Yes 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 ...
band formed in London in 1968 by lead singer and frontman
Jon Anderson, bassist
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 ...
, guitarist
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. ...
, keyboardist
Tony Kaye and drummer
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 ...
. The band has undergone
numerous line-up changes throughout their history, during which 19 musicians have been full-time members. Since May 2022, the band has consisted of guitarist
Steve Howe
Stephen James Howe (born 8 April 1947) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist in the progressive rock band Yes across three stints since 1970. Born in Holloway, North London, Howe developed an interest in the guitar and began to le ...
, keyboardist
Geoff Downes, singer
Jon Davison
Jon Davison (born January 16, 1971) is an American singer, musician and songwriter who has been the lead vocalist of progressive rock band Yes since 2012.
He is also known as the former lead singer of progressive rock band Glass Hammer from 2 ...
, and bassist
Billy Sherwood, as well as touring drummer
Jay Schellen
Jay Schellen (born May 20, 1960) is an American drummer who is best known as a member of the hard rock band Hurricane. Schellen has also worked and currently working with a number of other heavy rock and progressive rock bands, including with A ...
. Yes have explored several musical styles over the years and are most notably regarded as progressive rock pioneers.
Yes began performing original songs and rearranged covers of rock, pop, blues and jazz songs, as evidenced on their
self-titled first album from 1969, and it's follow-up ''
Time and a Word
''Time and a Word'' is the second studio album by English rock band Yes, released on 24 July 1970 by Atlantic Records. It was put together several months after the release of the band's 1969 eponymous debut, during which they continued to tour ...
'' from 1970. A change of direction later in 1970 led to a series of successful progressive rock albums, with four consecutive U.S. platinum or multi-platinum sellers in ''
The Yes Album
''The Yes Album'' is the third studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 19 February 1971 by Atlantic Records. It was the band's first album to feature guitarist Steve Howe, who replaced Peter Banks in 1970, as well as ...
'' (1971), ''
Fragile
Fragile or The Fragile may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Fragile'' (film), a 2005 film by Jaume Balagueró
* "Fragile" (''Smallville''), a television episode
Literature
* ''Fragile'' (manga), a 2016 Japanese series by Bin Kusamizu and Sab ...
'' (1971), ''
Close to the Edge
''Close to the Edge'' is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 13 September 1972 by Atlantic Records, and is their last album of the 1970s to feature their original drummer Bill Bruford. After scoring ...
'' (1972), and the live album ''
Yessongs
''Yessongs'' is the first live album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released as a triple album in May 1973 on Atlantic Records. After completing their Close to the Edge Tour in April 1973, the band selected live recordings between ...
'' (1973). Further albums, ''
Tales from Topographic Oceans
''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 7 December 1973 by Atlantic Records. It is their first studio album to feature drummer Alan White, who had replaced Bill Bruford in t ...
'' (1973), ''
Relayer
''Relayer'' is the seventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in November 1974 by Atlantic Records. After keyboardist Rick Wakeman left the group in May 1974 over disagreements with the band's direction following ...
'' (1974), ''
Going for the One
''Going for the One'' is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 15 July 1977 by Atlantic Records. After taking a break in activity in 1975 for each member to release a solo album, and their 1976 tour of the Uni ...
'' (1977), and ''
Tormato
''Tormato'' is the ninth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 22 September 1978 on Atlantic Records, and is their last album with singer Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman before their departure from the ...
'' (1978), were also commercially successful. Yes toured as a major rock act that earned the band a reputation for their elaborate stage sets, light displays, and album covers designed by
Roger Dean. The success of "
Roundabout", the single from ''Fragile'', cemented their popularity across the decade and beyond. Anderson and Squire remained with the group throughout the 1970s, with Banks, Kaye, and Bruford all departing across 1970–1972, and being replaced by Howe,
Rick Wakeman, and
Alan White respectively. Wakeman would leave the group in 1974, but returned two years later, with
Patrick Moraz
Patrick Philippe Moraz (born 24 June 1948) is a Swiss musician, film composer and songwriter, best known for his tenures as keyboardist in the rock bands Yes and The Moody Blues.
Born into a musical family, Moraz learned music at a young age a ...
taking his place in the interim. After a final album, ''
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
'', and tour in 1980, both of which saw Downes and
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
replace Wakeman and Anderson respectively, Yes disbanded in 1981.
In 1983, Squire and White reformed Yes, with Anderson and Kaye returning, and 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 ...
joining. Rabin's songwriting helped move the band toward a more mainstream rock style. The result was ''
90125'' (1983), their highest-selling album, featuring the U.S. number-one single "
Owner of a Lonely Heart
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" is a song by British progressive rock band Yes. It is the first track and single from their eleventh studio album, '' 90125'' (1983), and was released in October 1983. Written primarily by guitarist and singer Trevor ...
". It's follow-up, ''
Big Generator'' (1987), was also successful. From 1991 to 1992, Yes were an eight-member formation after they merged with spinoff
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe was an English progressive rock band active from 1988 to 1990 that comprised four past members of the English progressive rock band Yes. Singer Jon Anderson left Yes as he felt increasingly constrained by their c ...
for ''
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
'' (1991) and its tour. From 1994 to 2004, Yes regularly released albums with varied levels of success. After a four-year hiatus, they resumed touring in 2008 and have released three new albums; their most recent is ''
The Quest'' (2021). Over the long history of Yes, current and former members have often collaborated outside of the official band context; most recently, the group
Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman
Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman, also known as Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman (ARW), were a progressive rock band founded by former Yes members Jon Anderson (vocals, acoustic guitar), Trevor Rabin (guitar, vocals) and Rick ...
toured from 2016 to 2018. Among the longest serving members of the band, Squire died in 2015, and White died in 2022.
Yes are one of the most successful, influential, and longest-lasting progressive rock bands. They have sold 13.5 million
RIAA-certified albums in the US,
as well as more than 30 million albums worldwide. In 1985, they won a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for
Best Rock Instrumental Performance with "
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
...
", and received five Grammy nominations between 1985 and 1992. They were ranked No. 94 on
VH1's ''100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock''. Their
discography
Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ...
spans 22 studio albums. In April 2017, Yes were inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which chose to induct current and former members Anderson, Squire, Bruford, Kaye, Howe, Wakeman, White, and Rabin.
History
1968–1971: Formation and breakthrough
![Yes logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Yes_logo.svg)
In early 1968, bassist
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 ...
formed the
psychedelic rock band
Mabel Greer's Toyshop
Mabel Greer's Toyshop are an English progressive rock (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 p ...
. The line-up consisted of Squire, singer and guitarist Clive Bayley, drummer Bob Hagger, and guitarist
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. ...
.
[Welch 2008, p. 33–34.] They played at the
Marquee Club
The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed wh ...
in
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century.
The area was develo ...
, London where Jack Barrie, owner of the nearby La Chasse club, saw them perform. "There was nothing outstanding about them", he recalled, "the musicianship was very good but it was obvious they weren't going anywhere". Barrie introduced Squire to singer
Jon Anderson, a worker at the bar in La Chasse, who found they shared interests in
Simon & Garfunkel and harmony singing. That evening at Squire's house they wrote "Sweetness," which was included on the first Yes album. Meanwhile, Banks had left Mabel Greer's Toyshop to join Neat Change, but he was dismissed by this group on 7 April 1968.
[ In June 1968, Hagger was replaced in the nascent Yes by ]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 ...
, who had placed an advertisement in '' Melody Maker'', and Banks was recalled by Squire, replacing Bayley as guitarist.[ Finally, the classically trained organist and pianist Tony Kaye, of Johnny Taylor's Star Combo and the Federals, became the keyboardist and the fifth member. The newborn band rehearsed in the basement of The Lucky Horseshoe cafe on ]Shaftesbury Avenue
Shaftesbury Avenue is a major road in the West End of London, named after The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. It runs north-easterly from Piccadilly Circus to New Oxford Street, crossing Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus. From Piccadilly C ...
between 10 June and 9 July 1968.
Anderson suggested that they call the new band Life. Squire suggested that it be called World. Banks responded, simply, "yes", and that was how the band were named. Banks has also stated that he thought of the name "Yes" a couple of years beforehand. The first gig under the new brand followed at a youth camp in East Mersea
East Mersea is a scattered village and civil parish on Mersea Island in the English county of Essex.
It was historically referred to as ''Mersea'' in the Domesday book
St Edmund's Church
The Grade I listed parish Church of St Edmund King and M ...
, Essex on 4 August 1968. Early sets were formed of cover songs from artists such as The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
, The 5th Dimension
The 5th Dimension is an American popular music vocal group, whose repertoire includes pop, R&B, soul, jazz, light opera, and Broadway.
Formed as the Versatiles in late 1965, the group changed its name to "the 5th Dimension" by 1966. Betwe ...
and Traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...
. On 16 September, Yes performed at Blaise's club in London as a substitute for Sly and the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, it was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Its core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi ...
, who had failed to turn up. They were well received by the audience, including the host Roy Flynn, who became the band's manager that night. That month, Bruford decided to quit performing to study at the University of Leeds
, mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased
, established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds
, ...
.[Welch 2008, pp. 52–53.] His replacement, Tony O'Reilly of the Koobas
The Koobas were an English beat group from Liverpool. Their music, and their early history, is similar in some ways to that of fellow Liverpudlians The Beatles, though they never achieved widespread popularity.
History
The group was founded ...
, struggled to perform with the rest of the group on stage and former Warriors and future King Crimson
King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...
drummer Ian Wallace subbed for one gig on 5 November 1968. After Bruford was refused a year's sabbatical leave from Leeds, Anderson and Squire convinced him to return for Yes' supporting slot for Cream's farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 November.
After seeing an early King Crimson
King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...
gig in 1969, Yes realised that there was suddenly stiff competition on the London gigging circuit, and they needed to be much more technically proficient, starting regular rehearsals. They subsequently signed a deal with Atlantic Records, and, that August, released their debut album '' Yes''.[Welch 2008, p. 315] Compiled of mostly original material, the record includes renditions of " Every Little Thing" by The Beatles and "I See You" by The Byrds
The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...
. Although the album failed to break into the UK album charts, ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' critic Lester Bangs
Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs (December 14, 1948 – April 30, 1982) was an American music journalist, critic, author, and musician. He wrote for '' Creem'' and ''Rolling Stone'' magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock music ...
complimented the album's "sense of style, taste, and subtlety". ''Melody Maker'' columnist Tony Wilson chose Yes and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
as the two bands "most likely to succeed".
Following a tour of Scandinavia with Faces
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affe ...
