XYZ were a short-lived English rock supergroup. The name XYZ is taken from eX- Yes- Zeppelin as the group consisted of ex-Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, along with ex-Yes members

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 ...

(bass guitar, vocals, keyboards) and Alan White (drums).

History

The band came together after Squire met Page by chance at a party shortly before Christmas 1980. The group also featured former Greenslade keyboard player and vocalist

Dave Lawson Dave Lawson (born 25 September 1978) is an Australian comedian, actor, and TV and radio personality. He is a regular performer on the stand up comedy circuit, and at one time participated in a talk back radio segment on the commercial radio st ...

. Squire was the main writer for the group. Page believed the band needed a strong vocalist and sought out former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant. Plant did attend one XYZ rehearsal on 28 February 1981, but decided not to join the group citing his dislike for the complexity of the music, and because he was still deeply hurt by the recent death of his long-time friend Led Zeppelin's drummer,

John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove ...

. Without a firm commitment from Plant and contractual issues on who should manage the group ( Peter Grant or Brian Lane), the project was shelved shortly thereafter. With XYZ's future in limbo, Squire and White recorded a Christmas single called "Run with the Fox", in October 1981 at Squire's house, New Pipers, before forming

Cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

, with guitarist

Trevor Rabin Trevor Charles Rabin (; born ) is a South African rock musician and composer. Born into a musical family and raised in Johannesburg, Rabin took up the piano and guitar at an early age and became a session musician, playing and producing with a va ...

and keyboardist Tony Kaye. Rabin initially attempted to rework the XYZ material along with his solo songs for the new group. Cinema went on to become a reformation of Yes with the addition of singer Jon Anderson, and the recording of the album '' 90125'' in 1983. It is unclear what of the XYZ material made it to ''90125'', but White said in a 2008 interview that "those were the beginning of some songs that ended up on the next Yes album anyway." White also confirmed the XYZ material was used on ''90125'' album in a 2012 interview. In 1984, Jimmy Page joined Yes, including Squire and White, on stage, playing "

I'm Down "I'm Down" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on a non-album single as the B-side to "Help!" in July 1965. The song originated in McCartney's attempt ...

" during a concert in their ''9012Live'' tour at

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. Page has not dismissed the possibility of releasing the XYZ material. Squire supported the idea, but said Page hadn't discussed the matter with him. Chris Squire died in 2015 and very little has been heard about releasing material, except some speculation in 2020. Alan White also died in 2022, leaving only Page and Lawson as surviving members.

Demoed material

A four-song demo tape of XYZ consisting of two instrumentals and two songs, "Can You See" and "Telephone Secrets" (featuring vocals from Squire), exists and can be found on ROIO trading sites. *Instrumental: part of one instrumental was reworked and became part of "Mind Drive" on the 1997 Yes album ''

Keys to Ascension 2 ''Keys to Ascension 2'' is the fifth live and sixteenth studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes. It was released as a double album in November 1997 by Essential Records as the successor to the previous live/studio album ''Keys t ...

'' (credited as a band composition). *Instrumental: part of the other instrumental was used as the intro to The Firm's "Fortune Hunter". About "Fortune Hunter", Squire explained, "One of the tracks ended up being called "Fortune Hunter" ..that was a riff that Jimmy brought into the mix anyway. Part of our song "Mind Drive" was also from those sessions as well. ..Most of the songs were mine. I'm the only vocalist on it." *"Can You See" would resurface as "Can You Imagine" on the Yes' 2001 album '' Magnification''.

Personnel

–

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

* Jimmy Page –

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featu ...

– keyboards * Alan White – drums

References

External links

Davelawson.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:XYZ (Band) English progressive rock groups British supergroups Musical groups established in 1981 Musical groups disestablished in 1981 1981 establishments in England 1981 disestablishments in England Rock music supergroups