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Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius
Kevin is back! He and Mark bang on at length about the recent Oliver Wakeman concert with his band at Worcester, the remastered and expanded From A Page album and the first single from the new Yes album, Aurora.
My thanks to everyone who has wished me well, including Brian Breen, Chris Berry and Gary Betts and his wife and most importantly Mark, who has kept the wheels turning at YMP Towers brilliantly.
There are also some thoughts from Daniel and Amanda about the new From A Page, especially the inclusion of the song, Aliens and do check out the show notes for a video of our own Geoff Bailie discussing the new Yes single with his Prog Report compatriots.
- How was the Oliver Wakeman band?
- What’s new about the expanded From A Page?
- What do we think of the new Yes single?
YES announce 24th studio album
‘Aurora’;
launch video for title track
10th April 2026: YES, who is Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood & Jay Schellen, are proud to announce their 24th studio album ‘Aurora’ will be released on the 12th June 2026 via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. As Howe explains: “Making this record was joyful, a chance to play, explore and give everything to the music. It’s always been about collaboration, somebody can write a song, but until everybody puts their contribution in it isn’t really a Yes song. We’re not trying to echo the past; we’re carrying the spirit of Yes forward and turning it into something new”.
The band are also launching the first single from the album, and you can watch the beautiful animated video for the title track, created by Matt Hutchings (Greg Lake, Oasis, Iron Maiden), here: https://youtu.be/ETEGJTM6plw
‘Aurora’ will be available as a Limited Deluxe 180g Light Green 2LP+2CD+Blu-ray Artbook & Poster, as well as a Ltd Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook, both featuring the stunning artwork of Roger Dean and Freya Dean, as well as a bonus disc of instrumentals, and a blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound & 24bit stereo mixes (by Curtis Schwartz). The album is also available as a Gatefold 180g 2LP + LP-booklet, Special Edition CD Digipak & as Digital Album.
Pre-order now here: https://yes-band.lnk.to/Aurora
The track listing is as follows:
1. Aurora 07:27
2. Turnaround Situation 05:50
3. Love Lies Dreaming 06:24
4. Countermovement 13:48
5. Ariadne 06:18
6. All Hands on Deck 03:04
7. Outside the Box 04:20
8. Emotional Intelligence 03:30
9. Jambustin’ (Bonus Track) 04:24
10. Watching the River Roll (Bonus Track) 04:42
When Yes first began sketching out ideas for what would become ‘Aurora’, the process was loose and exploratory. There was no preconceived concept at the start, just a collection of musical fragments that gradually began to find one another and take form. Among these early sketches was a piece titled “Aurora,” and it quickly became clear that the name carried certain gravity. It suggested light, emergence, and a sense of vastness, qualities that resonated deeply with the band. Jon Davison remembers how “the title immediately resonated with Steve Howe and sparked visual inspiration for artist Roger Dean, setting a conceptual tone that would guide the project.”
Work on ‘Aurora’ began almost as soon as the ‘Classic Tales of Yes’ tour ended in 2024. The idea of a new album surfaced quickly and with the label’s encouragement, the band had the time to develop material organically. Rather than gathering in a single studio for months, they embraced a modern workflow; ideas were born in home studios, shaped independently, and then woven together through constant collaboration. Downes and Howe often acted as the central creative axis, with Howe, as producer, serving as the point through which all ideas eventually flowed.
Across ‘Aurora’, each track carries its own character. Some echo the classic Yes approach, others push into new territory, but together they form a cohesive whole that honours the band’s heritage while embracing forward motion. With their 24th studio album, Yes demonstrate not just longevity, but a sustained curiosity, a desire to keep exploring, keep refining and keep discovering their capacity to create.
YES is:
Steve Howe
Geoff Downe
Jon Davison
Billy Sherwood
Jay Schellen
YES ONLINE:
www.youtube.com/user/yesofficial
INSIDEOUTMUSIC ONLINE:
www.youtube.com/InsideOutMusicTV
www.facebook.com/InsideOutMusic
www.instagram.com/insideoutmusic/
https://insideoutmusic.bandcamp.com
Barry Plummer 2026 Calendar is still available!
Apply £11.00 off with the promo code wh4y4pk3
Enrich your Prog year with iconic images of Yes in the 1970s, taken by the legendary rock photographer, Barry Plummer.
Enjoy 12 beautiful colour and black and white photographs of Yes in the studio and live, capturing the essence of the world’s greatest progressive rock band. With this limited-edition calendar on your wall throughout 2026, you’ll agree that Barry Plummer is, indeed, the Master of Images!
(A flat shipping fee will be added at checkout depending on your location.)
Yes – The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans – Yes Album Listening Guide
Available now!
