Mabel Greer's Toyshop are an English

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...

(initially as psychedelic rock) band formed in London and initially active from 1966 to 1968. The band was the precursor to the rock band Yes. Their music was marked by a combination of psychedelic, American blues and classically influenced arrangements with poetic lyrics. Members included

Chris Squire Christopher Russell Edward Squire (4March 1948 – 27June 2015) was an English musician, singer and songwriter best known as the bassist and backing vocalist of the progressive rock band Yes. He was the longest-serving original member, having r ...

Peter Banks Peter William Brockbanks (15 July 1947 – 7 March 2013), known professionally as Peter Banks, was a British guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer. He was the original guitarist in the rock band Yes, and also the Syn, Flash, and Empire. ...

, Clive Bayley, Robert Hagger and later Jon Anderson. The band reformed in 2014 with original members, singer and guitarist Clive Bayley and drummer Robert Hagger, along with Hugo Barré, Tony Kaye, and Billy Sherwood.

History

Mabel Greer's Toyshop was formed in 1966 by composer-guitarist and vocalist Clive Bayley, drummer Robert Hagger and bassist Paul Rutledge. Other sources state that

formed the band in January 1968. Hagger had previously met Squire, bassist of

the Syn The Syn are an English band that were active from 1965 to 1967, and then reunited as a progressive rock band in 2004. The band was founded by Steve Nardelli, Chris Squire, Andrew Pryce Jackman, Martyn Adelman and John Painter. Chris Welch, in ...

, after having auditioned for them earlier. The Syn broke up in 1967 and Squire was asked to join Mabel Greer.

also from the Syn joined soon afterwards. Early in 1968 Jon Anderson joined the band after meeting Squire in a Soho nightclub. Mabel Greer worked in the London clubs and Universities around London, including The Marquee, Electric Garden, UFO and Happening 44. During this time the band met influential

BBC radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

DJ John Peel at the

Middle Earth Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ...

club in London, and they recorded some tracks for Peel's radio shows, ''Top Gear'' and ''Night Ride''. Some of the tracks were included on ''The Roots of Yes'' a compilation album released by Banks, such as "Beyond and Before", a later version of which appeared on the first Yes album, '' Yes'' (1969). Mabel Greer also did some demo recording session with the producer Mike Leander for

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

. One of the last gigs for Mabel Greer's Toyshop before they changed their name to Yes was in May 1968 in

Highgate Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross. Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organisat ...

, London. Described on the cover of the Yes box set ''

The Word Is Live ''The Word is Live'' is a box set by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in August 2005 by Rhino Records. A triple album, the set is compiled of live recordings from radio broadcasts and concert tours between 1970 and 1988, mostly f ...

'' in 2005, the line-up was Squire, Jon Anderson, Banks, Bayley and Hagger.

Bill Bruford William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English former drummer and percussionist who first gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford spent the rest of the 1970s recording ...

replaced Hagger in June 1968, and Tony Kaye joined the band on keyboards, after which Mabel Greer's Toyshop renamed themselves Yes, as per Banks's suggestion. Bayley left Mabel Greer in late 1968. The band reformed in 2014 with Bayley, Hagger, Barré, Kaye, and Yes producer and bass guitarist Billy Sherwood. The album ''New Way of Life'' was released in 2015 and includes new music as well some songs written back in 1967 and 1968 by Bayley and Squire. The album ''The Secret'' was released on 8 December 2017. It featured a track called "The Secret" recorded in honour of

, whose guitar work is featured.

Discography

Studio albums *''New Way of Life'' (2015) *''Images'' (2016) (re-master of recordings from 1967–1968) *''The Secret'' (2017)

Personnel

Past and current members: Clive Bayley, Robert Hagger,

, Jon Anderson,

, Tony Kaye, Hugo Barré, Billy Sherwood and Max Hunt.

References

External links

*Official website a
MabelGreersToyShop.comMabel Greer's Toyshop YouTube Channel Music Channel for Mabel Greer's Toyshop
{{Authority control Yes (band) English art rock groups English progressive rock groups English psychedelic rock music groups Musical groups established in 1966 1966 establishments in England

History

Discography

Personnel

References

Further reading

External links