, Yes performed a solo concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 21 March 1970. The second half consisted of excerpts from their second album ''Time and a Word
''Time and a Word'' is the second studio album by English rock band Yes, released on 24 July 1970 by Atlantic Records. It was put together several months after the release of the band's 1969 eponymous debut, during which they continued to tour ...
'', accompanied by a 20-piece youth orchestra. Banks left the group on 18 April 1970, just three months before the album's release. Having expressed dissatisfaction with the idea of recording with an orchestra as well as the sacking of Flynn earlier in the year,[ Banks later indicated that he was fired by Anderson and Squire, and that Kaye and Bruford had no prior knowledge that it would be happening.][ Similar to the first album, ''Time and a Word'' features original songs and two new covers–"Everydays" by ]Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield was a rock band formed in Los Angeles by Canadian musicians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin and American musicians Stephen Stills and Richie Furay. The group, widely known for the song "For What It's Worth", rele ...
and "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" by Richie Havens. The album broke into the UK charts, peaking at number 45. Banks' replacement was Tomorrow guitarist Steve Howe
Stephen James Howe (born 8 April 1947) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist in the progressive rock band Yes across three stints since 1970. Born in Holloway, North London, Howe developed an interest in the guitar and began to le ...
, who appears in the photograph of the group on the American issue despite not having played on it.
The band retreated to a rented farmhouse in Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
to write and rehearse new songs for their following album. Howe established himself as an integral part of the group's sound with his Gibson ES-175
The Gibson ES-175 (1949-2019) is a hollow body Jazz electric guitar manufactured by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. The ES-175 became one of Gibson's most popular guitar designs.
History
In 1949 the ES-175 was introduced by the Gibson Guitar com ...
and variety of acoustic guitars. With producer and engineer Eddy Offord
Eddy Offord (born 20 February 1943) is a retired English record producer and audio engineer who gained prominence in the 1970s for his work on albums by the progressive rock bands Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes.
Life and career
Offord studied phys ...
, recording sessions lasted as long as 12 hours with each track being assembled from small sections at a time, which were pieced together to form a complete track. The band would then learn to play the song through after the final mix was complete. Released in February 1971, ''The Yes Album
''The Yes Album'' is the third studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 19 February 1971 by Atlantic Records. It was the band's first album to feature guitarist Steve Howe, who replaced Peter Banks in 1970, as well as ...
'' peaked at number 4 in the UK[ and number 40 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 charts.][
Yes embarked on a 28-day tour of Europe with ]Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly is an American rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1966. They are best known for the 1968 hit " In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", providing a dramatic sound that led the way towards the development of hard rock and heavy metal musi ...
in January 1971. The band purchased Iron Butterfly's entire public address system
A public address system (or PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound sou ...
, which improved their on-stage performance and sound. Their first date in North America followed on 24 June in Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
, Canada, supporting Jethro Tull. Friction arose between Howe and Kaye on tour; this, along with Kaye's reported reluctance to play the Mellotron and the Minimoog synthesizer, preferring to stick exclusively to piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
and Hammond organ, led to the keyboardist being fired from the band in the summer of 1971. Anderson recalled in a 2019 interview: "Steve and Chris came over and said, 'Look, Tony Kaye... great guy.' But, you know, we’d just seen Rick Wakeman about a month earlier. And I said, 'There’s that Rick Wakeman guy,' and we’ve got to get on with life and move on, you know, rather than keep going on, set in the same circle. And that’s what happens with a band."
1971–1974: ''Fragile'', ''Close to the Edge'' and ''Tales from Topographic Oceans''
At the time of Kaye's departure, Yes had already found their new keyboardist – Rick Wakeman, a classically trained player who had left the folk rock group Strawbs earlier in the year. He was already a noted studio musician, with credits including T. Rex, David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, Cat Stevens and Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
. Squire commented that he could play "a grand piano for three bars, a Mellotron for two bars and a Moog for the next one absolutely spot on", which gave Yes the orchestral and choral textures that befitted their new material.
Released on 26 November 1971, the band's fourth album ''Fragile
Fragile or The Fragile may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Fragile'' (film), a 2005 film by Jaume Balagueró
* "Fragile" (''Smallville''), a television episode
Literature
* ''Fragile'' (manga), a 2016 Japanese series by Bin Kusamizu and Sab ...
'' showcased their growing interest in the structures of classical music, with an excerpt of ''The Firebird
''The Firebird'' (french: L'Oiseau de feu, link=no; russian: Жар-птица, Zhar-ptitsa, link=no) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev' ...
'' by Igor Stravinsky being played at the start of their concerts since the album's 1971–1972 tour. Each member performed a solo track on the album, and it marked the start of their long collaboration with artist Roger Dean, who designed the group's logo, album art, and stage sets. ''Fragile'' peaked at number 7 in the UK[ and number 4 in the US] after it was released there in January 1972, and was their first record to reach the top ten in North America. A shorter version of the opening track, " Roundabout", was released as a single that peaked at number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart.[
In February 1972, Yes recorded a cover version of " America" by Paul Simon and released it in July. The single reached number 46 on the US singles chart.] The track subsequently appeared on ''The New Age of Atlantic
''The New Age of Atlantic'', released in 1972, was the third in a series of rock music samplers released by the Atlantic label in the UK. The collection is notable for its inclusion of two tracks, those by Yes and Led Zeppelin, unavailable in the ...
'', a 1972 compilation album of several bands signed to Atlantic Records, and again in the 1975 compilation '' Yesterdays''.
Released in September 1972, ''Close to the Edge
''Close to the Edge'' is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 13 September 1972 by Atlantic Records, and is their last album of the 1970s to feature their original drummer Bill Bruford. After scoring ...
'', the band's fifth album, was their most ambitious work so far. At 19 minutes, the title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
took up an entire side on the vinyl record and combined elements of classical music, psychedelic rock, pop, and jazz. The album reached number 3 in the US[ and number 4 on the UK charts.][ "]And You and I
"And You and I" is the second track from the album ''Close to the Edge'' by the English progressive rock band Yes. The song is just over ten minutes in length and consists of four movements. The first and second parts of the song were released as ...
" was released as a single that peaked at number 42 in the US.[ The growing critical and commercial success of the band was not enough to retain Bruford, who left Yes in the summer of 1972, before the album's release, to join ]King Crimson
King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...
. The band considered several possible replacements, including Aynsley Dunbar (who was playing with Frank Zappa at the time), and decided on former Plastic Ono Band
The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969 for their collaborative and solo projects based on their 1968 Fluxus conceptual art project of the same name.
Lennon and Ono began a personal and artistic relati ...
drummer Alan White, a friend of Anderson and Offord who had once sat in with the band weeks before Bruford's departure. White learned the band's repertoire in three days before embarking on their 1972–1973 tour.
By this point, Yes were beginning to enjoy worldwide commercial and critical success. Their early touring with White was featured on ''Yessongs
''Yessongs'' is the first live album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released as a triple album in May 1973 on Atlantic Records. After completing their Close to the Edge Tour in April 1973, the band selected live recordings between ...
'', a triple live album released in May 1973 that documented shows from 1972. The album reached number 7 in the UK[ and number 12 in the US.][ A ]concert film
A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian.
Early history
The ...
of the same name premiered in 1975 that documented their shows at London's Rainbow Theatre in December 1972, with added psychedelic visual images and effects.
''Tales from Topographic Oceans
''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 7 December 1973 by Atlantic Records. It is their first studio album to feature drummer Alan White, who had replaced Bill Bruford in t ...
'' was the band's sixth studio album, released on 14 December 1973. It marked a change in their fortunes and polarised fans and critics alike. The double vinyl set was based on Anderson's interpretation of the Shastric scriptures from a footnote within Paramahansa Yogananda
Paramahansa Yogananda (born Mukunda Lal Ghosh; January 5, 1893March 7, 1952) was an Indian Hindu monk, yogi and guru who introduced millions to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his organization Self-Realization Fellowsh ...
's book ''Autobiography of a Yogi
''Autobiography of a Yogi'' is an autobiography of Paramahansa Yogananda (5 January 1893 – 7 March 1952) first published in 1946.
Paramahansa Yogananda was born as Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur, India, into a Bengali Hindu family. ...
''. The album became the first LP in the UK to ship gold before the record arrived at retailers. It went on to top the UK charts for two weeks[ while reaching number 6 in the US,][ and became the band's fourth consecutive gold album. Wakeman was not pleased with the record and is critical of much of its material.] He felt sections were "bled to death" and contained too much musical padding. Wakeman left the band after the 1973–1974 tour; his solo album ''Journey to the Centre of the Earth
''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' (french: Voyage au centre de la Terre), also translated with the variant titles ''A Journey to the Centre of the Earth'' and ''A Journey into the Interior of the Earth'', is a classic science fiction novel ...
'' topped the UK charts in May 1974. The tour included five consecutive sold-out shows at the Rainbow Theatre, the first time a rock band achieved this.
1974–1980: ''Relayer'', ''Going for the One'', ''Tormato'' and the Paris sessions
Several musicians were approached to replace Wakeman, including Vangelis Papathanassiou
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou ( el, Ευάγγελος Οδυσσέας Παπαθανασίου ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; el, Βαγγέλης, links=no ), was a Greek composer and arranger of ...
, Eddie Jobson
Edwin "Eddie" Jobson (born 28 April 1955) is an English musician noted for his use of synthesizers. He has been a member of several progressive rock bands, including Curved Air, Roxy Music, U.K. and Jethro Tull. He was also part of Frank Zap ...
of Roxy Music
Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone ...
and former Atlantis/Cat Stevens keyboardist Jean Roussel
Jean Alain Roussel (born 1951 in Port Louis, Mauritius) is a Musician, Composer, Record Producer, Arranger, Educator and 'Music and Life Coach'.
He is best known for keyboard work from the 1970s through today, playing regularly with Cat Stev ...
. Howe says he also asked Keith Emerson, who did not want to leave Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percus ...
. Yes ultimately chose Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz
Patrick Philippe Moraz (born 24 June 1948) is a Swiss musician, film composer and songwriter, best known for his tenures as keyboardist in the rock bands Yes and The Moody Blues.
Born into a musical family, Moraz learned music at a young age a ...
of Refugee, who arrived in August 1974 during the recording sessions for ''Relayer
''Relayer'' is the seventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in November 1974 by Atlantic Records. After keyboardist Rick Wakeman left the group in May 1974 over disagreements with the band's direction following ...
'', which took place at Squire's home in Virginia Water
Virginia Water is a commuter village in the Borough of Runnymede in northern Surrey, England. It is home to the Wentworth Estate and the Wentworth Club. The area has much woodland and occupies a large minority of the Runnymede district. Its n ...
