📰 Sorcerer’s Apprentices – Wizzard Profile: Feb 1973
- Wizzard
- Feb 24, 1973
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 18
A Record Mirror deep‑dive into Roy Wood’s post‑Move ensemble Wizzard — a chaotic, colourful, multi‑instrumental glam‑rock collective presented as a coven of musical magicians.
📰 Key Highlights
• Published in Record Mirror, February 24, 1973
• One‑page band profile with multiple photos
• Focuses on Roy Wood and the full Wizzard lineup
• Highlights the group’s multi‑instrumental talent and theatrical image
• Frames Wizzard as a deliberately chaotic, genre‑bending ensemble
• Includes individual mini‑portraits of each member
• Positioned during the band’s early chart success
📰 Overview
This feature captures Wizzard at their most exuberant — a band overflowing with musicians, instruments, costumes, and ideas. Record Mirror leans into the group’s carnival‑like energy, presenting them as a troupe of musical sorcerers under Roy Wood’s direction. The article emphasises their eclectic instrumentation, their humour, and their refusal to fit neatly into any single glam‑rock template.
📰 Source Details
Publication / Venue: Record Mirror
Date: February 24, 1973
Format: One‑page feature with photographs
Provenance Notes: Early UK press coverage of Wizzard’s rise following “Ball Park Incident” and “See My Baby Jive.”
📰 The Story
Roy Wood – The Master Sorcerer
The article positions Roy Wood as the architect of Wizzard’s sound and spectacle:
• multi‑instrumentalist
• arranger
• visual conceptualist
• glam eccentric with a painter’s eye for colour
Record Mirror frames him as the “head sorcerer,” orchestrating a band that looks and sounds like a travelling musical laboratory.
📰 The Apprentices – A Band of Characters
The feature highlights each member with affectionate detail, emphasising their quirks, talents, and roles within the Wizzard universe.
Mike Burney – Saxophone Wizard
A jazz‑trained player whose technical skill anchors the band’s horn section.
Bill Hunt – French Horn & Keyboards
A classically trained musician whose presence adds orchestral weight.
Hugh McDowell – Cello
Fresh from ELO, bringing theatrical flair and a distinctive bowed texture.
Rick Price – Bass
A Move alumnus, grounding the band’s rhythmic chaos.
Keith Smart – Drums
Driving the ensemble with a heavy, glam‑rock pulse.
Charlie Grima – Percussion
A visual and rhythmic spark, adding colour and humour.
Nick Pentelow – Saxophone
Completing the horn section with a rich, full-bodied tone.
The article treats the band as a cast of characters — each essential to Wizzard’s maximalist sound.
📰 The Wizzard Aesthetic – Glam Meets Big‑Band Mayhem
Record Mirror emphasises the group’s:
• oversized lineup
• brass‑heavy arrangements
• rock ’n’ roll roots
• 1950s influences
• glam‑era costumes and face paint
The result is described as a joyful collision of eras and styles — part rock band, part orchestra, part circus.
📰 The Music – Controlled Chaos
The article celebrates Wizzard’s ability to blend:
• rock
• doo‑wop
• jazz
• orchestral flourishes
• glam theatrics
It frames their sound as deliberately dense and exuberant — a wall of colour and noise that only Roy Wood could command.
📰 Visual Archive
“Sorcerer’s Apprentices,” Record Mirror, February 24, 1973.
📰 Related Material
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📰 Closing Notes
This feature captures Wizzard at their most vibrant — a band overflowing with personality, talent, and theatrical flair. A perfect snapshot of Roy Wood’s most imaginative era.
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