Yes Music Podcast

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius Following a suggestion from the latest member of the Patreon YMP group, Thomas DeVries, Mark and I delved into Yes sporting links this week. It was great fun to learn about all the ways in which music and sport have collided over the decades and we were helped out by several kind contributors Dave Watkinson, Henry Potts, Geoff Bailie and Jon Pickles. If you have any other examples of sporting Yes links, please do add them to the show notes for this week. Also, just in case it doesn’t come across in the conversation later, I am aware that Brentford football club are now in the English Premier League. When Rick Wakeman was involved with them, they were rather more of a struggling club. What sports feature in Yes' history? Which Yes member had more than one financial run-in with sports teams? What was Yes United? See if you agree with us and then leave a comment below. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B7sRsHMTQ https://youtu.be/dWwfUDqNprc?si=lCrW_HjYphqj-eMQ https://youtu.be/8Q4vIBSK0O0?si=e-g7Mqclfxfaq_zr https://www.beesunited.org.uk/in-focus/rick-reveals-i-wanted-to-own-the-bees R.I.P. John Lodge Photo by Brian Aris https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XErh5-eeoIU Preorder the Barry Plummer 2026 Calendar! EXECUTIVE PRODUCER VERSION SOLD OUT STANDARD VERSION For illustration only - final cover will vary Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyThomas DeVriesJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week it was a pleasure to welcome Billy Sherwood to the YMP once again. We spoke to him just before a rehearsal at Mickey’s Black Box rehearsal facility as the band prepared for the 2025 Fragile Tour of the US. Since that conversation, Yes have played 2 concerts. We spoke to Billy about the tour, his gear and the new Yes album. He was as gracious and open as usual - a great conversation that I know you will enjoy. Following the first concert on the tour, Mark and I got back together again to discuss the setlist. Clearly, if you don’t like spoilers, you’ll want to press stop on your device after the Billy interview to avoid hearing the specifics of what the band will be playing. What will the band be playing on this tour? Has Billy's kit changed? What is it like to play The Fish live? See if you agree with us and then leave a comment below. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B7sRsHMTQ Preorder the Barry Plummer 2026 Calendar! EXECUTIVE PRODUCER VERSION STANDARD VERSION For illustration only - final cover will vary Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyThomas DeVriesJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week, Mark and I spoke to the redoubtable David Watkinson who has published another fabulous Yessay (see what he did there?) on Forgotten-Yesterdays.com. This time, it’s about a subject that might appear a bit dry - the band’s accounts books from 1969-1970. In fact, there is a huge amount that can be gleaned from the documents as you will hear in this episode. Can you guess what are the largest - and the most bizarre - expenses the band incurred at this time? Prepare to be amazed, as they say. Yes were into Coke!?! Which member of the band was an official Director of the first ever Yes limited company? Why was there a separate charge for taking a bath? See if you agree with us and then leave a comment below. You might - or might not - want to read Dave’s Yessay before listening to us banging on about it. If you do, you can use the link below: Dave's Page on Forgotten Yesterdays: https://forgotten-yesterdays.com/yessays.asp Dave Watkinson (left) and Kevin Mulryne (right) at Trading Boundaries, 2025 (image credit - Grace Hayhurst) Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyThomas DeVriesJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius In a different kind of time travel this week, Mark and I welcomed Henry Potts back onto the show to talk about his recollections of the first Yes online discussions he was involved with in the early 1990s. After I posted some photos of the Yes fanzines I have in my collection on the Patreon group, Simon Barrow suggested we speak to Henry who has always been at the vanguard of Yes fans on the internet. He shared some fascinating insights into exactly how the first systems worked and how the ‘scene’ morphed and developed over the decades. Of course, we’d love to hear about your own earliest online experiences of Yes fandom so please do add your comments below. When did the concept of online discussion