, Surrey. Released in November that year, ''Relayer'' showcased a jazz fusion-influenced direction the band were pursuing. The album features the 22-minute track titled "The Gates of Delirium
"The Gates of Delirium" is a song by the English progressive rock band Yes, recorded for their seventh studio album, '' Relayer''. At almost 22 minutes in length, the song is loosely based on the 1869 novel ''War and Peace'' by Leo Tolstoy whic ...
", which highlights a battle initially inspired by ''War and Peace
''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...
'' by Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
. Its closing section, "Soon", was subsequently released as a single. The album reached No. 4 in the UK[ and No. 5 in the US.][ Yes embarked on their 1974–1975 tour to support ''Relayer''. The compilation album '' Yesterdays'', released in 1975, contained tracks from Yes' first two albums, the B-side track from their "Sweet Dreams" single from 1970 titled "Dear Father", and the original ten-minute version of their cover of "America".
Between 1975 and 1976, each member of the band released a solo album. Their subsequent 1976 tour of North America with Peter Frampton featured some of the band's most-attended shows. The show of 12 June, also supported by ]Gary Wright
Gary Malcolm Wright (born April 26, 1943) is an American musician and composer best known for his 1976 hit songs "Dream Weaver" and " Love Is Alive", and for his role in helping establish the synthesizer as a leading instrument in rock and pop ...
and Pousette-Dart Band
The Pousette-Dart Band oo-sette(also known as PDB) was an American soft rock group active in the 1970s and early 1980s. Conceived in 1973 as a string band from Cambridge, Massachusetts, PDB comprised Jon Pousette-Dart, John Troy and John Cur ...
at John F. Kennedy Stadium
John F. Kennedy Stadium, formerly Philadelphia Municipal Stadium and Sesquicentennial Stadium. was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia that stood from 1926 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was on the east side of the far southern end of ...
in Philadelphia, attracted over 100,000 people. Roger Dean's brother Martyn was the main designer behind the tour's "Crab Nebula" stage set, while Roger and fabric designer Felicity Youette provided the backgrounds.
In late 1976, the band travelled to Switzerland and started recording for their album ''Going for the One
''Going for the One'' is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 15 July 1977 by Atlantic Records. After taking a break in activity in 1975 for each member to release a solo album, and their 1976 tour of the Uni ...
'' at Mountain Studios
Mountain Studios was a commercial recording studio founded by American singer and composer Anita Kerr and husband Alex Grob in 1975 within the Montreux Casino in Montreux, Switzerland. The studio was under the ownership of Queen and then long ...
, Montreux
Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approxima ...
. It was then that Anderson sent early versions of "Going for the One" and "Wonderous Stories
"Wonderous Stories" is a song by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in September 1977 as the first single from their eighth studio album, ''Going for the One''. It was written by lead vocalist Jon Anderson, who gained inspiration for ...
" to Wakeman, who felt he could contribute to such material better than the band's past releases. Moraz was let go, after Wakeman was booked on a session musician basis. Upon its release in July 1977, ''Going for the One'' topped the UK album charts for two weeks[ and reached number 8 in the US.] "Wonderous Stories
"Wonderous Stories" is a song by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in September 1977 as the first single from their eighth studio album, ''Going for the One''. It was written by lead vocalist Jon Anderson, who gained inspiration for ...
" and "Going for the One" were released as singles in the UK and reached numbers 7 and 25, respectively.[Welch 2008, p. 166] Although the album's cover was designed by Hipgnosis
Hipgnosis were an English art design group based in London, that specialised in creating album cover artwork for rock musicians and bands. Their commissions included work for Pink Floyd, T. Rex, the Pretty Things, Black Sabbath, UFO, 10c ...
, it still features their Roger Dean "bubble" logotype. The band's 1977 tour spanned across six months.
''Tormato
''Tormato'' is the ninth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 22 September 1978 on Atlantic Records, and is their last album with singer Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman before their departure from the ...
'' was released in September 1978 at the height of punk rock in England, during which the music press criticised Yes as representing the bloated excesses of early-1970s progressive rock. The album saw the band continuing their movement towards shorter songs; no track runs longer than eight minutes. Wakeman replaced his Mellotrons with the Birotron
The Birotron (pronounced by-ro-tron) is a tape replay keyboard conceived by American musician and inventor Dave Biro of Yalesville, Connecticut, US, and funded by English keyboardist Rick Wakeman in the 1970s, and Rudkin-Wiley of Pepperidge Farm F ...
, a tape replay keyboard, and Squire experimented with harmonisers and Mu-tron pedals with his bass. Production was handled collectively by the band and saw disagreements at the mixing stage among the members. With heavy commercial rock-radio airplay, the album reached number 8 in the UK[ and number 10 in the US charts, and was also certified platinum (1 million copies sold) by the RIAA.] Despite internal and external criticisms of the album, the band's 1978–1979 tour was a commercial success. Concerts were performed in the round
A theatre in the round, arena theatre or central staging is a space for theatre in which the audience surrounds the stage.
Theatre-in-the-round was common in ancient theatre, particularly that of Greece and Rome, but was not widely explored ag ...
with a £50,000 revolving stage and a 360-degree sound system fitted above it. Their dates at Madison Square Gardens earned Yes a Golden Ticket Award
''Amusement Today'' is a monthly periodical that features articles, news, pictures and reviews about all things relating to the amusement park industry, including parks, rides, and ride manufacturers. The trade newspaper, which is based in Arl ...
for grossing over $1 million in box office receipts.
In October 1979, the band convened in Paris with producer Roy Thomas Baker
Roy Thomas Baker (born 10 November 1946) is an English record producer, songwriter and arranger, who has produced rock and pop and songs since the 1970s.
Career
Baker began his career at Decca Records at the age of 14 and later worked as an a ...
. Their diverse approach was now succumbing to division, as Anderson and Wakeman favoured the more fantastical and delicate approach while the rest preferred a heavier rock sound. Howe, Squire and White liked none of the music Anderson was offering at the time as it was too lightweight and lacking in the heaviness that they were generating in their own writing sessions. The Paris sessions abruptly ended in December after White broke his foot while rollerskating in a roller disco.
When the band, minus Wakeman (who had only committed to recording keyboard overdubs once new material would be ready to record), reconvened in February to resume work on the project, their growing musical differences, combined with internal dissension, obstructed progress. Journalist Chris Welch, after attending a rehearsal, noted that Anderson "was singing without his usual conviction and seemed disinclined to talk". By late March, Howe, Squire and White had begun demoing material as an instrumental trio, increasingly uncertain about Anderson's future involvement. Eventually, a serious band dispute over finance saw Anderson leave Yes, with a dispirited Wakeman departing at around the same time.
1980–1981: ''Drama'' and split
In 1980, pop duo The Buggles
The Buggles were an English new wave band formed in London in 1977 by singer and bassist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes. They are best known for their 1979 debut single " Video Killed the Radio Star", which topped the UK Singles Cha ...
(keyboardist Geoff Downes and singer Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
) secured the services of Brian Lane, who had managed Yes since 1970, as their manager. At this point, the departure of Anderson and Wakeman had been kept secret from everyone outside the Yes inner circle. Seeing an option of continuing the band with new creative input and expertise, Squire revealed the situation to Horn and Downes and suggested that they join Yes as full-time members. Horn and Downes accepted the invitation and the reconfigured band recorded the ''Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
'' album, which was released in August 1980. The record displayed a heavier, harder sound than the material Yes recorded with Anderson in 1979, opening with the lengthy hard rocker "Machine Messiah
''Drama'' is the tenth studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 18 August 1980 by Atlantic Records. It was their only album to feature Trevor Horn on lead vocals until 2018's Fly from Here – Return Trip and the fir ...
". The album received substantial radio airplay in the late summer-fall of 1980, and peaked at number 2 in the UK[ and number 18 in the US, though it was the first Yes album to not be certified Gold by the RIAA since 1971.][ Their 1980 tour of North America and the UK received a mixed reaction from audiences. They were well received in the United States and were awarded with a commemorative certificate after they performed a record 16 consecutive sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden since 1974.
After the ''Drama'' tour, Yes reconvened in England to decide the band's next step, beginning by dismissing Lane as their manager. Horn chose to leave Yes to pursue a career in music production, with White and Squire next to depart. Left as the sole remaining members, Downes and Howe opted not to continue with the group and went their own separate ways in December 1980.
A live compilation album of Yes performances from 1976 to 1978, mixed in mid-1979 and originally intended for release in late 1979, was released as '' Yesshows'' in November 1980, peaking at number 22 in the UK charts][ and number 43 in the US.][
An announcement came from the group's management in March 1981 confirming that Yes no longer existed.
Downes and Howe soon reunited to form ]Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
with former King Crimson
King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...
bassist and vocalist John Wetton
John Kenneth Wetton (12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Known for his dexterous bass playing and booming baritone voice, Wetton first gained fame in the early 1970s.
Wetton was the singer and p ...
, and drummer Carl Palmer
Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer (born 20 March 1950) is an English drummer best known as founding member and the last surviving member of the progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He was also a founding member of progressive rock s ...
from Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percus ...
. Squire and White continued to work together, initially recording sessions with Jimmy Page for a proposed band called XYZ (short for "ex-Yes-and-Zeppelin") in the spring of 1981. Page's former bandmate Robert Plant was also to be involved as the vocalist but he lost enthusiasm, citing his ongoing grieving for recently deceased Led Zeppelin 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 ...
. The short-lived group produced a few demo tracks, elements of which would appear in Page's band the Firm and on future Yes tracks "Mind Drive" and "Can You Imagine?". In late 1981, Squire and White released " Run with the Fox", a Christmas single with Squire on vocals which received radio airplay through the 1980s and early 1990s during the Christmas periods. A second Yes compilation album, ''Classic Yes
''Classic Yes'' is the second compilation album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in November 1981 by Atlantic Records. It was released after the group had disbanded in early 1981, following their 1980 tour in support of the ...
,'' was released in November 1981.
1982–1988: Reformation, ''90125'' and ''Big Generator''
In 1982, Phil Carson
Phil Carson is an English former record label owner and London-based Senior Vice President of Atlantic Records from 1968 to 1985. He is known for his association several rock bands, including Led Zeppelin, Yes, AC/DC, and Twisted Sister.
Born i ...
of Atlantic Records introduced Squire and White to guitarist and singer 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 ...
