Biographies

Yes is a British progressive rock band which formed in London, United Kingdom in 1968. They are best known for 1970's "I've Seen All Good People", the 1972 9-minute US Top 20 smash "Roundabout" and their 1983 #1 hit "Owner Of A Lonely Heart". Despite many lineup changes, occasional splits and the influence of the many changes in popular music, the band has endured for 40 years and still retains a strong international following. Their music is marked by sharp dynamic contrasts, lush harmonies, often extended song lengths and a general showcasing of members' instrumental prowess.

Arguably one of the most musically ambitious bands of their genre, Yes manages to use symphonic and other so-called "classical" structures with their own blend of musical styles - including some innovations - in a happy constructive "marriage" of music. The original line-up consisted of Jon Anderson (vocals), Chris Squire (bass, vocals), Peter Banks (guitar, vocals), Tony Kaye (keyboards), and Bill Bruford (drums). Personnel changes brought musicians Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman into the group in 1970 and 1971 respectively. Steve Howe appears on the cover of Time and a Word, even though soon-to-be-ousted Pete Banks is the guitarist on the album. Alan White then replaced Bill Bruford in 1972.

These changes had arguably the biggest influence on their music and subsequent success. The early 1970's saw Yes as one of the few influential mainstream progressive acts. For some fans, the double-album, four-track 1973 recording Tales from Topographic Oceans - symphonic and oddly mystical, marked a point of departure. It generally received a critical mauling in the press yet went straight to No. 1 in the UK album charts.

Those listeners taken by the Tales album would be enthralled by 1974's Relayer - the only album that Patrick Moraz played keyboards on - which mixed progressive rock and a jazz fusion style that at times was very free in tunes such as "The Gates of Delirium". Far from their pop beginnings, this album marked a milestone for the band and for progressive rock as a whole. During the rise of the progressive genre, Yes pioneered the use of synthesizers and sound effects, gaining large popularity with their unique brand of mysticism and grand-scale compositions. Fragile (1971) and Close to the Edge (1972) are considered their best works - symphonic, complex, cerebral, spiritual and moving. These albums featured beautiful harmonies and strong, occasionally heavy playing.

Also, Fragile contained the popular hit song "Roundabout". With the advent of punk in 1977, many considered progressive rock dead in the water. Yes, however, proved them wrong by releasing one of their most successful albums - Going for the One, which contained "Awaken", a rhythmic tour-de-force. In 1979, Anderson and Wakeman left the band after unsuccessful recording sessions in Paris. Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes (from the new-wave band The Buggles of "Video Killed The Radio Star" fame) were recruited to replace them, and the band recorded Drama, their first album without Anderson on vocals.

The resulting sound was much heavier than previous albums, particularly the opening track Machine Messiah, and a strong synth-pop influence due to the involvement of Downes and Horn, which drew some criticism and the dismissive label "Yuggles". While the new Yes was well-received in America, the band encountered more hostile audiences in England. The group split up in 1981. The band reformed in 1983 with a new lineup featuring Squire, White, South African guitarist Trevor Rabin, and the return of Jon Anderson on vocals and Tony Kaye on keyboards. This line-up, which was eventually nicknamed "Yes West", recorded 90125 and Big Generator and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity.

During these years, Yes championed digital sampling technologies and sold millions of records, influencing a generation of digital musicians with hits such as "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "Rhythm of Love". By the end of the 1980s, Jon Anderson formed a side project with former Yes members Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford, releasing Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe in 1989. This led to a merger in 1990 and the album Union and the following tour with all 8 members. However, while the tour and album were commercial successes, many of the band members were dissatisfied with the album. Union was comprised of a demo recorded by the "Yes West" lineup attached to what was originally recorded as the second Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe album, and was finished using session musicians.

Bruford has disowned the album entirely, and Wakeman was reportedly unable to recognise any of his keyboard work in the final edit. The "Yes West" lineup went on to release Talk in 1994, but sales were poor, and in 1995 Rabin and Kaye left the band. Howe and Wakeman re-joined to produce the albums Keys To Ascension in 1996 and Keys To Ascension 2 in 1997, which featured both live performances and new studio tracks, returning to their progressive style of the 1970s. Wakeman left the band shortly thereafter due to disagreements about the albums and tour. The band collaborated with Billy Sherwood to produce the album Open Your Eyes in 1998, and Sherwood became an official member at the end of the sessions due to his significant contributions.

Igor Khoroshev also performed on a few tracks and performed on the following tour, eventually becoming a full member as well. Moving through the 1990s and into the new millennium, the band has moved back towards progressive influenced music and today keeps pushing the boundaries by using the latest hard-disk recording techniques. In 1999 they worked with Relic Entertainment, providing the song "Homeworld (The Ladder)" for the PC game Homeworld. Although Sierra Entertainment later released a CD with the soundtrack they, for no apparent reason, chose not to include this song on the CD. It can however be found on the 1999 album The Ladder.

