XYZ (band)

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Chris Squire

XYZ was a short-lived supergroup project by Yes musicians Chris Squire (bass, vocals, keyboards) and Alan White (drums), with ex- Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page . The three letters XYZ stand for e X - Y es - & - Z eppelin .

history

Chris Squire and Alan White stayed together after Yes broke up in late 1980. They tried to get in touch with various colleagues, including Led Zeppelin's guitarist Jimmy Page, who started various projects after Led Zeppelin's dissolution, also in 1980. They met in April 1981 at Squire's studio in New Pipers , Virginia Water, Surrey and tried out a few ideas, but Robert Plant , who joined after a while because Page felt the new band needed a strong singer, held it up Material for too little emotional and decided after only one rehearsal not to join XYZ. Since Personal problems also seemed to have played a role, the short-lived project quickly fell apart.

Since the mid-1990s, some of the XYZ ideas have appeared as bootlegs . The recordings probably come from the demo tapes , from Jimmy Page's house in 1987 Cookham , Berkshire were stolen. They contain four pieces: two instrumentals (the first was reworked into "Mind Drive", a piece on Yes' 1997 " Keys to Ascension 2 ") (a similar rhythm pattern was also used in the drum duel between Alan White and Bill Bruford heard on the “Union” tour of Yes), the riff of the second was later reused in “Fortune Hunter”, a song by The Firm , plus two vocal pieces called “Telephone Secrets” (or “Telephone Spies”) and “ And (Do) You Believe It ”(or“ Can You See ”). The former goes back to the Squire / White / Howe sessions for the 1980 Yes album " Drama ". Often referred to as “Untitled II” on Yes bootlegs, it was named “Song No. II” on the expanded edition of “Drama” (released by Rhino). 4 (Satellite) “officially released, in this form still without vocals. Steve Howe (guitar), who can be heard on the recording, has been mixed heavily into the background for unknown reasons and is barely audible. The latter was released under the title "Can You Imagine" on the 2001 Yes album " Magnification ".

After Squire and White recorded a single called "Run With the Fox", which is also on a XYZ melody based (December, 1981) and then a brief break with guitarist Trevor Rabin and former Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye , the band Cinema , on Operated by Jon Anderson , who joined some time later, has been renamed "Yes". This lineup then released the album " 90125 " (1983). After XYZ, Jimmy Page wrote the soundtrack for the Michael Winner film " The Man Without Mercy " (1982) and then worked again with Robert Plant, this time under the name The Honeydrippers , a formation that released an album in 1984 with the title ' Volume One '.

Yes and Jimmy Page got back together after XYZ, and Page played the Beatles classic I'm Down with the band at the end of their concert in Dortmund's Westfalenhalle on June 24, 1984 . That evening some recordings were made for the live mini-LP 9012Live: The Solos . Page is not heard on this album.

Songs

In the following, only those songs are listed that were verifiably played during the XYZ sessions.

  • Instrumental # 1 (4:49)

(Similar rhythm pattern in the drum duet by Bill Bruford and Alan White (" Union " tour, 1991–1992), "Mind Drive" from " Keys to Ascension 2 " (1997))

  • Instrumental # 2 (4:01)

(later as "Fortune Hunter", The Firm )

  • "And (Do) You Believe It?" (4:42)

(Also as "Can you see" and "Unknown Song # 1", later as "Can You Imagine" on the Yes album " Magnification " (2001))

  • "Telephone Secrets" (7:36)

(Also called “Telephone Spies”, “Unknown Song # 2” or, at “ Drama ” times as “Untitled II” or “Song No. 4 (Satellite)”. The song was also used as part of the “ Cinema Sessions ” played, but did not land on " 90125 ".)

occupation

Web links

  • XYZ is mentioned in various Yes biographies. A comprehensive bibliography on Yes can be found on the pages of the Progressive Rock Bibliography , an English-language but German website.