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Yes

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"Last night, as I steered my motor-car through the streets of London with all the delicacy of touch of a Johann Cruyff, I listened again to an 8-track of 'Topographic Oceans' in the hope that either (1) I would understand why Yes are so highly regarded by the readers of this paper or (2) I could finally put my finger on what it is about the band that I dislike. Unfortunately neither revelation came my way, I was left, as before, unmoved - although mightily impressed with the skill that the Yesses bring to their several instruments." [1]

Yes are an English rock band who achieved success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. They are distinguished by their use of mystical and cosmic lyrics, live stage sets and lengthy compositions, often with complex instrumental and vocal arrangements. Bass guitarist Chris Squire formed Yes in 1968 with singer Jon Anderson. Squire and guitarist Peter Banks had played together in The Syn and then Mabel Greer's Toyshop. Anderson and later drummer Bill Bruford joined a line-up of Mabel Greer's Toyshop, which evolved into Yes. Keyboardist Tony Kaye completed the first Yes line-up. Their early sets were a mix of original material and cover versions.

The 1970s saw Yes release the albums that are widely viewed as their creative peak: The Yes Album, Fragile (both in 1971), Close to the Edge (1972), Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973), Relayer (1974) and Going for the One (1977). For most of this period, the band included Anderson, Squire, Howe (who replaced Banks in 1970), Rick Wakeman on keyboards and Bruford, or later Alan White (1949 - 2022), on drums; Kaye and Patrick Moraz each play keyboards on one of these albums. After the relative failure of Tormato (1978) and the rise of punk rock, Anderson and Wakeman left the band in 1980; Squire, Howe and White recorded Drama with Downes and new vocalist Trevor Horn, both also members of The Buggles. The band disbanded in December 1980, with Howe and Downes subsequently creating Asia.

Yes reformed in 1983 adopting a more pop rock sound. This quickly became the most commercially successful Yes lineup with 90125 (1983), which spawned the US number one single "Owner of a Lonely Heart", and Big Generator (1987). The tour in support of Union (1991), which amalgamated members of Yes and Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, was a commercial success that featured an eight-man line-up (instead of a quintet). Subsequent albums and singles have sold less well.

Links To Peel[]

John_Peel's_Glastonbury-0

John Peel's Glastonbury-0

Peel sarcastically talking about Yes on 0:56 of the 2003 Glastonbury video

Members of Yes had played in bands which Peel had featured on his shows; The Syn's singles "14 Hour Technicolor Dream" and "Flower Man" were played on the Perfumed Garden, while Mabel Greer's Toyshop never recorded, but did a single Peel session in 1968 and were praised by the DJ in his International Times column ("give them buns if you see them and work if you want to see them" [1]). Guitarist Steve Howe made his reputation with Tomorrow, whose first session had featured in Peel's debut programme for Radio One in October 1967. Therefore, the DJ took an interest in Yes's early material, and they made their debut on Top Gear in early 1969, soon after they had been the opening act at Cream's farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall, which Peel compered. This concert led subsequently to the band opening for Janis Joplin and ultimately a record deal with Atlantic Records.

Yet despite their popularity with the audience who listened to Radio 1's Sounds of the Seventies shows, they only did one Peel session. A listener later accused him of playing all four sides of Tales Of Topographic Oceans in one show (an album that for many represented the height of pomposity in prog rock), an accusation that he vigorously denied and is not borne out by any available evidence. In fact, available Peel show track listings are seemingly bereft of airplay, although in 1969-70 the band recorded sessions for David Symonds and Johnnie Walker, were featured in session by Mike Harding in the first week of the Sounds of the Seventies shows and got plenty of plays on SOTS thereafter.. In 1973, Peel stated, "I like the Faces,the Floyd and The Who, but not ELP, Yes and Focus." [2] In addition, he rejected the opinions of music experts who thought that

"in twenty years' time collectors will still be enthusing over the records of such weighty bands as Yes and Emerson, Lake, Palmer. I'm ready to bet you a few shillings that Yes and ELP will have vanished from the memory of all but the most stubborn." [3]

Peel saw Yes's performance at the 1975 Reading Festival and mentioned it in his report on the event for Sounds, describing their set as "the musical equivalent of an American funeral. A lot of money had been spent, the trappings and the arrangements were immaculate, and at the heart of the proceedings was something that although once alive is now very dead...".[2] Meeting Tim Rose at the festival made him recall the early Top Gear days when "Yes were still in Syd[sic; he meant Syn] and in Mabel Greer's Toy-shop". JP seemed to feign nervousness when a group who wanted him to play their new single threatened to publicise pictures of him on stage with the band at Crystal Palace [3]. In any event, Yes debuted at number 50 on the inaugural Festive Fifty: Peel expert Ken Garner has since declared that he considers this to be the worst FF track of all.

The beginning of punk vindicated Peel's alienation from what he described as "firmly entrenched dinosaurs", including groups such as Yes, Led Zeppelin, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Genesis [4] Uncharacteristically, he featured tracks from Going For The One in 1977 and he played a new single by them (Don't Kill The Whale) in 1978, his rationale for doing so being:

"This is not because I like it, but because it's there, like Mt Everest, and you should know about it."

His low opinion of the band seemed only to gather momentum with time: in 1993, he recalled, "in the 1970s, bands such as Yes and Emerson, Lake and Palmer were much admired for the mountains of equipment through which they played their dismal music." [5] When the band appeared at Glastonbury in 2003, Peel made a characteristically dry comment when chatting to Jo Whiley on the BBC's television coverage from the festival:

JP: "I'm looking forward to Yes."
Jo Whiley: "Do you have a relationship with Yes?"
JP: "No, well only one of deep unmitigated hatred."

After his death, it was found that he had fifteen of their LPs in his collection [4], although this may have been a result of Peel's mania for collecting and reluctance to dispose of even unwanted material.

Festive Fifty Entries[]

Sessions[]

1. Recorded: 1969-01-07. First broadcast: 12 January 1969. Repeated: 23 February 1969.

  • Dear Father / Everydays / Sweetness / Something's Coming

Live[]

Recorded 1970-03-12, Paris Theatre, London. Broadcast: 15 March 1970

  1. Astral Traveller
  2. Then
  3. Every Little Thing
  4. Everydays
  5. For Everyone

Other Shows Played[]

Yes_-_And_You_And_I

Yes - And You And I

'And You And I' was the first track to enter the Festive Fifty that started in 1976.

1969
1972
1976
1977
  • 30 June 1977: 'Going For The One (LP-Going For The One)' (Atlantic)
  • 05 July 1977: 'Going For The One (LP-Going For The One)' (Atlantic) "& 2 more from same LP" [6]
1978
Rick Wakeman
Patrick Moraz
Alan White
Footnotes
  1. ↑ Lena Zavaroni: More Than Enough Music To Go Around, Sounds, 20 July 1974: reprinted in Olivetti Chronicles, p.468 (Corgi edition).
  2. ↑ Osmonds 3, Sounds, 1 December 1973, reprinted in Olivetti Chronicles, p.283 (Corgi edition).
  3. ↑ Tubular Bells, Listener, 7 June 1973: reprinted in Olivetti Chronicles, pp.420-1 (Corgi edition).
  4. ↑ 1977: Banned Bands, Listener 22-29 December 1977, reprinted in Olivetti Chronicles, p.252 (Corgi edition).
  5. ↑ Phoenix Festival, Guardian, 23 July 1993: reprinted in Olivetti Chronicles, p.307 (Corgi edition).
  6. ↑ Ken Garner, The Peel Sessions, p. 218.

See Also[]

External Links[]

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