Yes Music Podcast

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

It's time to enjoy listening to The Lexicon Of Love this week as we look for clues as to why Yes wanted Trevor Horn to return as producer for 90125. To be fair, that's not an especially difficult task as his fingerprints are all over this brilliant, era-defining work of pop genius. It's not prog but it's glorious music.

  • What Trevor Horn influences can be heard on this album?
  • Is the production any good?
  • Is it obvious why Yes wanted Trevor back?

Also, it's time to wish all listeners, Producers and Patrons all best wishes at this festive time of year. Whatever you celebrate in December or even if you don't celebrate anything Mark and I hope you have a wonderful time as the year changes to 2023. Thank you for all your support and kindness in 2022!

Direct download: ep563_wht_horn_producer_pt12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:15am UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

After a couple of weeks of illness I’m delighted to say I’m now almost 100% and back to the YMP. I’d like to thank everyone who has sent kind wishes - they are very much appreciated.

This week we delve into the reasons why Yes might have wanted Trevor Horn back in the fold for 90125.

  • Who wanted Trevor back?
  • What were his special skills?
  • Did he want to go back?

Direct download: ep562_wht_horn_producer_pt1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:05pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Jeffrey Crecelius and Wayne Hall

Mark and I spent a very enjoyable week listening to CTTE and Relayer - and why not? In time honoured fashion we have recorded our thoughts independently and then we meet up to criticise each other’s ideas. Not really. We do, however, indulge in the futile but nevertheless enjoyable process of ranking the albums against each other and coming out with a winner. Will you agree with our assessments? The sense of anticipation could be cut with a proverbial hacksaw.

  • Is it possible to rank these albums after listening to them?
  • Why would anyone want to?
  • Go on then, which one is better?
Direct download: ep561_ctte_relayer.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:59pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Jeffrey Crecelius and Wayne Hall

This week Mark and I embark upon another inevitably unjustifiable escapade - the rating of two classic Yes albums against each other. If it wasn’t fun we wouldn’t do it but it keeps us off the streets at least. This time we have decided to pit Close To The Edge against Relayer and you can play along as well. In part 1 we bang on about the similarities and differences between the records and then next week we will report back on our findings after listening carefully to the albums. Please do add your own thoughts to the show notes for both weeks’ episodes.

  • Which album is 'better'?
  • What are the main differences and similarities?
  • Why would you want to do this?
Direct download: ep560_ctte_relayer.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:50pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week we met the delightful Chris Welch who wrote one of the most important books about Yes, Close To The Edge - The Yes Story. Journalist for Melody Maker, Kerrang and many other publications, Chris has known the band from its earliest days and we very much enjoyed talking to him about those days in the early 70s as well as his trip to Advision to see the band recording Tormato. It was a  great conversation so we hope you enjoy it as well.

  • What was it like in London in the early 70s?
  • Did punk kill prog?
  • How was the atmosphere in Advision?
Direct download: ep559_chris_welch.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:27pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week we are off into the weeds once again, this time with Tim Durling as our guide. As the originator of Tim’s Vinyl Confessions, he is ideally placed to tell us more about the 8 track tapes that have been released over the years by Yes and we discover a wealth of interesting facts about the much-maligned media format which, as you may remember, was the basis of the ill-fated Birotron Rick Wakeman championed and part-funded in the mid-late 70s.

We would be delighted to see photos of any Yes 8 track tapes you have in your collection so please do add those to the comments on the show notes for this week’s episode.

  • Why were 8-track cartridges so popular?
  • Did they sound any good?
  • Did the format cause any problems for the transfer of records?

Direct download: ep558_8_tracks_tim_durling.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:35pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Jeffrey Crecelius and Wayne Hall

This week, Mark and I have been enjoying listening to Night After Night, the live album from UK in our quest to discover why Yes wanted Eddie Jobson. Hear our views in a few moments’ time and add your own to the comments in the show notes for this week’s episode.

Did you see UK in either of their incarnations? What do you think of the 3-piece lineup without Bruford and Holdsworth but with Terry Bozzio? Did it work? Let us know.

