1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk that Rollie says it was just a 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: dimmal sort of band. I mean it was more where 3 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: I'd been, you know, I'd been in the band playing blues, 4 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: you know, so they were influenced by blues. So they 5 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: didn't interest me very much. Well that I wanted to 6 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: gig when bless his heart, Brian jonstart, I mean I 7 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: was looking for that gig. I would have jumped in 8 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: there and said hang on, you know, but I just 9 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: couldn't get through it with anybody. 10 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast hosted by Buzznight. 11 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 2: Buzz talks with musicians about the inside story on their legacy, 12 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 2: their process, and so much more. On this episode, Buzz's 13 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:38,040 Speaker 2: guest is Steve Howe, classic rock fans on No Steve 14 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 2: from Yes. He was also part of Asia, gtr and 15 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 2: Anderson Bruford, Wakeman and Howe. He's had a tremendous solo 16 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 2: career and he's a legendary progressive rock guitarist who continues 17 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 2: to make his mark with inspired music. Steve Howe joins 18 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: Buzz Night next on Taking a Walk. 19 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 3: Well, it's an honor to have a returning guest to 20 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 3: the Taken a Walk Podcast, as we were going to 21 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 3: take a virtual walk down memory Lane with the great 22 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 3: Steve Howe from Yes, Hello Steve, hi boss, it's nice 23 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 3: to talk to you again, sir. 24 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: That's the guys up with you too? Good. I hope 25 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: you will. 26 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 3: Doing very well. I'm talking to you. I couldn't be 27 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 3: any better. So let's go back in time here and 28 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 3: talk about the first concert experience that you experienced in 29 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 3: your life. 30 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 1: Okay, all right. I was about fourteen, I was maybe 31 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: I was thirteen. Anyway, I was still wort beyond the 32 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: AARs thirteen or fourteen, a school band, a bit of 33 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: a school musicians. We went on stage at a youth 34 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: club and we didn't practice well, chune up, or talk 35 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: about anything. We just said, let's play Shadows, you know 36 00:01:55,640 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: the Shadows. So we played Apache and you know, the 37 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: famous guitar instrumental. So basically it was pretty awful, and 38 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: after that I didn't play on stage for about a 39 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: year and a half. It was dreadful. Really, I could 40 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: tell it wasn't that good, but I thought, well, it 41 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: didn't put me off completely. So when I met Kevin Driscoll, 42 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 1: bass player in the group called the Syndicats. Basically we 43 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: formed the Syndicates together when I met him, and that's 44 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: when I started playing in pubs and things like that. 45 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: But that first concert was I was toned deaf to it. 46 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 1: You know, it just didn't make sense. But that's because 47 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:39,399 Speaker 1: you know, there was no preparation. 48 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 3: And did you actually play to prison also. 49 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: Well, that's what happened when I got together with Kevin. 50 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: We formed a group and we got we've got a 51 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: Tuesday Evening or something, a youth club and it was 52 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 1: connected to what's called Pentonville Prison in no great shakes 53 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: but anyway, so that was in the area of North 54 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: London we lived in and basically yeah, yeah, every week 55 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: for a while we played there and the only thing 56 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: we knew that I didn't do in the prison was 57 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: as we packed up the gear, some prisoners came in 58 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,680 Speaker 1: and tied it up the venue. So yeah, it was 59 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: kind of weird. 60 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 3: It sounds a little spinal tap ish. 61 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Johnny Cash at thoughts. 62 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 3: Yes exactly. I love your appreciation for all diverse styles 63 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 3: of music, and I think, if I if I'm correct 64 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 3: on this, one of the first concerts you experienced as 65 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 3: a fan was heavily roots oriented around like Chuck Berry. 66 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 3: Does that sound right? 67 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Yeah. The first major, kind of 68 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,839 Speaker 1: proper major console I went to was what they called 69 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: the Package too. You know, there was most probably five names. 70 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: I think Eric Burton and the Animals. Paul Perkins was 71 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: actually top of the bill, but we didn't know him 72 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: anywhere near as well as we knew Chuck Berry. So 73 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: chap Berry was like the pre thing. Yeah, so that 74 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: was my I mean, i'd seem like people founding clubs 75 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: obviously and things like that, but this was a like 76 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: sit down, lights out show. And Chuck Berry was absolutely magical, 77 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: you know. I mean he did things, you know, well, 78 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: he was the package, you know, singer, guitarist, songwriter, performer, 79 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: you know, so he leapt about the stage during his 80 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: duck walk and things like this, and he was absolutely great. 81 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: And I think that's that's a major contribution. You know, 82 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: we knew Chuck's music, Bill Haley, Little Richard and other people, 83 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 1: but that was when it was all happening in that direction. 84 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 3: Did you have an aspiration at that point to do 85 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:47,919 Speaker 3: a duck walk? 86 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: Well, well, I mean I did do them occasionally. Yeah, 87 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: if I did one at the Rock and Roll Hall 88 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: of fame when I was playing bass on Owner of 89 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,720 Speaker 1: a Lonely Heart with Yes, because I just sort of 90 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: thought it was getting a bit kitch, so why not 91 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: get Kitcher? 