your_host

Wednesday, September 25, 2013 4:16 PM

tommyg, the liner notes of Yessongs have no information about locations or venues. They only note that the recordings were made during the 'Fragile' and 'Close to the Edge' tours.

tommyg

Wednesday, August 21, 2013 8:50 AM

There must have been some major changes in the schedule as you have it listed, because the shows at the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago took place in "JULY" 1972. I was there with six other people. Absolutely sure of this, because someone stole the tickets from my car; we contacted the box office with our seat numbers and receipt of the purchase. We were taken to our seats when we got there and the people who stole them arrived afterwards. Also, on the YesSongs album; one section starts with crowd noises from the night we were there and we remembered the some distinct voices shouting certain things; and in the liner notes it states that portion was recorded in Chicago 1972 at the Arie Crown. Just a little history.

your_host

Tuesday, August 20, 2013 3:36 PM

see also Brian Draper's book 'Yes In Australia', whose Facebook page is here:

[Link]

Slartibardfast

I still have my ticket from the March 21, 1973 concert at Apollo Stadium Adelaide, South Australia.

Jim Eginoire

I was 16 when my older brother and 4 of his friends invited me to see yes at the Armory in Minneapolis Minnesota on September 23, 1972. We drove from Des Moines Ia to the twin cities. I had heard of Yes from Roundabout and had heard Yours is no Disgrace and I've seen All good people but was not aware it was Yes. After all these years I have finally come to the realization that what was a life changing experience included Alan White, who I had discounted as inferior to Bill Bruford. Like I said I was unfamiliar with Yes and was not aware who the drummer was at that show. I became a rabid Yes fan from that show. Now as a born again Christian, I hesitate to say it, but that show was like a spiritual event. This concert was like none I had ever seen before or since. If my memory serves me right, it seems that the audience was on its feet after every song. The applause was not because they were famous but because the performed the greatest concert we had ever attended. I am a drummer, and at that time I had kind of lost interest in playing, but that show ignited a fire in me that burns to this day. Even though Bruford was not with the band then, his talents inspired me to practice and learn all I can about playing. But, like I said, it has taken me over 30 years to give Allen White his due recognition since he was playing with Yes that night.

Andrew Munro

YES flew into town today for their four-concert tour.

They will play in Brisbane tomorrow, Adelaide on Wednesday, Melbourne on Friday, and Sydney's Hordern Pavilion on Monday week.

Ticket prices for Sydney are $2.20, $3.20, and $4.20.

Andrew Munro

Yes tour Dates

The Yes will commence their Australasian tour on March 19 in Brisbane at Festival Hall. Tickets can be bought from Palings. On the 21st they will appear in Adelaide at the Apollo Stadium for one night only and tickets can be bought at Allans. On the 23rd they will appear at the Melbourne Festival Hall and tickets can be obtained from Celebrity Services in the Rivoli Arcade. Myers and M.S.D. Their final performance will be in Sydney at the Hordern Pavilion and tickets are available from DJ's Hordern Pavilion and Mitchell's Booking Service. The Yes are one of the most respected groups in the world and are not to be missed. Although their previous albums haven't been massive sellers in this country. They have over the last 18 months gathered a huge following in Australia. The latest album CLOSE TO THE EDGE has already become their biggest seller in this country and with present album chart reaction it could make the Top five albums.

Andrew Munro

YES...GODSENT
Vocalist, Jon Anderson, gives us a close to the edge account of Yes
Saturday April 7 1973
Darel Nugent

Have you been happy with this tour?

Jon. Yeah. especially since we just came from Japan which was interesting to play. Australia's been really fantastic, just being able to play here for a start and to be able to turn round to myself and say that it's not all like what they said it was going to be. It's just a tremendous place.

Did you have preconceived ideas of what Australian audiences would be like?

Jon: Yeah, well. We were told everybody is all kind of thick and that it is just a silly place. When we first got here we sensed that it was a bit silly.

