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List of Yes band members
Yes are an English progressive rock band founded in 1968 by lead singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye, and drummer Bill Bruford. The band's current line-up includes guitarist Steve Howe (who first joined in 1970), keyboardist Geoff Downes (who first joined in 1980), bassist Billy Sherwood (since 2015, formerly guitarist/keyboardist, who first joined in 1994 as a touring member, and as official member in 1997), lead singer Jon Davison (since 2012) and drummer Jay Schellen (who first joined in 2016 as touring member, and as official member since 2023).
The band formed out of psychedelic rock band Mabel Greer's Toyshop in 1968, with the line-up of Anderson, Squire, Banks, Kaye and Bruford. In September, Bruford decided to quit performing to study at the University of Leeds. His replacement, Tony O'Reilly of the Koobas, struggled to perform with the rest of the group on stage and former Warriors and future King Crimson drummer Ian Wallace subbed for one gig on 5 November 1968. After Bruford was refused a year's sabbatical leave from Leeds, Anderson and Squire convinced him to return for Yes's supporting slot for Cream's farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 November.
This line-up released two albums, Yes and Time and a Word, the latter of which included a 20-piece youth orchestra. Banks left the group on 18 April 1970, just three months before the album's release. Having expressed dissatisfaction with the idea of recording with an orchestra, Banks later indicated that he was fired by Anderson and Squire, and that Kaye and Bruford had no prior knowledge that it would be happening. Banks' replacement was Tomorrow guitarist Steve Howe, who appears in the photograph of the group on the American issue despite not having played on it. This line-up released The Yes Album, friction arose between Howe and Kaye on tour; this, along with Kaye's reported reluctance to play the Mellotron and the Minimoog synthesizer, preferring to stick exclusively to piano and Hammond organ, led to the keyboardist being fired from the band in the summer of 1971. At the time of Kaye's departure, Yes had already found their new keyboardist, Rick Wakeman, a classically trained player who had left the folk rock group Strawbs earlier in the year.
Fragile, was recorded by the new line-up and was released in November 1971, followed by Close to the Edge in September 1972. The growing critical and commercial success of the band was not enough to retain Bruford, who left Yes in the summer of 1972, before the album's release, to join King Crimson. The band considered several possible replacements, including Aynsley Dunbar (who was playing with Frank Zappa at the time), and decided on former Plastic Ono Band drummer Alan White, a friend of Anderson and Offord who had once sat in with the band weeks before Bruford's departure.
Wakeman left the band after the 1973–1974 tour; his solo album Journey to the Centre of the Earth topped the UK charts in May 1974. Several musicians were approached to replace Wakeman, including Vangelis Papathanassiou, Eddie Jobson of Roxy Music and former Atlantis/Cat Stevens keyboardist Jean Roussel. Howe says he also asked Keith Emerson, who did not want to leave Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Yes ultimately chose Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz of Refugee, who arrived in August 1974 during the recording sessions for Relayer.
In late 1976, the band travelled to Switzerland and started recording for their album Going for the One. It was then that Anderson sent early versions of "Going for the One" and "Wonderous Stories" to Wakeman, who felt he could contribute to such material better than the band's past releases. Moraz was let go, after Wakeman was booked, initially on a session musician basis. Upon its release in July 1977, Going for the One topped the UK album charts for two weeks.
After internal tensions, Anderson and Wakeman left yes in early 1980. Their replacements were keyboardist Geoff Downes and singer Trevor Horn of the Buggles. After releasing Drama, and touring in support of it the group disbanded in March 1981.
At the beginning of 1982, Phil Carson of Atlantic Records introduced Squire and White to guitarist and singer Trevor Rabin, who had initially made his name with the South African supergroup Rabbitt, subsequently releasing three solo albums, working as a record producer and even briefly considered being a member of Asia. The three teamed up in a new band called Cinema, for which Squire also recruited the original Yes keyboard player Tony Kaye. Later in 1982, Cinema entered the studio to record their debut album. Although Rabin and Squire initially shared lead vocals for the project, Trevor Horn was briefly brought into Cinema as a potential singer, but soon opted to become the band's producer instead.
