Song:Roundabout
Album:Fragile
Yes has been one of the most durable bands from the British progressive rock movement of the early 70s. Fragile was their breakthrough album. I don't like their later music. Yes was formed in 1968 by vocalist Jon Anderson (born Oct. 25, 1944 in Accrington, England) and bassist Chris Squire (born Mar. 4, 1948 in London). Anderson had been in a group called The Warriors and recorded a couple of singles as Hans Christian. Squire was in a group called The Syn. They met in a club and started working together. Drummer Bill Bruford (born May 17, 1949 in Sevenoaks, England) had just joined Savoy Brown but left to join this new band. Guitarist Peter Banks (born Peter Brockbanks July 15, 1947 in North London) had been a member of The Syn. Keyboard player Tony Kaye (born Anthony Selvidge Jan. 11, 1946 in Leicester, England) joined and Banks came up with the name Yes just because he thought it would look good on posters. Yes started playing gigs and signed with Atlantic. They released their debut album in July 1969. As they released their second album Time And A Word, Banks was fired and replaced by Steve Howe (born Apr. 8, 1947 in North London). Then Kaye left to form Badger and was replaced by Rick Wakeman (born May 18, 1949 in London). Yes also started writing more of their own music and Howe and Wakeman seemed to have better chemistry and Wakeman was willing to experiment with electronic keyboards. Fragile was their breakthrough album and reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 200. Roundabout reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Fragile is available on CD with bonus tracks. Yes continued to have a lot of success even after Bruford left to join King Crimson and was replaced by Alan White. In 1976, Wakeman was replaced by Patrick Moraz. They continued to be successful in the 70s but petered out and split in 1981. Anderson reformed Yes in 1983 and returned them to success though I don't think the music was that good. They split up in 2004 but Squires and Howe lead a version of Yes today with Rick Wakeman's son Oliver on keyboards. Here's Yes performing Roundabout on Yessongs 1973.
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