With record receptions and things like that?

Jon: Yeah. We had a hard time with that. Guys came up to me and said. "What's your name?" and I told him. "Jon who?" things like "What our last record was?" I enjoy doing my job right but I wish some of these guys would ask me the right questions. There was a guy from television and the first thing he hit us with was drugs. The first thing they started talking about was whether we were a bit paranoid about what happened with Joe Cocker and the Stones.

It was incredible! There was a guy who was supposed to be an interviewer from a local radio station in Sydney yet he asked the most stupid questions "Why isn't your group the same as every other group?" "What makes you so different?" A guy on telly asked Steve why people in bands are thin. What an idiot! Yet. this was live television, so Steve told him that he knew of fat people in bands.

10/14/72 New Musical Express
"Yes concert stopped by police raid"
Douglas Jones, MILWAUKEE

Apart from the Indianapolis scene the tour has been one long succession of high spots - for Yes: packers at all three Florida dates, a huge crowd at Detroit's Cobo Hall, two big ones at the Ari Crown Theatre in Chicago, and much more.

It was a rich, varied programme combining all the new material from "Close To The Edge" with songs like "Yours Is No Disgrace", "Roundabout" and "Heart Of The Sunrise from previous albums. Plus, of course, Steve Howe's acoustic spot, and some excellent keyboard material (including the "Hallelujah Chorus" on mellotron) from Rick Wakeman.

Apart from a handful of concerts just before they started this current Stateside tour - plus a short interary earlier in the year - Yes appear to have devoted more time to America than home country in 1972.

One reason is economics; another is the there just aren't enough really big venues in Britain to make long term touring there a feasible proposition.

"Once you've played a three week concert tour, you've been to just about all the really big halls", explained Chris. "Clubs are out of the question too, because we put out a lot of sound, and it simply wouldn't work in the bulk of clubs. Our PA system is even to big for some of the concert venues.

"It's a shame really, because we'd like to do more things back home. It's not as if there are even college basketball or ice hockey arenas, like here.

"I think that next year, we'll be doing just as much overseas work. We'll be coming here, of course, and Japan is virtually certain. I believe there's some talk about Australia, and we'd also like to get back into Europe to play some of the big halls in Holland, Belgium and perhaps Germany and France.

"Basically, we're a working band," squire continues. "We don't like to be idle, I mean, it's a long time since we really had any time on our hands. If we're not touring, we're either routining or recording.

"I suppose we're pretty meticulous about our music, so whatever time we do get to call our own is usually ploughed back into the band affairs".

Over the past three tours, Yes have recorded 'live' on several occasions in America and plans are now well advancing for their first 'live' album early next year. And the next studio album may - just may - be recorded in the US.

"We haven't really gone into it in any detail as yet, but there is a chance of it next year", Chris revealed. "I think a change of location - different studios with different facilities - would be good for us. Anyway, we'll be giving it alot of thoughts before we start preparing material for the next album".

Squire is working on a new bass feature, which in my view is a "must" since he is one of the most unique bass guitarists on today's music scene. Indeed, the changing face of contemporary bass guitar playing has for me been influence enormously by this talented Yes man. He tends to play lead bass rather than rhythm bass, and thus it becomes a featured sound within the band - not just a part of the essential drive created by the bass-drums team.

"Yes, bass playing has changed a lot in recent years" he agreed. "The instrument has now assumed a status of its own, whereas once it was just a source of rhythmic propulsion. Once the electric bass guitar came on the scène, things just had to change".

Steven Sullivan

The Firebird recording that was used on the 72-73 tours (recorded on Yessongs) is available (if you can find it) on RCA Victor 09026-61557-2 which is titled either 'Stravinsky: Rite of Spring' or 'Basic 100 #8'.

Randy Raymer

My first YES concert was in 1972 (Alan had just joined),and the opening act was the Eagles.