begin? What were the first websites and fan forums? How has it all changed? My Space pages that still exist: https://myspace.com/billbruford https://myspace.com/patrickmoraz https://myspace.com/bondegezou The incomplete alt.music.yes archive: https://groups.google.com/g/alt.music.yes Forgotten Yesterdays: https://forgotten-yesterdays.com Internet Wayback Machine FY pages: https://web.archive.org/web/20130315000000*/forgotten-yesterdays.com YesWorld.com https://yesworld.com Internet Wayback Machine YesWorld pages: https://web.archive.org/web/19960701000000*/yesworld.com Yesfans.com https://www.yesfans.com/ Internet Wayback Machine YesFans pages: https://web.archive.org/web/20010815000000*/yesfans.com Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week, Mark and I considered what makes Talk from 1994 a great Yes album. The final Yes record featuring Trevor Rabin was a tour-de-force of progressive rock in many ways but what do you think Mark and I chose as our reasons to focus on? Perhaps we chose the same aspects as you would, perhaps not. In any case, do please add your thoughts on Talk in the comments below. Which musicians keep the Yes flame alive? Is this actually a great Yes album? Does it sound like Yes? Interactive CD-ROM version of Talk https://youtu.be/l4WzslhiN7E?si=ZlLqVx0qfVvGLkPm Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius Mark and I spent some time this week searching through both our memory banks and our shelves of Yes related records. We wanted to uncover and promote some lesser-known deep cuts on albums that Yes men have been involved with outside the main group. We each came up with 3 songs you may not have heard or you may have forgotten about. We hope you enjoy revisiting them or discovering a little more of the breadth and depth of what Yes musicians have been involved with over the decades. Of course, we would be delighted to have your own suggestions of what other deep cuts we can all benefit from hearing - leave your suggestions on the show notes for this week’s episode below. What are your favourite solo deep cuts? What do Mark and Kevin choose? Do you know all these songs already? https://youtu.be/2hvU83tRIEA?si=dMuP-dR4fS5Lgddq https://youtu.be/DQ_1viAEmTo?si=OSaHwxMyen7boZcG https://youtu.be/Mr2LDzydxms?si=pjf4yC5giU_G4iCi&t=790 https://youtu.be/Jpid9LeRUGQ?si=3M_Q6hdPXaIGvKwc Steve Nardelli on the YMP The Syn biography on Prog Archives https://youtu.be/G7Ehk3O4SHI?si=8fqQV7uk71uWW4Hc Details of the Chagall Project on Henry Potts' website https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l7_xETOs3GEJkPDBS0VUxWivsWXO3mOKs&si=lYT1nTmSyud2IP9N Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius In a truly epic episode this week, I had a lovely conversation with Steve Howe about the re-release of two of his solo albums, Portraits of Bob Dylan and Natural Timbre. Then, Mark and I enjoyed goofing around asking each other to guess the Yes men being referred to in various quotations. Do play along with that yourself after listening to my great chat with Steve. Why is Steve re-releasing these two albums now? How do they differ in approach? How important is Bob Dylan to music generally and to Steve? CAT NO: Portraits of Bob Dylan - HSLP011, HSCD011, Natural Timbre -HLP012, HSCD012 Official Website: www.stevehowe.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guitarrondo 'Beginnings' by Steve Howe Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius It was great to think a little about what might make up Yes’ authenticity this week. Is it possible to define what makes the output of a band - or any kind of artistic endeavour 'authentic’? Rather than try and come up with a definition of authenticity (which is probably a loftier aim than we had time for this week), Mark and I discussed what the rather nebulous concept means to us, in the context of Yes music. We each came up with examples of what we consider to be authentic aspects in the 50+ year history of the band and how they support our ideas of what ‘authentic Yes’ is. As always, we would be fascinated to hear what you think of this concept - please leave your ideas in the comments below. How can you tell if a band like Yes is ‘being authentic’? Is authenticity more than simply ‘sounding like the same band’? Beyond music, are there any other aspects that might contribute to a feeling of authenticity? Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week Mark and I set off once again in our YMP Yes Time Machines, this time to visit Yes concerts that also featured fascinating support bands, or bands on the same bill that we would loved to have seen. According to the essential Forgotten Yesterdays website, there have been 599 bands who have either supported or played alongside Yes since 1968 so there was plenty of choice for Mark and me. Before we begin, have a think which shows you didn’t manage to attend and would like to go back to in a time machine to experience for yourself. I wonder if you will pick any of the occasions Mark and I did. Let us know in the comments in the show notes below. When will we travel to? What will we see? What other bands will be playing? Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week, Mark and I discussed the 'solo' songs on Fragile. Each band member contributed an individual project, some with more success than others. The style and approaches used by Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe and Squire are very different and they certainly prompted an interesting discussion as you'll hear. Drama and Fragile Live! With Yes soon to embark on playing the whole of Fragile live for the third time, we also touched on how these songs come over live - and if it's even a good idea to include them alongside the 4 'proper' songs. Which of the solo songs is the best? How do they differ in approach? Should they be played live? https://youtu.be/jFB9aujS610?si=ao5lp0xGqiibiQnN https://youtu.be/NPH145eI66g?si=s_lfYyzr0l2qANP2 https://youtu.be/X6opg8vIcNs?si=ySAszxGH054sU_kL Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week Mark and I had all sorts of fun thinking about whether there are any short Yes epics - or if this idea is even possible. We set ourselves the restriction of only choosing Yes songs less than 6mins in duration so can you guess what we came up with and how we justified our choices? It was sad to hear that Ozzy Osbourne died this week, only a few weeks after performing his last ever concert with his Black Sabbath bandmates. I can’t say I was a dedicated fan of Ozzy or Sabbath but my introduction to heavy metal was when a friend of mine took me up to his room in a slightly creepy Victorian mansion and played me the self-titled album by the Birmingham band. How appropriate the setting was. I also learned to play Paranoid on the drums when I was a teenager and my younger son taught my daughter, when she was a toddler, to sing the alphabet to the riff from War Pigs. My elder son was a true fan so he was upset when we heard the news. As you know if you’ve read the new Tales book or get your information from many other sources like Matthew Paine on Facebook, Rick Wakeman was a huge fan of Ozzy who he met at Morgan Studios while Yes were recording Tales. He ended up playing keys on 2 songs on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath which was being recorded over the road in another Morgan studio at the time. Eventually, Ozzy returned the favour by singing on Rick’s "The Return to the Center of the Earth", as pointed out by Paul Graf also on Facebook. Our own Doug Curran interviewed Ozzy for his radio show in 1981 so do make a point of reading his reflections on that on the YMP Facebook discussion group Rest in Peace Ozzy. https://www.quora.com/What-makes-epic-songs-epic https://youtu.be/YGsq3ya1-8Y?si=_4zjczWxt3grbwzH https://youtu.be/UF2P_qgi7YA?si=n9Vbim5fGeLPjfEN https://youtu.be/63nZud3Xu1Y?si=Y0PMEIxL5dxYXNHS https://youtu.be/CBtZ8exhRPQ?si=rt0xacK2W8SeZXl4 https://youtu.be/8-hJFoSgXfM?si=OTCdWuAB7U2zg-1- https://youtu.be/qEUkRRLe6vQ?si=SwOTImHn3DIXFIYe Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week, Mark and I returned to the show to talk about the Yes classic album, 90125 from 1983. It is clearly, we believe, a great album but what makes it a great Yes album? It wasn’t originally going to be a Yes album at all and only became one at the last possible moment when Jon Anderson arrived on the scene. The band Cinema, consisting of Tony Kaye, Alan White, Trevor Rabin and Chris Squire had basically finished the record with Trevor Horn but, as you can read in full detail in Stephen Lambe’s excellent book about the album, there were several reasons that band was ultimately replaced by the name and the aura of Yes. What do you think Mark and I came up with for our 6 reasons and would you have chosen the same features? Let us know in the show notes for this week’s episode. Is this a real Yes album? What makes it great? Who makes it great? My 90125 and 9012Live collection 90125 Singles https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nW0C1j_RpvQypX6RHJzN_zSxeDZ7ilOQA&si=UD2mb8Bxeqq6bHl4 Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week