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Yes singles part 2 – Time And A Word – 315

Time And A Word
Time And A Word

Produced by Jeffrey Crecelius, Michel Arsenault, Wayne Hall, Preston Frazier and Bill Govier.

We’ve reached Time And A Word in our survey of Yes’ singles so let us know what you think of Time And A Word b/w The Prophet and Sweet Dreams b/w Dear Father.

Also, I announce the winner of the Downes Braide Association album, Skyscraper Souls and in the Two Pence segment we tackle orchestras and Yes music.

Listen to the episode then let us know what you think!

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Show notes and links

Singles from the second album and other, related links:

The Warriors, with Jon Anderson and David Foster

Belgian TV featuring Steve Howe!

The Gottlieb Brothers’ post about the Solo Album Tour compilation video.

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Theme music

The music I use is the last movement of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite. This has been used as introduction music at many Yes concerts. My theme music is not take from a live concert – I put it together from the following two creative commons sources: thanvannispen and archive.org

31 replies on “Yes singles part 2 – Time And A Word – 315”

The YMP App for android I think I might have used it one time so for me it would not be a big deal for me.
I really enjoyed Time and a word album I can’t for the life of me remember the singles. Now all those years ago I really wish I would have bought them and kept them but it was the 70’s for me and that’s all I’m saying about that!
Very interesting list of songs in the 1970 sounds like am radio to me…lol
Those videos are hilarious for sure. Peter Banks was really kinda of boned on this album and I believe Steve really liked that album and I think that says a lot about Mr. Howe.
I will have to give Yes a lot of credit for trying early on to make their music sound big and expansive I myself loved the symphonic tour to me that was the icing on the cake for Yes.I’m with you guys I think try out a few players for certain songs and that would be great!
Great show gentle men as always
Paul Tomei

I’m very surprised to hear that “Time and a Word” was edited for single release. I wouldn’t think the song is long enough to require that.
I have always thought that “Dear Father” is one of the best of Yes’ early songs, ever since first hearing it on Yesterdays. Thematically though, I think it’s at odds with most of their other songs in context. Most of the music of the first two albums tends toward what Kevin refers to as “positivity,” and “Dear Father” is somewhat cynical: the father’s encouraging advice is rejected by his jaded, pessimistic son. Can’t fault the musicianship and the writing, though. The coda of “Dear Father” is the most shimmering, brilliant band-plus-orchestra moment to come out of the Time and a Word sessions.

Dear Father is a favorite of mine as well. I’ve always heard it as a retelling of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Yes, odd, I know–but that’s what it brings to mind.

I don’t think I agree that “Astral Traveler” would have been a good single. I think “Then” or the opening Richie Havens song would have been good choices, though. Lots of energy, upbeat; everything a radio DJ lives for.

Ooh! Ouch! Holy Crap! OMG! KEVIN! (and I’m surprised and a bit troubled that you didn’t catch it either, Mark!). . .

‘Something’s Coming’ is one thing, but Leonard Bernstein would not have much reason to criticize or even comment about Yes’ cover of ‘America’ as it’s their version of Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘America,’ from the album ‘Bookends,’ not Bernstein’s ‘America,’ which is from the musical ‘West Side Story,’ Bernstein’s reworking of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ and is the song that was covered by The Nice. ‘Something’s Coming’ is from this same show, and Chris did incorporate Bernstein’s ‘America’ theme into his bass line toward the end of the intro to the Yes version of ‘America.’ . . . so, anyway, perhaps they were a bit worried that Paul Simon might take offense.

There – I hope that clears things up! I hope this doesn’t seem too internet troll-ey, but I do get a bit of a thrill when I realize I know something you didn’t! (Doesn’t happen very often, either!)

I’m enjoying this series so far – I was never much of a single collector, so there’s a lot of interesting stuff to learn.

Thanks Joseph. Mea culpa. I do indeed know that you are absolutely correct and I got a bit confused! There’s not much time left until I’m 50 and I understand from others that I should start fact-checking everything I say at that point.

In hindsight, I probably should have clarified which of the two “Americas” I was referring to from the beginning. Joseph is right; the Nice covered the song from West Side Story (also known as “I Like to Leeve in America”), and Bernstein’s reaction raised concern with Yes and Atlantic that he wouldn’t care for their version of one of his songs either. And Chris DID use a snippet from Bernstein’s”America” later in their cover of Paul Simon’s “America.l. I guess he figured it wasn’t enough for LB to get bent out of shape over.

Well said brother. I was surprised that Kevin and Mark dropped the ball on the America thing. Shoddy research!
The Nice version of Bernstein’s America is their best known piece, a cracking interpretation. I don’t know why Bernstein was upset by it though. Sondheim wrote the lyrics for WSS so he’d have more cause for complaint as The Nice did it as an instrumental.
Incidentally, I saw Bernstein conduct Mahler’s 9th at The Barbican in the late 80s. What a concert that was!