Terry Kalka

Rolling Stone Issue No 136
June 7, 1973

On the cover is a headline "YES: SIX GOLD RECORDS INDEED" When you open it up, (these are the days when RS was a newspaper, not a magazine) there is a huge photo of Rick Wakeman with a box of popcorn. The caption reads "Rick Wakeman, the only non-vegetarian Yes man, at Disneyland. Back at the hotel, he missed Richard Nixon and didn't even notice John Wayne."

The article is called "Yes: The band that stays healthy plays healthy" It is by Cameorn Crowe, and has pics of the entire band, plus Eddie Offord and Wolfman Jack. This article is probably copright by Crowe or RS, and if so, it is being reprinted without permission.

Alec Scott used to roadie for Marmalade. "Those guys had girls throwing themsleves at their feet. After shows, there'd be stark-naked young ladies running through the hotel corridors. And orgies? Like you wouldn't believe. Part of my job was to keep everything under control..." A year later, today, Alec is the road manager for Yes. His job, he says, consists largely of locating a health-food restaurant in every city the band plays. "Basically, Yes aren't a raving band," says Scott, a little sadly. "After gigs, they'll usually either head back to the hotel rooms and write or have some health food."

On the eve of their sixth straight gold album, Yes began their 1973 tour in Tokyo, March 8th, and worked across Japan and Australia. From there they would hit the United States to continue through Easter. bookings had provided for a six-day layover. And because they had worked the three weeks in Japan and Australia without families, Yes would be joined by wives and kids for the week off before the first US show in San Diego. Rick Wakeman, for one, is unhappy. "I don't like holidays," he says, gritting his teeth, mocking fury. "I like to continue working once I've started. When we finished Australia, the band was playing really well. But because all the _families_ have come over, the musical contact has been lost. It's a great shame..." Wakeman left his wife Rose and their son Oliver home in England.

It is Saturday, Disneyland Day for Yes. This morning, the band, the families, the roadies will be shuttled by linousines to Anaheim and the spot everyone has demanded they see while in California. The Beverly Hilton lobby, where the party of 15 will gather, is glutted with Secret Service men, LA police and curious hotel guests. Tonight, the Hilton plays host to a ceremonial tribute to film producer John Ford, and the guest of honor is Richard Nixon.

Brian Lane, the manager of Yes, grimaces at the scene, grumbles something to the effect that had he only known, Yes would have stayed somewhere else. Two nights ago, Lane had returned to his suite to find it completely barren. His luggage and clothes were gone; so was all the furniture, the TV, the lamps and the beds. Only after a frantic call down to the desk was he told that his room had been chosen as a stakeout for the FBI.

Lane pouts. "I'll tell you something. This band will never stay in the same hotel room as President Nixon again."

The elevator doors part and out strides Wakeman. "Hey, " he shouts and the newest member of Yes, Alan White. "Listen to this one." John Wayne strolls past, unnoticed. "You see, this bloke has just come from seeing a porno movie when he realizes that his hat is gone. He trots back to the fellow at the door and says, 'Could you let me back in for a moment. Me hat's in there.' And the guy at the dorr just looks at him and says, 'I believe your hat, Sir, is still in you lap!" The two go into hysteric convulsions.

The limousine ride to Disneyland is a rather unscenic one filled with puffing factories and brash billboards. The only passenger, save for one, in the third of three cars is Eddie Offord, Yes' producer.

Offord travels with Yes to coordinated sound equipment and act as consultant on the road. He is the sixth memeber of the band. He is also building and financing a Yes studio, where the group's next LP and their inevitable solo albums will be recorded. An instantly likable fellow with frizzed hair and a good sized beak, he gave up the chance to produce Emerson, Lake and Palmer live album to join Yes on this tour.

The three cars pull up to a crowded Disneyland and depoit their passengers at the entrance. Jon Anderson is the first one to enquire at the information booth. "Could you tell me if there's any place here that has fresh vegetables?

Wakeman is next. "Where's the bar?" he asks.