Collecting Live Yes

Do you suppose they might have edited that part out?

 

Wouldn't that result in a section missing?

I'm sure you must remember something happening, but I'll take a rather pristine and complete sounding tape of a show over someone's memories of a concert they saw 46 years ago. You said that maybe they were "wearing headphones" (in order to be able to keep in time with a record secretly playing on a very loud stage), which is silly, there is no evidence of anyone in Yes wearing headphones on stage in 1972, and I would think if you remember the sound going out (yet the record still going), you would also remember someone onstage in 1972 oddly wearing headphones. What song was it? How did the band recover?

Yes was not a perfect live band and did have technical issues a plenty. The problem some like me might have with your recollection is not just that there is no evidence (only evidence to the contrary) but that it just doesn't make sense. The only musical section where they depended on a tape (as opposed to sound effects at the start or end of one tune, or the orchestral concert intro which was obviously a taped orchestra while the band walks onstage), is the second organ section of Close To The Edge, where the original pipe organ is put in. But if the amps went out as you said, all you would have heard was that taped pipe organ, so why wouldn't you remember that specific thing, or why wouldn't you think that maybe Wakeman's organ was still going, and only the other amps had gone out? It's just a pipe organ, it's not a whole band (bass/drums etc.) wailing away in the studio.

 

This is a thread about Yes. How did it get to be about Rush?

 

Eh, I don't remember which song was being performed - only that it was not at the beginning of the show, but near the beginning of the song. It was 45 years ago after all, and I'm an old guy now. And as I said, I'm a moderate Yes fan - I couldn't tell you for sure who was even in the band then, much less if they were wearing headphones.

What I do remember is my reaction at the time, and the reaction of the people around me. If I remember correctly, the band started over at the beginning of the song, so it is possible it could have been edited out.

Clearly nobody can corroborate my story, so I'll just leave it at that.

 

I listened to the Sherwood/Kaye Live in Japan set today.

Odd little live Yes curiosity.

 

There is an OFFICIALLY RELEASED recording of this show, and nothing of the sort happens. You're just being silly now.

 

Yes, Progeny was worth it! I'd like to see more of that. I do agree with your statement regarding the same set/arrangements, although in the 70's the songs did come off differently each night. The solos are different and the energy is different for each show.

 

The only time they had anything to do with backing tapes on that tour, are the jungle sounds during the intro, middle part, and outro of Close to the Edge. On one version on Progeny (can't remember which) the quiet middle part either lasted longer than usually, or Eddie Offord started the tape in the middle, because just before the band starts the loud part that leads to Rick Wakeman's keyboard solo, there should be three "beeps" played by Wakeman on moog, but on this one version the "beeps" from the studio tapes come JUST before Wakeman plays them.

Yes, it sounds weird.

 

Does anyone here remember a gentleman by the name of “Mr.Ed” (Morgan) from Miami, Fla? I got to know this guy throughout the 80s, during the heyday of the video trading phenomenon. He had the most incredible selection of Yes, both audio and video that I have ever heard of. A true aficionado, as well as a genuinely nice guy. Lots of photos and memorabilia as well. Very impressive collection overall.

 

Again, the false start could have been edited out. See your own boldface quotes.

 

Again, the only known tapes used on that tour were:
The band walk-on music: orchestral version of Stravinsky's The Firebird
Close to the Edge: opening environmental sound effects
Close to the Edge: middle section ambient sound effects
Close to the Edge: end of middle section pipe organ
Close to the Edge: closing environmental sound effects

So, what part of the concert do you think the onstage amps all strangely failed, subsequently revealing the band was "playing (and singing) along to a tape"?

These are the songs they played at the show you saw:
Siberian Khatru
I've Seen All Good People
Mood For A Day/Clap
And You And I
Heart Of The Sunrise
Close To The Edge
Wakeman Solo
Roundabout
Yours Is No Disgrace

You said that, presumably because of the amps failing, the band started over at the beginning of the song. Close to the Edge, the only song that included tapes...that middle section comes about 12-13 minutes in...it doesn't make sense that the amps would go out in that one taped musical section, 13 minutes into the epic, that the band would then start the whole piece over from the beginning.

There are no known photos of the band at any time in the early 70's (or later) with any of the band wearing headphones onstage, which they would have to be if tapes were playing during full on musical sections.

There's a page on the Georgia show on Forgotten Yesterdays, no one there seems to note such a massive problem as you've told of, even though that page pre-dates the official release of that concert. There are a few comments describing the show, either from memory or from a pre-existing audience bootleg.

Not trying to gang up on you, but your story still seems near impossible, and while again Yes was not a perfect band (there are plenty of flubs and technical issues left in on the Progeny set), I think it's questionable to say the band was "playing (and singing) along to a tape", like Milli Vanilli, with zero evidence except memories from nearly fifty years ago, and only hard evidence to the contrary.

 

I'm tired of arguing about this. I'm no expert, nor was I intent on disparaging Yes. I was just relating my own recollection of the events of that particular show. I didn't make it up, I'm not trying to spread lies & rumors, and I am not (yet) senile. So let's drop it. Please. I'm going to try to find a copy of that show & listen to it - I didn't know until this thread that it had been recorded.

 

Not to extend the argument pointlessly, but, here's a possibility:
Someone forgets to stop the opening "nature sounds" tape for Close to the Edge, so when the band kicks in, the recorded version of the beginning of the song is playing through the PA along with the band (who knows, maybe they hit the wrong fader and faded something else out instead) Band stops, recorded version is heard for a moment before they turn it off and start the song over again.

