"Yes" is the debut single of English music duo

McAlmont & Butler McAlmont & Butler are an English rock/soul music duo, comprising singer David McAlmont and guitarist Bernard Butler. History Formed in 1994, David McAlmont and Bernard Butler had already experienced individual success: Butler as the guitaris ...

, released on 15 May 1995 and later included on their debut album, '' The Sound Of... McAlmont & Butler''. The

soul ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. Cur ...

was their first UK hit, peaking at number eight on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, and remains their most successful single, selling over 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom to earn a silver sales

certification Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

. The song also charted in Ireland, reaching number 24, and in New Zealand, peaking at number 40. British magazine ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' ranked the song at number 174 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2014.

Background

Both

David McAlmont David Irving McAlmont (born 2 May 1967) is a British vocalist, essayist and art historian. He came to prominence in the 1990s as a singer, particularly through his collaboration with Bernard Butler. In the 2010s he returned to academia, working ...

and

Bernard Butler Bernard Joseph Butler (born 1 May 1970) is an English musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the first guitarist with Suede, until his departure in 1994. He has been hailed by some critics as the greatest guitarist of his ...

had departed from their previous bands in acrimonious circumstances shortly before the release—McAlmont from

Thieves Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...

; Butler from

Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was fir ...

. Utilising the

Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...

technique, the lyrics of the song are a thinly disguised attack on their former colleagues. In 2013 Bernard Butler spoke to ''

'' about the song's genesis:

Critical reception

Reviewing the song is his weekly UK chart column,

James Masterton James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...

wrote that McAlmont "sings like an angel" and described the song as "the most utterly wonderful records you have heard in ages". In a retrospective review, Patrick Corcoran of music website Albumism called McAlmont's vocal performance on the song "incredible" and noted that "Yes" is "perhaps, one of the most joyously uplifting songs of all time". In 2014, ''NME'' ranked the song at number 174 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Track listings

UK CD1 and European CD single # "Yes" (edit) – 4:00 # "Don't Call It Soul" – 3:56 # "How About You?" – 5:49 UK CD2 # "Yes" (full version) – 4:53 # "What's the Excuse This Time?" – 5:07 # "Disappointment" – 7:32 UK cassette single # "Yes" (edit) – 4:00 # "Don't Call It Soul" – 3:56 * Another UK cassette was issued including "How About You?" as a bonus track.

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the UK CD1 liner notes. Studio * Engineered at Chateau de la Rouge Motte (

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, France) Personnel * David McAlmont – writing, vocals * Bernard Butler – writing, guitars, "things", string arrangement, production * Makoto Sakamoto – drums * Gini Ball – violin * Jote Osahn – violin * Anne Stephenson – violin * Johnny Taylor – violin * Claire Orsler – viola * Joss Pook – viola * Billy McGhee – string arrangement *

Mike Hedges Mike Hedges (born 1953) is a British audio producer/engineer best known for his work with The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Manic Street Preachers. During his career, Hedges has worked with an eclectic roster of artists ranging from roc ...

– production * Ian Grimble – engineering

Charts

Sales and certifications

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yes (McAlmont and Butler song) 1990s ballads 1995 songs 1995 debut singles Hut Records singles Song recordings produced by Mike Hedges Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements Songs written by Bernard Butler Songs written by David McAlmont Soul ballads