Emerson, Lake & Palmer "In The Hot Seat (Japan, Victor Entertainment, VICP-70152)"

In The Hot Seat is the ninth and final studio album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in 1994. During the album's recording, Keith Emerson suffered medical problems with the nerves in his right hand, which made it difficult for him to play the keyboards. The tensions between him and Greg Lake surfaced again during this album. "Daddy" was written in memory of missing child Sara Anne Wood and used to raise awareness of missing children. The song initially raised $5,000 for the Sara Anne Wood Rescue Center, a foundation for missing and abducted children established by Wood's father.

The making of the album was complicated by health issues encountered by both keyboard player Keith Emerson and drummer Carl Palmer. Emerson had trouble with the ulnar nerve, which made it difficult for him to control his right hand. As the prognosis for recovery after the surgical treatment was not promising, he had to overdub the right-hand parts with his left hand. Palmer suffered problems with carpal tunnel syndrome, which led to numbness in his fingers. He underwent surgery to correct the issue.

"Daddy" was written by Lake in memory of missing child Sara Anne Wood and was used to raise awareness of missing and abducted children. The royalties from the song initially brought in $5,000 and were donated to the Sara Anne Wood Rescue Center, a national non-profit foundation established by Wood's father.

"Street War" originated in summer 1988 sessions by Lake with Geoff Downes under the project name Ride the Tiger, but was reworked for this album by adding and rewriting lyrics and composing new music. Ride the Tiger was finally released in 2015.

The album was recorded at Goodnight L.A. Studios in Los Angeles, California and engineered by Brian Foraker & Keith Olsen. It was released 27 September 1994.

The album was not a commercial success. It received very little airplay and is the only Emerson, Lake and Palmer studio album not to have charted on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Track listing

1. "Hand of Truth" Keith Emerson, Greg Lake 5:23
2. "Daddy" Lake 4:42
3. "One by One" Emerson, Lake, Keith Olsen 5:08
4. "Heart on Ice" Lake, Olsen 4:20
5. "Thin Line" Bill Wray, Olsen, Emerson 4:46
6. "Man in the Long Black Coat" Bob Dylan (arrangement: Emerson) 4:12
7. "Change" Wray, Emerson, Olsen 4:44
8. "Give Me a Reason to Stay" Steve Diamond, Sam Lorber 4:14
9. "Gone Too Soon" Lake, Wray, Keith Wechsler 4:12
10. "Street War" Emerson, Lake 4:24

Total length: 46:05

CD bonus track

1. "Pictures at an Exhibition (Studio Version)"  15:29

Total length: 61:34