, who had initially made his name with the South African supergroup Rabbitt
Rabbitt were a South African rock band formed in 1972, evolving from a band called The Conglomeration, consisting of members Trevor Rabin, Duncan Faure, Ronnie Robot, and Neil Cloud. Their successes included making it to the top of the South A ...
, subsequently releasing three solo albums, working as a record producer and even briefly considered being a member of Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
. The three teamed up in a new band called 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
...
, for which Squire also recruited the original Yes keyboard player Tony Kaye. Despite the presence of three Yes musicians, Cinema was not originally intended to be a continuation of Yes, and entered the studio to record a debut album as a brand new group. Although Rabin and Squire initially shared lead vocals for the project, Trevor Horn was briefly brought into Cinema as a potential singer, but soon opted to become the band's producer instead.
Horn worked well with the band. However, his clashes with Tony Kaye (complicated by the fact that Rabin was playing most of the keyboards during the recording sessions) led to Kaye's departure after around six months of rehearsing.[ Meanwhile, Squire encountered Jon Anderson (who, since leaving Yes, had released two solo albums and had success with the ]Jon and Vangelis
Jon and Vangelis was a music collaboration between British rock singer Jon Anderson (lead vocalist of the progressive rock band Yes) and Greek synthesiser musician Vangelis. The duo released four albums between 1980 and 1991.
History
In 1974, V ...
project) at a Los Angeles party and played him the Cinema demo tracks. Anderson was invited into the project as lead singer and joined in April 1983 during the last few weeks of the sessions, having comparatively little creative input beyond adding his lead vocals and re-writing some lyrics.
At the suggestion of record company executives, Cinema then changed their name to Yes in June 1983. Rabin initially objected to this, as he now found that he had inadvertently joined a reunited band with a history and expectations, rather than help launch a new group. However, the presence of four former Yes members in the band (three of whom were founding members, including the distinctive lead singer) suggested that the name change was sound commercial strategy. The new album marked a radical change in style as the revived Yes had adopted a pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
sound that showed little of their progressive roots. This incarnation of the band has sometimes been informally referred to as "Yes-West", reflecting the band's new base in Los Angeles rather than London.
Yes released their comeback album '' 90125'' (named after its catalogue serial number on Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label founded in 1955. It is owned by Warner Music Group and operates as an imprint of Atlantic Records. After several decades of dormancy and infrequent activity under alternating Warner Music labels, the comp ...
) in November 1983. It became their biggest-selling album, certified by the RIAA at triple-platinum (3 million copies) in sales in the US, and introduced the band to younger fans. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" topped the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for four weeks and went on to reach the number-one spot on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart, the only single from Yes to do so,[ for two weeks in January 1984. Kaye's short-term replacement on keyboards, ]Eddie Jobson
Edwin "Eddie" Jobson (born 28 April 1955) is an English musician noted for his use of synthesizers. He has been a member of several progressive rock bands, including Curved Air, Roxy Music, U.K. and Jethro Tull. He was also part of Frank Zap ...
, appeared briefly in the original video but was edited out as much as possible once Kaye had been persuaded to return to the band.
In 1984, the singles "Leave It
Leave may refer to:
* Permission (disambiguation)
** Permitted absence from work
*** Leave of absence, a period of time that one is to be away from one's primary job while maintaining the status of employee
*** Annual leave, allowance of time aw ...
" and "It Can Happen
"It Can Happen" is a song by the progressive rock band Yes, from their 1983 album ''90125''. It was released as the third single from that album, reaching number 51 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in 1984. It also reached number 5 on the ''Bi ...
" reached number 24 and 57, respectively.[ Yes also earned their only ]Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1985 for the two-minute track "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
...
". They were also nominated for an award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals with "Owner of a Lonely Heart", and a Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1980 and 2011.
The award was discontinued after the 2011 award season in a major overhaul of Grammy categories. Beginning in 2012, all solo or duo/group ...
award with ''90125''. The band's 1984–1985 tour was the most lucrative in their history and spawned the home video release '' 9012Live'', a concert film directed by Steven Soderbergh with added special effects from Charlex
CHRLX (formerly known as Charlex until 2014) is an American animation studio based in New York City that produces animation primarily for commercials.
History
Charlie Levi and Alex Weil founded Charlex (with the name being a portmentau of thei ...
that cost $1 million. Issued in 1985, an accompanying live EP also appeared that year, '' 9012Live: The Solos'', which earned Yes a nomination for a second Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Squire's solo track, a rendition of "Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...
".
Yes began recording for their twelfth album, '' Big Generator'', in 1986. The sessions underwent many starts and stops due to the use of multiple recording locations in Italy, London, and Los Angeles as well as interpersonal problems between Rabin and Horn, which kept the album from timely completion. Eventually Rabin took over final production, the album was released in September 1987, and immediately began receiving heavy radio airplay, with sales reaching number 17 in the UK[ and number 15 in the US.][ ''Big Generator'' earned Yes a nomination for a second Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1988, and was also certified platinum (with 1 million plus in sales) by the RIAA. The single " Love Will Find a Way" topped the Mainstream Rock chart, while " Rhythm of Love" reached number 2 and " Shoot High Aim Low" number 11.][ The 1987–1988 tour ended with an appearance at Madison Square Garden on 14 May 1988 as part of Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary.
]
1988–1995: ABWH, ''Union'', and ''Talk''
By the end of 1988, Anderson felt creatively sidelined by Rabin and Squire and had grown tired of the musical direction of the "Yes-West" line-up. He took leave of the band, asserting that he would never stay in Yes purely for the money, and started work in Montserrat on a solo project that eventually involved Wakeman, Howe and Bruford. This collaboration led to suggestions that there would be some kind of reformation of the "classic" Yes, although from the start the project had included bass player Tony Levin
Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (since 1 ...
, whom Bruford had worked with in King Crimson. The project, rather than taking over or otherwise using the Yes name, was called Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe was an English progressive rock band active from 1988 to 1990 that comprised four past members of the English progressive rock band Yes. Singer Jon Anderson left Yes as he felt increasingly constrained by their c ...
(ABWH).
Their eponymous album, released in June 1989, featured "Brother of Mine", which became an MTV hit and went gold in the United States. It later emerged that the four band members had not all recorded together; Anderson and producer Chris Kimsey slotted their parts into place. Howe has stated publicly that he was unhappy with the mix of his guitars on the album, though a version of "Fist of Fire" with more of Howe's guitars left intact appeared on the '' In a Word'' box set in 2002. ABWH toured in 1989 and 1990 as "An Evening of Yes Music" which featured Levin, keyboardist Julian Colbeck, and guitarist Milton McDonald
Mike "Milton" McDonald is a session guitarist. He has played with Patricia Kaas, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, Spice Girls, S Club 7, Ray Davies, Take That, Robert Palmer, M People, Louise, Mick Jagger, Tina Turner, Atomic Kitten, Hear'Sa ...
as support musicians. A live album and home video were recorded and released in 1993 , both titled ''An Evening of Yes Music Plus
An, AN, aN, or an may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Airlinair (IATA airline code AN)
* Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy
* AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey
* Anime North, a Canadian an ...
'' that featured Jeff Berlin
Jeffrey Arthur Berlin (born January 17, 1953) is an American jazz fusion bassist. He first came to prominence in the 1970s as a member of the band Bruford led by drummer Bill Bruford.
Musical career
Berlin was born on January 17, 1953, in Quee ...
on bass due to Levin suffering from illness. The tour was also dogged by legal battles sparked by Atlantic Records due to the band's references to Yes in promotional materials and the tour title.
Following the tour, the group returned to the recording studio to produce their second album, tentatively called ''Dialogue''. After hearing the tracks, Arista Records refused to release the album as they felt the initial mixes were weak. They encouraged the group to seek outside songwriters, preferably ones who could help them deliver hit singles. Anderson approached Rabin about the situation, and Rabin sent Anderson a demo tape with three songs, indicating that ABWH could have one but had to send the others back. Arista listened to them and wanted all of them, proposing to create a combined album with both Yes factions. The "Yes-West" group were working on a follow-up to ''Big Generator'' and had been shopping around for a new singer, auditioning Roger Hodgson
Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson (born 21 March 1950) is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman and founding member of progressive rock band Supertramp. Hodgson composed and sang the majority of the band’ ...
of Supertramp
Supertramp were an English rock band that formed in London in 1969. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards, and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), they are distinguished for blending p ...
, Steve Walsh of Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
, Robbie Nevil
Robert S. Nevil (born October 2, 1958) is an American pop singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist who had five ''Billboard'' top 40 hits including his songs "C'est la Vie" (#2, 1986), "Dominoes" (#14, 1987), and " Wot's It to Ya" (#10, 198 ...
of "C'est la Vie
C'est la vie may refer to:
* C'est la vie (phrase), ''C'est la vie'' (phrase), a French phrase, translated as "That's life"
Books
* C'est la Vie (comic strip), ''C'est la Vie'' (comic strip), an English-language comic strip by Jennifer Babcock
* ...
" fame, and Billy Sherwood of World Trade. Walsh only spent one day with them, but Sherwood and the band worked well enough together and continued with writing sessions. Arista suggested that the "Yes-West" group, with Anderson on vocals, record the four songs to add to the new album which would then be released under the Yes name.
''Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
'' was released in April 1991 and is the thirteenth studio album from Yes. Each group played their own songs, with Anderson singing on all tracks. Squire sang background vocals on a few of the ABWH tracks, with Tony Levin playing all the bass on those songs. The album does not feature all eight members playing at once. The track "Masquerade" earned Yes a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1992. ''Union'' sold approximately 1.5 million copies worldwide, and peaked at number 7 in the UK[ and number 15 in the US charts.] Two singles from the album were released. " Lift Me Up" topped the Mainstream Rock charts in May 1991 for six weeks, while "Saving My Heart
"Saving My Heart" is a song by British rock band Yes, written and produced by Yes vocalist and guitarist Trevor Rabin. It was the second single released from their 1991 "reunion" album '' Union'', following " Lift Me Up". "Saving My Heart" peaked ...
" peaked at number 9.[
Almost the entire band have openly stated their dislike of ''Union''. Bruford has disowned the album entirely, and Wakeman was reportedly unable to recognise any of his keyboard work in the final edit and threw his copy of the album out of his limousine. He has since referred to the album as "Onion" because it makes him cry when he thinks about it. ''Union'' Co-producer Jonathan Elias later stated publicly in an interview that Anderson, as the associate producer, knew of the session musicians' involvement. He added that he and Anderson had even initiated their contributions, because hostility between some of the band members at the time was preventing work from being accomplished. The 1991–1992 Union tour united all eight members on a revolving circular stage.] Later in 1991, Atlantic Records issued ''Yesyears
''Yesyears'' is the first box set by English progressive rock band Yes, released in August 1991 on Atco Records. After the group left Atco for Arista Records when they became an eight-man formation in 1990, the deal gave Atco the right to the ...
