...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble

The album was released in June 1970 by Vertigo Records in the UK. The original vinyl release was a gatefold sleeve, featuring frontman David Byron on the front sleeve, almost unrecognisable beneath cobwebs.

It was issued in August 1970 by Mercury Records in the United States as just Uriah Heep with different sleeve artwork (a centipede type monster), and with the track "Bird of Prey" in place of "Lucy Blues". The album was reissued by Bronze Records in 1971 after the band signed to that label.{{cite web |url=http://www.uriah-heep.com/newa/heepstory4.php |first= Kirk | last= Blows |title=Uriah Heep The Story: October 1970 – November 1971 |publisher=Uriah Heep Official Website |accessdate=4 November 2018 }}

The album shows the band trying out various genres{{spaced ndash}} a mix of heavy metal and progressive rock{{spaced ndash}} rather than the hard rock that they would become known for on later albums. Tracks 3 and 8 were recorded as Spice songs prior to the band's renaming as Uriah Heep, and featured session player Colin Wood on keyboards.{{cite web |url=http://www.uriah-heep.com/newa/heepstory1.php |title=Uriah Heep The Story |first= Kirk | last= Blows |publisher=Uriah Heep Official Website |accessdate=4 November 2018 }} When Ken Hensley joined Spice in early 1970, the tracks were not re-recorded.

The album was generally panned by the mainstream critical press upon its release, although it has since been acknowledged as an early classic of the heavy metal genre. Canadian music critic Martin Popoff classifies the album as "proto-heavy metal".{{cite book |last=Popoff |first=Martin |authorlink=Martin Popoff |date=2019 |title=10 Albums That Changed My Life |publisher=Penguin |page=54 |isbn=9781440249082}} Rolling Stone magazine's Melissa Mills began her review by saying, "If this group makes it I'll have to commit suicide. From the first note you know you don't want to hear any more."{{cite magazine |first= Melissa|last= Mills |title= Uriah Heep: Music Reviews|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/uriahheep/albums/album/150141/review/6067513/uriah_heep|magazine= Rolling Stone|date= 1 October 1970|accessdate=6 December 2006 |url-status= dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430080934/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/uriahheep/albums/album/150141/review/6067513/uriah_heep |archivedate=30 April 2009}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side one

| title1 = Gypsy

| writer1 = Mick Box, David Byron

| length1 = 6:37

| title2 = Walking in Your Shadow

| writer2 = Byron, Paul Newton

| length2 = 4:31

| title3 = Come Away Melinda

| writer3 = Fred Hellerman, Fran Minkoff

| length3 = 3:46

| title4 = Lucy Blues

| writer4 = Box, Byron

| length4 = 5:08

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| title5 = Dreammare

| writer5 = Newton

| length5 = 4:39

| title6 = Real Turned On

| writer6 = Box, Byron, Newton

| length6 = 3:37

| title7 = I'll Keep On Trying

| writer7 = Box, Byron

| length7 = 5:24

| title8 = Wake Up (Set Your Sights)

| writer8 = Box, Byron

| length8 = 6:22

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side one

| title1 = Gypsy

| writer1 = Box, Byron

| length1 = 6:37

| title2 = Walking in Your Shadow

| writer2 = Byron, Newton

| length2 = 4:31

| title3 = Come Away, Melinda

| writer3 = Hellerman, Minkoff

| length3 = 3:46

| title4 = Bird of Prey

| writer4 = Box, Byron, Ken Hensley, Newton

| length4 = 4:05

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| title5 = Dreammare

| writer5 = Newton

| length5 = 4:39

| title6 = Real Turned On

| writer6 = Box, Byron, Newton

| length6 = 3:37

| title7 = I'll Keep On Trying

| writer7 = Box, Byron

| length7 = 5:24

| title8 = Wake Up (Set Your Sights)

| writer8 = Box, Byron

| length8 = 6:22

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = 1996 remastered CD

| title1 = Gypsy

| writer1 = Box, Byron

| length1 = 6:37

| title2 = Walking in Your Shadow

| writer2 = Byron, Newton

| length2 = 4:31

| title3 = Come Away Melinda

| writer3 = Hellerman, Minkoff

| length3 = 3:46

| title4 = Lucy Blues

| writer4 = Box, Byron

| length4 = 5:08

| title5 = Dreammare

| writer5 = Newton

| length5 = 4:39

| title6 = Real Turned On

| writer6 = Box, Byron, Newton

| length6 = 3:37

| title7 = I'll Keep On Trying

| writer7 = Box, Byron

| length7 = 5:24

| title8 = Wake Up (Set Your Sights)

| writer8 = Box, Byron

| length8 = 6:22

| title9 = Gypsy

| note9 = single edit

| writer9 = Box, Byron

| length9 = 2:57

| title10 = Come Away, Melinda

| note10 = Spice version

| writer10 = Hellerman, Minkoff

| length10 = 3:42

| title11 = Born in a Trunk

| note11 = Spice version

| writer11 = Box, Byron

| length11 = 3:45

}}

This remastered CD added three bonus tracks and extensive liner notes:

