{"id":137722,"date":"2026-08-03T11:50:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:50:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=137722"},"modified":"2026-08-03T11:51:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T16:51:02","slug":"return-to-the-red-planet-the-epic-return-to-mars-from-rick-wakeman-first-singler-the-jezero-crater-out-now-music-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=137722","title":{"rendered":"Return To The Red Planet &#8211; The Epic Return To Mars From Rick Wakeman &#8211; First Singler \u2018THE JEZERO CRATER\u2019 Out Now &#8211; Music News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1545664804358300\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block; text-align: center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1545664804358300\" data-ad-slot=\"8616314829\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=137722\" rel=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=137722\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-137723 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mail-1-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mail-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mail-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mail-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>ALBUM RELEASE DATE: 16th OCTOBER (MADFISH MUSIC)<\/p>\n<p>A new progressive rock suite inspired by both past and the latest discoveries on The Red Planet. Featuring Lee Pomeroy, Dave Colquhoun, Adam Falkner &amp; Mollie Marriott.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This isn&#8217;t just another Rick Wakeman album. It&#8217;s a bloody good one!&#8221;<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Simon Heyworth &#8211; Producer of Tubular Bells<\/p>\n<p>Following his acclaimed 2020 album The Red Planet, Rick Wakeman makes a triumphant and inevitable return to Mars with Return To The Red Planet, a sweeping new progressive work that fuses science, imagination and musical virtuosity into one of the most ambitious recordings of his career. Today, Wakeman has shared the album\u2019s first single, \u2018The Jezero Crater\u2019, a spectacular synth-led ode to one of Mars\u2019 most fascinating landscapes.<\/p>\n<p>WATCH THE TRAILER FOR RETURN TO THE RED PLANET: <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/zkO2P-VnBEA?si=K7TH90lTaUv6pGC1\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/zkO2P-VnBEA?si=K7TH90lTaUv6pGC1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>STREAM\/DOWNLOAD THE NEW SINGLE \u2018THE JEZERO CRATER\u2019: <a href=\"https:\/\/orcd.co\/the_jezero_crater\">https:\/\/orcd.co\/the_jezero_crater<\/a><\/p>\n<p>WATCH THE TEASER: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Vx0qe5B3wsc\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Vx0qe5B3wsc<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Return To The Red Planet tracklist:<br \/>\nThe Jezero Crater \u2013 06:56<br \/>\nBowie\u2019s Vision \u2013 05:45<br \/>\nNoctis Labyrinthus \u2013 05:28<br \/>\nNoachis Terra (Land of Noah) \u2013 06:23<br \/>\nWitch Hazel Hill \u2013 04:02<br \/>\nSt Paul\u2019s Bay \u2013 06:53<br \/>\nMartian Dust Devils \u2013 04:53<br \/>\nMedusae Fossae \u2013 04:26<br \/>\nThe Epochs of Mars \u2013 07:45<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce I started looking at the new data and photographs, I realised there was an entirely new album waiting to be written. There was simply too much more to say about Mars &#8211; musically and spiritually &#8211; not to return.\u201d \u2013 Rick Wakeman<\/p>\n<p>At a time when space exploration has moved back to the forefront of human endeavour &#8211; with missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond once again capturing the world\u2019s imagination &#8211; Return To The Red Planet feels both timely and visionary, rekindling the cosmic spirit that helped define progressive rock\u2019s golden age.<\/p>\n<p>Where its predecessor opened the story, this album explores the planet\u2019s ancient lakes, vast canyon systems, shifting dust storms and geological epochs, drawing directly on the remarkable images and research that have transformed our understanding of Mars in recent years, Wakeman immersing himself in planetary research, data, and mission reports before a single note was written.