------------------------------------------------------- JANUARY 10, 2004 ------------------------------------------------------- Source: Rhino Records http://www.rhino.com/spotlight/yes/yes_facts.lasso YES Dates and Facts DATES 1968 >> Yes makes inroads on the British music scene when they’re selected on the fly to open for Cream’s farewell London show. 1970 >> Guitarist Peter Banks departs and is replaced by Steve Howe. 1971 >> The Yes Album peaks at #40 on the American album listings. Later in the year the single “Your Move” becomes their first U.S. hit single and also peaks at #40 on the pop listings. 1972 >> The space rockers have two Top 10 U.S. album releases with Fragile (#4) and Close To The Edge (#3); additionally the single “Roundabout” peaks at #13 in the U.S. 1974 >> In spite of the chart success of the album Tales From Topographic Oceans (#6), Rick Wakeman leaves Yes to pursue a solo career and is replaced by Patrick Moraz, who plays on the year’s second offering Relayer, which peaks at #5 on the U.S. album charts. 1976 >> Rick Wakeman returns to the fold (replacing his replacement) after Moraz departs to join the Moody Blues. 1977 >> Going For The One peaks at #8 on the U.S. album charts. 1978 >> The album Tormato climbs to #10 on the American album charts. 1980 >> Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson leave the group and are replaced by two former Buggles: keyboardist Geoff Downes and guitarist Trevor Horne. Later the whole of Yes dissolves as Steve Howe and Downes join the supergroup Asia with John Wetton and Carl Palmer. Toward the end of the year, the album Drama reaches the 18th spot, and the live album Yesshows slides in at #43 in December. 1982 >> With the band itself still in the ether, the Atlantic retrospective Classic Yes still charts, albeit at a dismal #142 on the U.S. charts. 1983 >> Jon Anderson, Tony Kaye, Chris Squire, Alan White, and newcomer Trevor Rabin re-form Yes and switch the new lineup to the Atlantic subsidiary Atco. Yes submits the LP 90125, which peaks at #5 on the U.S. charts. The album contains the hit single “Owner Of A Lonely Heart,” which tops the pop charts and crosses over into the R&B genre as well (#69); overseas the single peaks at #28 on the U.K. listings. 1984 >> Yes (Anderson, Squire, Rabin, White, and Kaye) receives the Best Rock Instrumental Grammy Award at the 27th annual ceremony for “Cinema.” 1987 >> Yes returns to the album Top 20 in the U.S. with the release of Big Generator (#15). 1988 >> Jon Anderson continues the Yes tradition and leaves the group. 1989 >> In lieu of court battles for the Yes name, group members Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe submit an eponymous LP at Arista Records, which climbs to #30. 1991 >> Putting the courtroom infighting behind them, Yes reunites with Anderson, Bruford, Howe, Kaye, Rabin, Squire, Wakeman, and White in the lineup. The album Union, released at Arista, peaks at #15 on the U.S. charts. 1994 >> Following the release of Bill Bruford’s Symphonic Music Of Yes, Bruford, Howe, and Wakeman leave the group. FACTS # When Yes began to make their rounds as a fledgling act, they sought to merge chops with feeling, synthesizing their skills (largely classical) with the newer sounds of the day. Bands like Savoy Brown (later Iron Butterfly) and Cream were already beginning to make rock music harder and crunchier (from a blues standpoint), but Yes would eventually meld all of these aspects (with more of a symphonic foundation). All of this was then augmented with trippy visuals infused into their show to create the ambitious style that has become synonymous with the Yes name. # Bill Bruford played with Savoy Brown before he joined Yes. Iron Butterfly (which contained members of Savoy) had Yes open for them in the early ’70s in the U.K., which ultimately gave Yes needed exposure in their homeland. # Rick Wakeman’s departure from Yes in 1974 provided him the opportunity to establish himself as an orchestral rock musician. He’d recorded “The Six Wives Of Henry VIII” (an instrumental) and later “Journey To The Center Of The Earth,” which was narrated by David Hemmings. # When MTV went on the air in 1983, the first video to appear on its maiden broadcast was the Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star.” The group featured future Yesmen Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes. # The whole group’s disbanding in 1980 notwithstanding, every original member of the Yes lineup had previously quit the group except bassist Chris Squire. # “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” has been Yes’ biggest chart hit. In addition to being the group’s only crossover single (#69 R&B), the cut was produced by guitarist Trevor Horn, who ultimately left and pursued a prolific producing career working with industry hit-makers like Seal and Brian Eno in production capacity. # The 1993 album The Symphonic Music Of Yes, which peaked at #164 on the U.S. album charts, was a multifaceted collaborative effort. It features performances with The London Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Community Gospel Choir, and the English Chamber Orchestra, some of which were arranged and conducted by David Palmer. Alan Parsons produced and engineered on the project. # Over the years, Yes has proven to be an integral part of popular music in spite of seemingly marginal chart listings. The band’s bread and butter has been in its album sales and not in singles. The group has consistently maintained its fan base on the strength of its live shows and more prolifically, LP sales. They have amassed one triple platinum album, 90125, one double platinum with Fragile, and four platinum full albums in The Yes Album, Close To The Edge, Yessongs, and Classic Yes (which charted in the mid-100s on the Top 200 listings). Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, inquiries, corrections, or additions, contact yitp@yesservices.com