Biggest "ego" in Yes?

[Rickenbacker]

Who had the biggest ego in Yes?

Was it only some? All of them?

I'm asking this only because when I was 1st formally introduced to them when I was about 15, my buddy made it a point to tell me that the band was replete with huge, clashing egos.

I never really gave their personalities much thought unless I read comments on this forum or the like. I *do* consistently hear about Steve being grumpy & my *impression* of Jon is that he's a sweet, peace-loving guy. Chris struck me as watchful & a little stoic.

Or this may all be BS.

So, based on anecdotes, what's true about all that or isn't?

[Sean]

And here goes pages and pages of speculation when nobody REALLY can answer that here.

Whee.....

[Rickenbacker]

Ha! Yeah, def'. I've been on PE long enough to know that for sure. BUT, I've also become a lot more forum-savvy since the early 00s. I run my own FB group with around 15K members & I'll delete this thread once I feel I've gotten sufficient replies.

[Sputnik]

Alan White! The guy is just, "me, me me!" It's infuriating! He basically broke up the band after Tormato with his rants. Poor Jon and Rick couldn't take it anymore. Squire and Howe just stuck with him because the were so intimidated, sensitive souls that they are. It's just like Phil Collins ruined Genesis. It's always the damn drummers!

Only Yoko Ono could ever control Alan. It was all downhill after Plastic Ono Band! A sad and lurid tale of rock and roll excess and an ego run amok!

[mozo-pg]

I have the biggest ego of them all.

[dropforge]

Alan White! The guy is just, "me, me me!" It's infuriating! He basically broke up the band after Tormato with his rants. Poor Jon and Rick couldn't take it anymore. Squire and Howe just stuck with him because the were so intimidated, sensitive souls that they are. It's just like Phil Collins ruined Genesis. It's always the damn drummers!

Only Yoko Ono could ever control Alan. It was all downhill after Plastic Ono Band! A sad and lurid tale of rock and roll excess and an ego run amok!

Ramshackled is what happened when Alan took all his songs back after Steve tried to rearrange them! The nerve of the guy! Doesn't Steve know genius-level music when he hears it?

[Dave (in MA)]

Not Bruford.

[MudShark22]

The Yes Fan.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[luvyesmusic]

Tony O'Reilly hands down. What an arse! ;-)

[Poisoned Youth]

The Yes Fan.

Zing.

[Fracktured]

Phil Collins

[nycsteve]

Irrevelent

[Mister Triscuits]

The one whose dancing wings create as weather spins out of hand.

[Sputnik]

Ramshackled is what happened when Alan took all his songs back after Steve tried to rearrange them! The nerve of the guy! Doesn't Steve know genius-level music when he hears it?

[GuitarGeek]

And here goes pages and pages of speculation when nobody REALLY can answer that here.

Whee.....

Too true. I alwyas liked Steve's comment, regarding an occasion in the early 70's when Yes and ELP played on the same bill, something to the effect of it was "a lot of egos all at once".

[SunRunner2]

Too true. I alwyas liked Steve's comment, regarding an occasion in the early 70's when Yes and ELP played on the same bill, something to the effect of it was "a lot of egos all at once".

Can you imagine experiencing one of those super-double billed concerts? One's head would be spinning around to this very day!!!


"Ego" being defined as: a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance.

synonyms:
self-esteem · self-importance · self-worth · self-respect · self-conceit · self-image · self-confidence · amour propre

I don't think that mere "ego's" were the issue with Yes or any other of the early Prog Rock classic bands. It really came down to how they related to others in the band once fame and fortune took hold. Did they allow it to go to their heads and thus become resentful of others to the point where they could no longer relate to the various personalities in the band? Or, were they willing to "grow" with the increasing pressures created by fame and fortune. Think of the Beatles, for instance.

[Halmyre]

Vangelis.

/thread

[Splicer]

Billy Sherwood?

[progmatist]

Blackmore had the biggest ego by far. Oh, sorry! Wrong band!

[Sputnik]

Blackmore had the biggest ego by far. Oh, sorry! Wrong band!

His ego was so big it overflowed into Yes.

Buddy of mine played with Blackmore's Night. Boy, does he have some stories!

Bill

[dropforge]

Buddy of mine played with Blackmore's Night. Boy, does he have some stories!

[Halmyre]

His ego was so big it overflowed into Yes.

Buddy of mine played with Blackmore's Night. Boy, does he have some stories!

Bill

Oh, go on, Ritchie can't get to you here...probably...

[Sputnik]

Oh, go on, Ritchie can't get to you here...probably...

The long arm of Ritchie Blackmore knows no bounds. I wouldn't want to get my buddy in trouble, because it would be pretty clear who it was. It wasn't actually that bad, in fact Ritchie was super nice to my friend. Mostly. He's just weird and eccentric. Lot's of strange disconnects and odd situations. Not too hard to imagine if you watch a couple of his interviews.

Bill

[Rick L.]

The long arm of Ritchie Blackmore knows no bounds. I wouldn't want to get my buddy in trouble, because it would be pretty clear who it was. It wasn't actually that bad, in fact Ritchie was super nice to my friend. Mostly. He's just weird and eccentric. Lot's of strange disconnects and odd situations. Not too hard to imagine if you watch a couple of his interviews.

Bill

That's not his arm, dude.

[dropforge]