After the departure of Sherwood in 2000 and Khoroshev in 2001, Yes recorded Magnification in 2001 without a keyboardist, instead featuring a full orchestra. Rick Wakeman re-joined the band the next year, and in 2003 the band recorded five tracks that were added as a 3rd CD in the compilation Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversay Collection, including acoustic versions of "Roundabout" and "South Side of the Sky". In 2008, when the band was about to begin their 40th anniversary tour, Jon Anderson suffered from a throat infection and was unable to participate. Benoit David, from Yes tribute band Close To The Edge, was recruited to fill in on vocals for the tour. In 2009, he was named as Anderson's permanent replacement.

Rick Wakeman's son Oliver Wakeman also joined the band on keyboards. The band recorded Fly From Here in 2011, their first new album in 10 years, with David on vocals and Trevor Horn as producer. Before the album was completed, Wakeman was replaced by Geoff Downes, bringing together the Drama lineup and a similar sound. The title track was originally conceived in 1981, and it was refined and extended into 20-minute six-part epic..

Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets. No fewer than 17 musicians have been a part of the band's line-up, with its current form comprising singer Jon Davison, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, and keyboardist Geoff Downes. Yes have sold close to 50 million albums worldwide, including 13.5 million certified units in the United States.
Formed in 1968 by Squire and singer Jon Anderson, the first line-up also included guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye and drummer Bill Bruford, who released two albums together to lukewarm reception and sales. Yes began to enjoy success after the release of The Yes Album (1971) and Fragile (1971), which featured new arrivals Howe and Rick Wakeman. They achieved further success with Close to the Edge (1972) and Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973), the latter of which featured White on drums. Wakeman was replaced by Patrick Moraz, who played on Relayer (1974). Wakeman returned on Going for the One (1977) and Tormato (1978). Anderson and Wakeman left the group due to musical differences amongst the band in 1980. Their replacements, Trevor Horn and Downes, featured on Drama (1980) and its supporting tour.
Yes reformed in 1982 after Squire and White were joined by the returning Anderson and Kaye, with the addition of guitarist Trevor Rabin. They adopted a pop rock sound and released the number one single "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and 90125 (1983), their best-selling album to date, followed by Big Generator (1987). Anderson left and co-formed the side project Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe with the named members in 1989. Following a legal battle amongst both Yes groups, they formed an eight-man band to perform on Union (1991) and its supporting tour. Rabin and Kaye featured on Talk (1994) before leaving, while Wakeman and Howe returned with Keys to Ascension (1996) and Keys to Ascension 2 (1997). Wakeman was replaced by Igor Khoroshev, who featured on Open Your Eyes (1997) and The Ladder (1999) along with guitarist Billy Sherwood. The release of Magnification (2001) marked the second album since 1970 to feature an orchestra.
In 2002, Wakeman returned for the band's 35th anniversary tour. The band ceased to tour in 2004, partly due to health concerns regarding Anderson and Wakeman. Following a hiatus, Yes re-started in 2008 with keyboardist Oliver Wakeman and singer Benoît David. After of the release of Fly from Here (2011) the band recruited Davison in 2012 due to David contracting an illness. Yes continue to perform to this day, more than 40 years since their formation.
History
Formation and first three albums (1968-1971):

Yes was formed in 1968 by vocalist Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire. Anderson was a member of The Warriors with his brother Tony, and had performed on singles under the pseudonym Hans Christian. Squire was part of The Syn, and spent time to develop his bass-playing technique following the band's split in 1967. He formed Mabel Greer's Toyshop in January 1968 that consisted of singer and guitarist Clive Bailey, drummer Bob Hagger and former Syn guitarist Peter Banks. They played at The Marquee club in Soho where Jack Barrie, owner of the nearby La Chasse drinking club, saw them perform. "There was nothing outstanding about them...the musicianship was very good but it was obvious they weren't going anywhere". Barrie introduced Squire to Anderson at La Chasse, where they found common interest in bands such as Simon & Garfunkel and harmony singing. That evening at Squire's house they wrote "Sweetness", which appears on the first Yes album. Banks left Mabel Greer's Toyshop to join Neat Change, but Squire invited him back into a reformed group after the departure of Bailey and the addition of Anderson on lead vocals. Hagger was replaced by Bill Bruford, a jazz aficionado who placed an advertisement in Melody Maker. Bruford first met the band on 7 June 1968 and performed that day at the Rachel McMillan College in Deptford. Classically-trained organist and pianist Tony Kaye, who had been in Johnny Taylor's Star Combo and The Federals, was the fifth and final member to join.
With the line-up complete, Mabel Greer's Toyshop was renamed Yes at the suggestion of Banks. They rehearsed in the basement of The Lucky Horseshoe cafe on Shaftesbury Avenue between 10 June and 9 July 1968. Their first live show under the Yes name followed on 4 August at East Mersea Youth Camp in Essex. Early sets were formed of cover versions of songs by artists such as The Beatles, The 5th Dimension and Traffic. "What covers they were, given the full Yes treatment! We didn't just rearrange a song - we celebrated it with much enthusiasm", said Banks. On 16 September 1968, Yes performed at London's Blaise's club as a substitute for Sly & the Family Stone, who failed to turn up. They were well-received by the audience, including host Roy Flynn, who became the band's manager that night. Spots at The Marquee soon turned into a residency, but Bruford decided to leave in September to study at Leeds University. He was replaced by Tony O'Riley of The Koobas, who struggled to perform with the group on-stage. Anderson and Squire pleaded for Bruford to return, who after being refused a year of sabbatical leave, rejoined for Yes' supporting slot for Cream's farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 November 1968.