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List of Yes band members
Yes are an English progressive rock band founded in 1968 by lead singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye, and drummer Bill Bruford. The band's current line-up includes guitarist Steve Howe (who first joined in 1970), keyboardist Geoff Downes (who first joined in 1980), bassist Billy Sherwood (since 2015, formerly guitarist/keyboardist, who first joined in 1994 as a touring member, and as official member in 1997), lead singer Jon Davison (since 2012) and drummer Jay Schellen (who first joined in 2016 as touring member, and as official member since 2023).
The band formed out of psychedelic rock band Mabel Greer's Toyshop in 1968, with the line-up of Anderson, Squire, Banks, Kaye and Bruford. In September, Bruford decided to quit performing to study at the University of Leeds. His replacement, Tony O'Reilly of the Koobas, struggled to perform with the rest of the group on stage and former Warriors and future King Crimson drummer Ian Wallace subbed for one gig on 5 November 1968. After Bruford was refused a year's sabbatical leave from Leeds, Anderson and Squire convinced him to return for Yes's supporting slot for Cream's farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 November.
This line-up released two albums, Yes and Time and a Word, the latter of which included a 20-piece youth orchestra. Banks left the group on 18 April 1970, just three months before the album's release. Having expressed dissatisfaction with the idea of recording with an orchestra, Banks later indicated that he was fired by Anderson and Squire, and that Kaye and Bruford had no prior knowledge that it would be happening. Banks' replacement was Tomorrow guitarist Steve Howe, who appears in the photograph of the group on the American issue despite not having played on it. This line-up released The Yes Album, friction arose between Howe and Kaye on tour; this, along with Kaye's reported reluctance to play the Mellotron and the Minimoog synthesizer, preferring to stick exclusively to piano and Hammond organ, led to the keyboardist being fired from the band in the summer of 1971. At the time of Kaye's departure, Yes had already found their new keyboardist, Rick Wakeman, a classically trained player who had left the folk rock group Strawbs earlier in the year.
Fragile, was recorded by the new line-up and was released in November 1971, followed by Close to the Edge in September 1972. The growing critical and commercial success of the band was not enough to retain Bruford, who left Yes in the summer of 1972, before the album's release, to join King Crimson. The band considered several possible replacements, including Aynsley Dunbar (who was playing with Frank Zappa at the time), and decided on former Plastic Ono Band drummer Alan White, a friend of Anderson and Offord who had once sat in with the band weeks before Bruford's departure.
Wakeman left the band after the 1973–1974 tour; his solo album Journey to the Centre of the Earth topped the UK charts in May 1974. Several musicians were approached to replace Wakeman, including Vangelis Papathanassiou, Eddie Jobson of Roxy Music and former Atlantis/Cat Stevens keyboardist Jean Roussel. Howe says he also asked Keith Emerson, who did not want to leave Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Yes ultimately chose Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz of Refugee, who arrived in August 1974 during the recording sessions for Relayer.
In late 1976, the band travelled to Switzerland and started recording for their album Going for the One. It was then that Anderson sent early versions of "Going for the One" and "Wonderous Stories" to Wakeman, who felt he could contribute to such material better than the band's past releases. Moraz was let go, after Wakeman was booked, initially on a session musician basis. Upon its release in July 1977, Going for the One topped the UK album charts for two weeks.
After internal tensions, Anderson and Wakeman left yes in early 1980. Their replacements were keyboardist Geoff Downes and singer Trevor Horn of the Buggles. After releasing Drama, and touring in support of it the group disbanded in March 1981.
At the beginning of 1982, Phil Carson of Atlantic Records introduced Squire and White to guitarist and singer Trevor Rabin, who had initially made his name with the South African supergroup Rabbitt, subsequently releasing three solo albums, working as a record producer and even briefly considered being a member of Asia. The three teamed up in a new band called Cinema, for which Squire also recruited the original Yes keyboard player Tony Kaye. Later in 1982, Cinema entered the studio to record their debut album. Although Rabin and Squire initially shared lead vocals for the project, Trevor Horn was briefly brought into Cinema as a potential singer, but soon opted to become the band's producer instead.