'', a four CD box set mixing classic tracks with rare and unreleased material. A home video of the same name, documenting the band's history and featuring interviews with the eight current members, as well as a behind the scenes look at the then-ongoing Union tour, was also released. Atlantic would issue two further compilation albums, the double CD/triple vinyl ''Yesstory
''Yesstory'' is a double CD and triple LP career-spanning distillation of music by progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes that had originally appeared on the 1991 box set ''Yesyears''. ''Yesstory'' was issued in 1992 lacking the rarity material ...
'' and the single CD '' Highlights: The Very Best of Yes'', in 1992 and 1993 respectively. Following the tour's conclusion in 1992, Bruford chose not to remain involved with Yes and returned to his jazz project ''Earthworks
Earthworks may refer to:
Construction
*Earthworks (archaeology), human-made constructions that modify the land contour
* Earthworks (engineering), civil engineering works created by moving or processing quantities of soil
*Earthworks (military), m ...
''. Howe also ceased his involvement with the band at this time.
In 1993, the album '' Symphonic Music of Yes'' was released and features orchestrated Yes tracks arranged by Dee Palmer
Dee Palmer (formerly David Palmer; born 2 July 1937) is an English composer, arranger, and keyboardist best known for having been a member of the progressive rock group Jethro Tull from 1976 to 1980 (although she had worked with the band as an ...
. Howe, Bruford and Anderson perform on the record, joined by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra
The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and their ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall. The orchestra regularly tours in the UK and internationall ...
and the London Community Gospel Choir
The London Community Gospel Choir is Britain's first renowned contemporary "performance touring, inspirational gospel choir band", fusing gospel with multi-genres of music, including pop, soul, jazz, R&B, and classical. It was founded in 198 ...
.
The following Yes studio album, as with ''Union'', was masterminded by a record company, rather than by the band itself. Victory Music approached Rabin with a proposal to produce an album solely with the ''90125'' line-up. Rabin initially countered by requesting that Wakeman also be included. Rabin began assembling the album at his home, using the then-pioneering concept of a digital home studio, and used material written by himself and Anderson. The new album was well into production in 1993, but Wakeman's involvement had finally been cancelled, as his refusal to leave his long-serving management created insuperable legal problems.
''Talk
Talk may refer to:
Communication
* Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people
* Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people
* Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct
...
'' was released in March 1994 and is the band's fourteenth studio release. Its cover was designed by pop artist Peter Max
Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein, October 19, 1937) is a German-American artist known for using bright colors in his work. Works by Max are associated with the visual arts and culture of the 1960s, particularly psychedelic art and pop art.
...
. The record was largely composed and performed by Rabin, with the other band members following Rabin's tracks for their respective instrumentation. It was digitally recorded and produced by Rabin with engineer Michael Jay, using 3.4 GB of hard disk storage split among four networked Apple Macintosh
The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...
computers running Digital Performer
Digital Performer is a digital audio workstation and music sequencer software package published by Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) of Cambridge, Massachusetts for the Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows platforms.
Ancestry
In 1984, Mark of the ...
. The album blended elements of radio-friendly rock with a more structurally ambitious approach taken from the band's progressive blueprint, with the fifteen-minute track " Endless Dream". The album reached number 20 in the UK[ and number 33 in the US.][ The track " The Calling" reached number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and "]Walls
Walls may refer to:
*The plural of wall, a structure
*Walls (surname), a list of notable people with the surname
Places
* Walls, Louisiana, United States
* Walls, Mississippi, United States
* Walls, Ontario, neighborhood in Perry, Ontario, C ...
", which Rabin had written with former Supertramp
Supertramp were an English rock band that formed in London in 1969. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards, and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), they are distinguished for blending p ...
songwriter and co-founder Roger Hodgson
Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson (born 21 March 1950) is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman and founding member of progressive rock band Supertramp. Hodgson composed and sang the majority of the band’ ...
, peaked at number 24.[ It also became Yes' second-to-last charting single.] Rabin and Hodgson wrote a lot of material together and became close friends. Yes performed "Walls" on '' Late Show with David Letterman'' on 20 June 1994.
The 1994 tour (for which the band included side man Billy Sherwood on additional guitar and keyboards) used a sound system developed by Rabin named Concertsonics which allowed the audience located in certain seating areas to tune portable FM radios to a specific frequency, so they could hear the concert with headphones.
In early 1995, following the tour, Rabin, feeling that he had achieved his highest ambitions with ''Talk'', lamented its disappointing reception as being "just wasn't what people wanted to hear at the time" and noted at the conclusion of the tour that "I think I'm done" and returned to LA where he shifted his focus to composing for films.[ Kaye also left Yes to pursue other projects.
]
1995–2000: ''Keys to Ascension'', ''Open Your Eyes'' and ''The Ladder''
In November 1995, Anderson, Squire, and White resurrected the "classic" 1970s line-up of Yes by inviting Wakeman and Howe back to the band, recording two new lengthy tracks called "Be the One" and "That, That Is". In March 1996 Yes performed three live shows at the Fremont Theater
The Fremont Theater is a historic movie theater in San Luis Obispo, California in the United States of America. It is among the last Streamline Moderne theaters built by architect S. Charles Lee. It opened in 1942 on the eve of U.S. entry to Wo ...
in San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly hal ...
, California which were recorded and released, along with the new studio tracks, that October on CMC International
CMC International was an American independent record label founded by Bill Cain and Tom Lipsky in 1991, focused mainly on classic rock, and classic heavy metal. The label was the haven of many hard rock, arena rock, thrash metal, glam metal, and ...
Records as the ''Keys to Ascension
''Keys to Ascension'' is the fourth live and fifteenth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released as a double album in October 1996 on Essential Records. In 1995, guitarist Trevor Rabin and keyboardist Tony Kaye left the group ...
'' album, which peaked at number 48 in the UK[ and number 99 in the US.][ A same-titled live video of the shows was also released that year.
Yes continued to record new tracks in the studio, drawing some material written around the time of the XYZ project. At one point the new songs were to be released as a studio album, but commercial considerations meant that the new tracks were eventually packaged with the remainder of the 1996 San Luis Obispo shows in November 1997 on '']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 ...
''. The record managed to reach number 62 in the UK,[ but failed to chart in the US.][ Disgruntled at the way a potential studio album had been sacrificed in favour of the ''Keys to Ascension'' releases (as well as the way in which a Yes tour was being arranged without his input or agreement), Wakeman left the group again. (The studio material from both albums would eventually be compiled and re-released without the live tracks onto a single CD, 2001's '']Keystudio
''Keystudio'' is a compilation album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in May 2001 by Castle Music in the United Kingdom and by Sanctuary Records in the United States. It is formed of the studio tracks previously released on li ...
''.)
With Yes in disarray again, Squire turned to Billy Sherwood (by now the band's engineer) for help. Both men had been working on a side project called Conspiracy
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agre ...
and reworked existing demos and recordings from there to turn them into Yes songs, and also worked on new material with Anderson and White. (Howe's involvement at this stage was minimal, mainly taking place towards the end of the sessions.) Sherwood's integral involvement with the writing, production, and performance of the music led to his finally joining Yes as a full member (taking on the role of harmony singer, keyboardist and second guitarist).
The results of the sessions were released in November 1997 as the seventeenth Yes studio album, '' Open Your Eyes'' (on the Beyond Music label, who ensured that the group had greater control in packaging and naming). The music (mainly at Sherwood's urging) attempted to bridge the differing Yes styles of the 1970s and 1980s. (Sherwood: "My goal was to try to break down those partisan walls—because all of the music was so good. There are people who won't listen to Genesis, say, after 1978, but I can't imagine that. I love all music. That was the one thing I tried to do, to bring unity. During the time I was with Yes, you heard new things, and classic things. For that, I am proud — to have aligned planets for a moment in time.") However, ''Open Your Eyes'' was not a chart success; the record peaked at number 151 on the ''Billboard'' 200[ but failed to enter the charts in the UK. The title single managed to reach number 33 on the Mainstream Rock chart.][
For the 1997/1998 ''Open Your Eyes'' tour, Yes hired Russian keyboard player ]Igor Khoroshev
Igor Petrovich Khoroshev (russian: Игорь Петрович Хорошев; born 14 July 1965) is a Russian keyboardist, composer, and producer best known for being a member of progressive rock band Yes from 1997 to 2000.
Biography
Khoroshev ...
, who had played on some of the album tracks. Significantly, the tour setlist featured only a few pieces from the new album, and mostly concentrated on earlier material. Anderson and Howe, who had been less involved with the writing and production on ''Open Your Eyes'' than they'd wished, would express dissatisfaction about the album later.
By the time the band came to record their eighteenth studio album '' The Ladder'' with producer Bruce Fairbairn, Khoroshev had become a full-time member (with Sherwood now concentrating on songwriting, vocal arrangements, and second guitar). With Khoroshev's classically influenced keyboard style, and with all members now making more or less equal writing contributions, the band's sound returned to its eclectic and integrated 1970s progressive rock style. ''The Ladder'' also featured Latin music ingredients and clear world music influences, mostly brought in by Alan White (although Fairbairn's multi-instrumentalist colleague Randy Raine-Reusch
Randy Raine-Reusch (born 1952) is a Canadian composer, performer, improviser, and multi-instrumentalist specializing in New and Experimental Music for instruments from around the world, particularly those from East and Southeast Asia.
Research ...
made a strong contribution to the album's textures). One of the album tracks, "Homeworld (The Ladder)", was written for Relic Entertainment's Homeworld
''Homeworld'' is a real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Studios on September 28, 1999, for Microsoft Windows. Set in space, the science fiction game follows the Kushan exiles of the planet K ...
, a real-time strategy computer game, and was used as the credits and outro theme.
''The Ladder'' was released in September 1999, peaking at number 36 in the UK[ and number 99 in the US.][ While on tour in 1999 and early 2000, Yes recorded their performance at the ]House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at Ha ...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
on 31 October 1999, releasing it in September 2000 as a live album and DVD called '' House of Yes: Live from House of Blues''. As Sherwood saw his role in Yes as creating and performing new music, and the rest of the band now wished to concentrate on performing the back catalogue, he amicably resigned from Yes at the end of the tour.
