Since the late ’60s, Rick Wakeman has become a solid fixture in some of he greatest albums ever created in the realm of Rock and Roll. He has given time to Yes, to Strawbs, and to other bands. He has worked with Elton John, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Dave Cousins, and Marc Bolan, to name a few. As a sort of bonus, Rick Wakeman has enjoyed an excellent run of solo albums that include his three most popular sets (The Six Wives of Henry VIII – 1973, Journey to The Centre of The Earth – 1974, and King Arthur – 1975).
In 1999, Rick Wakeman returned to the Journey To The Centre of The World concept with a UK charting album, Return To The Centre of The World. In it, Wakeman wrote songs about three new travelers returning after a period of 200 years as they followed the original pathway of the previous travelers. The album was collaborated with Ozzy Osbourne, Bonnie Tyler, Justin Hayward, Trevor Rabin, along with narration by Patrick Stewart. The EMI Classic release resonated with Wakeman fans.
On December 18, Rick Wakeman revisits Return To The Centre of The Earth with a Deluxe Box that will include a ton of stuff in addition to the the album’s music. The Deluxe Edition will assemble with the CD, a 2CD Canadian live set with French narration, a CD of radio edits, a DVD with 80 minutes of recording footage as well as the entire album in hi-res Stereo, and a 5.1 Surround Sound mix. The Deluxe set will kick in reproductions of the album launch party ticket, the original press pack and photos, and wo posters.
An even larger package will add in two 180g-weight vinyl LPs of the original album.