In early 1969, Yes signed a deal with Atlantic Records. Their self-titled debut album was released in August, and included renditions of "Every Little Thing" by The Beatles and "I See You" by The Byrds, as well as original material. Lester Bangs gave a positive review in Rolling Stone, and complimented the album's "sense of style, taste, and subtlety".Melody Maker columnist Tony Wilson chose Yes and Led Zeppelin as the two bands "Most Likely to Succeed". After a tour of Scandinavia with The Small Faces in February 1970, Yes performed their first major solo concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on 21 March. The second half consisted of excerpts from their upcoming second album, Time and a Word, accompanied with a 20-piece youth orchestra. Released in July 1970,Time and a Word featured the orchestra with band-composed material and two cover songs - "Everydays" by Buffalo Springfield and "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" by Richie Havens. Peter Banks, who had been particularly dissatisfied with using the orchestra and the sacking of Roy Flynn earlier in the year, left the group before the album's release on 2 May 1970. Banks' replacement was Tomorrow guitarist Steve Howe, who was included on the cover of the American issue of Time and a Word, despite not having played on it. The album reached number 45 on the UK Albums Chart, and Howe played his first show with Yes on 15 July at London's Lyceum Theatre.
The Yes Album, the band's third, was released in January 1971. It was the first to solely feature original compositions, which the band wrote and rehearsed in a rented farmhouse in Devon. Howe quickly established himself as an integral part of the Yes sound, and played a wider variety of instruments including the Spanish vihuela. The Yes Album also united the group with their long-serving producer and engineer Eddie Offord. According to Offord, the recording sessions would last for 12 hours or more. Each track was assembled from small sections, typically 30 seconds to one minute in length, which he pieced together to form a complete track. Only after the final mix of each track would the band then learn to play the song right through for live performances.The Yes Album peaked at number 4 in the UK and number 40 on the US Billboard 200 charts. To promote it, Yes embarked on a 28-day tour of Europe with Iron Butterfly in January 1971. The band purchased Iron Butterfly's entire public address system which improved their on-stage performance and sound. Their first date in North America followed on 24 June 1971 at Edmonton Gardens in Edmonton, Alberta, supporting Jethro Tull. Tony Kaye performed his final show with Yes at the Crystal Palace Bowl that August. The decision was made after friction arose between Howe and himself on tour, and his reported reluctance to play the Mellotron and the Minimoog synthesiser.
Fragile, Close to the Edge and Topographic Oceans (1971-1973):

Yes found their new keyboardist in Rick Wakeman, a classically-trained player who left the folk rock group Strawbs earlier in the year. He was already a noted studio musician, with credits including T. Rex, David Bowie, Cat Stevens and Elton John. Squire commented that he could play "a grand piano for three bars, a Mellotron for two bars and a Moog for the next one absolutely spot on", which gave Yes the orchestral and choral textures that benefited their new material.
Released on 26 November 1971, the band's fourth album Fragile showcased their growing interest in the structures of classical music, with an excerpt of The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky being played at the start of their concerts since the album's 1971-1972 tour. Each member performed a solo track on the album, and it marked the start of their long collaboration with artist Roger Dean, who designed the group's logo, album art, and stage sets. Fragile peaked at number 7 in the UK and number 4 in the US after it was released there in January 1972, and was their first record to reach the top ten in North America. The opening track, "Roundabout", was released as a shortened single that peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. In February 1972, Yes recorded a cover version of "America" by Paul Simon. The single reached number 46 on the US singles chart. The track subsequently appeared on The New Age of Atlantic, a compilation album of several bands signed to Atlantic Records.
Released in September 1972, Close to the Edge, the band's fifth album, was their most ambitious work so far. At 19 minutes, the title track took up an entire side on the vinyl record and combined elements of classical music, psychedelic rock, pop and jazz. The album reached number 3 in the US and number 4 on the UK charts. "And You and I" was released as a single that peaked at number 42 in the US. The growing critical and commercial success of the band was not enough to retain Bruford, who left Yes in the summer of 1972, before the album's release, in order to join King Crimson. His replacement was former Plastic Ono Band drummer Alan White, a friend of Anderson and Offord who had once sat in with the band weeks before Bruford's departure. White learned the band's set list in three days before embarking on the 1972-1973 tour. By this point, Yes were beginning to enjoy worldwide commercial and critical success. Their early touring with White was featured on Yessongs, a triple live album released in May 1973 that documented shows from 1972. The album reached number 7 in the UK and number 12 in the US. A concert film of the same name premiered in 1975 that documented their shows at the Rainbow Theatre in December 1972, with added psychedelic visual images and effects.

