YESFANZ NEWSLETTER
Issue 31, April 2007
Editor: Brian Draper
b.d.draper@bigpond.com
·
Yes – back
together in 2008?
·
Yes - solo and
collaboration tours 2007
·
New Yes and Yes solo releases
·
Sydney YesFANZ
Social Events
·
YesFANZ Members’
Music and other Projects
·
YesFANZ Members
Compilation CD
·
Book
Review - Music of Yes: Structure and Vision in Progressive
Rock
·
Progressive Rock in Australia
·
YesFANZ Inc
Office Bearers and Contacts
Yes –
back together in 2008?
Ý
The rumblings continue to build about
a Yes reformation and 40th Anniversary Tour and possible album for
2008 – but as usual in the Yes universe nothing is certain. The suggestion is a
summer tour involving North America and Europe – no mention of Asia or
Yes - solo and
collaboration tours 2007
Ý
Jon Anderson –
Jon is doing
another short East Coast US tour with Paul Green’s
Steve Howe Trio –
The Steve Howe Trio which includes his son
Dylan on drums and Ross Stanley on organ are doing a short tour commencing in
Cardiff on May 13 with 5 concerts through to the final one in Birmingham on May
20.
Asia – US and
European tours in June, July;
The
Rick Wakeman in
the
Rick and his
band will be playing some dates this year with one announced so far at
New
Yes and Yes solo releases
Ý
Yes
Alan Farley has heard that the
Australian release of The ‘Live in Montreux
2003’ DVD is scheduled for around May 2007. It is currently available
from CD
Universe. This is from the Montreux Festival and is said to feature the
entire set list – Siberian Khatru; Magnification; Don't Kill The
Whale; In The Presence Of; We Have
Heaven/South Side Of The Sky; And You And
I; To Be Over/Clap; Show
Me; Wakeman Solo; Heart Of
The Sunrise; Long Distance Runaround; Whitefish; On The Silent
Wings Of Freedom; Awaken; I've Seen
All Good People; Roundabout. Of course this is
pretty much the set list we saw in
Close to the
Edge has been released again in the
new Rhino Replica series in which classic rock albums are released in their
original LP packaging that is reconstructed in a CD size jacket.
Jon
Anderson
Individual albums from The Lost
Tapes Boxset are being released by Voiceprint over the coming months. These
include ‘The Mother’s Day concert’, California
1996; ‘Searching for the
Songs’ - 1986; ‘Live in Sheffield
1980’; and Watching the Flags
that Fly – 1990.
Jon Anderson: Live
From La La Land Limited Edition
Just 500 copies of this
double live album personally signed by Jon Anderson will be made available via a
dedicated micro website that has yet to be launched. The album was recorded at
the Roxy in
Patrick
Moraz
The latest album featuring Patrick
Moraz to be released by Voiceprint is Refugee: Live in Concert
Newcastle 1974. Refugee was the band formed by Patrick
Moraz, Lee Jackson and Brian Davison in 1973. Both Jackson and Davison had
previously been founder members of The Nice. Refugee recorded just one studio
album which was released in early 1974. in mid 1974 Patrick Moraz received an
offer that he couldn't refuse to join Yes. Patrick's departure from Refugee
meant the end of the band with just the solitary studio album to their name.
This album was reissued in remastered form on CD in 2006. More recently a live
cassette was found containing a performance of the band and this is the basis of
the new live album which is now available to purchase for the first time on CD.
Previous bootleg releases are of a lower quality and this release has been
cleaned up and remastered for release with the full co-operation of the members
of the band and the story behind the discovery of the tape and the successful
restoration of this tape is outlined in the sleeve notes written by Martin
Hanson who has written the definitive biography of the Nice entitled Hang On To
A Dream. Tracks include Ritt Mickley, Papillon, Grand Canyon Suite and Someday
all of which featured on Refugee's debut studio album. Other tracks include the
previously unreleased Refugee Jam and the Nice classic The Diamond Hard Blue
Apples Of The Moon.
