New Yes video footage from 1969

[Sputnik]

I'm interested in Henry's take on this, but IMO that comment sort of puts everything they did until The Yes Album into new context. I've never heard any interview where any of the original band members said they were deliberately aiming to break into the U.S. from the get-go. But it does sort of explain songs like "America", which Steve Howe admitted was deliberately rocked up to appeal to that market.

IIRC, Bruford talks about this in his book. The sense I got was that access to the American market was the holy grail for most British bands at that time, and it was Yes' goal from the beginning to play in the U.S. So what Bruford said in that interview made perfect sense to me in the context of what I've seen him say elsewhere. I can't specifically recall what other Yes members have said, but I can't believe they would have differed much from what Bruford so eloquently expressed.

Bill

[Mister Triscuits]

But it does sort of explain songs like "America", which Steve Howe admitted was deliberately rocked up to appeal to that market.

That's pretty funny if true, given that "America" was expressly recorded for the New Age of Atlantic sampler, which wasn't released in the USA. So much for Atlantic aiding Yes by their expertise on the American market...

[strawberrybrick]

What's most revealing about the video was the band's undeniable charm. You know Bruford's answer was "oh, we're put on the spot with that questions, so here's the real answer", with a bit of twist in his smirk. I can't say that the band kept that charm forever (once they "found" it), but what a bunch of scruffy, proggy musicians searching for a particular sound... IMHO, this is the golden era of Yes, before the capes, before Roger Dean, before album-side-long tracks. Raw, powerful, and above all, original.

"It's aaalllll Music." Perfect.

[JJ88]

IIRC, Bruford talks about this in his book. The sense I got was that access to the American market was the holy grail for most British bands at that time, and it was Yes' goal from the beginning to play in the U.S. So what Bruford said in that interview made perfect sense to me in the context of what I've seen him say elsewhere. I can't specifically recall what other Yes members have said, but I can't believe they would have differed much from what Bruford so eloquently expressed.

Bill

Yeah I think that's all that was meant by that- all the bands wanted to make it in the US and (eventually) Yes certainly did that. I think Yes and Led Zeppelin were the first UK rock bands ever signed by the Atlantic label. Yes did have a very long relationship with them- 20 years. On the Classic Artists DVD Chris Squire cast aspersions on the deal, claiming Roy Flynn was bowled over by someone saying 'we'll sign 'em for 18 albums!!'. I don't know whether this is one of those tall tales.

[Paulrus]

[QUOTE=JJ88;754213I think Yes and Led Zeppelin were the first UK rock bands ever signed by the Atlantic label. Yes did have a very long relationship with them- 20 years. [/QUOTE]

Yeah, I thought it interesting that the interviewer -- who obviously read the promo sheet -- made a big deal about Yes being "the first English band signed to Atlantic Records", when I think most Yes nerds know that Yes and Led Zeppelin were signed around the same time (and I'm guessing in mid-1969 even German interviewers knew LZ were going to be the bigger deal.) But I guess the ink on Yes' contract dried faster.

[profusion]

Yeah I think that's all that was meant by that- all the bands wanted to make it in the US and (eventually) Yes certainly did that. I think Yes and Led Zeppelin were the first UK rock bands ever signed by the Atlantic label. Yes did have a very long relationship with them- 20 years. On the Classic Artists DVD Chris Squire cast aspersions on the deal, claiming Roy Flynn was bowled over by someone saying 'we'll sign 'em for 18 albums!!'. I don't know whether this is one of those tall tales.

It's come out in at least one of the Yes biographies, I believe, that the Yes deal with Atlantic wasn't very favorable, which came back to bite them when they actually did start selling a lot of records. I can well imagine the sort of "negotiation" Peter Grant applied to wring a better deal out of Atlantic for Zeppelin. It also matters that Jimmy Page was already a seasoned vet, while the Yes guys were just a bunch of young guys playing the Marquee Club every week.

[brahseph]

Bill, as level-headed as ever

At 15:00, he comes up with the phrase "preaching and teaching"...based on the reaction from the others, it seems like they are hearing the words for the first time, so we are actually witnessing the early stages of development for CttE!

[emperorken]

Great footage. I would love to see video of Yes' opening act performance at Cream's farewell concert. I don't think any exists, or does it?

[davidblack]

It is a lovely and very cool stuff, the interview is also very cool and interesting.

https://www.musicskanner.com/best-ba...16-epic-guide/

[Tom]

What counts is the energy more than polish or professionalism, and they have that by the busload.

Or in other words "You go to war with the army you have."

Energy, humbug. Peter Banks was loathsome here, carrying a guitar twice his own size and looking carefully around before each fake-spontaneous bunny hop.

</hate>

It is certainly an interesting video; thanks for posting. But the lesson, from my POV, is how quickly Yes transitioned from this to the much greater band they became.

[Rufus]

Banks certainly had lots of ebullient energy, sort of in an early Townsehend way (who himself was fan of Banks and this incarnation of YES)

[arturs]

Great footage. I would love to see video of Yes' opening act performance at Cream's farewell concert. I don't think any exists, or does it?

Good question. I should have listed this on the Holy Grails thread. You figure Tony Palmer would have had at least some of Yes filmed just as a dry run for the filming of the headliners. Has anyone ever asked him?

[strawberrybrick]

Good question. I should have listed this on the Holy Grails thread. You figure Tony Palmer would have had at least some of Yes filmed just as a dry run for the filming of the headliners. Has anyone ever asked him?

Judging by the general consensus of the poor technical quality of the Farewell video, maybe not!

[Paulrus]

Banks certainly had lots of ebullient energy, sort of in an early Townsehend way (who himself was fan of Banks and this incarnation of YES)

And speaking of the Who, am I the only one noticing a Moonish level of noise from the drummer in the film? Which is pretty funny considering how much Bill dissed Keith Moon at the time.