"It is a fragmented masterpiece, assembled with loving care and long hours in the studio. Brilliant in patches, but often taking far too long to make its various points, and curiously lacking in warmth or personal expression..."Ritual" is a dance of celebration and brings the first enjoyable moments, where Alan's driving drums have something to grip on to and the lyrics of la la la speak volumes. But even this cannot last long and cohesion is lost once more to the gods of drab self indulgence."

--Melody Maker review of Tales from Topographic Oceans, 1973.

Tales from Topographic Oceans was the band's sixth studio album, released on 14 December 1973. It marked a change in their fortunes and polarised fans and critics alike. The double vinyl set was based on Anderson's interpretation of the Shastric scriptures from a footnote within Paramahansa Yogananda's book Autobiography of a Yogi. The album became the first LP in the UK to ship gold before the record arrived at retailers. It went on to top the UK charts for two weeks while reaching number 6 in the US, and became the band's fourth consecutive gold album. Wakeman was not pleased with the record and is critical of much of its material. He felt sections were "bled to death" and contained too much musical padding. Wakeman left the band after the 1973-1974 tour, where his solo album Journey to the Centre of the Earth topped the UK charts in May 1974.
Patrick Moraz and Relayer (1974-1976):
Several musicians auditioned to take over for Wakeman, including former Atlantis and Cat Stevens keyboardist Jean Roussel, Eddie Jobson, and Greek musician Vangelis Papathanassiou, previously of Aphrodite's Child and later known as Vangelis who would work with Anderson as Jon and Vangelis in the 1980s. Wakeman's replacement was Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz, a distinctive electric-jazz musician who had previously been part of the trio Refugee, alongside two former members of The Nice. Moraz arrived during the recording sessions for Relayer, the band's seventh studio album. He fit in well with the jazz-fusion-influenced direction the band were pursuing with the record. Released in November 1974, Relayer continued certain traditions in featuring a side-long track, a cosmic battle initially inspired by Tolstoy's War and Peace titled "The Gates of Delirium". Its closing section, "Soon", was subsequently released as a single. The album reached number 4 in the UK and number 5 in the US. From 1974 to 1975, Yes embarked on a world tour to support Relayer followed by a North American tour in 1976, after each member released a solo album. Though none were well-received commercially (the combined sales of all five solo albums was still far less than the sales of any Yes album of the era), Squire's Fish Out of Water was praised among music critics. A compilation album named Yesterdays was released in 1975 that contained tracks from the band's first two albums as well as their version of "America".
Going for the One, Tormato, and band disagreements (1977-1979):

Recording sessions for Going for the One, the band's eighth studio album, began in late 1976. Wakeman rejoined Yes after a period of negotiation on a "session musician" basis. He liked the group's new material which he considered to be more energetic and interesting than Tales from Topographic Oceans. Moraz was dismissed, though he appears on the list of thanks on the album's sleeve. Released in July 1977, Going for the One topped the UK charts for two weeks and reached number 8 in the US. "Wonderous Stories" was released as a single in the UK and reached number 7 in the UK single charts in September.Going for the One was also the first not to feature Dean's artwork since The Yes Album. The design firm Hipgnosis handled the cover design on this release. The album topped the UK charts during a period of 21 weeks and peaked at number 8 on the Billboard 200 for the same period. A successful supporting world tour took place between 30 July and 6 December 1977.
On 20 September 1978, Tormato was released at the height of the punk rock era in England, during which the music press often criticised Yes as representing the most bloated excesses of early-1970s progressive rock. The album saw the band continuing their movement towards shorter songs, played with a tighter rock feel that at points approached New Wave styling. At this point, there was evidence that Yes were beginning to change aspects of their sound. Wakeman replaced his Mellotrons with the Birotron, a tape-driven keyboard, and Squire experimented with harmonisers and Mu-tron pedals. The band have since said that they were not sure about some of the material on the album. This lack of focus extended to the production style, which was handled collectively by the band and saw disagreements at the mixing stage. The album artwork would see large changes as well, as Hipgnosis took a turn once again with their combination of manipulated photography and graphical elements in lieu of Dean's traditional approach. The album reached number 8 in the UK and number 10 in the US charts. Despite internal and external criticisms of the album, the band embarked on a successful 1978-1979 tour to support the album.
In October 1979, the band convened in Paris with producer Roy Thomas Baker. Their diverse approach was now succumbing to division, as Anderson and Wakeman favoured the more fantastical and delicate approach while the rest preferred a heavier rock sound. In 1980 Howe, Squire and White liked none of the music Anderson was offering at the time as it was too lightweight and lacking in the heaviness that they were generating in their own writing sessions. The Paris sessions abruptly ended in December after White broke his foot. When the band reconvened to consider their next move, their growing musical differences, combined with internal dissension, obstructed progress. By May that year, relations had deteriorated and Anderson departed from Yes. Wakeman immediately followed suit, thinking that the band could not continue without their primary voice.
Drama and band split (1980-1981):