YMP Patrons:
Producers:
- Joseph Cottrell
- Wayne Hall
- Ken Fuller
- Jeffrey Crecelius
Patrons:
| Aaron Steelman | Lind |
| Al Dell’Angelo | Lobate Scarp |
| Barry Gorsky | Mark Baggs |
| Bill Whittaker | Mark James Lang |
| Bob Martilotta | Mark Slater |
| Brian Harris | Martin Kjellberg |
| Brian Sullivan | Michael Handerhan |
| Chris Bandini | Michael O’Connor |
| Craig Estenes | Miguel Falcão |
| Dave Owen | Paul Hailes |
| David | Paul Tomei |
| David Heyden | Rachel Hadaway |
| David Pannell | Robert Nasir |
| David Watkinson | Robert Vandiver |
| Declan Logue | Ronnie Neeley |
| Dem | Scott Colombo |
| Doug Curran | Simon Barrow |
| Fergus Cubbage | Stephen Lambe |
| Fred Barringer | Steve Dill |
| Gary Betts | Steve Luzietti |
| Geoff Bailie | Steve Perry |
| Geoffrey Mason | Steve Rode |
| Guy DeRome | Steve Scott |
| Henrik Antonsson | Steven Roehr |
| Hogne Bø Pettersen | Terence Sadler |
| Todd Dudley | Thomas DeVries |
| John Cowan | John Thomson |
| John Holden | John Viola |
| Jamie McQuinn | Tim Stannard |
| Douglas Caldwell |
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13 replies on “New Yes single ‘Aurora’ plus Oliver Wakeman live in Worcester and the new version of From A Page – 717”
Hi Guys,
Great to hear Kevin back. I almost bought a ticket for the Oliver gig in Worcester, family arrangements got in the way…but I will try and see Oliver performing this material later in the year. I am very much looking forward to getting my copy of the expanded From a Page. I think Oliver deserves to get credit for his Yes tenure and musical input to the band..he was great with the band. One of my claims to Yes”fame” is that I have seen three Wakemans play in Yes …Rick , Oliver and Adam….well it’s a big deal in my mind .
I think Aurora is an excellent song and the video complements it well. My only criticism and Kevin highlighted this, we really do need to hear the Yes choir. That was one of the highlights of the Rabin era …the Choir. I don’t quite understand why for the last 2 or 3 albums we have not had that 2 or 3 voice choir.
Anyway it is looking very promising for the next Yes album.
My best wishes to you both.
Thanks Gary. Yes, that’s a really good claim to fame! I wonder if we will ever see Oliver playing with an iteration of the band again…
I would like to think Oliver may be involved in a future Yes line up. Perhaps if the band do ever play the whole of Relayer it would be sensible to have a second keyboard player. Also Oliver can sing … perhaps we could once again get a 3 or 4 part Yes Choir. During the Open Your Eyes and The Ladder tours Yes had a 5 piece choir …Jon, Chris , Steve, Igor and Billy…I think that is right.. that was a rather exceptional line up live….as demonstrated on the House of Yes CD/ DVD. You know this Kevin, but for those who don’t there were issues which apparently resulted in Igor possibly not being able to do a UK tour a couple of days before the start of the tour . Jon or Chris rang Rick and asked him if he could help , he said no but Adam would step in. I am not sure if they actually rehearsed with Adam, but he was going to play Keyboard s on the first date at Manchester Apollo. The issues were resolved with Igor. But for the encore at Manchester Chris invited Adam to come on Stage and play keyboards …Chris gave Adam a massive hug, before and after I think it was Starship Trooper…a lovely Yes moment.
It’s great to hear Kevin back in fighting form. My ranking of the new version of From a Page is a 9. Likewise, I give the Aurora song a 9, and the video an 8. Looks to me like David Tennant in the video! I’d love to see Oliver and band do a US tour including From a Page songs, Mother’s Ruin and more, but he told me recently at his Kent, Ohio gig that it’s unlikely promoters would bite at the idea, sadly.
Thanks Doug. Definitely a Tennant resemblance! David lives just up the road from me.
I was fortunate to meet Oliver after the Vegas show in 2011. Nicest meet and greet experience of my life. (But not as funny as Chris:))
I remain disappointed Oliver was not retained.
Agree, Jeff. If Geoff retires or has to leave Yes for any reason, I think they should get Oliver back in the band. I know Tom Brislin would be wonderful but as long as Kansas is active, he’s with them.
Thanks Jeffrey. As you know, nothing is ever certain in Yes world…
So great to have Kevin back, welcome back, man! I like Aurora a lot, I give it a 7.5 rating (def needs more Billy vocals) but love the keyboards, orchestration, Steve’s soloing is banging, and the themes (both musically and lyrically) are lovely.
Good to have you back Kevin!
It’s interesting to see there’s a full album version of From A Page now. It feels like we now have a view of what Trevor Horn felt the Fly From Here album should’ve been, and a view of Oliver’s as well. It makes FFH truly a controversial album.
Thinking back on it now it would’ve made much more sense for Trevor to produce the From A Page album as-is, in exchange for doing Fly From Here as a follow up, with more Drama-era infusion (such as Go Through This) in place of the From A Page tracks. It would have been a more elegant situation, but alas, this is what we find and have to deal with. Can’t wait to hear the album, and Aurora of course. And Topographic Tours. Oh what a time to be a Yes fan…
Thanks Joost. It’s great to be back at what is, as you say, such a busy and exciting time for Yes fans.
Maybe one day we will have some kind of double album with all the material from those two albums split up as you suggest. Stranger things have happened in the crazy world of Yes!
Welcome Back Kevin, hoping you are now fully recovered and well rested.
Good episode again with the highlight definitely being Oliver’s expanded From a Page’. I hadn’t heard the album until this last week but am now playing it to death. The band is on fire.
I have now listened to the song Aurora about seven times now. As a dedicated fan of Yes Music since the 1970s, I have to say it’s not for me.
Strip away the tired orchestration and the number is unremarkable. It pales in comparison to From a Page.
All the same I will definitely spin the full album when it arrives
Welcome back Kevin and thanks to Mark for holding the fort so ably…
Thanks for the comments, Alan. Yes, From a Page is great and very ‘Yessy’. Maybe there will be more music that appeals to you on the rest of the new album.