In summer 2000, Yes embarked on the three-month Masterworks tour of the United States, on which they performed only material which had been released between 1970 and 1974 (''The Yes Album'' through to ''Relayer''). While on tour, Khoroshev was involved in a backstage incident of sexual assault with a female security guard at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia
Bristow is an unincorporated community of Prince William County in Northern Virginia about from Washington, D.C. In 2014, Bristow's postal area population was 29,346, a 287% increase since 2000; however, the Bristow community is formally incl ...
on 23 July 2000 and parted company with the band at the end of the tour.
2001–2004: ''Magnification'' and further touring
In 2001, Yes released their nineteenth studio album '' Magnification''. Recorded without a keyboardist, the album features a 60-piece orchestra conducted by Larry Groupé
Lawrence Nash Groupé, born April 1957, best known as Larry Groupé, is an American film score composer for Immediate Music's offshoot label, Imperativa Records. Groupé has composed and orchestrated music for dozens of films and television pro ...
; the first time the band used an orchestra since ''Time and a Word'' in 1970. The record was not a chart success; it peaked at number 71 in the UK[ and number 186 in the US.][ The Yes Symphonic Tour ran from July to December 2001 and had the band performing on stage with an orchestra and American keyboardist ]Tom Brislin
Tom Brislin (born October 5, 1973) is an American keyboardist, songwriter, singer, producer, and author. In December 2018, American progressive rock band Kansas (band), Kansas announced Brislin as the group’s keyboardist; his playing, vocals, and ...
. Their two shows in Amsterdam, in November, were recorded for their 2002 DVD and 2009 CD release '' Symphonic Live''. The band invited Wakeman to play with them for the filming, but he was on a solo tour at the time.
Following Wakeman's announcement of his return in April 2002, Yes embarked on their Full Circle Tour
Full may refer to:
* People with the surname Full, including:
** Mr. Full (given name unknown), acting Governor of List of colonial heads of German Cameroon, German Cameroon, 1913 to 1914
* A property in the mathematical field of topology; see Full ...
in 2002–2003 that included their first performances in Australia since 1973. The band's appearance in Montreux
Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approxima ...
on this tour was documented on the album and DVD '' Live at Montreux 2003'', released in 2007. A five CD box set '' In a Word: Yes (1969–)'' was released in July 2002, followed a year later by the compilation album '' The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection'', which reached number 10 in the UK charts,[ their highest-charting album since 1991, and number 131 in the US.][ On 26 January 2004, the film '' Yesspeak'' premiered in a number of select theatres, followed by a closed-circuit live acoustic performance of the group. Both ''Yesspeak'' and the acoustic performance, titled '' Yes Acoustic: Guaranteed No Hiss'', were released on DVD later on. A 35th anniversary tour followed in 2004 which was documented on the DVD '']Songs from Tsongas
''Songs from Tsongas: 35th Anniversary Concert'' is a live video and album by the English rock band Yes, released on DVD in 2005 and CD and Blu-ray in 2014 by Image Entertainment. It was recorded at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts on ...
''.
In 2004, Squire, Howe, and White reunited for one night only with former members Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
, 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 Geoff Downes during a show celebrating Horn's career, performing three Yes songs. The show video was released in DVD in 2008 under the name ''Trevor Horn and Friends: Slaves to the Rhythm''.
On 18 March 2003, minor planet (7707) Yes was named in honour of the band.
2004–2010: Hiatus, side collaborations, and new line-up
After their 35th Anniversary Tour, Yes described themselves as "on hiatus." Howe recalls this break as very much welcomed by the band due to the heavy touring of the previous year and a half, and in his opinion necessary since the band's performance on the later (European) shows of the Full Circle Tour had started to deteriorate as a result of heavier alcohol consumption by Squire and other members in spite of rules the band had agreed on in 2001 barring drinking prior to or during shows.
During this period, Anderson toured both solo and jointly with Wakeman (for concerts focused largely on Yes material); Squire released his long-awaited second solo album, and White launched his own eponymous band White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
(subsequently joining fellow Yes-men Tony Kaye and Billy Sherwood in CIRCA). Wakeman also continued to release solo material, as did Howe, who released three solo albums and also reunited to record, release and tour with once-and-future Yes bandmate Geoff Downes in the reunion of the original Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
line-up. Various members were also involved in overseeing the archival release ''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 May 2008, a fortieth-anniversary Close to the Edge and Back Tour—which was to feature Oliver Wakeman
Oliver Wakeman (born 26 February 1972) is an English musician, rock keyboardist and composer, best known as a member of Yes from 2008 to 2011, having filled the role of keyboardist previously held by his father, Rick Wakeman.
Biography
Oliver is ...
on keyboards—was announced. Anderson has said that they had been preparing four new "lengthy, multi-movement compositions" for the tour, but he had expressed disinterest in producing a new studio album after the low sales of ''Magnification'', suggesting that recording one was not "logical anymore." The tour was abruptly cancelled prior to rehearsals, after Anderson suffered an asthma attack and was diagnosed with acute respiratory failure, and was advised by doctors to avoid touring for six months.
In September 2008, the remaining three members, eager to resume touring regardless of Anderson's availability, announced a tour billed as Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White of Yes, with Oliver Wakeman on keyboards and new lead singer Benoît David
Benoît Gérard Guy David (; born 19 April 1966) is a Canadian singer best known as the lead vocalist in the English progressive rock band Yes from 2008 to 2012, replacing long-time vocalist and founding member Jon Anderson. He was also lead ...
, a Canadian musician who'd previously played with Mystery
Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters
*Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange''
Films
* ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film
* ''Mystery'' ( ...
and with Yes tribute band Close to the Edge. Anderson expressed his disappointment that his former bandmates had not waited for his recovery, nor handled the situation "in a more gentlemanly fashion," and while he wished them well, he referred to their ongoing endeavours as "solo work" and emphasised his view that their band "is not Yes." As Anderson was a co-owner of the Yes trademark, the remaining members agreed not to tour with the Yes name. The In the Present Tour started in November 2008, but it was cut short in the following February when Squire required emergency surgery on an aneurysm
An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus ( ...
in his leg. Touring resumed in June 2009 and continued through 2010, with Asia and Peter Frampton supporting the band at several shows. In October 2009, Squire declared that the new line-up "is now Yes" and their 2010 studio sessions would yield material eventually to be released as ''From a Page
''From a Page'' is a Mini-LP, mini-album by the English progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes, released on 25 October 2019 by Yes Records. It contains four previously unreleased tracks originally recorded by the 2008–2011 line-up of the group ...
''.
2010–2015: ''Fly from Here'', ''Heaven & Earth'', and album series tours
In August 2010, it was announced that new material had been written for ''Fly from Here
''Fly from Here'' is the twentieth studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 22 June 2011 by Frontiers Records, and is their only album featuring lead vocalist Benoît David and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman. Yes r ...
'', Yes' twentieth studio album. Yes then signed a deal with Frontiers Records and began recording in Los Angeles with Trevor Horn serving as producer. Much of the album material was extrapolated from a pair of songs written by Horn and Geoff Downes around the time that they had been Yes members during 1980 and the ''Drama'' album. During the recording sessions, the band thought it would be wise to bring Downes back to replace Oliver Wakeman on keyboards, reasoning that he was closer to the material. Asserting that all studio recording was to be carried out by "the line-up that actually ... does the work," Howe dispelled rumours that an invitation to sing on the record had been extended to Anderson, who subsequently announced a new project as an ongoing collaboration with former Yes members Wakeman and Rabin.
Upon completion of recording in March 2011, and post-production a month later, the album was released worldwide that July. ''Fly from Here'' peaked at number 30 in the UK[ and 36 in the US.][
In March 2011 Yes embarked on their Rite of Spring and Fly from Here tours to support ''Fly from Here'', with Styx and ]Procol Harum
Procol Harum () were an English rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single " A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold over 10 million copies. Although noted for ...
supporting on select dates. 2011 saw the release of the live Yes album and DVD, '' In the Present – Live from Lyon'', taken from the band's previous tour. Trevor Rabin joined the band in playing "Owner of a Lonely Heart" at one show in Los Angeles, CA.
In February 2012, after David contracted a respiratory illness, he was replaced by Glass Hammer
Glass Hammer is an American progressive rock band from Chattanooga, Tennessee, created and led by Steve Babb and Fred Schendel.
Babb and Schendel, who founded the band in 1992, are the only constant members in the lineup, having surrounded the ...
singer Jon Davison
Jon Davison (born January 16, 1971) is an American singer, musician and songwriter who has been the lead vocalist of progressive rock band Yes since 2012.
He is also known as the former lead singer of progressive rock band Glass Hammer from 2 ...
. Davison was recommended to Squire by their common friend Taylor Hawkins
Oliver Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972 – March 25, 2022) was an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters, with whom he recorded eight studio albums between 1999 and 2021. Before joining the band in 1997, he ...
, drummer for the Foo Fighters. Following the announcement Anderson expressed his disappointment that "they had to get yet another singer after the guy who replaced me became ill," stating that he offered to "get back with them" due to his being "healthy again," and expressed his view that "they have let a lot of fans down." Davison would join Yes to complete the band's scheduled dates across the year.
On 7 March 2013, founding guitarist 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. ...
died of heart failure.
From March 2013 to June 2014, Yes completed their Three Album Tour where they performed ''The Yes Album'', ''Close to the Edge'' and ''Going for the One'' in their entirety. During the tour, they led a progressive-rock themed cruise titled "Cruise to the Edge". A second cruise happened in April 2014, and the band headlined the November 2015 edition. The show on 11 May 2014 in Bristol was released as '' Like It Is: Yes at the Bristol Hippodrome'' in 2014, featuring performances of ''Going for the One'' and ''The Yes Album''.
'' Heaven & Earth'', the band's twenty-first studio album and first with Davison, was recorded between January–March 2014, at Neptune Studios in Los Angeles with Roy Thomas Baker
Roy Thomas Baker (born 10 November 1946) is an English record producer, songwriter and arranger, who has produced rock and pop and songs since the 1970s.
Career
Baker began his career at Decca Records at the age of 14 and later worked as an a ...
as producer and former band member Billy Sherwood as engineer on backing vocals and mixer. Squire enjoyed working with Baker again, describing him as a "force in the studio" (Baker had previously worked with the group in the late 70s on a project that had ultimately been scrapped). Howe reflected that he "tried to slow down" the album production in hopes that "maybe we could refine it ..." and compared it to the success of the band's classic works in which they "arranged the hell out of" the material. He wrote later that Baker behaved erratically and was difficult to work with, and was dissatisfied with the final mixes of the album.
