Caller Gerry

Friday, September 25, 2020 10:02 PM

Thanks Bro Joe for the clarification!

I was so stoned and nervous when I spoke to Chris the night before the concert; couldn't believe that I got through! Listening back makes me cringe, but when Chris asked why I liked CTTE, I said 'that album is perfect' and he was taken back by my honest and heartful(and stoned too lol) response that I think he must have taken it back to YES! next night when Jon introduced AYAI, I turned to my Bro Joe and said 'YAAA BRO, here's a doooob, they're playing this for me!!!:'
Jon Anderson: before AYAI
Let's hear it for Steve Howe. After due consideration, we de..decided that we'd like to try this song tonight.
Jon Anderson: before CTTE " This is for someone special"
I still get shivers!
Caller Gerry, certified YES fanatic - even DRAMA!! Love that album,
have been playing it a lot lately, Machine Messiah - reference to the all seeing singular eye...never made the connection back then to 'show me the strength of your singular eye' Chris and Steve's best collaboration album together. The Drama tour highlight from MLG show was Chris' rig messing up at the beginning and he was freakin pissed! During the Tormato tour in Buffalo, Alan's glockenspeil fell off as the stage went 'round and round' ... memories YES!

Joe

Sunday, July 28, 2019 2:04 PM

Hi Everyone!

The guy who called in to CHUM FM on Thursday, April 19, 1979 and asked Chris Squire if the band would play Close To The Edge on Friday, April 20, 1979 at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, is my older brother Gerry, who is a major Yes fan!
I really dig listening to this clip. It's pretty cool to hear it all these years later. It was a great show! My second concert - age 15.

[Link] call is at 13:36 of the video if you want to skip to it.

your host

A recording of the Chris Squire interview with CHUM Toronto 1979-4-19 reveals the caller responsible for making the request that caused CTTE to be played, to have been a he rather than a she.

[Link]

Paul G.

Wow, seldom has somebody been so wrong so often in one "review" as Andy T. They absolutely 100% played CTTE, Awaken was dropped instead. They also most definitely played And You And I. There was no "huge reel-to-reel tape machine (that) Jon worked for Damien's part" onstage at all, that taped bit was run by the engineer through the P.A.
Siberian Khatru was the first song played, not "later in the show" and they definitely did not play South Side Of The Sky. I think Andy T. had a little too much of the "thick, blue smoke" himself ;)

SOUND CHASER

ANDY T IS WRONG. THEY DID PLAY CLOSE TO THE EDGE. I HAVE THIS SHOW ON TAPE.

Andy T.

I was at this show, all those many years ago, and I still remember it fairly well. It was significant for me because it was my first Yes show (the second was the dire "Drama" tour show in Toronto - my last), I was 13, and these guys were my heroes. I'd first heard "Close to the Edge" in '74 and fell in love with it. This tour, however, pretty much ended what little was left of the "classic" prog rock era.

I remember being struck by a few things that night:
* The show was sold out
* Quite a few fans had made up some decent-looking banners
* The air was thick with pot smoke and there were a lot of drugs being passed around - the glory days...
* The band was loud, but the sound was pretty clear (good for the Gardens)
* Except during their solos, Chris and Steve seemed pretty subdued through most of the evening
* Rick received a standing ovation upon being introduced for his solo
* The complex stage and lighting setups were outstanding given their limited dimensions - the descending star was pretty neat
* They actually managed to fit a small grand piano on stage (buried under all the other stuff Rick was playing, of course)
* Jon would occasionally break into an effeminate-looking hula dance during the instrumental parts
* The huge reel-to-reel tape machine Jon worked for Damien's part on "Circus of Heaven" was a real eye-sore
* The tour song was kind of a nuthin', but I still remember the refrain: "Toronto... Maple Leaf... Canada!"
* I was very disappointed that they did NOT play anything from the "Going for the One" album
* They definitely did NOT play "Close to the Edge" (as someone indicated) and I was extremely disappointed by that fact, and they did NOT play "And You And I" (the following year they did, but Trevor Horn couldn't manage the vocals); they did a fine job with "Siberian Khatru", though I remember it coming later in the show (by the way, does anyone know if there is a recording of the version Heart did back in their Roger Fisher days - he and Alan are pals)
* It was the first time I'd seen a "keytar" played, and Rick appeared to be enjoying himself with it
* Overall, the band seemed to lack energy - like in the blasé, mis-cued clap along during (I think) "All Good People" - the hard touring and the internal strife must have been taking their toll

One thing I'm a little sketchy on: Did they play "Southside of the Sky" at this particular show? I recollect that they did, but that was nearly a quarter of a century ago...

I still love the old music and admire the musicianship, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to see these guys again. It's fun to reminisce, but the Seventies are over, folks, and they ain't comin' back.

Cheers!

Shazam

On a Toronto radio visit the day before the show, Chris Squire promised to play CTTE (at the request of a female fan calling in). He kept his word, and CTTE replaced Awaken in this show.

Jim Duggan

It is too many years later to give you a blow by blow account of the show. All I can tell you is that it changed my life. I was 15 years old and had only discovered Yes in hearing Going For The One. At the time I was wearing out my copy of Tormato. As the days before the show counted down, my excitement grew to nerve racking limits. My friend Dino had bought the tickets. Sadly the concert fell on Greek Easter and his father forbade him to attend the concert. To this day he has not quite forgiven me for being there that night. I ended up going with a friend from England who was aware of Yes, but not a Yes Freak.
I remember the smell of weed hitting me like a brick wall as we climbed to our 3rd row Grey seats. (Very, very high up in the Gardens.) The "In The Round Stage" was clean and as the speakers were suspended high above the stage there seemed to be clear site lines from all angles. As I recall I was at the time not familiar with their earlier work. Roundabout and All Good People being the exceptions.
I have only vague memories of blissful moments, almost entranced listening to the band. Jon''s soaring voice, Introductions for songs I knew and didn''t know.
My fave at the moment was Circus of Heaven. As Jon introduced it I remember leaning over to my friend and saying this is my favorite. He Replied "Sit back and enjoy." It was then that I realized I had either been leaning forward or standing most of the night. I remember taking in the darkened Gardens with lighters lit, (and fans lit), and Yes bathed in lights. The sound was great. Being a veteran of many, many Maple Leaf Garden concerts since, I really believe the speaker set up in the centreof the hall limited the echos that ruined many other shows later on.
The bottom line is that we left in a semi-dream state and drifted with a silent throng past our bus stop and on for about a mile before we remembered that we needed to get home.
A super show, and a landmark in my life!