92 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 3: I love that. Now I know you have great admiration 93 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 3: also for the work of Chad Atkins. Did you ever 94 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 3: get to experience him play live? 95 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 2: Yeah? 96 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I saw him a few times, and then I 97 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: met him a few times as well. It was absolutely great. Yeah. 98 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,719 Speaker 1: I tak him to a concert in London and me 99 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: and a guy called Doug Turner, who was a great 100 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: picker himself, went to see him, and because Doug was 101 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: in the chedd Atkins Appreciation Society, we got to meet 102 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: Chet and I actually gave him the music to clap, 103 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: although I'm not sure he ever played it or even 104 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: looked at it. But later, when I developed my career 105 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: a lot more, I saw him. Well. We played together 106 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: on the same bill in Germany for two nights with 107 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 1: Larry Larry Paulton, I think Larry Coriel, that's right, Larry Coyel, 108 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: Me and Chet did our own spots and there was 109 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: a sort of a jam at the end. But as 110 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 1: I never thought Chetwood, he didn't. He didn't join in 111 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: and I joined in a little at that concert, and 112 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 1: you know, I had a little ride about Germany with 113 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,559 Speaker 1: Chet to and from the shows. He was very nice, 114 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: very sweet, very very relaxed, and his company has told 115 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,039 Speaker 1: me that Chet did take a shine to me. 116 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 3: So that's awesome. You mentioned Larry Coriel. I got to 117 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 3: tell you a funny story. I briefly, while I was 118 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 3: in college at the University of Dayton, held the esteemed 119 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 3: position there of the concert director for the university and Steve. 120 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 3: I was terrible at it because I was working on 121 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,919 Speaker 3: the radio and going to college, so I really was 122 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 3: bad at the job. But I did succeed in booking 123 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 3: Larry Coriel at the University of Dayton. And once the 124 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 3: show was over, and I guess maybe this happened with 125 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 3: a lot of artists, he decided to come over to 126 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 3: our house and party by college buddies. It was so nice. 127 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: Oh was it good? Okay? 128 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 2: Good? 129 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: Well, that's sweet. 130 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 2: Yeah. 131 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 3: I know. You have tremendous admiration as well for obviously 132 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 3: the Beatles in terms of what they represented in you know, 133 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 3: your sort of influences and everything. Can you talk about 134 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 3: what the Beatles meant as you were a musician sort 135 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 3: of coming through the ranks and developing your style. 136 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:41,119 Speaker 1: Well, they were quintessentially central, you know, to that era. 137 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: It was only Bob Dylan's free wheeling that had any 138 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: kind of a comparable weight, you know, in effect opening 139 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: the door. So when the Beatles came out and you 140 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: know that Please Please Me album, I mean, they were 141 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: just literally a sensation. You know, you just can't imagine 142 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: what you know, what effect it was. It was a 143 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: bit like the pandemic. But to say something nice about 144 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: the pandemic it's kind of hard really, but basically it 145 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: was like that, like that that it spread across the world, 146 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: and you know, we were so proud, you know that 147 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: this was not only you know, a brit band, it 148 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: was Liverpool band. It's a brit band. And there was 149 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: like total like wipeout, you know, this band. There was 150 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 1: no competition. There was no band that was as good 151 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: as that anywhere in the world. Of course they came, 152 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:33,760 Speaker 1: you know, the Birds and you know all the great 153 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: bands you know that were going on. Of course we're 154 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: going on, but I mean the Beatles were just like 155 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: just there they were, you know, so anyway to wind 156 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:45,079 Speaker 1: it down then, basically when when they came out. The 157 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 1: first thing I didn't I didn't I didn't read music, 158 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: but I bought sheet music because it had the chord 159 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: symbols on it, you know. So anyway I'd buy the 160 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: you know, the Beatles sheep music to understand better the 161 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: chords that they were using. Sometimes stupidly, the colld chart 162 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,680 Speaker 1: was in a different g Can you imagine it buys 163 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: got a guitar, It buys the call chart, right, you 164 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 1: know the song please please miss a different key? What 165 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: use is that? So anyway you work out the chords, 166 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: and they were just harmonious, you know, And of course 167 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: George was great guitarists, and they're all great, you know, 168 00:09:20,400 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: they all had I mean, you know, and Ringo was 169 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,439 Speaker 1: just as great as all the guys. They had that 170 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: so much individual style that it took her away from 171 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: the fact that a lot of other music, well they 172 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: had George Martin. I mean, come on, let's admit that 173 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 1: they had tremendous guidance. So in fact, it was a 174 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 1: perfect chemistry for about a bit like yes with Eddie 175 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: offered you know, we had a run where it was 176 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 1: great working with Eddie and the Beatles. George was a 177 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: companion They