• The bonus single edit of "Gypsy" was released for the Best of Uriah Heep (1991 CD) and then remastered for Rarities from the Bronze Age (1995 CD).
• The two other bonus tracks were originally recorded in 1969 by the band Spice, just prior to Ken Hensley joining the band.

{{Track listing

| headline = 2003 expanded deluxe CD

| title1 = Gypsy

| writer1 = Box, Byron

| length1 = 6:37

| title2 = Walking in Your Shadow

| writer2 = Byron, Newton

| length2 = 4:31

| title3 = Come Away, Melinda

| writer3 = Hellerman, Minkoff

| length3 = 3:46

| title4 = Lucy Blues

| writer4 = Box, Byron

| length4 = 5:08

| title5 = Dreammare

| writer5 = Newton

| length5 = 4:39

| title6 = Real Turned On

| writer6 = Box, Byron, Newton

| length6 = 3:37

| title7 = I'll Keep On Trying

| writer7 = Box, Byron

| length7 = 5:24

| title8 = Wake Up (Set Your Sights)

| writer8 = Box, Byron

| length8 = 6:22

| title9 = Bird of Prey

| writer9 = Box, Byron, Hensley, Newton

| length9 = 4:05

| title10 = Born in a Trunk

| note10=Alternate Version

| writer10 = Box, Byron

| length10 = 4:31

| title11 = Come Away, Melinda

| note11=Alternate Version

| writer11 = Hellerman, Minkoff

| length11 = 4:15

| title12 = Gypsy

| note12=Extended Mix

| writer12 = Box, Byron

| length12 = 7:07

| title13 = Wake Up (Set Your Sights)

| note13=Alternate Version

| writer13 = Box, Byron

| length13 = 6:32

| title14 = Born in a Trunk

| note14=Instrumental

| writer14 = Box, Byron

| length14 = 4:31

| title15 = Dreammare

| note15=Live at the BBC

| writer15 = Newton

| length15 = 3:08

| title16 = Gypsy

| note16=Live at the BBC

| writer16 = Box, Byron

| length16 = 5:15

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = 2016 Sanctuary expanded deluxe edition disc 2: An Alternate ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (all tracks previously unreleased)

| title1 = Gypsy

| length1 = 6.57

| title2 = Real Turned On

| length2 = 3:47

| title3 = Dreammare

| length3 = 5:10

| title4 = Come Away, Melinda

| length4 = 4:01

| title5 = Born in a Trunk

| length5 = 4:53

| title6 = Wake Up (Set Your Sights)

| length6 = 6:56

| title7 = I'll Keep On Trying

| length7 = 5:33

| title8 = Walking in Your Shadow

| length8 = 5:11

| title9 = Lucy Blues

| length9 = 5:20

| title10 = Born in a Trunk

| length10 = 4:47

| title11 = Magic Lantern

| length11 = 7:57

| title12 = Bird of Prey

| note12=Alternate U.S. Version

| length12 = 4:06

}}

;Uriah Heep

• David Byron – lead vocals
• Mick Box – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
• Ken Hensley – organ, slide guitar, Mellotron, piano, backing vocals
• Paul Newton – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Ollie Olsson – drums, percussion
• Alex Napier – drums (except "Lucy Blues", "Dreammare" and "Bird of Prey")
• Keith Baker – drums on "Bird of Prey"

;Additional personnel{{Cite AV media notes |id=6360 006 |title=Very 'Eavy, ...Very 'Umble |publisher=Vertigo Records |type=liner notes |year=1970}}

• Colin Wood – keyboard on "Come Away Melinda" and "Wake Up (Set Your Sights)"

;Production

• Gerry Bron – producer
• Peter Gallen – engineer, mixing
• Peter Olliff – mixing

{{Reflist}}

{{Uriah Heep}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Very Eavy Very Umble}}

Category:Uriah Heep (band) albums

Category:1970 debut albums

Category:Albums produced by Gerry Bron

Category:Vertigo Records albums

Category:Mercury Records albums

Category:Bronze Records albums