  • How does the 3-piece UK sound?
  • Is the guitar missed?
  • Is it all prog?
Direct download: ep557_why_eddie_j_part_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Jeffrey Crecelius and Wayne Hall

This week Mark and I have been considering why Yes wanted Eddie Jobson. He stayed with the band for about as long as a British Prime Minister but there must have been compelling musical reasons why he was asked to join in the first place. So that’s what we are beginning to explore in this episode. WHile Eddie isn’t very well-known outside the Prog world, he certainly had the capacity to take Yes in a different and perhaps very interesting direction before he was replaced by the returning Tony Kaye. Another parallel with the UK political situation?

  • Child prodigy to Prog legend - an amazing story.
  • What skills did Eddie have which attracted Yes?
  • Did he have the experience to join Yes?
Direct download: ep556_why_eddie_j_part_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:35pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

We are finally back with part 2 of our look at the Buggles and why Yes might have wanted them. For this, we’ve been listening to the first album from the duo, The Age Of Plastic, seeing if we can pick up some pointers. As usual, it was a revealing and enjoyable experience and quite topical as Trevor Horn’s autobiography is being advertised across all of my social media at the moment. Let us know what you think of our views in the show notes for this week.

  • Does the album sound dated in 2022?
  • Is there more to it than just Video Killed The Radio Star?
  • Is it obvious why Yes wanted Downes and Horn to join them?

Take a listen to the episode and then let us know what you think!

Direct download: ep555_why_buggles_part_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:40pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Jeffrey Crecelius and Wayne Hall

What a week it’s been in the world of Yes. Thanks to friend of the YMP Roie Avin, I managed to speak to Steve Howe about his new album with his late son Virgil, Lunar Mist as well as the US tour which began yesterday with a preview concert. (Don’t worry, I managed to slip in a question about Tormato as well.) YMP Producer Ken Fuller went along to the dress rehearsal and I’ve added his photos from the event to the show notes for this week. The gig took place at Mickey’s Black Box, part of long-time Yes collaborator Michael Tait’s empire also known as the Rock Lititz campus in Philadelphia. In fact Michael introduced the band and spoke about his connections with Yes. (Incidentally he is now retired.)

Also this week Doug Curran was at the wonderful Alan White tribute concert in Seattle which featured Trevor Rabin, Billy Sherwood, Jon Davison, Geoff Downes, Jay Schellen and a host of other stars. A truly moving event to remember a truly remarkable person.

Add to all this the announcement of concert dates for Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks in 2023 complete with a great video of the whole band in action together. Actually I think it’s a composite video using some clever remote recording but whatever the case, it all sounds fantastic. Fingers crossed they are able to visit the UK.

Direct download: ep554_steve_howe_lunar_mist.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:07pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week we decided to postpone the second part of our Buggles episode because we had the chance to interview James Gardner about Rick Wakeman’s use of the harpsichord. It was a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion and we learned a lot about both the instrument and some of the characters involved with creating the actual instruments Rick used on recordings with Yes. James has encyclopedic knowledge of the use of harpsichords in popular music and he mentions a large number of songs which have featured the instrument over the years. I’ve added YouTube videos of each song James refers to in the show notes for this episode. You might want to refer to those while you listen to the interview or come back to them at the end. I found they helped me a great deal.

  • What kind of harpsichord did Rick use?
  • Who made it?
  • Where else can we hear harpsichords in popular music?

Take a listen to the episode and then let us know what you think.

Direct download: ep553_harpsichord_james_gardner.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:28pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week we are back with our ‘Why did Yes want…’ series and we have reached 1980 when both Anderson and Wakeman had left the band and up stepped Horn and Downes. How did this happen and why would Yes want to develop a relationship with a pop band? Listen on to discover our thoughts and then add your own to the show notes. Over the coming week we will be listening to The Buggles album, ‘The Age Of Plastic’ to try and find some clues to help us with the question above so please do join in with that and let us know what you think of the album, 42 years later.