In 1980, pop duo The Buggles that was formed of keyboardist Geoffrey Downes and singer Trevor Horn acquired Brian Lane as a manager. The pair had a worldwide hit with the single "Video Killed the Radio Star", and were working in the same office as Yes. The duo already had a song called "We Can Fly From Here," which had been written with Yes in mind. To their surprise, they were invited to join Yes as full-time members. They accepted the invitation and appeared on the Drama album in 1980. The record displayed a heavier, harder sound than the material Yes recorded with Anderson in 1979, opening with the lengthy hard rocker "Machine Messiah". The album peaked at number 2 in the UK and number 18 in the US. Their 1980 tour of North America and the UK received a mixed reaction from audiences. They were well-received in the United States, and were awarded with a commemorative certificate after they performed a record 16 sold out concerts at Madison Square Garden since 1974.
After the Drama tour, Yes reconvened in England to decide the band's next step. They dismissed Lane as a manager, and Horn chose to pursue a career in music production. White and Squire were next to depart, leaving Downes and Howe as the sole members. They opted not to continue with the group, and went their separate ways in December 1980. A live compilation album of performances from 1976 to 1978 was released as Yesshows that peaked at number 22 in the UK, and number 43 in the US.
An announcement came from the group's management in March 1981 confirming that Yes no longer existed. Downes and Howe reunited to form Asia with former King Crimson bassist and vocalist John Wetton, and drummer Carl Palmer from Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. Squire and White continued to work together, initially recording sessions with Jimmy Page for a proposed band called XYZ (short for "ex-Yes-and-Zeppelin"). Page's former bandmate Robert Plant was also to be involved as the vocalist but he lost enthusiasm, citing his ongoing grieving for recently deceased Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. The group produced a few demo tracks, elements of which would appear in Page's band The Firm and on future Yes tracks "Mind Drive" and "Can You Imagine?". In 1981, Squire and White released "Run With the Fox", a Christmas single with Squire on vocals and with lyrics by Peter Sinfield, which received radio airplay through the 1980s and early 1990s during the Christmas periods. A second Yes compilation album, Classic Yes was released in November 1981.
90125 and Big Generator (1982-1988):

In 1982, Squire and White reunited for a new band called Cinema, with their first choice as collaborator being South African rock guitarist and singer Trevor Rabin. Since leaving his group Rabbitt, Rabin had released three solo albums, developed a parallel career as a record producer, and had even briefly been considered a member of Asia. Cinema was not intended to be a continuation of Yes, though Squire also recruited Tony Kaye, whose approach to keyboards suited the new group. Demos were recorded, and Cinema subsequently entered the studio to record an album. Rabin and Squire shared lead vocals at first, and Trevor Horn became involved with the project as a potential singer, but eventually produced the recording sessions. Horn and Kaye clashed which led to the latter's departure after around six months of rehearsing. The situation was complicated as Rabin played most of the keyboards during the sessions.
As Cinema sought a suitable lead singer, Anderson had released two solo albums and achieved success with the Jon and Vangelis project. Following their encounter at a Los Angeles party, Squire played Anderson the Cinema demo tracks and invited Anderson to be the lead vocalist. Anderson then added his vocals and re-wrote certain lyrics. As the album's primary producer, Trevor Horn had polished the songs with modern studio effects and digital sampling using the Fairlight CMI. He also played a prominent role in vocal arrangement, even contributing his own vocals. The new album marked a radical change in style as Yes adopted a pop rock sound that showed little of their progressive roots. Rabin initially objected the change of names to Yes, as he now found that he had inadvertently joined a reunited band with a history and expectations, rather than help launch a new group. This incarnation is sometimes informally referred to as "Yes-West", reflecting the band's new base in Los Angeles rather than London.
Named after its catalogue serial number on Atco Records, Yes released 90125 in November 1983. It became their biggest-selling album that sold over 6 million copies and introduced the band to younger fans. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" topped the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for four weeks, and went on to reach the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the first and only single from Yes to do so, for two weeks in January 1984. Its music video reveals a brief Yes personnel shuffle, as during the song's promotional period Kaye, who had had continual conflicts with Horn, left the band before 90125 was released. His replacement Eddie Jobson appeared briefly in the original video before he was edited out as much as possible, as Kaye returned full-time. In 1984, the singles "Leave It" and "It Can Happen" reached number 24 and 57 respectively. Yes also earned their first and only Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1985 for the two-minute track "Cinema". They were also nominated for an award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals with "Owner of a Lonely Heart", and a Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal award with 90125. The band's 1984-1985 tour was the most lucrative in their history that spawned 9012Live, a concert film directed by Steven Soderbergh with added special effects from Charlex that cost $1 million. Yes' mini-LP released in 1985, 9012Live: The Solos, earned Yes a nomination for a second Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Squire's solo track, a rendition of "Amazing Grace".
Yes began recording for their twelfth album, Big Generator, in 1986. The sessions underwent many starts and stops due to the use of multiple recording locations in Italy, London and Los Angeles as well as interpersonal problems between Rabin and Horn, which kept the album from timely completion. Eventually Rabin took over final production, and the album was released in September 1987 which reached number 17 in the UK and number 15 in the US.Big Generator earned Yes a nomination for a second Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1988. The single "Love Will Find a Way" topped the Mainstream Rock chart, while "Rhythm of Love" reached number 2 and "Shoot High, Aim Low" number 11. The 1987-1988 tour ended with an appearance at Madison Square Garden as part of Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary.
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe and Union (1989-1992):