Patrick’s solo DVD
‘Live in
Princeton’ will be released in May. It is from an acoustic
concert in 1995 and includes tracks from The Story of I. It was previously
released on video.
Rick
Wakeman
Rick’s latest project ‘Amazing Grace’ will be released on DVD
& CD in the
DVD
TRACKS
Amazing Grace; There Is A Green
Hill Far Away; Glad That I Live Am I; Nearer, My God, To Thee; All Things Bright
& Beautiful; Jerusalem; When We Walk With The Lord (Trust & Obey); All
People That On Earth Do Dwell; I Vow To Thee, My Country; When I Survey The
Wondrous Cross; Morning Has Broken; Abide With Me; The Day Thou Gavest; Ode To
Joy; Amazing Grace (Featuring Jemma Wakeman & The English Chamber Choir)
CD
TRACKS
Amazing Grace
(Featuring Jemma Wakeman & The English Chamber Choir); Now Thank We All Our
God; There Is A Green Hill Far Away; Morning Has Broken; Glad That I Live Am I;
All Things Bright & Beautiful; Jesus, Lover Of My Soul; Nearer, My God, To
Thee; Jerusalem; Come, O Come, Emmanuel; All People That On Earth Do Dwell; I
Vow to Thee, My Country; When We Walk With The Lord (Trust & Obey); Hills Of
The North, Rejoice; When I Survey The Wondrous Cross; Abide With Me; Ode To Joy;
The Day Thou Gavest; Amazing Grace (Alternative
Version).
More details are available on Rick’s website where it is also mentioned
that the next new album that he is working on is Retro 2.
Another new release is Live
at the BBC, a double CD of two 1976 recordings of Rick with the
English Rock Ensemble released by Hux Records. The track list is:
Disc
1: Music Reincarnate - Part III, The
Spaceman; Catherine Howard; Sir Lancelot And The Black Knight; Arthur; Music
Reincarnate - Part IV, The Realisation; The Forest; Catherine Parr; The
Prisoner; Merlin The Magician
BBC Radio 1 ‘In Concert’ - Recorded at
Hammersmith Odeon, London
17th June 1976
Disc 2: Recollection; Music Reincarnate -
Part IV, The Realisation; Sir Lancelot And The Black Knight; Music Reincarnate -
Part III, The Spaceman; Catherine Parr; The Prisoner; Merlin The Magician
BBC TV ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’ Recorded at The Maltings, Farnham,
Surrey
27th April 1976
Some other Rick Wakeman albums have
been released by Voiceprint recently. ‘Sixty Minutes
with…’ is a compilation album that includes Jane Seymour, 1984,
Catherine Howard, Merlin the Magician, Election/Arthur, StarshipTrooper/Wurm,
She’s Leaving Home, Dancing on Snowflakes, Julia, and Universe of Sound.
‘The Burning’
is the soundtrack from the 1981 movie.
Bill
Bruford
Bill Bruford’s
Earthworks now have a two-volume video anthology out on DVD.
Volume 1 comprises works from the 2000’s and is nearly two hours of concert
footage from the
Volume 2 is 85 minutes
from the 1990s. Filmed on tour in
Both volumes have artwork by Dave
McKean and 12 page booklets. The first 500 will be signed by Bill Bruford. More
information about how to purchase including low resolution video samples can be
found here. The cost is
£14.99 (about $37.50) each or £24.99 (about $62.50) for both + shipping.
Chris
Squire
The much talked about second Chris Squire solo album is
now slated for release in the northern summer.
Tony
Kaye, Billy Sherwood and Alan White have formed a band with Jimmy
Haun called Circa: and they
feature in a very interesting interview by Mike Tiano in the 300th edition of Notes from the
Edge. I am particularly pleased that Tony
Kaye has emerged from the woodwork again. Circa: have a Myspace blog where you can
play one of their tracks ‘Cut the Ties’ that they are planning for a forthcoming
album.