  • A pop band?
  • Are you serious?
  • How could that work?
Direct download: ep552_why_buggles_pt1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:30pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Jeffrey Crecelius and Wayne Hall

This week, Mark and I consider the question of what would happen if Yes were restricted to only playing music from Open Your Eyes to The Quest in a concert. Imagine that. Well, we did. Listen out for our ideas and add your own to the show notes for this week.

Direct download: ep551_post_oye_concert.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:03am UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week, Mark and I give our impressions of the self-titled album by Refugee, featuring Patrick Moraz, in our attempt to see why Yes wanted him in the band in 1974. As you will hear, we both rather like it. Please do add your own comments to the show notes for this week’s episode and let us know if you agree or disagree.

  • Is it obvious why Yes wanted Patrick Moraz from this album?
  • What special abilities does he show here?
  • Would he fit in?

Facebook has just changed how pages work which means that I’ve had to establish a new place for us to post and discuss Yes-related happenings. It’s a new group entitled, rather creatively, YMP Discussion Group. For the moment it’s open to anyone to join but I’ll be adding rules and joining requirements when I have time. One of the advantages of the new format is that all members of the group have the same ability to post content, so it’s a bit more egalitarian, or somesuch. Please do search for the group and join in.

Direct download: ep550_why_yes_patrick_pt2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:05pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week Mark and I consider why Yes wanted Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz to join them after the departure of Rick Wakeman. We discuss the bands which Moraz played in and the route he took to arrive with Yes which, as you might imagine, wasn’t straightforward! It eventually led to his band, Refugee so we will be spending next week listening to their self-titled album in order to give you our thoughts on that record. Sounds like it’s going to be fun.

If you haven’t already done so, please sign up at tormatobook.com to the email newsletter. I’ve already shared 3 updates on the progress of the forthcoming book, TOO CLOSE TO THE EDGE? complete with short extracts from some of the chapters. If you sign up now, for free, you can have access to the newsletters you’ve missed. It really helps to know people are looking forward to reading the culmination of my decades of Tormato obsession.

Direct download: ep549_why_yes_patrick.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:58pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Jeffrey Crecelius and Wayne Hall

Mark and I had a great time speaking to photographer Rob Brimson this week. He was with Po from Hipgnosis when the photos of YES band members on the inner gatefold sleeve of Going For The One were taken and he took the shot of Yes Tor which adorns the cover of Tormato. He also did a bit of informal modelling work… Rob was open and generous about the days when he was based at Hipgnosis’ studios in London as well as his trip to Mountain Studios in Montreux and the story about the helicopter and the escape of the flying pig. Listen out for that one later. More Yes revelations are included in our conversation.

Also this week around the social media hotspots, I have been posting some adverts for my new website which is supporting the Tormato book I announced last week on the YMP. To keep it nice and simple, I’ve called it https://tormatobook.com and if you’d like to sign up to receive regular updates on the progress towards the publications of the book, then add your details to receive the email newsletter.

Direct download: ep548_rob_brimson.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:24pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week Mark and I have enjoyed listening to Alan White in a rather different context to normal - adding his remarkable talents to John Lennon’s classic album, Imagine. We present our thoughts and then get together to have a chat about the music and the musicians involved. Please do add your own thoughts to the show notes and see if you agree with Mark and me.

We also found time to consider a two pence topic around Jon Anderson’s plans for live concerts next year with The Band Geeks. Stay tuned for our thoughts on that.

In other news, I’m excited to announce that I am part-way through writing a book about Tormato which will include all the aspects we’ve covered on the YMP as well as copious illustrations and a myriad of other things. It will be in paper and online format and I’ll be announcing all kinds of other news about it as we approach the publication date - which is still a long way off. However, you can already go to tormatobook.com to find out more and to sign up to an email newsletter to keep up-to-date with progress. The book will be published by Five Per Cent For Something Publishing (see what I did there?) and is to be called, ‘Too Close To The Edge? The surprising and instructive story of TORMATO, the final YES album of the 1970s’. Good title eh?