must have just enjoyed having him there so 178 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: much because he was so talented, you. 179 00:09:56,280 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 3: Know, and impressions through your development of the Rolling Stones 180 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 3: and what they meant to you. 181 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: Well, the Rolling Stones it was just a difficult sort 182 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: of band. I mean, it was more where I'd been, 183 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: you know, I'd been in the band playing blues, you know, 184 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: so they were influenced by blues, and they didn't interest 185 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: me very much. Although I wanted to gig when bless 186 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: his heart, Brian Jones started, I mean I was looking 187 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 1: for that gig. I would have jumped in there and 188 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: said hang on, you know, but I just couldn't get 189 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,440 Speaker 1: through to anybody, and that had, you know, the marvelous 190 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: replacement lined up anyway, in Mick Taylor. So basically, I 191 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: when I go off the point, I can forget what 192 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 1: the question is. So basically, where were we? 193 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 3: Oh, well, you're just talking about the Stones, and you 194 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 3: just threw me for a loop on that. I want 195 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 3: to go back to the notion of Okay, So Brian 196 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 3: Jones passes away and your eyes light up and you say, 197 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 3: I think I could join that band. So that's amazing 198 00:10:57,840 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 3: to hear that. What do you think would have happened 199 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:00,199 Speaker 3: if you did. 200 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 1: But they might have thrown me out. Of course, they 201 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,319 Speaker 1: might have been a bad influence on me. Now what 202 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: I would say is, look, they've got so much to offer. 203 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 1: I mean, they're still going, you know, and I love them, 204 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: you know, I really really love them, Especially after that 205 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: television program where they featured one of the members for 206 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: a whole program. It was so inside that's a great band, 207 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 1: like Queen, you know, like other bands. So basically there's 208 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 1: a lot of harmonium, their harmoniousness, and you know, it's 209 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: just they're just a different animal altogether, you know. I mean, 210 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: although they did actually play a Lemon and Cartney song, 211 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: it did help them along their way. But basically, the 212 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 1: Stones were the sort of opposite of the Beatles in 213 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,239 Speaker 1: a way because they were finding a way of developing 214 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: what I'd become tired of, which was the blues. You know, 215 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: I'd done the blues and I love them still, but 216 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: I didn't want to play the blues. So the Stones 217 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: were like the parallel universe going on that said, no, 218 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: we can play the blues, but we're playing this, you know. 219 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:04,720 Speaker 1: And I think they're a great band, and everything about 220 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: them too is great. But they weren't as much my thing, 221 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: and there's much my development along with Les, Paul Chairback, 222 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: inst the Beatles, you know, and then you know, maybe 223 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,480 Speaker 1: Frank Zappa or you know, other people came along that 224 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 1: you were knocked out with Paul Signon and basically the 225 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 1: Birds and all these other band great bands from America. 226 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: So it was awful lot happening, but that but the 227 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: Beatles stood out in a different way because the Rolling 228 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: Stones had notoriety, sort of bad notoriety, great fun. I mean, 229 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: you know, the poor guys got targeted by these idiot 230 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:41,319 Speaker 1: policemen in London who thought that you know, smoking marijuana 231 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 1: was was was like smoking like taking hard drugs. So 232 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: they were fixated with that idea. This wasn't fun and 233 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 1: they were going to stop it, so that the Stones 234 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: and the Beetles got targeted, and that's a dreadful thing. 235 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: But there again, before that, there were greater crimes against 236 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: you know, homosexuals, and you know, I mean the world's 237 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,520 Speaker 1: been a very cruel place. So going back to what 238 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 1: isn't cruel is that the Beatles were great. The Stones 239 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:07,680 Speaker 1: were great, but not as much my thing. 240 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, I got it, and so let's just go a 241 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 3: couple of more of the great bands and what they meant, 242 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 3: the Who and led Zeppelin? What do they mean? 243 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: Well, I can't really do this, you know, How can 244 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: I review a band as big as led Zeppelin in 245 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: a sentence? You know? I ad My Jimmy, and I 246 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: remember leading him in Denmark Street. I wonder if he remembers, 247 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 1: and he said to me, I just formed a new band. 248 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 1: It's going to be called led Zeppelin. I said, really, 249 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: oh yeah, great, good luck? And like led Zeppelin was 250 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 1: like what enormous band and who? You know they had 251 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: their pop hits as well. You know, well I would say, 252 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 1: you know, I'll take the as well out of that. 253 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: They had their pop hits and they were great bands, 254 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 1: you know, and you know there was great strength in 255 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 1: their writing of course they had. Like the similarity is 256 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: that both had a very wild drama. You know, but 257 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: a lot of dramas are very wild. Yeah. 258 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 3: Well, what's amazing about yes, is you created music that 259 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 3: really previously didn't exist in a whole category, that really 260 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 3: didn't exist in terms of you know, the style and 261 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:24,400 Speaker 3: what it led to in terms of other bands. Tell 262 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 3: me how it feels to have had that sort of 263 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 3: impact on a whole new genre. 