Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe

Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe (also short ABWH ) was a British Progressive-/Artrock-Band. It was founded in 1989 by four former members of the band Yes, who were not allowed to use this name for legal reasons, as Chris Squire owned the name rights. A band called Yes, consisting of Squire, Trevor Rabin, Alan White and Tony Kaye also existed simultaneously. In the fall of 1990, in the midst of working on their second album, the band of Jon Anderson with Yes has been merged into a single, eight -piece band.

Background

At the end of the Big Generator tour in April 1988, the band members of Yes parted. While the other musicians started to recover from the rigors of the tour, or did solo projects in attack, Jon Anderson left for the second time since 1980 (see Paris Sessions ), the band. He was frustrated because his position had been reduced in the band to the function as a singer and he was not involved in the development of the songs on Big Generator. Anderson was accustomed to lead the band, a role he had held undisputed until 1980.

He then took with his former Yes colleague Bill Bruford ( until 1972 when Yes), Steve Howe ( Yes until 1980 ) and Rick Wakeman them to propose a concept for a band under his direction ( until 1980 when Yes) contact to the he wanted to call Yes. Bruford was the first, the Anderson met. Impressed by his electronic drum sound he put his plan before, and Bruford, first in the belief that he should be involved on a solo project Andersons, consented, as Anderson and later Howe, the musical ideas for a first album had already largely together: Due his experience with every single note disputing and contending musicians he wanted to be in no way involved in the development of music. Also the fact that he did not again had to work with the in his eyes too lazy Chris Squire (this option had been temporarily in conversation, but was vehemently rejected by Bruford ), but was available with Tony Levin an excellent bass player, he with the far better get along and he also knew of King Crimson ago, contributed to his decision.

In addition to Anderson brought especially Steve Howe material for the debut album of the new band. He had previously left GTR after a second album the band had landed in the drawer, and was able to carry his ideas into the new group.

The band signed a recording contract with Arista Records and spent the next five weeks in Paris to learn the new material. Then the musicians then flew to the Caribbean island of Montserrat to record it in the AIR Studios of Beatles producer George Martin. The plan to call themselves Yes, but had to be dropped: Chris Squire, who holds the rights to the name Yes, and Yes ' record label Atlantic Records filed on 31 May 1989 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California action against the ABWH four musicians in order to prevent them from using the name Yes publicly in any way. Especially Anderson was any mention of his former membership of Yes will be banned. The planned tour was announced under the title An Evening of Yes Music Plus ..., and European promoters had the name Yes then printed large on their posters. Yes ( the band around Squire ) argued in public confusion could arise over who is really yes and who is not. ABWH argued against it: If you Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe put on a stage, as one should name the band well?

Background for this lawsuit was a contract that all current and former members of Yes were closed on 22 May 1984. This said that only the time remaining Yes musicians would have the right to use the name and band logo, and that a full- ascended member after a certain period its membership is no longer allowed to mention (by a promotional effect that this certainly has to this day, exploit ). Against this background Yes regarded the use of its name in ABWH Slogan An Evening of Yes Music Plus ... as a breach of contract.

Ultimately, a compromise was negotiated out of court: the new band, however, Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe, the tour was called An Evening of Yes Music Plus .... The classic Yes logo, the fantasy artist Roger Dean in the seventies had designed, but was not allowed to be used.

In June 1989, the band's debut was titled Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. Also a collection of music videos was released along with a brief documentation under the title In the Big Dream. In the accompanying interview, the court enclosed quarrel was continued on an artistic level: Yes is a band whose songs compromises with the demands of the music industry representative, ABWH other hand, had returned to the old Yes ethos, and put art over commerce. The two covers were accordingly designed by Roger Dean, who had come in the seventies many of the classic Yes albums. This should provide the public with the message, Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe had the " only true Yes" - Yes even had in the 1980s, more modern graphic faces (see 90125, 9012Live: The Solos and Big Generator).

The album, much closer to the Yes sound of the seventies, and roughly comparable to 'Yes' Going for the One, has sold approximately 750,000 times. Then started the four musicians with the support of Tony Levin (or Jeff Berlin), E -Bass, Julian Colbeck, Keyboards, and Milton McDonald, guitar and vocals to a successful world tour that from July 29, 1989 23 to March 1990 and lasted for 74 concerts included. One of these concerts is documented on the CD / DVD An Evening of Yes Music Plus. ...

After the end of their world tour at the Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe collected new material for a second album under the working title Dialogue, whose publication was targeted for October 1990. Anderson took his contributions in the south of France to, probably with the help of ABWH - Roadies, while Howe, Bruford Levin and worked on his own material in London. However, personal animosities, particularly between Anderson and Howe and Wakeman and Howe made ​​a cooperation difficult the sessions were too expensive and the record company Arista Records began to exert influence on the songs. Since Larry Magid, who had been involved in the promotion of a Yes tour in 1971, Jon Anderson had made the proposal during the ABWH tour to finance a 84 -concert tour when this was able ABWH and Yes together, Anderson had planned a reunion of the two bands. As these plans took shape, most of the songs were abandoned Dialogue (2007 Anderson has published his material under the title Watching the Flags That Fly, Dialogue pieces by Steve Howe can be found on some of his solo albums). Anderson contacted initially Trevor Rabin of Yes with the request, some guitar parts, and later to contribute even entire songs to Dialogue. Rabin told, and Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe and Arista liked the songs. Inspired by Anderson now forced the management of both bands and in particular Arista cooperation between all eight Yes veterans under a single name, because such a large project for all parties promised large profits. The two warring factions in fully populated then reluctantly (this is especially true of Howe and Bruford to ) under the common name of an album called Union Yes (1991 ) together and went to eight on tour. This meant, to the regret primarily by Bruford and Howe, the end of ABWH (Details of the reunification of Yes under Dialogue and Union).

Chris Squire and the other Yes - Western musicians have not recognized ABWH long time as the Yes Project. This has changed only about 15 years later. On the Yes Compilation Box In A Word: Yes (2002) are also two pieces by Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe.

Occupation

• Jon Anderson - vocals, guitar
• Bill Bruford - drums
• Steve Howe - guitar, bass, vocals
• Rick Wakeman - Keyboards

With

• Tony Levin - Bass ( on the album and the tour )

Discography

Studio album

• Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989 )

Singles

• See Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe under

Videos

• In the Big Dream ( 1989)

Live albums

• An Evening of Yes Music Plus ... ( double CD)
• An Evening of Yes Music Plus ... (VHS and DVD)

Dialogue demos by Jon Anderson

• Watching the Flags That Fly

Concert tour

• Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe tour

July 29, 1989 - March 23, 1990 (74 shows)

( Recordings on An Evening of Yes Music Plus ... )

Secondary literature (selection)

• Morse, Tim: Yesstories. Yes in their own words. New York 1996 ISBN. 0-312-14453-9.
• Mosbø, Thomas J.: Yes - but what does it mean? Exploring the music of Yes. Milton WI 1994 ( no ISBN ).
• Martin, Bill: Music of Yes. Structure and vision in progressive rock. 2nd edition, Chicago / La Salle in 1997. ISBN 0-8126-9333-7.
• Welch, Chris: Close to the Edge. The story of Yes. London / NY / Sydney 1999. ISBN 0-7119-6930-2.
• Watkinson, David: Perpetual change - 30 years of Yes. London 2001. ISBN 0-85965-297-1.