By the end of 1988, Anderson felt creatively sidelined by Rabin and Squire and had grown tired of the musical direction of the "Yes West" line-up. He took leave of the band, asserting that he would never stay in Yes purely for the money, and started work in Montserrat on a solo project that eventually involved Wakeman, Howe, and Bruford. This collaboration led to suggestions that there would be some kind of reformation of the "classic" Yes, although from the start the project had included bass player Tony Levin, whom Bruford had worked with in King Crimson. The project was contractually unable to take over or otherwise use the Yes name as Anderson, Squire, White, Kaye, and Rabin held the rights which dated back to the 90125 contract. The group became known as Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, which suited Bruford since he wanted to distance himself from the "Yes" name.
Their eponymous album released in 1989 featured "Brother of Mine" which became a MTV hit and went gold in the United States. It later emerged that the four band members had not all recorded together; Anderson and producer Chris Kimsey slotted their parts into place. Howe has stated publicly that he was unhappy with the mix of his guitars on the album, though a version of "Fist of Fire" with more of Howe's guitars left intact appeared on the In a Word box set in 2002. ABWH toured in 1989 and 1990 as "An Evening of Yes Music" which featured Levin, keyboardist Julian Colbeck, and guitarist Milton McDonald as support musicians. A live album was recorded and released in 1993 titled An Evening of Yes Music Plus that featured Jeff Berlin on bass due to Levin suffering from illness. The tour was also dogged by legal battles sparked by Atlantic Records due to the band's references to Yes in promotional materials and the tour title.
Arista Records refused to release a second ABWH album as it felt the initial mixes were weak. They encouraged the group to seek outside songwriters, preferably ones who could help them deliver hit singles. Anderson approached Rabin about the situation, and Rabin sent Anderson a demo tape with four songs, indicating that ABWH could have one but had to send the others back. Arista listened to all four and wanted all of them, but Rabin would not agree on the request. The "Yes-West" group were working on a follow-up to Big Generator and had been shopping around for a new singer. Ex-Supertramp vocalist Roger Hodgson had already rejected the post, though he enjoyed working and writing with the group, he thought it unwise to attempt to pass off the resulting music as "Yes." The band had also been working with Kansas singer Steve Walsh and with Billy Sherwood of World Trade, although the former only spent one day working with Yes, the latter worked well enough with the band to continue with writing sessions. Arista suggested that the "Yes-West" group, with Anderson on vocals, record the four songs to add to the new album which would then be released under the Yes name.
Union was released in April 1991 and is the thirteenth studio album from Yes. Each group did their own songs, with Anderson singing on all tracks. Squire sang background vocals on a few of the ABWH tracks, with Tony Levin doing all the bass on those songs. The album does not feature all eight members playing at once. The track "Masquerade" earned Yes a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1992.Union sold approximately 1.5 million copies worldwide, and peaked at number 7 in the UK and number 15 in the US charts. Three singles from the album were released. "Lift Me Up" topped the Mainstream Rock charts in May 1991 for six weeks, while "Saving My Heart" peaked at number 9 and "Make It Easy" at 36.
Almost the entire band have openly stated their disliking for Union. Bruford has disowned the album entirely, and Wakeman was reportedly unable to recognise any of his keyboard work in the final edit and threw his copy of the album out of his limousine. He has since referred to the album as "Onion" because it makes him cry when he thinks about it. Elias later stated publicly in an interview that Anderson, as the associate producer, knew of the session musicians' involvement. He added that he and Anderson had even initiated their contributions, because of the hostility between some of the band members at the time, resulting in none of the work was getting done. The 1991-1992 Union tour united all eight members on a spinning circular stage. Following its conclusion, Bruford chose not to remain involved with Yes and returned to his jazz project Earthworks.
Talk and Keys to Ascension (1993-1997):
In 1993, the album Symphonic Music of Yes was released and features orchestrated Yes tracks arranged by David Palmer. Howe, Bruford and Anderson perform on the record who are joined by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the London Community Gospel Choir. The following Yes studio album, as with Union, was masterminded by a record company than the band itself. Victory Music approached Rabin with a proposal to produce an album solely with the 90125 line-up. Rabin initially countered by requesting that Wakeman also be included. Rabin began assembling the album at his home, using the then-pioneering concept of a digital home studio, and used material written by himself and Anderson. The new album was well into production in 1993, but Wakeman's involvement had finally been cancelled, as his refusal to leave his long-serving management created insuperable legal problems.
Talk was released in March 1994 and is the band's fourteenth studio release. Its cover was designed by pop artist Peter Max. The record was digitally recorded in its entirety by Rabin on 10 GB of hard disk storage on four Apple Macintosh computers running Digital Performer. It blended elements of radio-friendly rock with a more structurally ambitious approach taken from the band's progressive blueprint, with the fifteen-minute track "Endless Dream". The album reached number 20 in the UK and number 33 in the US. The track "The Calling" reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and "Walls", which Rabin had written with Roger Hodgson, peaked at number 24. Yes performed "Walls" on Late Show with David Letterman just days into their 1994 tour that featured Billy Sherwood on additional guitar and keyboards. Using portable FM radios tuned to a specific frequency, audiences could hear the concert with greater dynamic range and stereo effects. Kaye and Rabin opted to leave Yes following the tour to pursue other projects. Rabin went on to become a successful film-score composer.
In November 1995, Wakeman and Howe returned to the line-up and performed on two new tracks, "Be the One" and "That, That Is". The band then reunited for three shows in March 1996 at the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California which were recorded and released, along with the new studio tracks, that October as Keys to Ascension on CMC International Records. The album peaked at number 48 in the UK and number 99 in the US. A same-titled live video of the shows was also released that year. Yes continued to record new tracks in the studio, drawing some material written around the time of the XYZ project. At one point the new songs were to be released as a studio album, but commercial considerations meant that the new tracks were eventually packaged with the remainder of the 1996 San Luis Obispo shows in November 1997 on Keys to Ascension 2. The record managed to reach number 62 in the UK, but failed to chart in the US. Wakeman left the group following the album's release. He was disgruntled at the way a potential studio album had been sacrificed in favour of the Keys to Ascension releases, as well as how a Yes tour was being arranged without his input or agreement. In 2001, the studio material from both albums was combined and released on the single CD Keystudio.
Open Your Eyes and The Ladder (1997-2000):