264 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: Well, I think it started, you know, nineteen sixty seven, 265 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 1: you know, when when the in Crowd became Tomorrow and 266 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: we played my work Bicycle and there was a whole 267 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: new like New Year to move up to. But there 268 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: was a bit of a lull, you know after that. 269 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: London was a very dark and cold place. And then suddenly, 270 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: you know, I joined Yes, and basically progressive rock was 271 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: already happening and Yes when I joined, and I didn't 272 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 1: know they were playing that. Really they were playing their 273 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: own songs, you know, and that's what was vital to me, 274 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 1: that the band wanted to play their own songs. So 275 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: basically that that meant that my opportunities, you know, as 276 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: a guitar is primarily first and foremost really was that, Okay, 277 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: I could get in here and play some you know, 278 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: really good guitar. These guys can you know, they understand 279 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: the provisation, they want structure, improvisation, harmonies. You know, it 280 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: was like the whole canon, the whole wall of sound 281 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 1: was going to come from. Yes, you know, we could 282 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: do everything. And you know when you see Yes songs 283 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: or something like that, you know that film. I mean 284 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: the band plays so sort of magnetically close, you know 285 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: that it's quite surprising, you know, it surprises me. We're 286 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: playing the same notes that we wrote, but they came 287 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: from the studio and went on stage and yes, grew, 288 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: you know, Yes, that was the test. So the albums 289 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: that we didn't play much on stage were for good 290 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: reason because they didn't work on stage so much and 291 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: we didn't enjoy them, and there were arguments about who 292 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:04,680 Speaker 1: plays what or why this doesn't you know, if we improvised, 293 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,200 Speaker 1: you know, it had to be a structure because on 294 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 1: stage you need structure, as Chris always said, you know, 295 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: so anywhere that was a bit too jammy. We could 296 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: never reproduce on stage, and we we we had to 297 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 1: think of something else to do. And so yeah, I 298 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: mean watching everybody else absorb, you know, the electronic development 299 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: of keyboards, and then what was possible for the guitar, 300 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:28,520 Speaker 1: And then in GTR, I was doing like some midi 301 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 1: guitar and there was a lot of synth stuff going 302 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 1: on like there was on Drama. But basically, you know, 303 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 1: Asia was a kind of interesting diversion for me to 304 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: get more sort of like pop oriented rock, you know, 305 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: and I love that too. That was great fun. So 306 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,680 Speaker 1: it kept developing. You know, sension with Yes in the 307 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: mid nineties was another attempt to find the pulse. You know, 308 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: we did a lot of things great, and we did 309 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 1: other things not so great. And then you know, by 310 00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: two thousand and four, I mean Yes, it'd come back 311 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: to Rogitine stage and we were playing big venues. It 312 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: was all very exciting, and we stopped and then we 313 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 1: had a long gap of three years. So when we 314 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 1: re group with Chris and Iron Allen, primarily getting my 315 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:17,119 Speaker 1: benmar David and Oliver Waitbinion, we basically just had to 316 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 1: forge a new way on fores that wasn't restricted and 317 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 1: had a full commitment from people. Although I was in 318 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 1: Asia as well at the same time, which eventually wore out, 319 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 1: and I left Asia in twenty twelve because I wanted 320 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:36,679 Speaker 1: to concentrate on Yes and my own solo music and 321 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:39,159 Speaker 1: I couldn't do all these things at once if I 322 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: had Asia in there as well. So basically I think 323 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: it's developed, and I think merrit to the sky and 324 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:49,360 Speaker 1: any future records we made the quest. The things we're 325 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 1: doing now is to show that we're partly got one 326 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 1: foot like really with much respect for all the old 327 00:17:57,520 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 1: Masurial another foot in the idea that to do that, 328 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 1: to play the old music really well, the group's got 329 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 1: to be a real group. It's it's got to have 330 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:09,440 Speaker 1: music going right now. And that's what Marrit and the 331 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 1: Sky is, you know, and that's what we thrive on, 332 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 1: is a balance of yeah, we've we've we love playing 333 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 1: Starship Trooper. Nobody can take that enjoyment from us. It's 334 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: a great feeling. But there again, you know, it's not 335 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: so much that we need to play all this new 336 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:28,480 Speaker 1: music on stage. That would be you know, a challenge 337 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: and an interesting one, and but I think we just 338 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 1: balance it more minimally so that we don't appear to 339 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 1: be sort of like, you know, comparing the music some 340 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: of it. You know, we need more time on to 341 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: to play new music on stage. So maybe there's a 342 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: reason why that should happen. But at the most point, 343 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:55,400 Speaker 1: we are enjoying the credibility of the music that I had. 344 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:57,119 Speaker 1: Part of that, you know, a lot a lot of 345 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: it was John Andson and all the other guys in 346 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:03,480 Speaker 1: the What Patrin Mariz did from you know, for Elea 347 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:07,159 Speaker 1: was sensational. So the progginess has just kind of like 348 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: evolved and become accepted, you know, and hopefully we can influence. 