  • What does Alan's drumming on Imagine sound like?
  • Does he play appropriately?
  • Can you tell it's him?
Direct download: ep547_why_yes_want_alan_part_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:33pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

While we wait for Yes to begin their tour in Japan in September and following the end of Jon Anderson’s Close To The Edge tour, it’s comparatively quiet in Yes world at the moment. That certainly doesn’t mean we don’t have anything to talk about, of course. So this week Mark and I have been thinking about why Yes wanted the late and already desperately missed Alan White.

We have discovered or perhaps rediscovered some aspects of Alan’s early career which made him the perfect fit for Yes following the departure of Bill Bruford, very shortly before the beginning of the original Close To The Edge tour. It was an excellent discussion reminding us just how multi-faceted Alan’s abilities were so do keep listening for that.

  • What about Alan White attracted Yes?
  • What did Alan spend his teenage years doing?
  • What recordings can we hear pre-Yes Alan playing on?

Direct download: ep546_why_yes_want_alan_part_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:02pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

I recently spoke to illustrator Colin Elgie, who was a freelance illustrator for legendary album art producers, Hipgnosis, for the whole of the 1970s. We chatted about his artwork for Tormato and I found out that he also produced some other Yes items you'll recognise, along with other prog album covers. It was a great phone call and this week I explain to Mark what Colin said and we take a look at some of the artwork Colin and I discussed.

Then Mark tells us about some other vinyl albums which have interesting and/or unique inner contents. You'll also have your favourites so please do add them in the comments on the show notes.

  • What did Colin Elgie produce for Yes?
  • What did he think of the Hipgnosis cover for Tormato?
  • What other inner album contents are worth tracking down?

Direct download: ep544_colin_elgie.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:45pm UTC

Produced by Ken Fuller, Jeffrey Crecelius and Wayne Hall

After a period of ill health I’m finally back this week with the second part of our Why did Yes want Rick Wakeman feature. Many thanks to everyone who has sent wishes for a speedy recovery.

We also have the final word from Simon Barrow on the CTTE 50th Anniversary UK and Irish tour and we start with some news from around the interwebs.

  • What were the two previous albums from Strawbs like?
  • Why was Rick fed up with that band?
  • What were press and fan reactions like to CTTE50?
Direct download: ep543_why_rick_wakeman_part_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:15pm UTC

We are back almost to normal or what passes for normal in these parts this week. After the merry mayhem of the Yes UK and Irish tour celebrating CTTE’s 50th Anniversary, this week Mark and I return to our new-ish series trying to make semi-educated guesses about why Yes wanted to add new or different musicians to their fold. This time, we turn our excited attention to Rick Wakeman and consider what he was doing to attract the band’s attention. That’ll be fun.

Before that we have the final tour diary entry from the redoutable Simon Barrow complete with a new crop of photos on the show notes.

  • What attracted Yes to Rick Wakeman?
  • What had he been doing before?
  • How does Simon sum up the latest tour?
Direct download: ep542_why_rick_wakeman_part_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:17pm UTC

Listen to Simon’s experiences at the London concert of #CTTE50 from the iconic Royal Albert Hall.

Direct download: My_update_from_RAH_mp3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:15pm UTC

A little bit 'after the fact' but we are still proud to present Simon's second audio diary entry. Stay tuned for more very soon!

Direct download: Simon_2_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:46am UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

I had an amazing time in London with new and old Yes friends on 21st June 2022. The concert was stunning and you'll hear me banging on about it in this episode.

A magical evening of Yes music in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Close To The Edge which was performed perfectly to a full house at one of the most iconic of all venues.

It's only the 10th time Yes have played at the RAH and it's also 10 years since Jon Davison joined the band.

  • What was the performance like?
  • How did the setlist work?
  • What was the experience like?

Direct download: ep539_yes_live_rah_2022.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:09pm UTC

This week we have the chance to talk about Yes live in concert for the first time in 3 years. Mark and I give our reactions to the setlist choices and then our roving reporter, Simon Barrow has sent in the first of his audio diary entries. He will be attending every show on the tour (apart from the warm up gig) and will be keeping us up-to-date as he goes.