<\/p>\n<p>RETURN TO THE RED PLANET WILL BE RELEASED EVERYWHERE ON THE FOLLOWING FORMATS:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Crystal Clear Gatefold Vinyl LP<br \/>\n&#8211; Classic Black Gatefold Vinyl LP<br \/>\n&#8211; Digipack CD With 20-page booklet<br \/>\n&#8211; CD\/Blu-ray edition &#8211; includes CD of the studio album + Blu-ray disc featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound &amp; Hi-Res Stereo Mixes and The Making Of The &#8216;Return To The Red Planet&#8217; Documentary + 20-page printed booklet<br \/>\n&#8211; Digital<\/p>\n<p>PRE-ORDER RETURN TO THE RED PLANET<\/p>\n<p>RETURN TO THE RED PLANET WILL ALSO BE RELEASED ON THE FOLLOWING FORMATS, EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH THE OFFICIAL RICK WAKEMAN STORE:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; CD\/Blu-ray edition &#8211; Includes CD of the studio album + Blu-ray disc featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound &amp; Hi-Res Stereo Mixes and The Making Of The &#8216;Return To The Red Planet&#8217; Documentary + 20-page printed booklet. Features an immersive 3D pop-up of Wakeman\u2019s spacecraft landed on Mars<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Gatefold 2LP edition &#8211; pressed on Transparent Orange Vinyl and features an immersive 3D pop-up Of Wakeman\u2019s spacecraft landed on Mars<\/p>\n<p>PRE-ORDER VIA RICK WAKEMAN\u2019S OFFICIAL STORE<\/p>\n<p>Recorded between August 2025 and January 2026, the project also marks a welcome return to full band recording, with all musicians working together at Decoy Studios &#8211; a creative approach Wakeman considers essential to capturing the spontaneity and energy of progressive rock at its best.<\/p>\n<p>The album is performed by Wakeman\u2019s English Rock Ensemble, featuring bassist Lee Pomeroy, guitarist Dave Colquhoun, drummer Adam Falkner and vocalist Mollie Marriott, daughter of legendary Steve Marriott. The album was mastered by renowned engineer Simon Heyworth.<\/p>\n<p>Among the album\u2019s centrepieces is Bowie\u2019s Vision, a deeply personal homage to Wakeman\u2019s friend David Bowie, whose fascination with Mars helped shape popular culture\u2019s image of the planet. The connection is more than thematic: Wakeman performed the iconic piano on Bowie\u2019s Life on Mars?, making this tribute both musical and autobiographical &#8211; a reflection on a shared history, a lasting friendship and one of rock\u2019s most celebrated recordings.<\/p>\n<p>The music was initially composed as keyboard \u201ctemplates\u201d at Nursery Studios, before being expanded collaboratively by the band at Decoy Studios and engineered by Toby Wood. Final overdubs and mixing with producer\/engineer Erik Jordan bring the vision into sharp focus &#8211; from sweeping symphonic passages to intricate rhythmic sequences and haunting choral textures.<\/p>\n<p>Praise for The Red Planet (2020):<br \/>\n\u201cAn astonishing return to form\u2026Wakeman at his most imaginative\u201d \u2013 Prog Magazine<br \/>\n\u201cA richly detailed symphonic rock journey\u201d \u2013 Classic Rock<\/p>\n<p>Wakeman needs little introduction. A central figure during his many years with Yes, he is also one of the most successful solo artists in progressive rock history, with a catalogue of over one hundred albums and global sales in the tens of millions. His career as a session musician includes landmark recordings with David Bowie, Elton John, Cat Stevens and many more, establishing him as one of the most distinctive keyboard voices of his generation.<\/p>\n<p>RETURN TO THE RED PLANET WILL BE RELEASED ON MADFISH ON 16th OCTOBER, PRE-ORDER HERE: https:\/\/rickwakemanmadfish.lnk.to\/Return_To_The_Red_Planet<\/p>\n<p>For more information:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rickwakemansmusicemporium.com\/\">https:\/\/www.rickwakemansmusicemporium.com\/<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.rwcc.com\">www.rwcc.com<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rickwakemanmusic\">www.instagram.com\/rickwakemanmusic<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RickWakemanMusic\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RickWakemanMusic<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GrumpyOldRick\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/GrumpyOldRick<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.madfishmusic.com\">www.madfishmusic.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ALBUM RELEASE DATE: 16th OCTOBER (MADFISH MUSIC) A new progressive rock suite inspired by both past and the latest discoveries on The Red Planet. Featuring Lee Pomeroy, Dave Colquhoun, Adam Falkner &amp; Mollie Marriott. &#8220;This isn&#8217;t just another Rick Wakeman album. It&#8217;s a bloody good one!&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":137723,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":4,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17984],"tags":[35639],"class_list":["post-137722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment-news","tag-return-to-the-red-planet-the-epic-return-to-mars-from-rick-wakeman-first-singler-the-jezero-crater-out-now-music-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=137722"}],"version-history":[{"count":-3,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137722\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/137723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=137722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=137722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=137722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}