview. Listening to true masters talk about their work and experiences around one of my favorite albums. Thank you so much for uploading this!
Totally agree, so much great insight into where the band were at the time, how the album came about, the influences etc. Amazing how Nick always managed to channel those influences into such tasteful, inventive and original playing.
I've seen them twice. They were phenomenal. Simon and Pete are the glue and one of the best rhythm sections ever. Nick is a musical wizard, his guitar ambience is unlike anything I've ever heard, and Richard is a Prophet.
A fucking prophet?!?
Nick McCabe is a sonic genius.
I was hoping for a reference to aphrodites child for rolling people. Four Horsemen from 666. Anyone else ever wondered about this? Somewhere else on this album it also quotes "we are the people, the rolling people " on Altamont.
Well it's always been a mystery to me all these decades.
So great to hear these guys have such fond memories of this album. Their music together is a part of who I am. It couldn't have been any different the stars aligned when they plugged in. Can't thank you all enough Verve if you ever read this. Thanks for being the sound track of my life.
Yeah it’s directly nicked from that. And a lot of stuff from Vangelis’ first solo LP ‘Earth’ too ‘Come On’ obviously. ‘Let it Happen’ is very close to the earlier ‘A Man Called Sun’.
@@robertloader9826cheers for that. ah really I never knew that though. I don't actually know the track il get stuck into it now. Cheers for the reply nice one
Richard is on record citing Aphrodite's Child's 666 as one of his favourite albums. Nick is also a Vangelis fan.
@@robertloader9826the song "No Come Down" is even closer to "Let it Happen"
@@lexoz3923 oh yeah, good spot!
I just love Nicks voice and how he talks.
McCabe is such a great guitar player
Despite their comeback in 2007-08, with a good album and great live shows, hearing about the break up in 1998 still saddens me. In particular when you hear them talking at the end of the interview about the outtakes of new material and the direction that the band would have gone in from there. There's still a bit of a sense of what might have been
Awe! Love hearing these guys. Please keep up the music...I love your sound.
1983 year 7 at school in Liverpool with Simon Jones. He only stayed one year and left to go to Wigan I think.
Obviously Simon Jones had bigger fish to fry?
Saw them in Haigh hall in 98. A Storm in Heaven gets regular plays in my house. Superb album. A Northern Soul is a good album too. But I've not put on Urban Hymns in years...
I saw them in 98 at Haigh Hall as a 14 year old it was an eye opener
Totally agree a storm in heaven is breathtakingly good ranks alongside any of the top ten albums of all time I found Thor’s cave from the album cover art work quite stunning place in Staffordshire 👍
UH is a few tracks too long and has non-cohesive artwork.
Watching this show now right now mate. Was inclined to hear Nick’s thoughts on Urban Hymns during bittersweet symphony haha
I really enjoyed hearing their perspectives. R A is a fucking genius and they should put their egos aside. These guys could make a banger of an album that would benefit all.
The best front to back album of the last 20 odd years. Timeless classics a plenty.
Interesting/telling that the interviewer asks them about "Space and Time" (which Nick was barely involved with) and Nick says "yes" and talks about "Neon Wilderness" and "Deep Freeze" for 10 minutes
McCabe is clearly a genius.
some very cool dudes. Nicks early guitar work was amazing
Great listen this... top
Really disappointed that Simon Tong didn't rejoin the Verve during their second reunion, he brought a lot to the table during that very brief period.
They didn't invite him. He was fairly angered over this but they (Richard) wanted only the core members.
Agreed. He should of been there. He played some great stuff on UH.
Who played the opening keys on "One Day?"
Nick said that this was the 5th best BonJovi album ever.
Nice to hear about the album without it being from Richard rambling and ego nursing
Two people, both with the music in their heads just sounding and feeling different, creative difference that led to personal difference. That's my opinion on what troubled The Verve for so long.
YESSS!!!!!!
Album pazzesco 👌👑❤
Story could be different if Mad Richard had shared some of the publishing. I always like how Blur did it: 'Song By:' plus 'Music By:', so everyone gets a bit for their contributions.
Do you know that rolling people comes from a song by a group from my country! Greece! Aphrodites child!
Yes and that song is incredible ! Demi roussos ♡♡♡
Demi
THE FOUR HORSEMEN!
malaka, ar eu serious? how so?
the only bit, remotely similar to the 4 horsemen, is the ba, ba, bada's near the end.
I also think that si tong was missing a lot from the 2008 reunion
yeah, the combo & collaboration of Simon & Nick is one of the true unsung heroes of Urban Hymns + that general era of the band, imo
@@thelinkstheband They tried to replace him with Davide Rossi.
@@FerryLuckyMan unsuccesfully
They didn't mention this time
Criminally underrated!
Aquele álbum eles estão com cachorro é demais todas música são boas
Richard is great at creating cores of songs but don't think Ashcroft ever fully appreciated the importance of Nick and the Simon's to the success of UH, the way he talks these days it's like he sees it as his album and the instrumentalists are incidental when In reality they were key. Such an insult to Nick McCabe's talent which Imo was the biggest USP The Verve have from other groups. Found out that harsh reality in his solo career, if only he'd celebrated Nick's talent rather than be threatened by it. In his solo career you can hear what Richards songs on UH would have been like without the rest of the band, not all bad but pretty bland and nowhere near what they could be...
👍👍🙌👏👏
Ashcroft without nick is a middle of the road songwriter 🤷♂️
Couldn’t disagree more. Ashcroft is incredible but he’s just better with nick
THis is overstatement but we get your point!
@@chrisayres8460 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
"Bitter Sweet Symphony"
A track I always skip when listening to Verve.
Why was Sonnet skipped? :(
Copyright.
A NEW HOPE Blair let in the world ,no hope for us now
loved the first 2 verve albums but never really got into urban hymns- bittersweet symphony and lucky man were great but just sounded like a richard ashcroft solo album to me
Richard Paul Ashcroft
Nicholas John McCabe
Simon Tong
Simon Robin David Jones
Peter Anthony Salisbury
I could listen to them talking about recording all their tracks all night long. Unbelievable shame that Richard chose to pursue his rather underwhelming solo career over working with one of the best bands ever.
👍👍🙌👏👏
It’s funny how Ashcroft has rewritten history around the songs on the album … if you listen to the pre Mcabe versions on RUclips which are readily available and compare them to the versions Mcabe put his musical expertise on there is such a noticeable difference it’s almost night and day … listen to Sonnet, the pre Mcabe version sounds like it’s a coverband version of the finshed song … and when you learn that his contribution to Bittersweet was the Orchestral loop that pretty much defined the song it’s hard to deny that the album was essentially a Nick Mcabe album …and then you realize that he probably contributed musically to the songs of Ashcrofts solo album because they were all demoed and worked on during the Urban hymns sessions ….. Ashcroft has said some pretty condescending and dismissive things around the rest of the band , and it’s become apparent through time and his mediocre solo albums where the true talent in the Verve was!!
I love his solo albums! I don't think they are mediocre at all.
Early verve was so good so incredible that urban hymns was a bit of a damp squib for me.its not a bad album but its nowhere near as good as the first two and early ep's.forth was solid and the b sides/unreleased tracks were superb.ashcroft is a talented guy but without the other lads - nick especially , his music is so so bland and mor.
Jesus Jones😂😂🤣
Even if the Verve got back together, it would fall on deaf ears.