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Thread: Yes Live at Wembley 1978 Broadcast

  1. #1

    Yes Live at Wembley 1978 Broadcast

    I listened to this concert on BBC radio , the Friday Rock show when it was first broadcast. I ' ve just revisited it on YouTube, what a smokin' gig it was, the aggressive propulsion of Squire and White is awesome.

    How does this era of gigs rank with say the Yessongs and Yesshows eras?

    Also did any of the tracks from this gig make an official release?

  2. #2
    Member Mascodagama's Avatar
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    Ah yes, The Friday Rock Show with Tommy “The Larynx On Legs” Vance. My first introduction to so many great bands, along with his Thursday night slot Into The Music (the VDGG version of Theme One was the intro music...). Happy days with the radio pressed up to my ear in bed...
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    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Absolutely, positively my favorite live recording ever. IMO, these are the definitive versions of Siberian Khatru, Heart of the Sunrise, Starship Trooper, All Good People, Roundabout, and Silent Wings of Freedom. To me, they never bettered these songs live or in studio. Good versions of The Clap and some of the Tormato stuff too, but not as sublime as those above. Awaken is OK, but I've never felt this piece came off that well live compared to the studio version. I think I prefer the Vancouver performance to Wembley, but not by much.

    Other live recordings from this period are good (Chicago 1979, Vancouver 1979), but they don't match Wembley to me. I'd say Yes was as strong on stage through 1979 as they ever were, and overall Wembley, for whatever reason, was a particular triumph. I think they actually did two shows that day, 10/28/78, an afternoon and evening performance. Maybe they had their game particularly on because they knew it was being broadcast. I first saw them in April 1979, right before the Philadelphia Spectrum gig that was filmed, and the show was absolutely life-changing for me.

    Don't Kill the Whale from Yesshows comes from the Wembley show. I don't think anything else has ever been officially released.

    Bill

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sputnik View Post
    Absolutely, positively my favorite live recording ever. IMO, these are the definitive versions of Siberian Khatru, Heart of the Sunrise, Starship Trooper, All Good People, Roundabout, and Silent Wings of Freedom. To me, they never bettered these songs live or in studio. Good versions of The Clap and some of the Tormato stuff too, but not as sublime as those above. Awaken is OK, but I've never felt this piece came off that well live compared to the studio version. I think I prefer the Vancouver performance to Wembley, but not by much.

    Other live recordings from this period are good (Chicago 1979, Vancouver 1979), but they don't match Wembley to me. I'd say Yes was as strong on stage through 1979 as they ever were, and overall Wembley, for whatever reason, was a particular triumph. I think they actually did two shows that day, 10/28/78, an afternoon and evening performance. Maybe they had their game particularly on because they knew it was being broadcast. I first saw them in April 1979, right before the Philadelphia Spectrum gig that was filmed, and the show was absolutely life-changing for me.

    Don't Kill the Whale from Yesshows comes from the Wembley show. I don't think anything else has ever been officially released.

    Bill
    According to Wikipedia, I’ve Seen All Good People on Classic Yes was recorded at Wembley.

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    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jrw View Post
    According to Wikipedia, I’ve Seen All Good People on Classic Yes was recorded at Wembley.
    Aaaaaah! Forgot about that one! Absolutely correct.

    Would love to see the whole thing put together and given a legit release. Most sources now are pretty poor sound quality compared to the old Slipped Disc version of In the Round, which sadly doesn't have the whole show. I have a boot that I got in Germany, though, which has incredible sound, but omits all the Tormato-era material. They call it "Yes live in 1975," which it patently is not. But a good quality legit release of this would be nice. Not holding my breath, though.

    Bill
    Last edited by Sputnik; 04-16-2019 at 10:06 PM.

  6. #6
    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sputnik View Post
    the call it "Yes live in 1975," which it patently is not.
    IIRC the original radio broadcast, at least in Los Angeles, claimed that it was a performance from the (Inglewood) Forum; consequently, it was also bootlegged as Live in L.A.
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    Member Sputnik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits View Post
    IIRC the original radio broadcast, at least in Los Angeles, claimed that it was a performance from the (Inglewood) Forum; consequently, it was also bootlegged as Live in L.A.
    Yeah, I believe even In the Round says it's live from the LA Forum, or some such. But at least they got the year right. I think the German boot I have was just trying to pass this off as an older recording by omitting the later material. I got it dirt cheap, and was stunned when I discovered it was the Wembley performances with stellar sound.

