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Archive: 1990s

January/February 1990
Short UK tour.

March 1990
Wishbone Ash appear in the former East Germany at the East Meets West concert in Berlin. On return, the band film a television concert for Thames TV at London's Town and Country Club.

July 1990
Wishbone Ash begin work on their next studio album. The band record at Andy Powell's Buckinghamshire home - Ivy Lane Farm - using equipment from Martin Turner's studio. However, during early sessions for the album, Steve Upton quits the band due to personal problems. He subsequently quit the music business and now manages Miles Copeland's chateux in the south of France - a very sad loss to the industry. Steve Upton is replaced by Robbie France (ex-Diamond Head, UFO, Ellis Beggs and Howard as well as a leading drum clinician)

August-October 1990
The new line-up undertake a major UK tour.

Andy and Martin, Guildford

November 1990
Recording for the new album continues at Ivy Lane Farm. Robbie France is replaced by Ray Weston, a noted figure on the London studio scene who had previously worked with Martin Turner.

April 21st 1991
"Strange Affair" - Wishbone Ash's sixteenth studio album and their third for IRS - is released. Highlights among the album's ten tracks include "Wings of Desire", "Strange Affair" and "Standing in the Rain".

April-June 1991
Wishbone Ash tour Europe, the UK and Japan. The concert at London's Walthamstow Assembly Hall on May 16th sees Laurie Wisefield making a guest appearance with the band for two songs.

September 1991
Windsong International issue "BBC Radio One In Concert", an archive recording of Wishbone Ash live at the BBC's Paris Studios, London in 1972.

October 1st 1991
Martin Turner receives a phone call from Andy Powell on his 44th birthday informing him his services are no longer required, thus truly ending the "reunion" phase of the band's career. The remaining members feel the reunion has run its course and elect to continue with former sideman Andy Pyle filling the bass position. Martin returns to studio and production work.

October-December 1991
European tour.

January 1992
Wishbone Ash play two nights at Easy Street Club in Gleview, on the outskirts of Chicago. The shows are recorded for a future live album release.

April 6th 1992
"The Ash Live in Chicago", produced by Ted Turner, Andy Powell and Fred Breitberg, is released through Permanent Records.

April-June 1992
Extensive UK touring. For several dates Brad Lang deputises for Andy Pyle, who had prior engagements with Gary Moore

July 1992
Short US tour

August 1992
Short UK tour

October/November 1992
UK and European tour

March 1993
US tour

April 1993
MCA USA release "Time Was - The Wishbone Ash Collection" - a 2CD compilation of the band's output recorded between 1970 and 1981. The set receives much criticism for its inconsistent liner notes, poor track selection and inner picture of the current band - which does not appear on the album. On a positive note, the set features a previously unreleased 1971 studio version of "Where Were You Tomorrow" as well as Martin Turner's remixes of the "Argus" tracks.

Summer 1993
As Wishbone Ash take a break from live work, Andy Powell's begins playing guitar with New York/Connectticut blues band The Sure Thing.

November/December 1993
Tours of USA, Canada and Germany mark the last live appearances of the line-up of Andy Powell, Ted Turner, Ray Weston and Andy Pyle.

Andy Powell, Ted Turner, Ray Weston and Andy Pyle.

January 1994
Ted Turner announces his departure from Wishbone Ash for the second time in the band's career. Sources close to the band reveal that Ted and Andy Powell had differed over business and musical direction. Frustrated by the band's lack of live work or indeed a recording deal, Ray Weston also begins lining up other projects.

April 1994
John Sherry, former manager and agent of Wishbone Ash, passes away in London following a short illness. Sherry had then recently re-established his involvement with the band and had been a guiding light both spiritually and financially on the band's planned new album.

May 29th 1994
The first ever Wishbone Ash fan convention takes place at the Saracen's Head in Solihull, W.Midlands. Fans from across the UK gather for an afternoon of Wishbone-related activity - including the screening of rare video footage, a display of memorabilia and a live Wishbone Ash tribute band. Former member Mervyn Spence makes a special appearance performing three live tracks from his "Something Strong" album. The Convention has been an annual event in the Wishbone Ash calendar ever since.