To promote ''Heaven & Earth'', Yes resumed touring between July–November 2014 with a world tour covering North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, playing ''Fragile'' and ''Close to the Edge'' in their entirety with select songs from ''Heaven & Earth'' and encores. The show in Mesa
A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by a ...
, Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
was released in 2015 as '' Like It Is: Yes at the Mesa Arts Center'' which features the performances of ''Close to the Edge'' and ''Fragile''.
2015–2017: Squire's death, Sherwood rejoins, and Yes featuring ARW
In May 2015, news of Squire's diagnosis with acute erythroid leukaemia
Acute erythrocyte leukemia is a rare form of acute myeloid leukemia (less than 5% of AML cases) where the myeloproliferation is of erythrocytic precursors. It is defined as type "M6" under the FAB classification.
Signs and symptoms
The most com ...
was made public. This resulted in former guitarist Billy Sherwood replacing him for their 2015 summer North American tour with Toto between August–September, and their third annual Cruise to the Edge voyage in November, while Squire was receiving treatment. His condition deteriorated soon after, and he died on 27 June at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. Downes first announced Squire's death on Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
. Squire asked White and Sherwood to continue the legacy of the band, which Sherwood recalled "was paramount in his mind ... so I'm happy to be doing that." Yes performed without Squire, for the first time in their 47-year history, on 7 August 2015 in Mashantucket, Connecticut. In November 2015, they completed their annual Cruise to the Edge voyage.
In January 2016, former Yes members Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman announced their new group, Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman (ARW), something that had been in the works for the previous six years. Wakeman stated that Squire's passing inspired them to go ahead with the band. Anderson said they had begun writing new material. Their first tour, An Evening of Yes Music and More
An Evening of Yes Music and More was a worldwide concert tour by the rock music, rock band Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman, formed by lead vocalist Jon Anderson, guitarist Trevor Rabin and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, all fo ...
, began in October 2016 and lasted for one year with drummer Lou Molino III and bassist Lee Pomeroy. Following Yes's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the band renamed themselves Yes featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman. After a four-month tour in 2018 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Yes, the group disbanded.
In 2016, Yes performed ''Fragile
Fragile or The Fragile may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Fragile'' (film), a 2005 film by Jaume Balagueró
* "Fragile" (''Smallville''), a television episode
Literature
* ''Fragile'' (manga), a 2016 Japanese series by Bin Kusamizu and Sab ...
'' and ''Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
'' in their entirety on their April–June European tour. Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
was a guest vocalist for two UK shows, singing "Tempus Fugit". For the subsequent North American tour between July and September of that year, the set was changed to include ''Drama'' and sides one and four of ''Tales from Topographic Oceans
''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 7 December 1973 by Atlantic Records. It is their first studio album to feature drummer Alan White, who had replaced Bill Bruford in t ...
''. White missed the latter to recover from back surgery; he was replaced by American drummer Jay Schellen
Jay Schellen (born May 20, 1960) is an American drummer who is best known as a member of the hard rock band Hurricane. Schellen has also worked and currently working with a number of other heavy rock and progressive rock bands, including with A ...
. Dylan Howe
Dylan Lee Howe (born 4 August 1969) is an English drummer, bandleader, session musician and composer. The son of guitarist Steve Howe with whom he has sometimes collaborated, Dylan is also noted for his work with rock band the Blockheads ( ...
, Steve's son, had originally been asked to be White's standby, but was prevented from being involved by visa problems. White returned on a part-time basis in November for their 2016 Japanese tour; until the following February, Schellen continued to sit in for White on most shows, with White playing on some songs. The live album '' Topographic Drama – Live Across America'', recorded on the 2016 tour, was released in late 2017 and marks Yes's first not to feature Squire. In February 2017, Yes toured the US which included their headline spot at Cruise to the Edge.
Yes toured the US and Canada with the Yestival Tour from August to September 2017, performing at least one song from each album from ''Yes'' to ''Drama''. Dylan Howe
Dylan Lee Howe (born 4 August 1969) is an English drummer, bandleader, session musician and composer. The son of guitarist Steve Howe with whom he has sometimes collaborated, Dylan is also noted for his work with rock band the Blockheads ( ...
joined the band as a second drummer. The tour was cut short following the unexpected death of Howe's son and Dylan's brother Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...
.
2018–present: 50th anniversary, ''The Quest'', and White's death
In February 2018, Yes headlined Cruise to the Edge involving original keyboardist Tony Kaye as a special guest, marking his first performances with the band since 1994. This was followed by the band's 50th Anniversary Tour with a European leg in March, playing half of ''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' and a selection of songs from their history. The two London dates included an anniversary fan convention which coincided with the release of '' Fly from Here – Return Trip'', a new version of the album with new lead vocals and mixes by Horn, who also performed as a special guest singer during a few shows on the leg. A U.S. leg in June and July also included guest performances from Kaye, Horn, Tom Brislin
Tom Brislin (born October 5, 1973) is an American keyboardist, songwriter, singer, producer, and author. In December 2018, American progressive rock band Kansas (band), Kansas announced Brislin as the group’s keyboardist; his playing, vocals, and ...
, and Patrick Moraz
Patrick Philippe Moraz (born 24 June 1948) is a Swiss musician, film composer and songwriter, best known for his tenures as keyboardist in the rock bands Yes and The Moody Blues.
Born into a musical family, Moraz learned music at a young age a ...
, who had last performed with Yes in 1976. The tour culminated with a Japanese leg in February 2019. Schellen continued to play as a second drummer to support White, who had a bacterial infection in his joints from November 2017.[ The tour was documented with the live album '' Yes 50 Live'', released in 2019.
In June and July 2019, Yes headlined the Royal Affair Tour across the U.S. with a line-up featuring ]Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, John Lodge, and Carl Palmer
Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer (born 20 March 1950) is an English drummer best known as founding member and the last surviving member of the progressive rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He was also a founding member of progressive rock s ...
's ELP Legacy with Arthur Brown Arthur Brown may refer to:
Entertainment
* Arthur William Brown (1881–1966), Canadian commercial artist
* H. Arthur Brown (1906–1992), American orchestral conductor
* Arthur Brown (musician) (born 1942), English rock singer
* Arthur Brown, ak ...
. This was followed by previously unreleased music, recorded during the ''Fly from Here'' sessions, released as ''From a Page
''From a Page'' is a Mini-LP, mini-album by the English progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes, released on 25 October 2019 by Yes Records. It contains four previously unreleased tracks originally recorded by the 2008–2011 line-up of the group ...
'', a release spearheaded by Oliver Wakeman who wrote most of its material. The CD version includes an expanded edition of '' In the Present – Live from Lyon''. A live album from the Royal Affair Tour, entitled '' The Royal Affair Tour: Live from Las Vegas'', was released in October 2020. Videos of Dean creating the album cover were streamed live on Facebook. Yes had planned to resume touring in 2020, beginning with a short US leg in March and their appearance on Cruise to the Edge, followed by a European tour that continued their Album Series Tour and featured ''Relayer
''Relayer'' is the seventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in November 1974 by Atlantic Records. After keyboardist Rick Wakeman left the group in May 1974 over disagreements with the band's direction following ...
'' performed in its entirety. Both tours were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. Later in 2020, Davison and Sherwood formed Arc of Life, a new group featuring Schellen and keyboardist Dave Kerzner
David Nathaniel Kerzner (born July 10, 1968) is an American musician, songwriter, producer, and sound designer as well as founder of the sound sampling development company Sonic Reality Inc. Along with Simon Collins, Kerzner is the co-founder o ...
.
Yes worked on new material for their twenty-second studio album '' The Quest'', from late 2019 through 2021, with Howe as the sole producer. The lockdowns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in members recording their parts in separate studios and sending them to Howe and engineer Curtis Schwartz in England. In 2021, Howe, Davison, and Downes got together and completed the album. ''The Quest'' was released on 1 October 2021, and the opening two tracks, "The Ice Bridge" and "Dare to Know", were released as digital singles. The album reached No. 20 in the UK.[ By the time ''The Quest'' was released, Yes had already discussed plans regarding a follow-up album. In May 2022, Sherwood confirmed that the band had started to record new material.
On 22 May 2022, Yes announced that White would sit out of their upcoming 2022 tour due to health issues and that Schellen would handle the drums. White died on 26 May. The band kicked off a world tour in June 2022 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of ''Close to the Edge''. They had originally planned to resume their Album Series Tour with a European leg featuring ''Relayer'' performed in its entirety, before the dates were rescheduled for 2023 and the program changed. A tribute concert for White was held in Seattle on 2 October, featuring special guests and former Yes 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 ...
.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Yes were eligible to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. In August 2013, the fan campaign Voices for Yes was launched to get the band inducted. The campaign was headed by two U.S. political operators: John Brabender
John Brabender is a political consultant who mostly advises Republicans but, has also advised Democratic candidates including Democrat Tom Knox, who ran for Philadelphia mayor. He earned a degree in from Gannon University and an MBA from Cleveland ...
, senior strategist for Republican Rick Santorum
Richard John Santorum ( ; born May 10, 1958) is an American politician, attorney, and political commentator. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007 and was the Senate's third ...
's 2012 U.S. presidential campaign, and Tad Devine
Thomas A. "Tad" Devine (born June 11, 1955) is an American political consultant. Devine was a senior adviser in Al Gore's 2000 and John Kerry's 2004 Presidential campaigns. He was also the chief strategist for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential ...
, who worked on Democrat John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
's 2004 presidential campaign and Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic no ...
's 2000 campaign. Also involved were former NBC president Steve Capus
Stephen Allan "Steve" Capus (born October 4, 1963) is an Executive Editor of CBS News.
He is the former president of NBC News.
Early life and career
Steve Capus was born in 1963, the son of Jean and Paul Capus. His mother is a teacher's aide; his ...
and former White House Political Director
The White House Political Director, formally the White House Director of Political Affairs or White House Director of Political Strategy and Outreach, is a political appointee of the President of the United States and a senior member of the Execu ...
Sara Taylor. On 16 October 2013, Yes failed to be inducted. In November 2013, Anderson expressed a wish to return to Yes in the future for a "tour everybody dreams of", and cited Yes' nomination for inclusion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a motive for a possible reunion.
On 7 April 2017, Yes were inducted into the 2017 class by Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib; July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Lee joined the band in September 1968, at the re ...
and Alex Lifeson
Aleksandar Živojinović, (born 27 August 1953), known professionally as Alex Lifeson (), is a Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist and backing vocalist of the progressive rock band Rush. In 1968, Lifeson co-founded the band that wo ...
of Rush in a ceremony held in New York City. The musicians inducted were Anderson, Howe, Rabin, Squire, Wakeman, Kaye, Bruford and White, the same line-up featured on ''Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
'' and its tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...