    Bill

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    Thanks to this thread I went and checked out Wembley on Youtube. Yes, what can I say? I agree with you all. The band at the height of their live powers. Better than the Progeny shows because they're more relaxed. Great sound!

    This also brought back an old memory. I had actually taped this show (or part of it) from a friend's vinyl boot, back around 80 or 81. It was only a single LP and I can't remember all the tracks but I definitely remember the Wembley version of Circus of Heaven, hearing it again after so many years. I probably lost the tape while still in high school so had not heard it in at least 35 years. I'm pretty sure the vinyl disc was correctly marked Wembley 1978 unlike the boots you guys are talking about. Why do bootleggers get this shit wrong so much??!

  9. #9
    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by arturs View Post
    Why do bootleggers get this shit wrong so much??!
    Sometimes it's intentional, to obscure their sources.
    Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
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  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by arturs View Post
    Why do bootleggers get this shit wrong so much??!
    You want to know why people who are deliberately doing something illegal, to take advantage of anoraks and fanboys would "get this shit wrong"?! You don't think they're above putting deliberate incorrect information on the cover to lure unsuspecting fans into buying something?!

    I used to have a double LP Grateful Dead bootleg that claimed to be from their 1974 European tour. At the time I didn't question it, because I wasn't as well versed on such things when I was in high school as I am now. But now, I know they didn't start playing Estimated Prophet until 1977 (and it's listed as "California"), and I don't think the Playing In The Band/Comes A Time suite could be from 1974 either (and Comes A Time isn't actually listed on the cover either).

    I also read that Pink Floyd never played If live, but bootleggers were at one time fond of taking the BBC recording from July 1970, and tacking into the middle of other recordings to make it seem like they had a "rare" recording.

    I seem to recall there was something screwy about the track listing on the old Floyd's Of London bootleg, but I can't remember what it was right now.

    Edit: After cursory Googling, I realize the deal with Floyd's Of London was that it listed Echoes and One Of These Days on side one, and Fat Old Sun on side two. Obviously, Echoes was an entire LP side by itself, so side one is actually Fat Old Sun (which is identified as being 15 minutes or whatever on the cover) and One Of These Days, with Echoes on the other side. So it's not that much of a con, the way some of the others were.
    Last edited by GuitarGeek; 04-16-2019 at 11:30 PM.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    Edit: After cursory Googling, I realize the deal with Floyd's Of London was that it listed Echoes and One Of These Days on side one, and Fat Old Sun on side two. Obviously, Echoes was an entire LP side by itself, so side one is actually Fat Old Sun (which is identified as being 15 minutes or whatever on the cover) and One Of These Days, with Echoes on the other side. So it's not that much of a con, the way some of the others were.

    The other problem was that Echoes faded out before the end, since the whole thing was nearly 1/2 hour.

    By the way, that version of "Fat Old Sun" is my pick for the greatest ever Floyd track.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by jrw View Post
    According to Wikipedia, I’ve Seen All Good People on Classic Yes was recorded at Wembley.
    And here I thought both AGP and Roundabout were from Oakland

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by bRETT View Post
    The other problem was that Echoes faded out before the end, since the whole thing was nearly 1/2 hour.
    Mmm, not on the version I have. Mine has the full track, complete with the "barber pole" glissando at the end.

    By the way, that version of "Fat Old Sun" is my pick for the greatest ever Floyd track.
    Yeah, that's one of my favorites too.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits View Post
    Sometimes it's intentional, to obscure their sources.
    I've got an actual vinyl Deep Purple bootleg, Guitar Slaughterhouse, which is purportedly recorded in Germany in 1975, but is in fact from the UK in 1974, from a BBC radio broadcast.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jaco View Post
    I listened to this concert on BBC radio , the Friday Rock show when it was first broadcast. I ' ve just revisited it on YouTube, what a smokin' gig it was, the aggressive propulsion of Squire and White is awesome.

    How does this era of gigs rank with say the Yessongs and Yesshows eras?

    Also did any of the tracks from this gig make an official release?
    As noted, one track on each of Yesshows and Classic Yes. Nothing else from this particular show has ever been released that I know of, although 'Time And A Word' is from the Wembley show the previous day. All the material from this tour on The Word Is Live box were from the US part of the tour.