Summer 1994
MCA license material for a supefluous compilation album "Blowin Free - The Very Best of Wishbone Ash", released through Nectar. Meanwhile, a new Wishbone Ash line-up takes shape in Connectticut, where Andy Powell now resides once more. Connecticutt guitarist/songwriter Roger Filgate is confirmed as Ted Turner's replacement, while Tucson born musician Tony Kishman is the band's new bassist/lead vocalist, signifying the end of Andy Pyle's involvement with the band. The trio of Powell, Filgate and Kishman begin demoing new material - penned largely by Powell/Filgate - with drummer Rob Hazard.

April/May 1995
Drummer Mike Sturgis (a Wilwaukee born sessioner who had previously recorded and toured with Asia, Scott Gorham, Phil Manzanera, Nina Hagen and A-ha) is added to the new line-up. The Anglo-American Wishbone Ash makes its stage debut on a short UK and European tour. The show features new material from the band's planned new album as well as several older songs which had not been aired for some time.

October-December 1995
Wishbone Ash undertake a 25th Anniversary tour of UK and Europe. Tony Kishman is unable to perform the dates, reportedly due to "ill health", and Martin Turner occupies the bass/vocal slot for this extensive tour. The tour includes a date at the second annual Wishbone Ash Convention at Leicester University on December 3rd. The all day event this time features a personal appearance from the band, as well as a full length evening concert. During a break in the schedule the band begin work on the new Wishbone Ash album at Element Studios, Hampton Court, although little from these sessions is used on the final album.

December 1995
"Live at the BBC" is released through Band of Joy. A compilation of several BBC sessions covering the years 1971, 1972 and 1977, this ranks as one of the most poorly thought out Wishbone Ash releases of all time. Eagerly awaited by fans, the album was a disappointment, with a short running time and sub-bootleg sound quality on certain tracks.

March 25th 1996
"Live in Geneva" is released through Hengest Records. The album features the line-up of Andy Powell, Roger Filgate, Tony Kishman and Mike Sturgis and was recorded during the Spring 1995 tour. An accompanying video was filmed but has, to date, not been released.

May 1996
Andy Powell's sideline project Blue Law (formerly The Sure Thing) release their debut CD "Gonna Gethcha" through Hengest. The band undertake a short UK tour.

Summer 1996
Andy Powell, Roger Filgate, Tony Kishman and Mike Sturgis continue work on the new Wishbone Ash album at Studio Unicorn, Connecticutt with engineer Paul Avgeniros.

September 1996
Martin Turner and Gary Carter spend two weeks in Martin's recording studio, reviewing previously unreleased archive live and studio material for possible inclusion on a forthcoming Wishbone Ash boxed set from Repertoire records of Germany.

October 27th 1996
HTD Records release the new Wishbone Ash album "Illuminations". Highlights include stage favourites "Top of the World" and "Mountainside".

October-December 1996
Wishbone Ash undertake a major UK/European tour to back up the release of "Illuminations". Tony Kishman is once again absent from the proceeding for all but four shows and Martin Turner assumes bass/vocal duties for the bulk of the performances. The 3rd annual Wishbone Ash Convention is held at Mansfield Leisure Centre on November 17th.

November 1996
Martin Turner releases his debut solo album "Walking the Reeperbahn" - a collection of fourteen previously unreleased tracks spanning the period 1981-96. The album sees Glenn Turner contributing guitar to several tracks - 27 years after the demise of the Empty Vessels/ Tanglewood! Other featured musicians include Dutch guitarist Robin Berlin and Wishbone Ash members Ray Weston, Steve Upton and Andy Powell. The album is released through Martin's own label Dirty Dog Discs, but is eventually repackaged through Voiceprint.