Impact Films
are planning a new Yes documentary
and are requesting input from the fans. They are looking for material
from pre-Yes before 1968 right through to the 1984/85 90125 tour. There is a
long list of what they are looking for on the Yesworld page here. In essence they are looking for
photos, ticket stubs, programs, posters, record covers, flyers
etc.
Voiceprint Music Web Radio has a number of Yes-related pod
cast interviews – two with Bill Bruford;
two with Geoff Downes;
and one with Trevor Rabin.
Typically they last for about 45 minutes and include samples of their
solo and Yes music.
There are 20 sets of around 370 Yes
photos from 1969-1985 available on
Repfoto. Unfortunately you have to register
to see the full size photos – and to do that you have to be a ‘media
professional picture editor/researcher’ – but I’m sure some of you qualify for
that.
There is an interesting recent
article about Jon
Anderson from his local newspaper the San Luis Obispo
Tribune – and be sure to click on the link at the bottom of the page for some
hilarious Jon Anderson anecdotes about touring with
Yes.
On the Marquee Club website, there
is an incredibly comprehensive Peter
Banks
interview about his days at the Marquee Club with The Syn and Yes. There is also
a Yes biography on the
site.
Some fans really must have too much
spare time on their hands! Look at one Yes fan has put together on Youtube in 8
parts Awaken: The Power of
Yes.
Here is a fascinating post by
Eddie
Jobson
on the ‘Eddie Jobson Forum’ about his time in Yes. You will need to scroll down
the page to his lengthy post on 17th March 2007. He certainly didn’t
enjoy his Yes experience!
Here are the production notes from
The Classic
Artists TV
series that relate to Yes.
And of course there are plenty of
new Yes-related additions on YouTube. Yes comics; Rick playing Merlin the
Magician,
Catherine
Parr;
Cathedral of the
Sky; and
Eleanor
Rigby in
2005; Jon and the School of Rock playing
Long Distance Runaround at BB Kings.
Mike Tiano has decided to
recommence regular editions of Notes from the Edge again. He had put them on hold
last June.
Sydney
YesFANZ Social Events
Ý
We had a very enjoyable evening at
the Osteria Dei Poeti restaurant in Glebe to celebrate the March birthdays of
Steve Black, Debbie Draper and Geoff Corris. Here are the pictures. We hope to have regular nights
out every month to celebrate birthdays or anything else that comes to
mind!
On Saturday May 12 a group of about
a dozen YesFANZ members will be attending the Chick Corea concert with the
Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House. We will meet before the show at
east Circular Quay for a meal at a restaurant to be determined later. Although
we have already obtained our block booking, there are likely to be tickets still
available so if anyone else is interested in coming, book your tickets at the
above link and let me or Bob Forbes know that you will be joining us for dinner
beforehand.
YesFANZ
Members Music and Other Projects
Ý
Craig Skelton’s
A single from the new double CD
from Unitopia, ‘The Garden’ will be released on
May 9th. It is titled ‘321 hours’ and is about the
Louise Steer will have a sculpture
‘Bite Me!’ in the 2007 Art in the Park to be held on April 29.
Louise has brought to my attention
that the Sydney MusicFest 2007 is now open for registrations of musicians and
performers. MusicFest is the Australian edition of "Fête de la Musique", a
unique international event that takes place on 21 June each year to celebrate
the summer/winter solstice. Look at the MusicFest
website
for more information.
YesFANZ
Members Compilation CD
Ý
Thank you to all of you that have
indicated your willingness to contribute to this project where we will compile a
CD of YesFANZ members’ original music. It is
not too late to join! We still need more
songs!
The general plan is as follows. We
would like any interested YesFANZ members to submit three ORIGINAL songs that
you own copyright to. In submitting the songs you will be required to sign a
release that will allow YesFANZ free use of the material on the CD. Any profits
made from this CD will go to support YesFANZ Inc.