  • What have the first concerts been like?
  • What is the setlist like?
  • Will fans be able to get to the concerts next week?
Direct download: ep538_yes_live_again_2022.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:23pm UTC

Produced by Jeffrey Crecelius and Wayne Hall

We are all, as Yesfans, still reeling from the news of the death of the great Alan White and the forthcoming tour will sadly be a very different experience.

This week we return to the second part of our examination of Steve Howe’s guitar work on Tomorrow’s self-titled album.

There's also a chance to announce the winner of the amazing Asia in Asia box set. Stay tuned for that as well as a Happy Birthday to Mark!

Direct download: ep537_why_did_yes_steve_howe_pt2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:03pm UTC

This week we present our tributes to Alan White, Yes drummer for half a century, in the words of YMP Patrons and listeners.

Please add your own tribute to the show notes for this week if you haven’t already done so.

Direct download: ep536_tributes_alan_white_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:55pm UTC

Produced by Jeffrey Crecelius and Wayne Hall

Next week’s YMP episode will be a proper tribute to Alan White so please add your contributions in the comments section below.

This week, rather than a ‘standard’ episode we thought it would be appropriate to re-play our interview with Alan from January 2020. He was in fine form, as always and it was a joy to speak to him.

‘Legendary’ is an entirely apt description of this true gentleman, extraordinary musician and friend to all he encountered. R.I.P. Alan.

Original interview episode show notes:

Mark and I have ticked off another of our top ambitions on the podcast by speaking to Yes drum legend, Alan White. We cover a number of different topics and Alan is absolutely delightful, as I'm sure you know.

For the first time in ages, I also managed to do a news catch-up which features a few highlights from around the social webs in recent days and/or weeks and do listen out for a couple of new items. I hope you enjoy the whole episode!

  • What did Alan think of From A Page?
  • What is Alan's favourite Yes album??
  • What is Relayer going to be like to play live in 2020?

Direct download: ep535_rip_alan_white_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:29pm UTC

Just as I was preparing this week’s episode the news broke that Vangelis has died. A giant of the music world in so many different spheres, it’s a terrible loss. Most music fans will know that Jon and Vangelis was a highly significant collaboration but I am sure fewer know about the possibility of Vangelis becoming Yes’ keyboardist after Rick Wakeman left in 1974. He rehearsed with the band but it didn’t work out. However, he left his keyboard setup in place and Patrick Moraz used it to improvise the opening keyboards for Sound Chaser and this is the version used on the actual record, or so the story goes. Vangelis also has writing credits on Children of Light from Keys To Assension 2 which was originally written by Jon Anderson and him in 1986 as, 'Distant Thunder'.

His music will live on but he will certainly be missed.

It’s always a pleasure to speak to Geoff Downes and this time we took in Asia, Yes and the Downes Braide Association. As always, Geoff has been very busy with different musical activities and, as you’ll hear, is looking forward to getting out on the road again with the world’s greatest progressive rock band.

Geoff also sets a question for you to answer to win the wonderful Asia in Asia box set so after you’ve heard what the question is, please send your answer to show@yesmusicpodcast.com before Friday 27th May 2022 to be in with a chance of winning that collector’s item.

Unfortunately, Mark was unable to join us for the interview but he will be back next week.

Direct download: ep534_geoff_downes_yes_live_22_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:23pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week we have the chance to review the amazing new box set from Bill Bruford. Mark and I are joined by the redoubtable Simon Barrow for the conversation.

  • What is included and what is excluded?
  • Is there a good selection from each of Bill's projects?
  • Was Bill a rock drummer turned to jazz or the other way round?

Take a listen to the episode and then let us know what you think!

Direct download: ep533_bill_box_set.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:32pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

Mark and I are starting a new series this week where we will bang on about the musicians who were tempted to join Yes and what they did previously which attracted the attention of the band. It’s a bit like a prequel to our ‘what did they do next’ series, if you see what I mean. Each topic will be in two parts as before so you will have a week (or sometimes more) to listen to the music yourself before Mark and I give our reactions to it. A lot more on that later.

  • What attracted Yes to Steve Howe?
  • What was Steve up to before joining Yes?
  • In what way was he a 'different' guitarist?

Take a listen to the episode and then let us know what you think below!

