Thursday 2 August 2012

YES: Alan White interview


On the Gonzo Daily we have been following the progress of the latest round of Yes promotional interviews. There have been lots of interviews with Chris Squire, but now we have an interview with drummer Alan White, who has been one of my favourite drAdd Imageummers since he appeared on Live Peace in Toronto with John and Yoko...

It's easy to define a rock band's eras by its singers. Take, for instance, Van Halen. The popular rock act had the David Lee Roth years, the Sammy Hagar period and the brief Gary Cherone phase. Then there's Yes. The prog-rock band has been adored by musical technicians since the late 1960s. It's had four lead vocalists since then, ranging from original frontman Jon Anderson to its current singer, Jon Davison.

While it's common for fans to divide the group's legacy by vocalist, drummer Alan White sees his band's history differently. He categorizes Yes' phases by album. White said "Fly From Here," the group's 2011 album, reflected the return of keyboardist Geoff Downes and producer Trevor Horn. Horn and Downes had been in pop duo The Buggles - famous for the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" - in the late 1970s, and they joined Yes for the 1980 album, "Drama."

Although both left the band after that, Horn returned to produce the band's popular 1983 album, "90125," which features the hit single "Owner of a Lonely Heart." Now Horn and Downes are back, with longtime members White, Steve Howe (guitar) and Chris Squire (bass), along with Davison.

With Horn and Downes involved with Yes again, White defines what they bring to the group.

Check out the Yes artist page at Gonzo

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