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Thread: Trevor Horn - Owner of a Lonely Heart

  1. #1

    Trevor Horn - Owner of a Lonely Heart

    I've been meaning to post this for a while but just got around to editing the clip. It is taken from a much longer, comprehensive interview that can be found easily enough (Red Bull Academy Trevor Horn) and I know that many are familiar with it.
    I found this to be the most illuminating interview I have heard re: the song, and Yes at the time. Really good stuff.

    I highly recommend you look up the rest of this interview if you are a fan of Frankie, ABC, Slave to the Rhythm....

  2. #2
    Fantastic, really interesting. One thing (of many) that stands out is that Horn refers to the band as 'Yes' throughout, even though much of that story covers the Cinema period, before they had re-occupied the Yes name. Now, what Horn thought at the time is unclear, but you get the impression that he thought of Cinema as being closely aligned to Yes throughout.

    Henry
    Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
    Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by bondegezou View Post
    Fantastic, really interesting. One thing (of many) that stands out is that Horn refers to the band as 'Yes' throughout, even though much of that story covers the Cinema period, before they had re-occupied the Yes name. Now, what Horn thought at the time is unclear, but you get the impression that he thought of Cinema as being closely aligned to Yes throughout.

    Henry
    One reason for that could be that its not common knowledge for all
    so its much easier to talk about Yes, to avoid confusion and no need
    to explain the whole background
    regarding the name switch and so on

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by bondegezou View Post
    Fantastic, really interesting. One thing (of many) that stands out is that Horn refers to the band as 'Yes' throughout, even though much of that story covers the Cinema period, before they had re-occupied the Yes name. Now, what Horn thought at the time is unclear, but you get the impression that he thought of Cinema as being closely aligned to Yes throughout.

    Henry
    Interesting how the song developed.. still don't own 90124 with the original mix of this song.. gotta hand it to Trevor.. he put Yes back on the map for sure..

  5. #5
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    Fantastic. Very insightful interview. Thanks for sharing.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by olivetti View Post
    One reason for that could be that its not common knowledge for all
    so its much easier to talk about Yes, to avoid confusion and no need
    to explain the whole background
    regarding the name switch and so on
    True, but if you listen to the details of what he's saying, there's more there. The anecdotes rely on the Yes connection, even when the band was Cinema, not Yes.

    Henry
    Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
    Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/

  7. #7
    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Very interesting.

    Gives insight into the difficulties of making Big Generator - sounds like the two Trevors really had different ideas on how they wanted things to sound.
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

  8. #8
    Very interesting indeed. I recall that when people were discussing the Youtube clip of Rabin's "Owner" demo (which sounds exactly as Horn describes it), they were often saying things along the lines of "Look at how much the input from Yes improved Rabin's song." Horn makes the case (pretty compellingly) that it was more a matter of "look at how much the input from Horn improved Rabin's song."

    I love the part where he says he's always been allergic to that "American rock" approach, summing it up with "luuuhhhrve." I couldn't agree more. I really wonder how differently the band's history would have turned out had they kept Horn as producer for Big Generator.

  9. #9
    Also sounds like Jon still didn't want to sing any lyrics he didn't write!

    Bill
    She'll be standing on the bar soon
    With a fish head and a harpoon
    and a fake beard plastered on her brow.

  10. #10
    Can't believe I've never noticed the gunshot/eagle thing. Oh that clever Trevor. I think history has proven Horn's instincts correct, but yeah, I can imagine the two Trevors butting heads in the studio over most things 90125. Will definitely check out the other parts of this interview.

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    priceless. every suspicion confirmed ;-)> thanks so much!

  12. #12
    I love the comment about his time in the band, "An incredible experience, never to be repeated". Interesting that he actually remembers the words.

    Judging from the Yesyears video, when Rabin was talking about making Big Generator, I gather he can be a bit difficult to work with, so far as other people offering input on his songs was concerned. I think he says that when you're recording a song, "there's two ways to do it, your way and the wrong way".

  13. #13
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    It's basically as Trevor Horn described it, though there ARE drums at the beginning.

    It's also clear the song was massively improved with Horn's reworking. I know it's just a demo, but Rabin's vocals and lyrics suck on toast. It's funny how "Say you don't want to chance it/you've been hurt before" remained, however; it morphed from Rabin talkin' about some girl he wants to dance with to Anderson giving encouragement in general. The keyboard sounds he used are just dreadful, too... and it's nice that Horn scaled them down into something punchier.

