Chris Squire

Chris Squire ( born March 4, 1948 in London ) is an English rock musician. Known to a worldwide audience as he was the bassist for the English progressive rock band Yes.

• 3.1 With Yes
• 3.2 Solo
• 3.3 By Alan White
• 3.4 Conspiracy
• 3.5 With The Syn
• 3.6 Squackett ( with Steve Hackett )
• 3.7 Guest appearances
• 3.8 compilations
• 3.9 Covers

Career

Youth (1948 - 1965)

Christopher Russell Edward Squire grew up in the English Haberdashers ' Aske ', attended public school in Elstree and soon joined the church choir of St. Andrew 's, Kingsbury at. He also sang in the Guildford Cathedral and at St. Paul's Cathedral.

In 1964 he was sent off for too long hair school. Shortly thereafter, he earned his first bass, a Futurama. In January 1965, he took a job in the music store Boosey & Hawkes LTD in London's West End. In the same year he replaced his Futurama by a Rickenbacker 1999 ( that was the name of the English importer Rose Morris for the Rickenbacker 4001S, in which it is a visually simpler version of the famous model 4001 ) - the fourth, sold in England been.

With The Syn and Mabel Greer 's Toyshop (1965 - 1968)

His musical career started Squire as a member of numerous local bands in London in the 60s. The best known was the psychedelic band The Syn (1966 /67 with Gunner Hakanarsson (drums ), Andrew Jackman (keyboards ), Steve Nardelli (vocals), Chris Squire ( bass), Peter Banks (guitar ), Chris Allen ( drums) Ray Steele (drums) ). The band produced some quite successful singles, including the title " 14 Hour Technicolour Dream" and " Created By Clive " (both 1967), greater success failed to materialize, however.

1967 founded Squire and the later Yes guitarist Banks Mabel Greer 's Toyshop the band ( Peter Banks (guitar), Clive Bailey (guitar, vocals ), Chris Squire ( bass), Bob Hagger (drums) ). Later this year, met Squire in London La Chasse club singer Jon Anderson, who stayed there with a part-time job on the water, the two discovered that they had similar tastes ( The fifth dimension, Simon & Garfunkel ) and began songs write ( including " Sweetness ", which would later be heard on the first album Yes, Yes ). Mabel Greer 's Toyshop Anderson stepped in, and the occupation Squire, Anderson (vocals), Banks, Tony Kaye (organ) and Bill Bruford (drums) changed at the suggestion of Peter Banks its name to " Yes".

Own projects during the time with Yes (1968 - 1990), XYZ

Squire should then be the only Yes musician, who can be heard on every album. As the only he never left the band. In addition to its innovative, exceptionally melodic bass playing and his singing with many Yes - pieces can be heard. Already in the late seventies, but increasingly he is responsible for the sharp pop-rock impact since 90125, the 'Yes' influenced by music since the eighties strong. The fan base has therefore an ambivalent relationship to him, one hand, he is regarded as " Keeper of the flame", as one who has held high the banner of the band over the years, on the other hand, just the followers of classic progressive rock phase are always disappointed by the mainstream character that characterizes these later albums and throw Squire before he allowed himself to be infected by the great success of single -oriented Rabin albums too and admitted that the actual style of the band has been watered down.

To date, Squire member of the band, the projects listed below were realized in the many breaks, the Yes men casting after 1975 and especially after 1984.

Published in 1975 Squire be so far only solo album Fish Out Of Water, in cooperation with several other musicians Yes, Bill Bruford and Patrick Moraz (keyboards). The album reached the Yes style, but was more concise, less sprawling and more influenced by jazz and classical music compared to albums like " Tales from Topographic Oceans " or " Relayer ". It is next to Jon Anderson's simultaneous " Olias of Sunhillow " as the best solo album by a Yes - musician.