Direct download: ep532_why_did_yes_steve_howe.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:16pm UTC

Produced by Jeffrey Crecelius and Wayne Hall

I’m hoping the weekly update from around the metaverse will return next week but for now we’ll get straight on with another brilliant and fascinating conversation with progresssive rock keyboard guru and all round brilliant chap, Chris Dale.

Direct download: ep531_chris_dale_again.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:54pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

I'm still on holiday this week so I'm indebted to Simon Barrow, Robert Nasir and Mark Anthony K for stepping into the breach. I'm sure you will enjoy what they have to say - please do add your comments.

  • What does Steven Wilson say about Yes in his new book?
  • Has Robert enjoyed the recent episodes?
  • What Close To The Edge insights has Mark for us?

There's also a Two Pence from Mark for you to add your thoughts to.

Direct download: ep530_mark_simon_robert.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:14pm UTC

First of all, many thanks to Dan and Steven Shinder for last week’s April Fool swap around - it was great fun and we look forward to doing some more sensible Yes conversations in the future.

Oliver Wakeman is always one of our favourite guests on the YMP and this time we talk about Yes and his latest release - the Collaborations box set which is available from Burning Shed. It’s another engaging and insightful chat so do let us know what you think.

  • What's in Oliver's new box set?
  • What would Oliver want to play if he returned to Yes?
  • What does Oliver think of the change from Relayer Live to Close To The Edge Live?

Take a listen to the episode and then let us know what you think below!

Direct download: ep528_oliver_wakeman_collaborations.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:07pm UTC

Kevin and Mark discuss some amazing recent news in Yesworld!

Direct download: ep527_revelations.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:28pm UTC

It was great to speak to Dave Watkinson once again on the show this week. Some time ago he published an article on Yesworld.com all about the variety of music Yes have used to open their shows over 50 years and more. Mark and I very much enjoyed finding out more from Dave and here is the article - http://yesworld.com/yesshows-the-opening-music/yes-opening-music-year-guide/ 

After that conversation, there is a contribution from Daniel and Amanda Krohn with a different spin on the change from Relayer to Close to the Edge on the upcoming tour - do stay tuned for that.

Direct download: ep526_opening_music.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:15pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

Mark and I just about manage to stay in control of the ‘spirited’ Fernando Perdomo this week. Ask him about guitar tech and he will literally talk for hours - which is exactly what we want on the YMP of course. What we were left with are many fascinating insights into Steve Howe’s guitars and approaches, all based around the greatest Yes album, Tormato. Stay tuned for that hurricane of enthusiasm a little later.

  • How did Howe get those sounds for Tormato and why?
  • Where is the steel guitar?
  • What are the secrets to his guitar approach?
Direct download: ep525_howe_guitars_fernando_perdomo.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:34pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

I was on the road this week but still managed to catch up with Mark and Henry Potts to discuss the news that Yes will not be playing Relayer on the upcoming tour but have opted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Close To The Edge instead.

I was in a hotel room with just my laptop but this news was clearly too important to miss.

  • Why has Relayer been shelved?
  • Will we ever hear the full album live?
  • Is it too soon to play Close To The Edge in its entirety again?

Listen to the episode and let us know what you think!

Direct download: ep524_what_have_they_done_no_relayer_fixed.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:25pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week's episode once again features our resident walking vinyl encyclopedia, Mark but this time I have a chance to pick his brains about the murky world of deadwax.

As you might imagine, I get out a couple of my copies of Tormato to see what I can find in the deadwax areas of those and Mark shares some fascinating insights into the production of Yes vinyl records.

Doug Curran also sent in an example of one of his Yes rarities for us to decipher and it was a real geek-fest!

  • What are acetates, test pressings and deadwax?
  • Why do Yes records have information hidden in the vinyl?
  • Is any of this any use? (Spoiler - yes it is.)

Listen to the episode and let us know what you think!

Direct download: ep523_deep_into_the_deadwax.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:53pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

I was on holiday this week so Mark and I couldn't get together to chat about this album but we did manage to record our own thoughts on what Benoit did next. See if you agree with us!