    So for those who hate "Owner"... it coulda been a lot worse.

  14. #14
    Member Wounded Land's Avatar
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    Wow, what a great thread to stumble into! I had never heard that Rabin demo before...wow.

    Very interesting interview as well. I definitely have a new appreciation for Trevor Horn.

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    thank you Trevor Horn for changing it!

  16. #16
    Did anyone ever tell the interviewer what a Synclavier is? ;>


    I'm glad Trevor Horn hates Trevor Rabin-style arena rock as much as I do. Wish he could have dialed that stuff back ever more on 90125.

    Spot-on Chris Squire impersonation at 5:36, btw.
    Last edited by ssully; 07-02-2013 at 07:59 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post


    It's basically as Trevor Horn described it, though there ARE drums at the beginning.

    It's also clear the song was massively improved with Horn's reworking. I know it's just a demo, but Rabin's vocals and lyrics suck on toast. It's funny how "Say you don't want to chance it/you've been hurt before" remained, however; it morphed from Rabin talkin' about some girl he wants to dance with to Anderson giving encouragement in general. The keyboard sounds he used are just dreadful, too... and it's nice that Horn scaled them down into something punchier.

    So for those who hate "Owner"... it coulda been a lot worse.

    Regarding that song version, to quote Robert Fripp: "Thank you Rick James!"

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by ssully View Post
    I'm glad Trevor Horn hates Trevor Rabin-style arena rock as much as I do. Wish he could have dialed that stuff back ever more on 90125.
    .
    Funny though, I would've said there's far less of it on Big Generator (though there is at least one blatant pop song).

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    Member The Silent Man's Avatar
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    Both versions of the song are horrible, and the bottom line for me is that it should never have gone within a million miles of the Yes name, end of story. Rabin's is no worse though.
    I have CDO. It's like OCD, but the letters are in the right order. AS THEY SHOULD BE!!!

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    I found it interesting that Horn had to beg the band to record "Owner" at the end of the sessions, saying "There's no single on the album, we need a single!" To my ears, 90125 is FULL of hit singles even without Owner. Especially relative to any previous Yes album, this was almost as hit-friendly as Asia's debut.

    Funny how often a band's biggest selling hit song is usually the last one to be recorded, almost as an afterthought once the whole album is already done. I've heard this story so often.

    However difficult "Owner" was for everyone to swallow at the time, they sure milked it for all it was worth, continuing to play it on every tour until last year, even Jon Anderson's solo tours, and even Trevor Horn played it with the Producers! Not blaming them for doing the obvious, but it's still ironic given how reluctant they all were about the song initially!

  21. #21
    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Silent Man View Post
    Both versions of the song are horrible, and the bottom line for me is that it should never have gone within a million miles of the Yes name, end of story. Rabin's is no worse though.

    Exactly. I mean, it's not like it single-handedly rescued their career or anything.
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

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    I've never considered 90125 to be in the vein of lowest common denominator corporate AOR, a la Night Ranger/Asia/Journey/38 Special. It still sounds pretty fresh, many decades later.

    Beg Generator sounds ok, too. Not as fresh as 90125. ABWH was an ok record, too.

    Now, Union, however......

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by N_Singh View Post
    I've never considered 90125 to be in the vein of lowest common denominator corporate AOR, a la Night Ranger/Asia/Journey/38 Special. It still sounds pretty fresh, many decades later.

    Beg Generator sounds ok, too. Not as fresh as 90125. ABWH was an ok record, too.

    Now, Union, however......
    True, and keep in mind how unique "Owner" sounded at the time. All the production techniques, even the horn samples were a pretty new thing on a rock record. And the arena intro jumped right out of the radio every time.

  24. #24
    I found it particularly interesting that Horn mentioned the Police's Synchronicity, and Copeland's approach to percussion, as influences on his vision for Owner, as when I first heard the song (knowing absolutely nothing about any band called Yes), I initially assumed it was some sort of Police side-project.

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by bRETT View Post
    True, and keep in mind how unique "Owner" sounded at the time. All the production techniques, even the horn samples were a pretty new thing on a rock record. And the arena intro jumped right out of the radio every time.
    It did, and it still has some freshness to this day in terms of the production. That said, TH keeps talking about how the song needed "gags" to make the verses palatable. IMO, that was a reason he was so hot back then -- he knew how to take mediocre pop and make it a lot more interesting via clever production tricks. The only problem with that is it started to get a bit old hat by the mid 80s, and today it's sort of one of those trademark 80s pop sounds.

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