Phil Lanzon
| Phil Lanzon | |
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Lanzon performing in Narva (Estonia) on the "Narva Bike" show. 17 July 2010
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Philip James Lanzon |
| Born | 23 March 1950 |
| Genres | Hard rock, heavy metal, progressive rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Keyboards, Piano, Drums, Vocals |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Labels | RCA, Legacy Records, Regeneration Ltd, Sanctuary |
| Associated acts | Grand Prix, Uriah Heep, The Loose Ends, The Cats Pyamas, Romance |
| Website | Phil Lanzon Website |
Philip James "Phil" Lanzon (born 23 March 1950) is the keyboardist for British rock group Uriah Heep since 1986.
Lanzon has worked both as a session musician and sideman with Grand Prix, Grant & Forsyth, John Lawton (former Uriah Heep-member), Mick Ronson, Chris Spedding, and Sweet, among others.
At the age of eight Lanzon learned to play the piano. In 1966, he played in his first band called The Loose Ends. Covers of soul songs were played. With this band Lanzon tours through Europe. Thereafter he played with The Cats Pyjamas from 1968 until 1969. With this one a few singles were recorded. One of them was "Baby I Love You" by The Ronettes. Lanzon married, started a family, and began to study harmony, counterpoint and composition at the Guildhall school of Music and Drama. In 1977 he joined a new band: Romance with Neil Carter, later with UFO and Gary Moore. The band just exist a short time, but had recorded a demo of four good songs; one was a Lanzon: "Show Me the Way to England". This line up also included Simon Hanhart who went on to produce many and numerous acts and coincidentally is producing Lanzon's own solo project at the moment, untitled.
In 1978 Lanzon auditioned for a band called Raw Deal that needed a singer. Lanzon actually auditioned them one by one until Bernie came in with his high range and that suited the band perfectly. This incarnation became Paris. He can be heard on the June 1980 recorded Hot Chocolate hit "No Doubt about it". At the end of 1979 Paris became Grand Prix, and Lanzon played keyboards on three albums. In early 1980 Lanzon played keyboards on the Cris-Spedding album I'm Not Like Everybody Else. The third record Samurai is released in 1983 by Chrysalis Records. The Grand Prix sound can be described as melodic hard rock with some clear Styx and Journey influences. In 1984 Lanzon replaced Vic Emerson of Sad Café for a British tour.
Lanzon appears on both Steve Glen singles "That's Alright by Me"/"Just the Way We Are"/"Down Among the Dead Men"/'I'm Alright Jack". In March 1985 Lanzon joined the band Operator. His fellow band members were: Robin McAuley (vocals), Chris Glen (bass, before with SAHB and MSG), Mick O'Donoghue (guitar) and Phil Taylor (drums; ex - Motorhead). How promising this line up may have looked, it dissolved in May 1985. In November 1985 he played keyboards on Phil Taylor's Naughty Ol' Santas Christmas Classics. O'Donoghue, Glen and Taylor started GMT the same month, and recorded War Games with guitarist Marcus Schleicher, which was released on CD in 1991.
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