January 1997
"Live Timeline" is released through Receiver Records. The album features extracts from a 1991 concert in Nagoya, in addition to BBC Session tracks from the early seventies. Several months later Rialto Records issue an album of similar content entitled "Archive Series".

May/June 1997
European tour sees Tony Kishman returning to the Wishbone Ash fold.

August 1997
MCA issue "The Best of Wishbone Ash" - a single CD compilation of classic Wishbone Ash tracks. Exclusive to this release are a live version "Helpless" recorded in Liverpool 1976, and an acoustic "Blowin Free" recorded by Powell, Filgate, Kishman, and Andy Powell's son AJ.

September 1997
German company Repertoire release a 4CD boxed set of Wishbone Ash material entitled "Distillation". Without question the definitive anthology of the band's career to dtae, the set featured remastered classic material in addition to previously unreleased live recordings and studio outtakes mixed by Martin Turner.

November 1997
Wishbone Ash undertake a UK tour, including an appearance at the fourth annual Wishbone Ash Convention on November 6th. For this appearance they are joined onstage by former vocalist Claire Hamill as well as Martin Turner. The performance marked Martin Turner's final appearance with Wishbone Ash to date and was documented on a video of dubious quality released by the Wishbone Ash fan club.

January 1998
Roger Filgate and Tony Kishman announce their departure from Wishbone Ash and Andy Powell begins sounding out the various members of the Mk.2 Wishbone Ash line-up about the possibility of a reunion. In principal both Martin Turner and Laurie Wisefield are interested, but not under the regme that exists - that of Wishbone Ash operating very much as Andy Powell's unit and musicians being paid on a session basis. Powell eventually forms a new Wishbone Ash band including guitarist Mark Birch and bassist Bob Skeat.

Click here for a larger imageJanuary-March 1998
The new line-up of Wishbone Ash tours UK/Europe. Mike Sturgis and Ray Weston split drumming duties throughout the tour. Weston would eventually fill the position on a more permenant basis, as Sturgis announces his retirement from live work in order to take up a post as the head of Drum Department at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford and spend more time with his young family. Laurie Wisefield guests at the band's London Walthamstow show on February 7th.

July 1998
Invisible Hands Music release "Trance Visionary" - an album of trance/dance music featuring samples and loops taken from classic Wishbone Ash recordings assembled by Andy Powell and producer Mike Bennett.

August 6th 1998
Wishbone Ash commence their "Trance Visionary" tour at Camden Palace, London. The first part of the show features music from the "Trance Visionary" album with the band being augmented by additional musicians including vocalist Tayce, before stripping down to a four piece for a set of traditional Wishbone Ash music. The show is poorly attended and the rest of the tour is cancelled. Following the cancellation of the tour, Andy Powell and Mike Bennett decide to record, in the studio, the music as it would have been experienced in a live setting. The resulting album was "Psychic Terrorism".

October-December 1998
UK/European tour, including the fifth annual Wishbone Ash Convention at Mansfield Leisure Centre on November 7th.

January 1999
Wishbone Ash make appearances in the US, including a concert at the Whsikey-a-go-go in Los Angeles on Januray 25th, marking the venue's 35th anniversary.

March 1999
First German Wishbone Ash fan convention takes place in Germany.

May 1999
First US Wishbone Ash Fan Convention in Chicago takes place. A documentary video entitled "May Day" is released through the Wishbone Ash Fan Club and the band's US based Web Site.

Summer 1999
Wishbone Ash play various festivals in Europe.

September 1999
Wishbone Ash play a 15 date tour of France.

October 1999
HTD Records release "Bare Bones" - a CD featuring acoustic reworkings of several Wishbone Ash classics in addition to several new recordings. In addition to the present Wishbone Ash line-up of Andy Powell, Mark Birch, Bob Skeat and Ray Weston, several guest musicians were added to the recipe, including Claire Hamill.

November-December 1999
UK and European tour, including the sixth annual Wishbone Ash Convention held at Mansfield Leisure Centre on November 6th.


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