After the dissolution of Yes 1980 Squire cried along with Yes drummer Alan White and ex -Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, the short-lived band project XYZ ( eX -Yes- & - Zeppelin) to life. They met in April 1981 in Squires Studio and tried out a few ideas, but Robert Plant, who joined after some time, because Page was of the opinion that the new band needed a strong vocalist, the material considered too top-heavy and decided according to only a sample XYZ not to join. As well as personal problems Pages seem to have played a role in the short-lived project fell apart quickly. Since the mid- 1990s are some of the XYZ ideas on albums by Yes ( ' Mind Drive', on "Keys to Ascension 2" from 1997, "Can You Imagine" on " Magnification " ) and The Firm ( " Fortune Hunter ") and appeared as a bootleg.

Squire and White took after, in December 1981, a Christmas single called " Run With the Fox " and then a brief break with guitarist Trevor Rabin and former Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye, the band Cinema, which, at the instigation of Jon Anderson, who some time it came to, was renamed to "Yes".

In 1987, " Esquire", the debut of the eponymous pop-rock band around Squires then wife Nikki. He can be heard as a background singer and produced some of the pieces.

1989 prevented Squire, who holds the rights to the band name "Yes", through a process that an association founded by Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe Yes offshoot "Yes" could be called. The band changed its name to as Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe, until in 1990 they teamed up with the remaining members of Yes to Squire to the eight -member "Union" cast.

Collaboration with Billy Sherwood: The Chris Squire Experiment and Conspiracy (1992 - 2003)

In August 1992, Squire joined in California with a new band called "The Chris Squire Experiment", on which also Yes drummer Alan White and the future Yes member Billy Sherwood were involved ( other participating musicians were Jimmy Haun, who was previously on the Yes album had played "Union" guitar and Steve Porcaro, Keyboards ). The experiment played songs by "Union" and new pieces that were created in collaboration with Sherwood and would later be partially heard on the first " Conspiracy " album as well as on Yes' " Open Your Eyes ". The set list for the concert of 25 August 1992 in San Jose, California was: " Open Your Eyes " (later on the same Yes album, 1997), " The Lonesome Trail ," " You're the Reason " " One World Going Round", " Days of Wonder ", "Follow Our Dreams ". Sometimes even the Yes classic " Long Distance Runaround " ( from the album " Fragile" ) was played.

In 1995 he worked with Sherwood on two songs for the neo prog album "Euphoria", the second album of the band Sherwood "World Trade ". In the nineties and nuller years he operated also with the Sherwood Melodic Rock Project Conspiracy, which released two albums: " Conspiracy " (2000) and " The Unknown " (2003), plus a live DVD called " Conspiracy live". On " Conspiracy ", actually a compilation, various pieces that had arisen in the course of the nineties, including alternative versions of Yes songs (especially "Union" and " Open Your Eyes "), but also hitherto unknown. It was the successor may be considered as a closed, self-contained album. Conspiracy led the Yes style of the 80s ( " 90125 ", " Big Generator" (especially the eponymous song ), 'Union', (especially " The More we live - Let Go" ) ) continue.

Meanwhile Squire is no longer involved in Conspiracy. Billy Sherwood, since 2006 with other musicians in the project Yes Circa: engaged, Conspiracy leads but continued alone for a new album guest appearances by Tony Kaye, Peter Banks, and guitarist Gary Green (ex Gentle Giant ) include announced.

Furthermore, Chris Squire can be heard on various albums by other artists as guest musicians.