Squire turned to a project named Conspiracy with Sherwood that included contributions from White. The two reworked existing Conspiracy demos and recordings to turn them into Yes songs and added new material. Anderson and Howe were less involved with the writing and production at this stage and expressed dissatisfaction about the situation later. Sherwood's integral involvement with the writing, production and performance of the music led to his formally joining Yes as a full member at the end of the sessions, taking on the role of harmony singer, keyboardist and second guitarist.
Yes released their seventeenth studio album, Open Your Eyes, in November 1997 on the Beyond Music label, who ensured that the group had greater control in packaging and naming the album. It was not a chart success; the record peaked at number 151 on the Billboard 200 but failed to enter the charts in the UK. The single "Open Your Eyes" managed to reach number 33 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The band's 1997 and 1998 tour featured only a few pieces from the album, but mostly concentrated on earlier material. The tour also featured keyboards from Russian keyboard player Igor Khoroshev, who had played on some of the tracks on Open Your Eyes.
Khoroshev became a full-time member of Yes for their eighteenth studio album The Ladder, released in September 1999. This would be the last project that record producer Bruce Fairbairn would work on before his untimely death. Many fans were reminded of the band's 1970s sound largely because of Khoroshev's classically-oriented approach, though White also brought in world music influences with Latinesque arrangements, and with multi-instrumentalist Randy Raine-Reusch contributing to the album's textures. Sherwood's role continued to be limited to backup vocals and backup guitar. One of the album tracks, "Homeworld (The Ladder)", was written for Relic Entertainment's Homeworld, a real-time strategy computer game and was used as the credits and outro theme. The band stated that they wrote the song not because the game's developers asked them but because they liked several aspects of the game itself. The Ladder peaked at number 36 in the UK and number 99 in the US.
The performance at the House of Blues in Las Vegas on the 1999-2000 tour was filmed and recorded for the DVD and live album release, House of Yes: Live from House of Blues. This would be the band's last work with Sherwood, who left the band after at the tour's conclusion in early 2000. That year, Yes embarked on the three-month Masterworks tour of the United States. Khoroshev left the band at its conclusion.
Magnification and 35th anniversary tour (2001-2004):
In 2001, Yes released their nineteenth studio album Magnification. Recorded without a keyboardist, the album features a 60-piece orchestra conducted by Larry Groupé; the first time the band used an orchestra since Time and a Word in 1970. The record was not a chart success; it peaked at number 71 in the UK and number 186 in the US. Yes toured with a symphony orchestra in 2001 with classically-trained keyboardist Tom Brislin. Wakeman could not have joined due to commitments with his solo tours. The performance at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam was released on DVD in 2002 and on CD in 2009 as Symphonic Live.
Following Wakeman's announcement of his return in April 2002, Yes embarked on their 2002-2003 Full Circle tour that included their first return to Australia since 1973. A triple compilation album was released in July 2003 named The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection that reached number 10 in the UK charts, their highest-charting album since 1991, and number 131 in the US. On 26 January 2004, the film Yesspeak premiered in a number of select theatres, which was followed by a closed-circuit live acoustic performance of the group that was released as Yes Acoustic: Guaranteed No Hiss later on. A 35th anniversary tour followed in 2004, which was documented on their live DVD Songs from Tsongas. In latter legs of the tour, the band performed some songs in acoustic style, following the Yesspeak premiere.
Group hiatus and solo projects (2004-2008):
After completing the 35th anniversary tour in September 2004, Yes were inactive for four years. Squire told Classic Rock Magazine in 2011 that they had hoped to tour in 2005, 2006 or 2007 but were unable to because of Anderson's health issues. The rest of the group were interested in recording for a new album, but Anderson was unwilling after the disappointing sales of Magnification. They formed deals with Image Entertainment and other video firms to release past concert performances, music videos, and interviews on DVD. On 11 November 2004, a line-up comprising Rabin, Howe, Squire, White, and Downes performed "Cinema" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart" at the Prince's Trust concert at Wembley Arena, a tribute show to Trevor Horn.
During the hiatus, band members pursued a variety of solo projects. Anderson embarked on solo tours, while Squire joined a reformed version of The Syn with Steve Nardelli and Peter Banks. White had formed a new group called White that also consisted of Downes. Following their 2006 eponymous debut album, plans for a joint tour by White, The Syn, and Howe were cancelled. The original members of Asia, including Howe and Downes, announced their reunion for a 25th anniversary tour in 2006. That year Anderson and Wakeman toured together. In 2007, Sherwood, Kaye, White, and guitarist Jimmy Haun announced the formation of their group Circa. Their debut album, Circa 2007, was released on the Internet in 2007. Howe continued to tour with Asia.
In 2008, Yes were to begin a 40th anniversary tour titled Close to the Edge and Back. It was to feature Oliver Wakeman on keyboards, as his father Rick was advised by his doctors not to tour. Anderson claimed that the band rehearsed four new "lengthy, multi-movement compositions" for the tour which were "very, very different." He suggested, after the weak sales of Magnification, that recording a new studio album was not "logical any more," and no announcement was made as to a release of recordings of the new material. However, Anderson had been experiencing respiratory problems on his solo tours, "I was coughing so much that the only time I wasn't coughing was onstage." The proposed anniversary tour was cancelled when Anderson was admitted to the hospital in May 2008 following a severe asthma attack. He was diagnosed with acute respiratory failure, and doctors advised him not to work for at least six months in order to avoid suffering further health complications. The band put their tour plans on hold. Anderson said he "just needed a break, but the guys were upset about that."
In the Present, Fly from Here and touring (2008-present):