349 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,959 Speaker 2: We'll be right back with more the Taken a Walk Podcast. 350 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:24,720 Speaker 2: Welcome back to the Taken a Walk Podcast. 351 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:30,440 Speaker 3: What's the first band after Yes in the progressive movement 352 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:32,200 Speaker 3: that you were really wowed by? 353 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 1: Well, I mean I used to listen to Soft Machine 354 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,239 Speaker 1: a lot, you know, in the early days, and now 355 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 1: of course you know, they've got John Etheridge as well, 356 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: so that kind of work is interesting. I saw that 357 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 1: we were part of a pool, you know, and it 358 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: wasn't really about pop records, you know, at all, you know, 359 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: it was about albums. But of course Genesis took that 360 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 1: lead like Yes did in the eighties, which I'm no 361 00:19:57,240 --> 00:19:59,639 Speaker 1: part of with the owner of a Lonely Heart saga. 362 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 1: So basically that kind of era of the band isn't 363 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: very proggy, you know, but it's it can be very useful, 364 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:12,879 Speaker 1: and in many ways Genesis showed that how very powerfully, 365 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 1: not only you know, but also it highlights that, you know, 366 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: people like Peter Gabriel, you know, their talents were missed 367 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 1: in Genesis, but he could develop his talent. But also 368 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: Genesis could turn without him, so that that's the story of, 369 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: you know, having a team of people that like working together. 370 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 3: One of the things when I first saw Yes back 371 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:44,640 Speaker 3: in the mid seventies that wowed me was the incredible 372 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:49,800 Speaker 3: sound at the concert, just the amazing sonic nature of it. 373 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:54,240 Speaker 3: Tell me how that ultimately became such an important part 374 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 3: of Yes. That that amazing sound in the concerts. 375 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:02,440 Speaker 1: Well, if you're talking, I mean really partly that's Claire 376 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 1: brother sound, you know, Claire Claire. It's called now but 377 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 1: clear Brother sound audio. Claire audio was We heard that 378 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 1: on the Jethra toll to and we said, when we 379 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,560 Speaker 1: come back, we want Claire, you know, because we heard 380 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:18,360 Speaker 1: the sound. But a similar thing happened like a few 381 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 1: years earlier than that, because that was like nineteen seventy one, 382 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: seventy two. But of course in nineteen seventy we bought 383 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,879 Speaker 1: Iron Butterflies PA because we wanted a sound like we 384 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 1: did on their tour. You know, they wanted to sell, 385 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: we wanted to buy. So we bought the w bin's 386 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,200 Speaker 1: mid range horns and high high horns, and we bought 387 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: this system and we started to really care about how 388 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:41,439 Speaker 1: we sounded because we didn't really like the sound of 389 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:44,879 Speaker 1: the pas that were available in England generally, so we 390 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:46,919 Speaker 1: had our own PA. Then we went to America and 391 00:21:46,920 --> 00:21:49,640 Speaker 1: we said, Claire Brothers is it and we we swore 392 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 1: blind that we never played without Claire. Sometimes we've had 393 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 1: to certain things have changed, but whenever we can, we 394 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:00,920 Speaker 1: still want to play with that sound because their top notch, 395 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: you know, at the top of the game. But the 396 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: way it was in the beginning of the seventies was 397 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 1: that Eddie started mixed. Eddie has started mixing the show 398 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: and that was wonderful, you know, that was very exciting. 399 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: He got a bit carried away unfortunately lost the plot, 400 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 1: so we had to find somebody great, like Dave Latel. 401 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 1: So for a lot of the time, Dave Latel was 402 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,160 Speaker 1: our front of house and he does the rolling stones. 403 00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 1: And basically we had a great team of people who 404 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 1: were going like we were. Our career was going forwards 405 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: and so was there and they were part of our polish, 406 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 1: you know, like Roger Dean. You know, the fact that 407 00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 1: we started using his designs with his brother Martin Dean 408 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:44,640 Speaker 1: for our staging was a big development. We started mitails 409 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 1: from Gravication Tour. So basically we were messing with all 410 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: that quality stuff that we could have made, but a 411 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: lot of it was to make our show better. You know. 412 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: He started with a mirror ball. Micky Tate thought of 413 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:01,359 Speaker 1: that and he, yeah, I went on to become our 414 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,159 Speaker 1: light designers. So we had great lights. We had a 415 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: team of people who really cared about making a mark themselves, 416 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,679 Speaker 1: not just os working for Yes, you know, just like 417 00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: being a slave. No. No, They came with creativity and 418 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 1: there was always things developing and that was what was exciting, 419 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 1: and we tried to keep that going today, you know, 420 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:26,240 Speaker 1: and we've recently just changed from doing video and lots 421 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 1: of moving things. We got fed up with that. So 422 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 1: now we just got like really quite intense lighting. Now 423 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:35,120 Speaker 1: that's more theatrical and we have a set, but it's 424 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 1: very kind of simple. It's a few screens, but they're 425 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 1: not used, you know, to show somebody tapping their foot on. 426 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,400 Speaker 1: It's just the best thing about it is that we 427 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:49,439 Speaker 1: want to focus on the band, the players, the music. 