Reunion of The Syn and second solo album (2004 - 2007)

In spring 2004, Squire reformed with Stephen Nardelli, Martyn Adelman, Gerard Johnson and Peter Banks his 60s band The Syn, but this left 2006. He has since been working together with Gerard Johnson (Funky Monkey, St. Etienne, ex - Peter Banks ) and Paul Stacey ( Oasis, The Black Crowes, ex - The Lemon Trees ) on a second solo album, while The Syn continue working with new cast. Squires second solo album will be recorded in Studio Stacey Strangeways and was originally intended for release in December 2007, but has since been postponed several times. In Stone Ghost Records in August 2007, a CD / DVD Special Deluxe Edition was released ( 5.1 mix with bonus tracks ) his only previous solo album Fish Out of Water. The DVD contains the promo videos of the songs Hold Out Your Hand and You By My Side, an interview with Squire and an audio commentary Squires. In November 2007, a Christmas album, Chris Squire's Swiss Choir, reinterpreted on the Squire with choral support more traditional British Christmas hymns in a more modern Rock-/Popgewand appeared. In addition to the syn- musicians Gerard Johnson, Jeremy Stacey and Paul Stacey also the former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett was involved in this album.

Playing technique and style

One particularly striking is his powerful, sharp bass sound that comes through his played with a plectrum Rickenbacker bass into existence. Squire usually plays a Rickenbacker 4001, which he has since 1965. It is the fourth model of this type, which was imported from the U.S. to the UK. Squire attained his unique bass sound by the so- called bi - amping. He splits the stereo signal of his bass into two parts. The lower frequencies he reinforced with a conventional bass amplifier, the higher but with an amplifier for lead guitar. It thus attains unusual for E- bass sound that is somewhere between guitar and bass. In addition, the self-taught Squire also used some electric guitar effects like tremolo, phasing or a wah -wah pedal.

Chris Squires play is marked by a bassist for unusually melodic style, which thereby comes about that he does not just play the root notes of each chord, but is keen to play comprehensible melodies. As influences he gives to Paul McCartney and John Entwistle.

Squire was named several times in the 1970s and 1980s by the music trade press for bass players of the year.

Discography

With Yes

See Yes

Solo

With Alan White

With Conspiracy

• 2000 Conspiracy This album contains three hidden tracks: Open Your Eyes ( Wish I Knew ), Man In The Moon & Say Goodbye. The first two are the basic versions of the same songs that were released in 1997 on the Yes album Open Your Eyes.

• 2003 The Unknown

With The Syn

• Created by Clive, 1967 [ single]
• 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, 1967 [ single]
• Various artists: The Psychedelic Scene
• Various artists: The Freak Beat Scene
• Various artists: Rubble Collection 3
• Various artists: Nuggets II, 2001
• Original Syn, Syn 2004/Original 1965-2004, 2005
• Cathedral of Love, 2005 [ promo ]
• Cathedral of Love, 2005 [ single]
• Syndestructible, 2005

Squackett ( with Steve Hackett )

• 2012 A Life Within a Day

Guest appearances

• Rick Wakeman: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, 1973
• Eddie Harris: E. H. in the U.K., 1974
• Rick Wakeman: Criminal Record, 1977
• The Buggles: Adventures in Modern Recording, 1981
• Esquire Esquire, 1987
• World Trade: World Trade, 1989
• Rock Aid Armenia: The Earth Album Quale, 1990
• Various artists: Pop Dreams and Rock Track, 1992
• Rick Wakeman: The Classical Connection II, 1992
• World Trade: Euphoria, 1995
• Peter Banks: Can I Play You Something, in 1999?
• Various artists: Pigs & Pyramids -An All Star Lineup Performing the Songs of Pink Floyd, 2002
• Gov't Mule: The Deep End Volume 2, 2002

Compilations

• Various artists: Affirmative: The Yes Solo Family Album, 1993
• Rick Wakeman: Voyage - The Very Best of Rick Wakeman, 1996
• Eddie Harris:. In the U.K / Is It In 1999
• Rick Wakeman: Recollections The Very Best of Rick Wakeman (1973-1979), 2000
• Gov't Mule: The Deep End Volume 1 & Volume 2, 2002
• Produced by Trevor Horn, 2004
• Various artists: Back Against the Wall, 2005
• The Syn / White / Steve Howe: The More Drama Tour Special Limited Edition CD, 2005

Covers