In November 2008, Yes embarked on their In the Present tour. This featured a new band lineup of Squire, Howe, White, Oliver Wakeman and Canadian singer Benoît David (the last of these a former member of both the progressive rock band Mystery and a Yes tribute band called Close to the Edge). On his website, the displaced Jon Anderson stated that he felt "disappointed" and "disrespected" by the band's decision to tour without him and by the lack of contact the other members had had with him since his illness. The announcement was subsequently removed, though Squire said that the tour had Anderson's "blessings." The tour was cut short in February 2009 as Squire required emergency leg surgery, plus a month of recuperation.
The new line-up of the band was not confirmed as formal for almost an entire year, until Squire stated in a radio interview in October 2009 that Oliver Wakeman and David were official members of Yes. Yes continued touring in 2010, with Asia as an opening act(Howe playing with both groups) and sometimes also sharing the bill with Peter Frampton. The band's performance on 9 July 2010 included a guest appearance by Trevor Rabin, his first performance with the group for the first time in almost six years. It was announced in August 2010 that new material had been written for a new studio album, which was to be their first in a decade. Howe dispelled rumours that Jon Anderson would be invited back to sing on the record, asserting that all studio recording should now be carried out by "the line-up that actually...does the work."
By October 2010, Yes had signed a worldwide recording deal with Frontiers Records and begun recording in Los Angeles that month, with Trevor Horn serving as producer. During the sessions, Oliver Wakeman was replaced (against his own wishes) as keyboard player by another returning member, Geoff Downes. The recording of the new album - Fly from Here - was completed by March 2011, and post-production a month later. The six-part title track was based on a song written for Yes in 1980 by Horn and Downes but which did not make it onto the Drama album. (A shorter live version of the main song can be heard on the Yes live compilation album The Word is Live and Horn and Downes also recorded a version of the song which was included on the 2010 reissue of Adventures in Modern Recording, the second Buggles album.)
Fly from Here was released in Japan and France on 22 June 2011; the rest of Europe and Australia on 1 July; and in the United States on 12 July. In support of its release, a month-long North American tour with Styx took place that July, and a two-month European tour concluded that December. The album peaked at number 30 in the UK chart and 36 on the US Billboard 200. Jon Anderson was openly critical of the record, describing it as "a bit dated" and its production not "as good as he expected", though he called Horn a "great producer." In late 2011, Frontiers Records released the live DVD and two-CD set, In the Present: Live From Lyon. A limited edition gatefold sleeve 3-LP vinyl release was issued in Europe.
In February 2012, after contracting a respiratory illness, Benoît David was officially replaced as lead singer by Glass Hammer vocalist Jon Davison who, like David, had initially been discovered while fronting a Yes cover band. Squire has stated that he is open to Jon Anderson's return to the band in the future, but that this will not even be considered before at least another year of promoting Fly from Here. Yes will return to New Zealand and Australia in April 2012 for a tour which will include a performance on 9 April 2012 at the 23rd Byron Bay Bluesfest. Yes announced other upcoming shows in Japan, Indonesia and Hawaii.