New Yes video footage from 1969

[Paulrus]

"Every Little Thing" and "Something's Coming", live in Germany. Must be mid 1969, around the time the debut was released.

This is Holy Grail quality footage. Enjoy!

[Bucka001]

WOW!!! That is some *fantastic* stuff and the interview at the end is just so cool. Thanks for the heads up!

[Paulrus]

I just looked this up on Forgotten Yesterdays, and the show is listed as:

08/26/1969 (almost a month to the day after the debut release) -- Wiesbaden, Germany (Big Apple Club) -- TV Broadcast

It appears the audio (including the interview) has been circulating for several years already, but the actual footage hasn't been seen until now.

[Baribrotzer]

There's a wonderful raw, unpolished excitement to it. They've got respectable chops, they're playing difficult material, but they attack it with the abandon of a garage band. What counts is the energy more than polish or professionalism, and they have that by the busload.

[Wil]

Bill, as level-headed as ever

[Sputnik]

Wow, very cool to see. I've never seen Squire's Ric painted quite that way.

Bill, as level-headed as ever

Totally! He comes across really well in that interview!

Bill

[progeezer]

Thanks for posting! This video made me remember why I got so excited the first time I heard Yes. It's always nice to see bands before they have a "history" when they're young and hungry rather than old and jaded.

I never knew all these years that Yes was a "blues jazz" band.

[proggy_jazzer]

Wonderful! That moment at 8.40

What a connection Bruford and Squire had.

Tight, energy off the charts, just going for it. Wow.

Thanks for sharing!!

[mozo-pg]

Yes, thanks for posting. It was so entertaining and see Yes in their nascent development. The interview was interesting too.

[Dan Roth]

I never knew all these years that Yes was a "blues jazz" band.

Just imagine how many Yes threads there are on BluesJazzEars.org ;-)

[JJ88]

Interesting that it was just after the debut album, as the arrangement of 'Every Little Thing' is rougher-around-the-edges than the one on the album.

We can see Peter Banks' already established 'showman' tendencies on film- the Beat Club footage is more sedate because it's a more artificial environment, as opposed to a proper concert like this.

Nice to have some up-close footage of Bruford soloing, not much of that from when he was in Yes. Never understood why this cover of 'Something's Coming' didn't appear on the collection Yesterdays- until it was on a 90s CD, unless I'm mistaken the only place to get this would be the original single!

Again, European footage- who knows what these TV companies have that we don't know about. The Top Of The Pops King Crimson 'Cat Food' and 'Tull's 'Sweet Dream' resurfaced recently because they were broadcast on European programmes at the time. The UK originals were wiped decades ago.

[progeezer]

Interesting that it was just after the debut album, as the arrangement of 'Every Little Thing' is rougher-around-the-edges than the one on the album.

We can see Peter Banks' already established 'showman' tendencies on film- the Beat Club footage is more sedate because it's a more artificial environment, as opposed to a proper concert like this.

Nice to have some up-close footage of Bruford soloing, not much of that from when he was in Yes. Never understood why this cover of 'Something's Coming' didn't appear on the collection Yesterdays- until it was on a 90s CD, unless I'm mistaken the only place to get this would be the original single!

Again, European footage- who knows what these TV companies have that we don't know about. The Top Of The Pops King Crimson 'Cat Food' and 'Tull's 'Sweet Dream' resurfaced recently because they were broadcast on European programmes at the time. The UK originals were wiped decades ago.

It's on an import cd called "Astral Traveller" that's on Amazon for as low as $7.72 new. I have it.

1. Then
2. Sweet Dreams
3. Looking Around
4. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed
5. Everydays
6. Astral Traveller
7. Every Little Thing
8. Sweetness
9. Something's Coming
10. Dear Father
11. For Everyone

[squiz17]

Priceless.Great to see the cohesion of the musical arrangement juxtaposed with the “oh no we have to do an interview”

[chescorph]

Boy, Peter Banks is a whirling dervish here, elements of Townshend, Hendrix. The arrangements are amazing, at first I thought these were chopped up but it is a medley.

[Jubal]

Definitely a wink and a nod to the Beatles there.

[profusion]

Wow, this is great! I see more of a Who influence than anything else, and not just from Banks. As good as Yes became, it's a shame they lost the raw energy and improvisational tendencies that Peter Banks brought to the band.

Anderson looks/sounds like he might have had a bit too much Mother Nature before this show and interview...

[N_Singh]

Pre “Jayneeee woot” pre -California JA accent sounds like a working stiff returning from the coal mines

[Supersonic Scientist]

I just looked this up on Forgotten Yesterdays, and the show is listed as:

08/26/1969 (almost a month to the day after the debut release) .

....Just about 1 week after Woodstock....."Something's Coming" all right......

[JKL2000]

Thanks, Paulrus, that was fantastic! Such energy, and they did themselves proud in the interview (Jon seemed the most skeptical one, surprisingly, and it was surprising how much Bill was the vocal one). But overall they gave good answers and didn't overextend themselves, by which I mean they seemed to be giving themselves room to grow. No need to get too heavy when they were just stepping out, as they said the enjoyment was the point. I loved this!

[Mister Triscuits]

Priceless stuff, thanks for posting!

Interesting that it was just after the debut album, as the arrangement of 'Every Little Thing' is rougher-around-the-edges than the one on the album.

Mainly with Jon not knowing when to come in!

(Jon seemed the most skeptical one, surprisingly, and it was surprising how much Bill was the vocal one).

I got a kick out of how, when the interviewer asked about politics, Jon pointed to Bill.

[iguana]

Pre “Jayneeee woot” pre -California JA accent sounds like a working stiff returning from the coal mines

lancashire just called – they want their accent back.

thanks a million for this, paulrus … a joy to watch!

[Fracktured]

Very raw. So young and energetic. They all looked strung out on drugs.


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[battema]

Eh...it's ok, but it's no Heaven & Earth

[strawberrybrick]

Love Bruford on Atlantic... "Expertise on the American Market"

[Paulrus]

Love Bruford on Atlantic... "Expertise on the American Market"

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.