YES "Fly From Here" with re-recorded vocals in 2017?

I'm in for a vinyl issue. I missed out on the original. The limited edition box is now expensive. Benoit did a good job. He really did, but this could be even better. It will most likely be the closest to a Drama follow up Yes will get, a few steps closer now anyways.

 

From what I've read over at the Yesfans forum, it looks as if Trevor recorded his lead vocals last year, though I believe he also cut scratch takes for Benoît to sing over during the original sessions (presumably these were either wiped or not considered good enough for commercial release - at the very least, I hope they remain safely in a vault somewhere, which is likely when you consider the quantity, if not quality of the combined Yes and ZTT archives). Also, I'm interested to know what Trevor may have done with the songs he didn't write or produce on Fly From Here, especially as these came from a short period he wasn't involved with the sessions and might not represent his mixing preferences. As for the promised bonus track, I suspect this will probably end up being the previously unheard 1981-era demo for Madman At The Screens heavily rumoured to exist, since the full-length Hour Of Need included on the Japanese release back in 2011 was not something that Trevor felt worked in the context of the album, mainly due to Steve adding an opening instrumental portion that quoted a piece by Joaquín Rodrigo. On the other hand, it would be great if the "new" song is the Drama band version of Vermillion Sands that I've seen mentioned in the past - that's something I've always been fascinated to hear, though I fear it's lacking vocals and was abandoned quite early on, possibly because Trevor disagreed with the Yes core instrumental trio proposing changes that diluted its musical ambition, not to mention the lyrics were similarly out there. Despite this, he was clearly more open to having I Am A Camera reworked as Into The Lens, only to then reclaim the composition again under its original title for Buggles' Adventures In Modern Recording.

 

well, whatever happens I hope it's better than what Trevor is up to these days...playing bass in a Dire Straits tribute band!

Trevor Horn Joins The Band!!!!

 

pretty much the last touring version of Dire Straits, but without Mark Knopfler.
must be a well paid gig

 

Mine had horrific IGD issues from the first spin. At least the first 10-15 minutes of each side were nice, and yes, much better than the digital.

 

Good to see Trevor out and about, doing well, regardless. Losing his wife the way he did, in an accident, must have been tough.

 

From what I've read, Jill died as a result of losing her fight with cancer and not due to the injury she sustained years before, though I can imagine that being a massive strain on Trevor - it's so good to see him able to continue enjoying a larger variety of musical projects than he'd been involved with in the past, which could almost be a personal bucket list of sorts after everything he's been through (including the recent loss of his LA studio).

P.S. Thanks to the official Yes website, we now know that the revised version of Fly From Here will be subtitled Return Trip, and I've heard it could end up getting a wider release a few months after it is initially made available in strictly limited numbers...

 

I’ll take a listen, of course, but not an album I’d be interested in buying again.

Benoit, did a good enough job for me.

 

I agree. Benoit's vocals are great. But I'll still buy the new version. Trevor Horn's contribution to Drama is wonderful. It's one of my favorite YES albums. And I think Fly From Here is a great record. So this is a no brainer for me.

 

Vermillion Sands is my favorite Buggles song. But it's hard to imagine it without that jazzy postscript that Yes probably wouldn't do.

 

apparently, the title of this new release is "Fly from Here...Return Trip"

 

Shouldn't that be, Fly From There, then?

 

Or "Fly To Here."

 

I think this could be a cool project. I've always sort of labeled "Fly From Here" as the sequel to Drama (a damn good one, too) and sort of "pretended" that the lead vocals were Horns, not David's (They sound remarkably similar, too). Now I won't have to do that.

But of course, i'm more curious as to what the bonus track could be.

I think this was the last time Yes really were able to deliver some exciting performances and music. Once Davison took over, it all started going downhill for me. Just listening to the latest live album "Topographic Drama" was painful to hear.

 

Count me also very interested to hear this. I enjoyed the original but Horn's vocals would really add something I think. As to the bonus track, I wonder if this version of Yes worked up a studio version of Go Through This.

 

That was already released on the Drama Re-issue. My guess is they would use either something more recent, or they would release a take of Fly From Here from 1980 (or something to that affect). I've always wondered why the original version was never released in official capacity.

 

According to a boot I have from a live show, Trevor says they never recorded it, which is maybe why it has never seen any kind of release.

 

The "Go Through This" bonus track on Drama has no vocals. Trevor could have added them and that could be the extra track. The only version with vocals I've heard is the live version from 'The Word Is Live".

 

Trevor did indeed say that, yet two different versions of Fly From Here from the Drama sessions are very much out there...

 

This seems the most likely option, unless Trevor's gone back and dusted off one of the songs recorded earlier into the Fly From Here sessions before Geoff Downes took over keyboard duties. Saying that, didn't some of the tracks on the final album come from sessions held in Trevor's absence? What are the chances he'd revisit such material and shape it to be closer to the rest of the project, especially if it means letting people get to hear more that Chris left behind?

 

Idk, I would prefer something new, not something that more or less has already been released.

 

I feel that this is so disrespectful to Benoit David. His vocal performance was fine. But these guys have a history of treating people like crap, so I’m not surprised.

 

I totally get where you're coming from. I too thought his performance was very good. However, I also am glad they are doing this, as the Drama album is very special to me, and I would love to be able to listen to FFH as a second album by the Drama band. It won't replace Benoit's version, but will be an alternative version. Who knows which version most of us will end up preferring?

 

that's a good point. It's probably safe to say that Trevor's vocals aren't as strong as they used to be, his performance might not be as strong as David's.