Thanks Jeremy. I hang my head in acceptance of my ‘roasting’ (that’s an American thing, isn’t it?) I also saw Bernstein at The Barbican in the late 80s but he was conducting his own music. Prelude Fugue and Riffs was great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9VyR_RogF8 That’s how to do a proper mash-up. It’s laugh-out-loud funny as well. I’m not sure but I think they also did the Overture to Candide which I absolutely love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=422-yb8TXj8

Thanks for the pictures Kevin. I’ve dug out my memorabilia, the concert I went to was in 1985, earlier than I’d thought. It was part of the Mahler,Vienna and the 20th Century series which spanned a couple of years.
Bernstein’s music is superb also, particularly that written for the stage.

Yeah, I think that both Bernstein and Copland had this idea that rock versions of their pieces were automatically inferior and debased due to what they felt was the inherent amateurism of rock. By sharp contrast, Alberto Ginastera apparently loved the version of his Toccata that appeared on ELP’s Brain Salad Surgery.

Really enjoying the mini-series about the singles, even though I’ve often considered singles for “album” bands rather absurd. It’s fascinating to look back on them in the context of the time and MAKs listings of the UK top 10/20 of the years serves to remind me just what great music there was around at the time (albeit interspersed with the odd crooner/novelty tune) and what a truly exciting time it was for music and popular culture. As 9 year old in 1970 I was sort of aware of chart music but still just too young to really appreciate what was going on around me.
Thanks also for an opportunity to shout at the car audio system this morning as both of you suffered “a moment” confusing the Bernstein and Simon songs both titled “America”. I just hope no other drivers saw me laughing away.
As for the Apps. I’ve commented before that the Android app seems to be rather limited. Most podcast players have far better facilities for rewinding/skipping etc. Unless the App is really going to add functionality over and above what is included in people’s podcast player of choice, I can see little reason to waste time and/or money on replacing them. The only benefit I can see to the current app is that it gives us an icon and thus direct access to the podcast from the home/desktop page. An interesting exercise but perhaps not worth pursuing further.

Thanks Tim. I think Jeremy (comment elsewhere) is right – it seems like Yes were only releasing singles – at this point – as a contractual necessity. Further on in their story, it’s different, of course.
Also thanks for the comment on the app – much the same as others have said.

Also found this article in Electronic Soundmaker magazine from May 1984, whilst looking for something else…. interesting stuff about getting Jon back into the band and Tony Kayes keyboard setup… also Alan White using Simmons drums (please no!!!)
http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/atlantic-crossing/3311
Then that leads me to this other article
http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/the-yes-generation/2222
again with quite a lot about Tony Kayes keyboard setup and Alan’s electronic drums…. well it is from a Music Technology magazine from January 1988.

both articles are interesting and worth a few minutes of your time.

Thanks for those links, Paul, really interesting stuff there. Those Simmons drums – ahead of their time, perhaps.

I’m glad Joseph sorted out the “Americas” confusion 🙂

Funny that also Astral Traveller and No Opportunity had video clips released, which in a way confirms its potential to be singles, as some friends here have supported!

Thanks Miguel. Americagate indeed. It’s interesting to think what singles would have been released if the album had come out in the late 70s or late 80s instead – of course it would have had even less impact in those decades.

Re the YMP app, it’s of no consequence for me as I get it via iTunes.

The singles series of podcasts is already throwing up points for debate. I can’t help feeling that you’ve not thought of it from the perspective of the era in which they were released. Mark criticised the singles from YES as they were a bit far out, then criticised the eponymous single from T&aW for being too pop!

The Dear Father saga is tiring. Who cares how many versions were recorded? Other than a Yes completist that is. I’ve heard only one, on Yesterdays and while it is ok, it’s not worth going on about.

I think that singles were issued in order to fulfil an obligation to the record companies to promote the albums. Why would Yes be interested in the charts? Speaking of which, the chart you read out Mark, is it for the year or for the week that the single was released? Either way it is irrelevant to Yes music.
Is Shirley Basie the wife of the count? Over here we have a singer from Wales called Shirley Bassey …

Good to hear that you now have FooW on vinyl Kevin, did it include the poster? Mine has long since disintegrated having been moved from wall to wall too many times 🙁

Thanks again, Jeremy. I agree the singles do seem to have been put out with little thought. This changes, I think, later on.
I didn’t get the poster with Fish Out Of Water, unfortunately. I only paid a small amount as I just wanted to own a vinyl copy. However, I might get one of the new collections, you never know.

I got mine the day it came out. The poster is a poster sized (!) edition of the picture on the back of the cover.

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