I’d like to celebrate the release of my second book, Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide - a title almost as lengthy as the record itself. It’s been a very long and sometimes challenging process to prepare the book for publication - much like the record itself. However, it’s finally here and you can buy it from all the usual places. If you haven’t yet ordered your copy, you live outside the UK and you would like to help me out, please visit YesMusicBooks.com and order from there. There are print on demand links in the store on the site which will allow you to order copies of the book and its full colour supplement, printed at a location near where you live, avoiding shipping costs and the associated environmental impact. I also get to keep more of the proceeds from the order, rather than giving it to the big corporations. Shipping time may be a little bit longer than the online stores but the choice is up to you. If you are in the UK please order directly from BurningShed.com and if you normally get your books from a local independent bookstore, then that is also a great option wherever you are in the world. The book ended up being 336 pages long which is rather a surprise to me. The initial idea was to produce something shorter and simpler than the Tormato Story book - more of an actual guide, rather than an in-depth study. However, as soon as I started, it became obvious that I could resist travelling down just as many fascinating rabbit holes as last time. I did manage to uncover some previously hidden information and it was a lot of fun researching as many different aspects of this epic work of progressive rock as I could. As Prog Magazine put it in their review, “The most rewarding way to experience Tales is to dive in and become immersed. This book is the very definition of that.” Yes - The Tormato Story Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week, Mark and I enjoyed coming up with 6 reasons why the band’s third record, The Yes Album, is a great Yes album. As I’m sure you know, this was Steve Howe’s first album with Yes and also Tony Kaye’s last. It is correctly viewed by many fans, critics and Steve Howe himself as the first Yes masterpiece. Clearly, we could have found dozens of reasons why this is a great Yes album but that would have left less room for you to be involved. So please do add your reasons in the comments below. What do you think we chose? Is this album the start of the progressive sound of Yes? Was the success of the album all down to the musicians? Let us know if you agree with us! https://youtu.be/1fUudna1Xuw?si=tk5dHyQskjh4_LmY Yes - The Tormato Story Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius R.I.P. Johnny Bruhns https://www.youtube.com/live/QkQRiUdVUag?si=-VMIOIbSdCzLqNYU https://johnnybruhns.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-to-the-kingdom https://www.youtube.com/live/1wOQPyQMbE4?si=4rzlFs59JGG5RAsX This week, Mark and I considered the Yes music of the new Millennium - 25 years after it began. In this time, the band have produced just 5 studio albums and 1 EP: Magnification Fly From Here From a Page (EP) Heaven and Earth The Quest Mirror to the Sky However, there are plenty of examples of great Yes music to enjoy and Mark and I chose 3 examples each. What did we choose? Anything from Heaven and Earth? Did we get it 'right'? See if you agree with us and let us know by leaving a comment below. Let us know if you agree with us! https://youtu.be/_yWOGPVSifk?si=2pkwqcoB9ryDUwQY https://youtu.be/5-fwXBRlihc?si=XWz0kM7Vbsc8zHgw https://youtu.be/odC9FHTWzP8?si=3pEZ2NLmrdl_BJc2 https://youtu.be/1SkVH-lbDzc?si=DgDKnGypsKNKLcOq https://youtu.be/jj2CulCC-uk?si=Jea1sn1JC4HY77dk Yes - The Tormato Story Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week, Mark and I returned to our occasional series on Yes concepts. This time we considered Yes audacity - those times when the band has done something few others would have attempted. We both came up with 3 examples and it proved to be a very enjoyable conversation, albeit with quite a bit of shameless self-promotion from me. In the world of progressive rock, perhaps the most audacious genre of all, what do you think we came up with - and what would you have chosen? Let us know in the comments below. What are the best examples of Yes' audacity from the past 50+ years? Innovation or excess? Would you have chosen the same examples as us? See if you agree with us and let us know by leaving a comment below. Let us know if you agree with us! https://youtu.be/HB0HhZfqG20?si=UPQNMKsMgGNGGoGb