. Having failed to pass the nomination stage twice previously, the announcement of their forthcoming induction was made on 20 December 2016. In the ceremony, Anderson, Howe, Rabin, Wakeman, and White performed "Roundabout" with Lee on bass, followed by "Owner of a Lonely Heart" with Howe on bass. Bruford attended the ceremony but did not perform, while Kaye did not attend at all. Dylan Howe
Dylan Lee Howe (born 4 August 1969) is an English drummer, bandleader, session musician and composer. The son of guitarist Steve Howe with whom he has sometimes collaborated, Dylan is also noted for his work with rock band the Blockheads ( ...
described how at the ceremony the two groups – Yes and ARW – were seated at adjacent tables but ignored each other.
Band members
Current members
* Steve Howe
Stephen James Howe (born 8 April 1947) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist in the progressive rock band Yes across three stints since 1970. Born in Holloway, North London, Howe developed an interest in the guitar and began to le ...
– guitars, vocals (1970–1981, 1990–1992, 1995–2004, 2008–present)
* Geoff Downes – keyboards, vocals (1980–1981, 2011–present)
* Billy Sherwood – guitars, keyboards, vocals (1997–1998); guitars, vocals (1998–2000); bass guitar, vocals (2015–present); guitars, keyboards (as additional touring musician 1994)
* Jon Davison
Jon Davison (born January 16, 1971) is an American singer, musician and songwriter who has been the lead vocalist of progressive rock band Yes since 2012.
He is also known as the former lead singer of progressive rock band Glass Hammer from 2 ...
– lead vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion, keyboards (2012–present)
Current live musicians
* Jay Schellen
Jay Schellen (born May 20, 1960) is an American drummer who is best known as a member of the hard rock band Hurricane. Schellen has also worked and currently working with a number of other heavy rock and progressive rock bands, including with A ...
– drums, percussion (2016–2017, 2018–present)
Former 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 (1968–1981, 1983–2004, 2008–2015; ''his death'')
* Jon Anderson – lead and backing vocals, guitar, percussion (1968–1980, 1983–1988, 1990–2004, 2008)
* 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 ...
– drums, percussion (1968–1972, 1990–1992)
* Tony Kaye – keyboards (1968–1971, 1983–1995, touring guest 2018–2019)
* 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. ...
– guitar, backing vocals (1968–1970; ''died 2013'')
* Tony O'Reilly
Sir Anthony Joseph Francis O'Reilly (born 7 May 1936) is an Irish former businessman and international rugby union player. He is known for his involvement in the Independent News & Media Group, which he led from 1973 to 2009,Dublin, Ireland, ...
– drums (1968)
* Rick Wakeman – keyboards (1971–1974, 1976–1980, 1990–1992, 1995–1997, 2002–2004)
* Alan White – drums, percussion, piano, vocals (1972–1981, 1983–2004, 2008–2022; ''his death'')
* Patrick Moraz
Patrick Philippe Moraz (born 24 June 1948) is a Swiss musician, film composer and songwriter, best known for his tenures as keyboardist in the rock bands Yes and The Moody Blues.
Born into a musical family, Moraz learned music at a young age a ...
– keyboards (1974–1976)
* Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
– lead vocals, bass guitar (1980–1981, 2018)
* 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 ...
– guitars, lead and backing vocals, keyboards (1983–1995)
* Eddie Jobson
Edwin "Eddie" Jobson (born 28 April 1955) is an English musician noted for his use of synthesizers. He has been a member of several progressive rock bands, including Curved Air, Roxy Music, U.K. and Jethro Tull. He was also part of Frank Zap ...
– keyboards (1983)
* Igor Khoroshev
Igor Petrovich Khoroshev (russian: Игорь Петрович Хорошев; born 14 July 1965) is a Russian keyboardist, composer, and producer best known for being a member of progressive rock band Yes from 1997 to 2000.
Biography
Khoroshev ...
– keyboards (1997–2000)
* Benoît David
Benoît Gérard Guy David (; born 19 April 1966) is a Canadian singer best known as the lead vocalist in the English progressive rock band Yes from 2008 to 2012, replacing long-time vocalist and founding member Jon Anderson. He was also lead ...
– lead vocals, acoustic guitar (2008–2012)
* Oliver Wakeman
Oliver Wakeman (born 26 February 1972) is an English musician, rock keyboardist and composer, best known as a member of Yes from 2008 to 2011, having filled the role of keyboardist previously held by his father, Rick Wakeman.
Biography
Oliver is ...
– keyboards (2008–2011)
Former live musicians
* Ian Wallace – drums (1968)
* Casey Young – keyboards (1984–1985)
* Tom Brislin
Tom Brislin (born October 5, 1973) is an American keyboardist, songwriter, singer, producer, and author. In December 2018, American progressive rock band Kansas (band), Kansas announced Brislin as the group’s keyboardist; his playing, vocals, and ...
– keyboards, backing vocals (2001)
* Dylan Howe
Dylan Lee Howe (born 4 August 1969) is an English drummer, bandleader, session musician and composer. The son of guitarist Steve Howe with whom he has sometimes collaborated, Dylan is also noted for his work with rock band the Blockheads ( ...
– drums (2017)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
* '' Yes'' (1969)
* ''Time and a Word
''Time and a Word'' is the second studio album by English rock band Yes, released on 24 July 1970 by Atlantic Records. It was put together several months after the release of the band's 1969 eponymous debut, during which they continued to tour ...
'' (1970)
* ''The Yes Album
''The Yes Album'' is the third studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 19 February 1971 by Atlantic Records. It was the band's first album to feature guitarist Steve Howe, who replaced Peter Banks in 1970, as well as ...
'' (1971)
* ''Fragile
Fragile or The Fragile may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Fragile'' (film), a 2005 film by Jaume Balagueró
* "Fragile" (''Smallville''), a television episode
Literature
* ''Fragile'' (manga), a 2016 Japanese series by Bin Kusamizu and Sab ...
'' (1971)
* ''Close to the Edge
''Close to the Edge'' is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 13 September 1972 by Atlantic Records, and is their last album of the 1970s to feature their original drummer Bill Bruford. After scoring ...
'' (1972)
* ''Tales from Topographic Oceans
''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 7 December 1973 by Atlantic Records. It is their first studio album to feature drummer Alan White, who had replaced Bill Bruford in t ...
'' (1973)
* ''Relayer
''Relayer'' is the seventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in November 1974 by Atlantic Records. After keyboardist Rick Wakeman left the group in May 1974 over disagreements with the band's direction following ...
'' (1974)
* ''Going for the One
''Going for the One'' is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 15 July 1977 by Atlantic Records. After taking a break in activity in 1975 for each member to release a solo album, and their 1976 tour of the Uni ...
'' (1977)
* ''Tormato
''Tormato'' is the ninth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 22 September 1978 on Atlantic Records, and is their last album with singer Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman before their departure from the ...
'' (1978)
* ''Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
'' (1980)
* '' 90125'' (1983)
* '' Big Generator'' (1987)
* ''Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
'' (1991)
* ''Talk
Talk may refer to:
Communication
* Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people
* Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people
* Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct
...
'' (1994)
* ''Keys to Ascension
''Keys to Ascension'' is the fourth live and fifteenth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released as a double album in October 1996 on Essential Records. In 1995, guitarist Trevor Rabin and keyboardist Tony Kaye left the group ...
'' (1996)
* ''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 ...
'' (1997)
* '' Open Your Eyes'' (1997)
* '' The Ladder'' (1999)
* '' Magnification'' (2001)
* ''Fly from Here
''Fly from Here'' is the twentieth studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 22 June 2011 by Frontiers Records, and is their only album featuring lead vocalist Benoît David and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman. Yes r ...
'' (2011)
* '' Heaven & Earth'' (2014)
* '' The Quest'' (2021)
Tours
Citations
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
* ''Yes: The Authorized Biography'', Dan Hedges, London, Sidgwick and Jackson Limited, 1981
* ''Yes: But What Does It Mean?'', Thomas Mosbø, Milton, a Wyndstar Book, 1994
* ''Yesstories: Yes in Their Own Words'', Tim Morse and Yes, St. Martin's Griffin Publishing, 15 May 1996
* ''Music of Yes: Structure and Vision in Progressive Rock'', Bill Martin, Chicago e La Salle, Open Court, 1 November 1996
* ''Close To the Edge – The Story of Yes'', Chris Welch, Omnibus Press, 1999/2003/2008
* ''Beyond and Before: The Formative Years of Yes'', Peter Banks & Billy James, Bentonville, Golden Treasure Publishing, 2001
* ''Yes: Perpetual Change'', David Watkinson and Rick Wakeman, Plexus Publishing, 1 November 2001
* ''Yes: An Endless Dream Of '70s, '80s And '90s Rock Music'', Stuart Chambers, Burnstown, General Store Publishing House, 2002
* ''Yes Tales: An Unauthorized Biography of Rock's Most Cosmic Band'', Scott Robinson, in Limerick Form, Lincoln, Writers Club Press, iUniverse Inc., 2002
* ''The Extraordinary World of Yes'', Alan Farley, Paperback, 2004
* ''Mountains Come Out of the Sky: The Illustrated History of Prog Rock'', Will Romano, 1 November 2010
* ''Yes in Australia,'' Brian Draper, Centennial, Sydney, 2010
* ''Close To The Edge - How Yes's Masterpiece Defined Prog Rock'', Will Romano, 2017
* ''Yes'', Aymeric Leroy, Le Mot et le Reste, 2017
* ''Solid Mental Grace: Listening to the Music of Yes'', Simon Barrow, Cultured Llama Publishing, 2018
Songbooks
* ''Yes Complete Vol. One'' − 1976 Warner Bros. Publications Inc.
* ''Yes Complete Vol. Two'' – 1977 Warner Bros. Publications Inc.
* ''Yes Complete – Deluxe Edition'', 1 October 1981
* ''Yes: Back from the Edge'', Mike Mettler, Guitar School 3, no. 5, September 1991
* ''Classic Yes – Selections from Yesyears'', April 1993
External links
*
*
*
Forgotten Yesterdays
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yes
Atco Records artists
Atlantic Records artists
Eagle Records artists
Elektra Records artists
English art rock groups
English progressive rock groups
Grammy Award winners
Musical groups disestablished in 1981
Musical groups disestablished in 2004
Musical groups established in 1968
Musical groups from London
Musical groups reestablished in 1982
Musical groups reestablished in 2008
Musical quintets
Symphonic rock groups
1968 establishments in England