    The other full show from this tour I've listened to is Quebec 1979, but IMHO Wembley is a far superior show- also helps that the mix/sound quality is also far superior. I suppose my only issue with this tour is that Tormato wasn't their best album- 'Don't Kill The Whale', 'Madrigal' and 'Circus Of Heaven' don't improve live IMHO, but are mercifully brief. I also think it wouldn't have hurt for Wakeman and Howe to have shaken up their solo slots.

    I really like this version of 'On The Silent Wings Of Freedom'. It's not especially 'different' but somehow breathes more than the album one, a little less cramped sounding...perhaps the rather dry production/mix on Tormato is to blame.
    Last edited by JJ88; 04-17-2019 at 03:41 AM.

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    My fave live show too, I have my own version recorded off the radio and also a 'pre fm' version which is stunning. Sadly I never saw Yes until 1980 but I think the 78/79 tour saw Yes at their live peak.

  17. #17
    I was lucky enough to be at this run of gigs, I saw them first the previous year on the Going For The One tour at the same venue, which was terrific, but a shorter set as Donovan was supporting. The in the round shows were long shows and very special, and the radio broadcast really captured the vibe. I had it recorded on a C120 which I played to death, but have since found a few decent quality boot versions of the full set. I really think they should put this out though.

    I went in ‘77 with about ten school friends, by ‘78 I went alone, as it had suddenly become tremendously un-hip to admit to loving Yes. I was always a musical magpie, so didn’t give a damn, but thinking back I ended up at loads of gigs alone... perhaps it was my after shave

    Where was the Big Medley on The Word is Live from? I’m not at home so can’t check my copy, always assumed it was Wembley.

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    ^Inglewood.

    There's a fair amount of 70s shows they could/should release, really. I'm not that interested in any live stuff after that (although I do like that early-mid 00s period).

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    Ah, the Friday Rock Show! Unless my memory is completely shot, the Yes at Wembley broadcast was the very first Friday Rock Show...I remember it because it was broadcast on my birthday and I had to hand my long-suffering mother a c120 cassette along with precise instructions on how to record the show and the importance of turning the tape over at 11pm - long after her normal bedtime - because I'd be out celebrating my 17th birthday until way after the show finished.

    Kids these days, with everything available all the time 24/7 just don't know what they're missing!

    She did a good job and I've still got the tape Not sure what state it's in though...I loved that concert and played the tape to death, much more than Yessongs for example...I just assumed that the stuff on The Word is Live from this era came from this concert, but apparently not

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Sunlight Caller View Post
    I was lucky enough to be at this run of gigs, I saw them first the previous year on the Going For The One tour at the same venue, which was terrific, but a shorter set as Donovan was supporting. The in the round shows were long shows and very special, and the radio broadcast really captured the vibe. I had it recorded on a C120 which I played to death, but have since found a few decent quality boot versions of the full set. I really think they should put this out though.
    If it was a C120 it was probably an early and sudden death!

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    Another famous FM radio broadcast is the 1976 Roosevelt Stadium show from the 'solo albums' tour with Moraz. A really excellent performance but sound-wise, IMHO it's not really release quality.

    Also there's the 1974 King Biscuit show from Boston Gardens, again with Moraz, where Relayer is played in full. 'Ritual' was not broadcast but there's an excellent audience recording of it, it's harder to hear the join between the two sources than you'd expect. My personal view is that it wasn't broadcast because Anderson is struggling with it, he's really straining in a few places on that track.

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Halmyre View Post
    If it was a C120 it was probably an early and sudden death!
    No doubt I had the old HB pencil out a few times as I re-wound the spools for errant mangled tape! I actually still have the cassette in a storage box somewhere with my hand drawn Yes logo cover, though no cassette player these days.

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    Member proggy_jazzer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sputnik View Post
    I first saw them in April 1979, right before the Philadelphia Spectrum gig that was filmed, and the show was absolutely life-changing for me.
    This is me as well! Thanks to the OP for hipping me to the Wembley show; I'll be listening later and fondly remembering.
    David
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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    I bought In The Round 2LP in the last month, and would not have known it was Wembley and not LA if not for this thread. Much obliged, thanks gentlemen.

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    Is there a version of this show with 'Future Times/Rejoice'? There is a version from one of the US shows on The Word Is Live but that's quite a 'dry' recording, so much so I thought it was the studio one for a bit! (I don't think it's a soundboard either, although I'm not 100%.)

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