428 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:51,399 Speaker 2: You know. 429 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 3: One of the great things about Yes is the beauty 430 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 3: of collaboration with you know, all the band members. What's 431 00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 3: the key to that great collaboration that's been so much 432 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:05,800 Speaker 3: part of yes through the career. 433 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: Well, it's joint willingness, you know. I mean it's like 434 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:14,200 Speaker 1: you can't go you know, we can't go in opposite directions. 435 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:16,400 Speaker 1: We've got to be willing to go the same way. 436 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:20,440 Speaker 1: And that to find that willingness is in the belief, 437 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:22,920 Speaker 1: you know, in the band, in the music, the love 438 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 1: of the band. But also it's about getting on with 439 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 1: the guys, you know, and finding a way of working 440 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: professionally with each other. That's the first thing. But the 441 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: second is to have the harmony, understanding that that there 442 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:38,400 Speaker 1: is closeness if it needs to be. You know, there 443 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: is a discussion between two people if it needs to be. 444 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: And basically you can work as much out as you 445 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:48,720 Speaker 1: can and make it a happy environment. That's what I 446 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: said when I put my name forward to produce the quest. 447 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: I said, it's got I don't want to do unless 448 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,520 Speaker 1: it's fun, you know, because there is a fun element 449 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,359 Speaker 1: that you need. That doesn't mean, you know, we've got 450 00:25:01,359 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: a comedian in the group. No, I don't want to 451 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: committing the group. But fun is enjoying your art, you know, 452 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:11,520 Speaker 1: enjoying your opportunity to make your art even better, you know, 453 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,640 Speaker 1: to have a pool of pin not just you, but 454 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,080 Speaker 1: to have a pool of people who they've got to 455 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,239 Speaker 1: get if they like it, it means a lot, you know. 456 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:23,680 Speaker 1: And so if you do something and they that acts nice, Yeah, 457 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:27,119 Speaker 1: then in a way all the music starts coming together, 458 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 1: flowing together, and there's no opposition, you know there. In 459 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 1: other words, there's no bad stuff left there stew you know, 460 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: there isn't any bad stuff. 461 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,960 Speaker 3: Can you take me back to the creation of the 462 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 3: Fragile album. How was that collaboration in terms of creating that, 463 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 3: How long did it take? Any specific memories of that 464 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 3: which ultimately produced a masterpiece in my opinion? 465 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,159 Speaker 1: Well, thanks, I mean there's only so many and now 466 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 1: are the same ones. I have to say whenever I'm 467 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 1: asked this question, because I do remember some things about Fragile, 468 00:26:05,119 --> 00:26:08,360 Speaker 1: it's not very broad. I remember that although the Yes 469 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 1: album was worked on as a very collaborative you know unit, 470 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 1: John and I had just managed to formulate the idea 471 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 1: aroundabout together during tours. In fact, we were in Scotland 472 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:24,639 Speaker 1: and I think we both remember somehow that it was 473 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 1: it was on one of my cassette tapes that John 474 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: and I were like jamming stuff and say, and he'd say, 475 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:32,480 Speaker 1: what if you got that's a bit like this, or 476 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:35,359 Speaker 1: if you got any chords you know, or you know, 477 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 1: just kind of throwing in around and suddenly we got roundabout, 478 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:42,359 Speaker 1: you know. And so when we started Fragile, John and 479 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 1: I started the thing we did quite often in the 480 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: seventies coast the edge tails awaken. We were able to 481 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 1: jointly put the foot the idea forward. So that song 482 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 1: was built like that, if you like, from the understanding 483 00:26:57,960 --> 00:26:59,600 Speaker 1: that John and I had a song, we'd do it, 484 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 1: and we'd range it and blah blah blah. We'd record 485 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: bits and we come back the next day at a 486 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:07,280 Speaker 1: rehearsal room for three or four weeks, three weeks. But 487 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: in that time, of course, Tony Kay had left the band. 488 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:14,520 Speaker 1: It was it was very sad. It was not really 489 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: that anybody ever fired him. He said to her, do 490 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 1: you want to do multi keyboards? He says, no, no, 491 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:20,719 Speaker 1: I don't want to do that at all. I want 492 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: to play piano or kind of thing. And that made 493 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: him appear to us and it may not have been 494 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 1: hund percent true that, you know, we were just going 495 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:32,639 Speaker 1: to stay there, you know, with those sounds and we 496 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 1: had this imaginary idea that other people were like doing stuff, 497 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 1: you know, with new synthesizer, you know, new kind of 498 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 1: keeper's coming and that was Rick. So we found Rick, 499 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,719 Speaker 1: and before we knew we were, he was popping in. 500 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: He wasn't at the writing so much of the album, 501 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 1: but he came in and did things with us as 502 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:54,080 Speaker 1: much as he could, you know, because he had some 503 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 1: sessions and you know, he was kind of a busy 504 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 1: guy and we'd snatched him and he was going to 505 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 1: work with us and you're going to make the album. 506 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 1: So but we had to write the stuff first of war, 507 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:07,000 Speaker 1: but he was there when we wrote Heart the Sunrise 508 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,040 Speaker 1: and things, and there was music flowing around. We didn't 509 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: have a lot of South Side of the Sky that 510 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:16,159 Speaker 1: was pretty much written in the studio. So and the 511 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:19,879 Speaker 1: idea of us having our own solo pieces was great. 