Yes co-founder and bassist Chris Squire died last week at age 67. Along with Genesis, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, the Moody Blues, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, King Crimson and Rush, the British band Yes was a pioneer in progressive rock and influenced many artists. To me and my disco/Top 40 hating high school friends growing up in the 1970s, Yes was one of the greatest bands of that era.
Yes was incredibly popular in suburban Philadelphia, where I grew up. One of the biggest concerts of the 1970s took place at Philadelphia's JFK Stadium in front of over 100,000 people in 1976. The co-headliners were Yes and Peter Frampton. Unfortunately, my parents wouldn't let me go, which in retrospect was understandable.
I went to my first real rock concert when I was 18 years old. I saw Yes in June 1979 at the Spectrum as part of the Tormato album tour. The band had a revolving stage that allowed all of the audience to get a good view at some point. Steve Howe's acoustic performance of The Clap was a highlight, as was Roundabout, one of my all time favorite songs.
That Yes concert inspired my interest in rock music for my entire life. I've attended many rock concerts since then, including Live Aid at JFK, Live 8 at Philadelphia's Ben Franklin Parkway in 2005, the Amnesty International concert at JFK featuring Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Peter Gabriel, Coldplay, U2 (three times), Genesis, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, The Who, Neil Young and The Police (three times).
People didn't know it at the time, but the Tormato tour would be the last time that lead singer Jon Anderson, guitarists Steve Howe and Chris Squire, keyboardist Rick Wakeman, and drummer Alan White would play together. The group has reformed in various incarnations since. Squire was the only member of Yes who played on every Yes album and played on every Yes tour. The original Yes lineup included Squire, Anderson, Bill Bruford, Tony Kaye and Peter Banks.
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