XYZ (UK band)
XYZ was the name of a short-lived supergroup project of the Yes - musician Chris Squire (bass, vocals, keyboards ) and Alan White (drums), with ex -Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. The three letters XYZ stand for eX -Yes- & -Zeppelin.
Background
Chris Squire and Alan White had stayed together in late 1980 after the breakup of Yes. They tried to establish contacts to various colleagues, including the guitarist of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page, who took after the release of Led Zeppelin, also in 1980, several projects in attack. They met in April 1981 in Squires Studio in New Pipers, Virginia Water, Surrey, 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 singer, held the material emotional for too little and decided after only one rehearsal, 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, some of the XYZ ideas have appeared as a bootleg. The recordings probably derive from the demo tapes that were stolen in 1987 from Jimmy Page's house in Cookham, Berkshire. They contain four pieces: two instrumentals (the first was to " Mind Drive", a piece on Yes' "Keys to Ascension 2" from 1997) fashioned (a similar rhythm pattern was also in the drum duel between Alan White and Bill Bruford to listen to the " Union " tour of Yes), the reef of the second was later reused in " Fortune Hunter", a song from the Firm, and two vocal pieces called "Telephone Secrets " (or "Telephone Spies ") and " and (Do) You Believe it " (or" Can You See "). former goes to the Squire / White / Howe sessions for the 1980 Yes album" Drama " back. at Yes bootlegs often referred to as " Untitled II 4 (Satellite ) " " means, it was on the Expanded Edition of " drama" (released by Rhino ) as " song No.. officially published in this form, even without vocals. Steve Howe (guitar), who listen to the recording is, the latter was mixed for unknown reasons into the background and is barely audible. was published under the title "Can You Imagine" on 2001's Yes album " Magnification ".
Squire and White then took a single called " Run With the Fox ", which is also based on an XYZ melody ( December 1981) and then a brief break with guitarist Trevor Rabin and former Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye, the band Cinema, on the operation of Jon Anderson, who came to it for some time, has been renamed to "Yes". This lineup then published the album " 90125 " (1983). Jimmy Page wrote to XYZ the soundtrack for the Michael Winner film " The Man Without Mercy" (1982) and it worked again with Robert Plant together, this time under the name of The Honeydrippers, a formation that in 1984 an album with the title ' Volume One ' brought out.
Yes and Jimmy Page came to XYZ together again, Page played at the end of their concert in the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund on June 24, 1984 with the band the Beatles classic I'm Down. That evening some recordings for the live mini- LP 9012Live were: The Solos made . Page, however, is not to listen to this album.
Songs
In the following, only those songs are listed that were played proven in the context of XYZ sessions.
- Instrumental # 1 ( 4:49 )
( similar rhythm pattern in the Drum Duet of Bill Bruford and Alan White ( " Union " tour, 1991-1992), "Mind Drive" from "Keys to Ascension 2" ( 1997) )
- Instrumental # 2 ( 4:01 )
(later known as " Fortune Hunter", The Firm)
- " And (Do) You Believe It? " ( 4:42 )
(also known as " Can you see " and " Unknown Song # 1" and later as "Can You Imagine" the Yes album " Magnification " (2001) )
- "Telephone Secrets" ( 7:36 )
(also known as "Telephone Spies ", " Unknown Song # 2" or to "drama " times as " Untitled II " or " Song No.. 4 (Satellite ) ". The song was also part of the " Cinema Sessions" played, but did not land on " 90125 .")
Occupation
- Jimmy Page - Guitar
- Chris Squire - bass guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Alan White - drums
- (Robert Plant - vocals)