512 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:23,919 Speaker 1: You know Bill's idea. I think after I had clap 513 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,000 Speaker 1: on this album, I suppose he thought, well, why don't 514 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:28,920 Speaker 1: we all have a solo and he was perfectly right. 515 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:33,680 Speaker 1: So Fragile was a unique album where we all had 516 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,200 Speaker 1: a solo piece. So that that was a nice distraction 517 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: because musically, you go off and do that yourself and 518 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 1: decide what it was yourself, and some people use the band. 519 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: Bill's idea was that we all used the band we always, 520 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: but of course Rick and I didn't, John didn't a lot, 521 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: but Chris did on the Fish. So basically the album 522 00:28:55,360 --> 00:29:00,240 Speaker 1: was unique in that sense. Roundabout is one of the 523 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 1: sounds I'm most impressed with that. Eddie helped us get 524 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: the tightness and somewhat simplicity of it, the rock factor 525 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 1: in there. Yes must never forget they're a rock band. 526 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 1: The worst thing we ever do and we do it 527 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 1: sometimes it is because actually a rock band, I mean 528 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: noodle around, you know, with some nerdy stuff sometimes and 529 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: spire what is and has been some great pieces of music. 530 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: I'm thinking partly what was on Keys two Cention studio recording. 531 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 1: They're very good, but they pull down here and there. 532 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: So basically there is a continuity needed. That that's the teamwork, 533 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 1: and that's production also, because like Time in the words 534 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,800 Speaker 1: is a great album if it had been really properly produced, 535 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:48,840 Speaker 1: you know, so it's great performances thrown together, you know, 536 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 1: in a big sound. You know that isn't as clear 537 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:56,040 Speaker 1: as the Yes album. You can hear the space in 538 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: the music, of course you do in actually tell a lie, 539 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 1: I mean in no opportunity necessary. There's marvelous yes arranging. 540 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 1: Why we're not playing that every night? Don't you know 541 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 1: what I mean? That stuff. I'm going to write it down. 542 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 1: We're going to have to play that somewhere. I love it. 543 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 3: I got a big smile on my face, Steve, with 544 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:21,480 Speaker 3: you taking me back on that. I absolutely love love 545 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:26,120 Speaker 3: that story. Oh my god, that's amazing. So let's talk 546 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 3: about the current the current lineup, and I think what's 547 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 3: fascinating about the current lineup is there's so many players 548 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 3: in the group who really are students of the group. 549 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 3: So talk about the lineup and how you love playing 550 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 3: with this band. 551 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 1: Well, of course, John's been a key to the going 552 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: forwards of this band since permart David left and he 553 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 1: joined about eleven twelve years ago. I think it's ten 554 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:55,960 Speaker 1: eleven twelve, I mean Time Flies, Tempest Future. But basically 555 00:30:56,040 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 1: John John was a very solid person come in the band, 556 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 1: and we share some views about how to play on stage, 557 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:08,960 Speaker 1: how to work. We kind of feel at ease with 558 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:13,160 Speaker 1: each other because we're both simple, so roughly state of 559 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:16,720 Speaker 1: mind where we're clear about what's going on. We're excited, 560 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 1: we're ready. We haven't compromised the date, we haven't composed 561 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,040 Speaker 1: the show by anything we've done in the day. So 562 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:26,840 Speaker 1: we were there. We're really there one hundred percent. So 563 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: but Jay of course had joining in part. At first 564 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:33,760 Speaker 1: he was doing some drumming, and then he was doing 565 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 1: a lot of the drumming as Alan White was starting 566 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:38,719 Speaker 1: to find the whole set was too much for him 567 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: to play, and we felt it was too much for 568 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: him to play and the intricacies and everything. We didn't 569 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: want to keep demanding that Alan plays for like two 570 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: and a half hours or something. So it was a 571 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 1: beautiful experience to have Alan do the last set in 572 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 1: the music, the encore stuff. Several years so when Jay 573 00:31:55,960 --> 00:32:00,120 Speaker 1: took over, when Alan Sadley passed away from time back, well, 574 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:04,600 Speaker 1: then Jay has brought with him that previous experience of 575 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 1: being you know, like the helper and the provider and 576 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 1: the solid assistant. But now he's got the whole flaw, 577 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 1: you know, so we're finding out what that means, you know, 578 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 1: and it should be marvelous. Of course, Jeff has had, 579 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: you know, like Billy a revisit experience coming back to Yes, 580 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:30,160 Speaker 1: after Fly from Here, and so he brings all that 581 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:34,200 Speaker 1: drama experience as well, and that era of course, Jean 582 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:39,200 Speaker 1: not forgetting we were in Asia together. So like Jeff 583 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: and I have a particularly trained, if you like, unusual 584 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:49,720 Speaker 1: multi connections with musical styles. And so Jeff's really good. 585 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 1: And Jeff's never said anything different than he is in 586 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:58,080 Speaker 1: Yes to play every keyboard part that Yes ever played, 587 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:03,280 Speaker 1: you know, if required. So Billy is an exceptional person too, 588 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:07,160 Speaker 1: because a multi instrumentalist, you know, talented writer, produce all 589 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:09,800 Speaker 1: those things. He has to do is home it down 590 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: into his admiration of Chris really, you know, and taking 591 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:16,560 Speaker 1: on the role of Chris with the base battles with 592 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: the vocals. Chris was not just a bass player by 593 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 1: any means. So it's a big demanding job and he's 594 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:30,280 Speaker 1: he's doing really well, and we are we are rarely 595 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 1: determined to keep the ship tightly you know, not controlled, 596 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 1: but tightly agreeably run, you know, between us. 597 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 3: So Yes is going to be going out on the 598 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:46,760 Speaker 3: summer tour playing with the Deep Purple. Tell me how 599 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:49,280 Speaker 3: excited you are for that experience? 