As I mentioned before, something similar happened on the Boston Relayer show (the tape with the Cha Cha Cha's is heard at the beginning of Soundchaser, as if someone forgot to stop it after Firebird was played). But it wasnt bad enough to stop the song from being played.

 

On a somewhat "false memory" related note - a friend of mine came back from the Yes show at Madison Square Garden in August 1977 and swore to me that Jon Anderson dedicated Wonderous Stories to Karac Plant - son of Robert Plant who had died suddenly a few weeks earlier. He knew I was a massive LZ fan and that it would make a big impression on me. I took his word for it and carried that classy gesture around with me for years. At one point I ran up against a diehard Yes fan who collected their live recordings and mentioned this anecdote. He was just as adamant that it never happened - he'd been to all three show Yes did at MSG that year and never heard it. There's a recording of one of the shows on YouTube here and sure enough, no mention of Karac during the intro to WS.

Love,
Billy

 

Yes, I knew Ed back in the day. He was a kind, generous guy (and in his day job worked at Jerry Bassin One-Stop, now Alliance Entertainment) and had an epic Yes collection. Wonder whatever happened to him...

 

The famous Wembley '78 recording was actually the second show of the day. An audience recording of the earlier matinee performance has the same songs but very different solos.

 

Someone recorded that Allentown show. One of the better recordings from that tour.

 

I think we just got lucky with that. I'd love to believe it could be more than just a one-off, but I think it was.

 

Yes, sir. Have it in my collection. Was a long drive from Rockland County, NY to get there, but well worth it. Saxon was the opening act. Back in the good old days when road trips meant stocking up on lots of beer and weed for the ride. My traveling companion had a bit too much of both and missed Saxon's set when he went back to his car to crash for a while. He found me in the crowd in time to see Rush take the stage with 2112 as the opening number and carried on like a trooper. No idea how we made it back in one piece.

Anyway, back on topic. Both Yessongs and QPR are in serious need of a remaster. QPR especially. Such great footage. Shame the audio was so poorly recorded.

Love,
Billy

 

I saw them about three weeks before this show... was pleased to see this.

 

The Progeny set wasn't especially good value. I am very happy to have listened to all it but I would have been just as happy had they been able to take the newly re mixed versions of the performances that were used on Yessongs, polish up the Bruford tracks and reissue the original triple album. Maybe that was not possible but that would have been my preference by far. I am also not sure that boxes like this should see ever Spotify. The highlights selection for sure but not the complete thing. Although the packaging is wonderful and there are some unique Steve Howe moments on all the shows it does feel kinda samey.

As for live Yes releases in general they have not been especially well served as important parts of the band's history have only been represented piecemeal.

I used to collect audience recordings but the worse my tinnitus gets the less I can live with "dirty" recordings. It's soundboard or nothing for me these days sadly which really limits the options..

Some complete shows from the Bruford era (which surely must exist other than Crystal Palace), some Moraz shows (other than QPR,Boston and Detroit) and especially some shows from the Relayer + solo albums leg, some Wakeman shows from the 1977 and 1978 UK tours and a Masterworks tour record would all be very welcome as official releases.

Of what does exist Heavenly Lightning is my favourite bootleg. In terms of official live releases ticking all my boxes Yessongs, House of Yes and Symphonic Live are the only ones I play regularly from start to end. Keys and Montreux are decent but not essential.

I recently got turned on to some radio broadcasts from the Open Your Eyes Tour which are surprisingly great. The Budapest recording is especially wonderful.

I loved all three UK tours with the current line up and the four Benoit / Davison live releases all have their merits though I have issues with some of the tempos at which the older songs are being tackled. The recent Topgraphic Drama record is well worth the investment.

 

He's not being silly at all. The Wall live in Berlin 1990 is an officially released show, and even a visual DVD, and guess what? Another Brick In the Wall Part 1 is an illusion. The vocal sound failed, there were no vocals. Waters looked up pleadingly to the heavens, and thankfully sound was soon restored. I know this because I was there and witnessed it. What you see & hear on the release was re-performed afterwards (to no audience), to substitute for the snafu. No one who wasn't there would ever know. So you can't just go by what is officially released. The Who used patches from the Leeds show for its Hull release, as well. Plenty of such examples. I have no expertise on this Yes show, but to call the person silly who was actually there seems pretty silly to me.

 

Progeny's a great value, with a choice of the box with all the shows, and a "best of" on CD and/or vinyl. The fans said "We want warts 'n' all!!!!" No "Frankensteined" live albums! Everybody says they want Warts 'n' all. So Yes serves it up warts 'n' all, but it's not a good value 'cos it's not a ground-up remix of Yessongs, which may not even be possible. BTW, Yessongs is one of those "Frankensteined" live albums fans love to b*tch and moan about, and everybody complains that it has always sounded like crap. But Progeny is "samey." Well, it is seven shows from the same tour, so what did you expect? Make up your mind.

As for what's bolded, I'd love all that stuff too, but elsewhere here it's been said there are no multitracks with Bill on drums. I would gladly go for QPR if it was done right, and a complete show from '77 would be welcome.. The Masterworks tour was excellent, but I don't know how they'd deal with Igor Khoroshev.

 

Some of the Academy of Music reels with Bruford on drums were found a few years ago, along with the multitracks of QPR.

 

I remember seeing pictures of someone in the band (Squire?) holding big boxes that said "QPR" on them, possibly 2" reels.

Had no idea about the Academy reels. 1971 or '72?