  • What did Benoit do next?
  • Is MYSTERY like Yes?
  • Is this a good album?

Listen to the episode and let us know what you think!

Direct download: ep521_what_next_benoit_david.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:48pm UTC

I’m in Devon so here’s Mark’s next Album Series audio -Fragile

Direct download: Yes_Album_Series_-_Ep4_-_Fragile_01.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:14pm UTC

Is this the last part of our What did they do next series? Probably…possibly…maybe not. In any event, we are going to stop for the moment after we have talked about what Benoit David did after leaving the band due to ill health in 2012. Apart from the tragic loss of Chris Squire and the resulting return of Billy Sherwood, the band has maintained the same lineup since Benoit left. While he was still touring with Yes, he was also working on an album for a different band - which one? Well, maybe it’s not much of a mystery but if you don’t know, just keep listening as Mark and I explain what happened leading up to Benoit’s departure and what he did next.

Direct download: ep520_what_next_benoit_david.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:57pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

We went deep into the weeds again this week with Master of the Master Tapes, Brian Kehew, who produced the amazing live box set, Progeny, as well as working on the bonus tracks for the Tormato and Drama Expanded and Remastered CD releases in 2004.

  • What governed the choices when creating Progeny?
  • Is Progeny a 'better' collection of Yes live than Yessongs?
  • What did Brian find in the vaults from the Tormato and Drama sessions?

Listen to the episode and let us know what you think!

Direct download: ep519_brian_kehew_progeny.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:53pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

This we are joined by prog aficionado, writer, publisher, compère and all-round great chap, Stephen Lambe to discuss many aspects of Gordon Giltrap and Oliver Wakeman's album, Ravens and Lullabies.

  • Is it a bird, is it a plane, is it a prog album?
  • What did Stephen Lambe have to do with the album (if anything)?
  • Is it any good?

Listen to the episode and let us know what you think!

Direct download: ep518_what_next_oliver_wakeman.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:46pm UTC

This week it’s the first part of our next - and presumably last…maybe…what did they do next featuring the 2011-ish departure of keyboardist and true gentleman of prog, Oliver Wakeman. Mark and I discuss how and why Oliver left the band and what he did next in collaboration with another giant of the music world. We set you a task to listen to that project before next week’s episode, just like we will be doing and if you already know what we are talking about, please do leave your comments on the show notes for this week and we will try and include as many as possible in the episode next time.
  • What were the circumstances around Oliver Wakeman's exit from the band?
  • Was it a smooth process?
  • What did he do next?
Direct download: ep517_what_next_oliver_wakeman.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:02pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

It was great to speak to Gerald Bassols from Spain this week all about his amazing book, The Musical Instruments of Progressive Rock which very much does what it says on the tin. Stay tuned for that conversation.

Direct download: ep516_instruments_gerard_bassols.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:38pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

What should we expect from Yes in the coming year? Simon Barrow has some ideas as does Mark. We had a great conversation about the possibilities and our own, personal desires, partly based on the Facebook post by Daniel Krohn on the YMP Facebook page.

As always, it was a delight to welcome the erudite and knowledgeable Simon back onto the show. Do watch out for at least two books from him - an updated version of Solid Mental Grace - Listening to the Music of Yes and YES in the 90s.

In case you missed it, Simon has asked YMP listeners to contact the show if they have any photos from any Yes 90s events - so please take a look in your personal archives and let's see how we can help.

  • What do you want from Yes in 2022?
  • Will we see some archival releases?
  • Surely no new music...?

Listen to the episode and let us know what you think!

Direct download: ep515_2022_hopes_with_simon_barrow.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:16pm UTC

Produced by Wayne Hall and Jeffrey Crecelius

As we begin the 11th calendar year of the show, it’s time to take a look back at 2021. Mark and I have chosen a few clips each which remind us of the range and depth of Yes topics we have covered in the past 12 months. We hope you enjoy the selection - do let us know if your favourite is or isn’t included.

 

  • Who did we interview in 2021?
  • What did we learn'?
  • What were the most memorable episodes?

 

 

Direct download: ep514_new_year.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:11pm UTC

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