600 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:52,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, you know, last year we did our 601 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 1: sort of that normal tour. Yeah, mainly if they had 602 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 1: a tour, and you know, we did about seven weekends. 603 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:01,560 Speaker 1: I think it was across seven weekends, so it's about 604 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: six and a half seven weeks. So we were wondering 605 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 1: as the year you know, started up, you know, we're 606 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 1: we're going to target another tour like that, and we 607 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: were virtually going to do that, and then this offer 608 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:16,240 Speaker 1: came along where it fitted in between going to Japan 609 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 1: you know, and leave and leaving the UK and Japan. 610 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: It's a big, big two month gap there. So yeah, 611 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,239 Speaker 1: so it's marvelous to think that finally we got to 612 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,240 Speaker 1: play with the Purple. It's been it's been talked about before, 613 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:31,000 Speaker 1: and we've always been very very excited about the idea. 614 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:33,080 Speaker 1: And there's a group you I mean what I mean 615 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:35,800 Speaker 1: he talked about the sixties. I mean they were going 616 00:34:35,920 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: before before. Yes, I'm absolutely sure, am I sure? Anyway, 617 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: there's a long, beautiful history and now, of course, sadly 618 00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:49,879 Speaker 1: Steve Mors isn't with them this tour, but they've got 619 00:34:49,920 --> 00:34:55,360 Speaker 1: a remarkable guitarist in Simon McBride. He's really a fine 620 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 1: player and I'm privileged to be, you know, working along 621 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:01,520 Speaker 1: with him. He's wonderful player. 622 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:05,600 Speaker 3: That's awesome. Well, in closing, as someone who was so 623 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:11,000 Speaker 3: dedicated to his craft, how do you stay curious and 624 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,840 Speaker 3: how do you stay always with a thirst for learning 625 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 3: something new? 626 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:21,760 Speaker 1: Well, I stay alive. Yeah, it is just that simple. 627 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:25,280 Speaker 1: I mean what I do is what I do. You know, 628 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,239 Speaker 1: I haven't got a side job, like you know, I 629 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:32,640 Speaker 1: fix motorbikes or something. You know, benmar David did have 630 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:36,759 Speaker 1: a really profitable hobby or partly profitable, you know, you 631 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 1: like fixing boats, you know. So I mean people do 632 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 1: have some other things they want to get on with, 633 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,440 Speaker 1: but no, I haven't got you know, all the things 634 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:49,040 Speaker 1: that see the guitar collection. Having the guitars I want 635 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:51,200 Speaker 1: is very very important for me. And I just bought 636 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:54,120 Speaker 1: a new pedal steel guitar because my old ones were 637 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:55,839 Speaker 1: too tired. I had to get rid of them. They 638 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:58,080 Speaker 1: were they were out of my face, you know. But 639 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:01,839 Speaker 1: now my Williams pedal steel is just so. I get 640 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:07,759 Speaker 1: things like that, and it's remarkable how they as if 641 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:11,120 Speaker 1: I don't need it, they kind of stimulate my interest 642 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:14,560 Speaker 1: in using particularly different kinds of sound. I bought a 643 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:18,120 Speaker 1: guitar last year called Gibson Tennessee, and which was designed 644 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:21,280 Speaker 1: by Chad Atkins with Gibson. And I saw Chat playing 645 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 1: this on stage in some videos, you know, in his 646 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:27,880 Speaker 1: later years, and he always sounded great. I thought, guitar 647 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: sounds great. Of course it's action, it's black, so I 648 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:34,240 Speaker 1: get one and I go, yeah, but these good stars 649 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:37,600 Speaker 1: are great. This is a great guitar, so of course 650 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:40,480 Speaker 1: you can. You can excel. So I think that, you know, 651 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 1: it's a bit like you know, it's just refreshing to 652 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:46,359 Speaker 1: be able to do that, and thank god I can 653 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:51,680 Speaker 1: do that. And you know, basically music still excites me, 654 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 1: you know, from bark to well, I don't know, I'm 655 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:59,880 Speaker 1: trying to think of another Bee, but Barkers aren't anyway. 656 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 1: Bulk is a big is a big player. But of course, 657 00:37:03,239 --> 00:37:06,400 Speaker 1: you walk music is primarily, you know, what got me 658 00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:08,200 Speaker 1: off the sofa. 659 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:13,160 Speaker 3: It is so joyous to talk to you again. Your 660 00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:16,480 Speaker 3: music means so much to so many fans, including me, 661 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:21,120 Speaker 3: And you're one of the gentlemen in the business and 662 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:23,800 Speaker 3: one of the nice people and the most talented people. 663 00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 3: And I'm so grateful Steve how that we got to 664 00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:30,360 Speaker 3: talk again on the Taking a Walk podcast. Thank you. 665 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 1: That's very nice buzz. Thanks so much for saying that 666 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:34,160 Speaker 1: that means a lot to eat too. 667 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:37,600 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a 668 00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:41,520 Speaker 2: Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends 669 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:45,120 Speaker 2: and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking 670 00:37:45,120 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 2: a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 671 00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:51,520 Speaker 2: and wherever you get your podcasts.