https://youtu.be/VO3KAqsqjaY?si=uloEv_bQjSAAHo8J https://youtu.be/W4TAQiDaoWg?si=4vTqV1cRDlXnnFFQ https://youtu.be/9eE1KPwzAzA?si=ueUrlAdpys_hMIne https://youtu.be/4fBH6uHP_08?si=XkoPglfeKdD34RLS YMP interview with Larry Groupé Yes - The Tormato Story Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius This week we have a bumper, epic episode where Simon Barrow, Mark and I discuss AI and its impact, in the context of Yes music, of course. My daughter, Charlotte, also gives us her thoughts on the subject so many thanks to her. This topic was suggested by the appearance on YouTube of an album entitled 'YEP - On The Waterline (70's Prog Rock / Progressive Rock)' as spotted by Charlie Nolan. Should AI be used in music? What impact could it have? What about the future for Yes and all other music artists? See if you agree with us and let us know by leaving a comment below. Let us know if you agree with us! https://youtu.be/7uECawjO2iM?si=j7QoQVkiXIfrPwPD Yes - The Tormato Story Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius It’s already been 3 years since Alan White died. To mark the sad anniversary, Mark and I discussed the iconic drummer’s adaptability this week. We each chose 3 different examples of his playing to highlight different aspects of his musical character. In addition, 4 YMP Patrons gave us comments to read out - Jon Pickles, Ronnie Neeley, Doug Curran, and Fred Barringer. It was very enjoyable to think about Alan but also, of course, a somewhat mournful process. Do add your own memories of Alan to the show notes for this week. Which songs did we choose? Was Alan 'just' a drummer? What were Alan's special skills? Alan White - Madison Square Gardens, 1980 Alan White - out of touring for the moment Alan White Alan White in Cinema from Dave Watkinson Let us know if you agree with us! Yes - The Tormato Story Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius Unbelievably, it’s already 10 years since we lost Chris Squire. Tempus Fugit, but this time not in a good way. To mark this sad milestone, Prog Magazine has included 2 large articles about Chris in the latest issue, number 160. The person charged with writing the main piece was friend of the YMP, Stephen Lambe. Mark and I spoke to him this week about the greatest bassist the world has ever seen, the irreplaceable Christopher Russell Edward Squire (4 March 1948 – 27 June 2015). Stay tuned for that conversation in a few minutes’ time. What made Chris special? When was he at his best? What did his Yes colleagues think of him? Let us know if you agree with us! Chris Squire Fish Out Of Water, Chris Squire Chris Squire - photo by Jeremy North The great Chris Squire Yes - The Tormato Story Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!

Mark and I really enjoyed discussing what Yes virtuosity means to us with the help of YMP Patrons Brian Harris, Michael OConnor, HB Pettersen, Jon Pickles, Dave Owen, Gary Betts, Mark Slater and Ronnie Neeley this week. Can you guess what we all chose for our examples of Yes virtuosity? You might be surprised, as Mark and I were. There were some common themes that emerged which is always encouraging because it means we are not on our own in our thoughts about the band. So thank you to all those Patrons but do have your own say by adding a comment to the show notes for this week. What does virtuosity mean? Who deserves the description? Does it just mean playing fast? Argghhh! Apologies again to those who sent in entries to the quiz from a couple of weeks ago. I did forget this time! I’ll be announcing the winner next week - someone remind me! Let us know if you agree with us! https://youtu.be/wuS0diPtJik?si=vaEASL-hukrohPHW Yes - The Tormato Story Available now! YesMusicBooks.com YMP Patrons: Producers: Joseph Cottrell Wayne Hall Ken Fuller Jeffrey Crecelius Patrons: Aaron SteelmanLindAl Dell'AngeloLobate ScarpBarry GorskyMark BaggsBill WhittakerMark James LangBob MartilottaMark SlaterBrian HarrisMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanMichael HanderhanChris BandiniMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesMiguel FalcãoDave OwenPaul HailesDavidPaul TomeiDavid HeydenRachel HadawayDavid PannellRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueRonnie NeeleyDemScott ColomboDoug CurranSimon BarrowFergus CubbageStephen LambeFred BarringerSteve DillGary BettsSteve LuziettiGeoff BailieSteve PerryGeoffrey MasonSteve RodeGuy DeRomeSteve ScottHenrik AntonssonSteven RoehrHogne Bø PettersenTerence SadlerTodd DudleyJohn CowanJohn ThomsonJohn HoldenJohn ViolaJamie McQuinnTim Stannard Become a Patron!