Please contact
me on b.d.draper@bigpond.com if you want to be involved. In
the near future I will be sending out instructions to those that have indicated
an interest in participating about how to submit your music for the project.
Bernardo Pulgar has agreed to do the cover and is keen to
start!
Book
Review – Music of Yes: Structure and Vision in Progressive Rock by Bill
Martin
Ý
Ian
Joyner has
been reading books again and has submitted the following book review – Music of Yes: Structure and Vision in Progressive Rock
by Bill Martin.
While
travelling to and in the
This is not a
light read, but a thorough investigation into Yes music from the perspective of
a philosophy professor and musician (bass player). It should be stressed that
the book represents Bill Martin's views and that he did not actually conduct any
interviews with the members of Yes. However, it is a very thoughtful analysis of
Yes Music.
The book is
divided into three parts based on what Martin sees as the three main periods of
Yes. Part one examines the albums Yes and Time and A Word. The longest section
examines what Martin calls the "main sequence" from The Yes Album to Going For
the One. The third section more briefly examines the solo works and the albums
from Tormato to Talk. Since the book was published in 1996, Keys to Ascension,
The Ladder, and Magnification do not appear. Within each album the book examines
each song typically spending two to four pages on
each.
Bill Martin
does weave a complex tapestry of "music and the social circumstances and effects
of music". Thus this is more a philosophical journey into Yes music drawing it
together as a whole. Don't worry if you are not a musician, since any musical
analysis is not too deep, but emphasizes how Yes use the music to support the
ideas.
Particularly
early in the book Martin writes a lot on the background of his philosophy. On
first reading, I found these sections a bit tedious, wishing he would get on
with the main analysis. However, in retrospect these sections are quite
interesting.
Interwoven
throughout the book are responses to the many unjust criticisms of Yes. In this
I think we will all find Bill Martin a fellow spirit. Obviously, Yes is a
culture shock to many who have a very narrow view of what music, particularly
rock and roll, should be. Yes is also very subtly anti-materialistic so is a
shock to the dominant culture. It is also clear that Martin's politics is thus
quite left-wing. But against the inanities of the current decade, who would not
agree with him, although his perspective was written over ten years
ago.
In a way
reading this book while travelling around is not the right way to read it –
maybe for the pure philosophical and sociological sections, but next time I'd
like to read it while listening to the pieces themselves. Although I can
remember most Yes music in my head, there are those insights that Martin gives
that you think I never knew or heard that before. But that is part of the
interest of Yes music, it is a constantly unfolding surprise, which keeps the
main sequence as fresh today as it was back in the
1970s.
In conclusion,
while "Music of Yes" is not the simplest of reads, by the time you get to the
end, it is an overall satisfying read.
There have been no further updates
about the Floating Islands project for many months now. According to
Roger’s
website
the packages previously mentioned are still
available.
President:
Bob Forbes
yes@robert-forbes.com
Vice
President
Alex van Starrex avanstar@ihug.com.au
Secretary
Anne Corris corrisa@willis.com
Treasurer
Production Manager
Roger Clark
podo@telstra.com
Public
Officer
Louise Steer
louise@futuresoftware.com.au
Newsletter
editor
Brian Draper
b.d.draper@bigpond.com
Membership
John McInerney
yesfanz2003@hotmail.com
Webmaster
Steve Black
cbassoc@optusnet.com.au
The following
YESFANZ members represent each of the States and
Territories of Australia and
ACT:
Reidar Jorgensen
reidar@jorgensen.com
Phone: 08 9275 2129
If you still haven’t provided us
with updated information regarding your contact details, please email John
McInerney at yesfanz2003@hotmail.com with the following
information:
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Postal
Address
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phone
AH
phone
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is different from current one)
By sending this information you
will also be confirming that you wish to remain a member of YesFanz Inc.
To assist in
the production of this
Newsletter, I would like your
contributions. Any Yes related items, particularly with an Australian or