History Trivia / Yes

* AuthorExistenceFailure:
** Not anyone from the band, but Steve Howe's son Virgil, who made ''Yes Remixes'' and also played with him and bands like Little Barrie, died in September 2017 of a heart attack.
** Although over 40 years removed from Yes, Peter Banks apparently had several projects in the pipeline when he died in 2013.
** Chris Squire seemingly planned to come back from leukemia. He certainly didn't expect to already be dead by the time of the band's first performance without him...

** [[http://forgotten-yesterdays.com/dates.asp?ftype=1&qbandid=1&qdec=1970&qdateid=496 At one point]] (see the bottom comment), although nobody knows how serious the offer was, Yes asked [[Music/KingCrimson Robert Fripp]] to perform on one of their albums. Whether or not this was an offer to be their permanent guitarist after Peter Banks left the band is unknown, but Fripp said no. This may have spurred Jon Anderson providing the vocals to "Prince Rupert Awakes" from the ''Lizard'' suite.

* BigNameFan:
** Creator/JossWhedon named his production company Creator/MutantEnemy after a line from "And You And I".
** [[Music/KingCrimson Robert Fripp]] is a fan of the band, saying that Yes was one of the few of his progressive rock contemporaries he actually liked. Bill Bruford joined the band and Jon Anderson contributed guest vocals because they were also fans of King Crimson, so the affection was mutual.
** While [[Music/TheBuggles Trevor Horn and Geoffery Downes were fans of the band]], Chris Squire was also a fan of the Buggles, which is one reason they ended up replacing Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman.

** "Roundabout" off ''Fragile'' has few progressive elements compared to most of their '70s output. It even sounds like a straightforward rock song if you listen to the radio edit. The original length? [[EpicRocking 8:37]]. Radio edit? ''3:27''.
** "Owner of a Lonely Heart" off ''[[NewSoundAlbum 90125]]'' was a catchy New Wave pop rock tune that sounded nothing like the band ever did before then. One of the first mainstream songs to ever use sampling, it was one of the most revolutionary and influential songs of the '80s and the popular MTV video helped introduced the band to a new generation of listeners, many who never knew they were a progressive rock band until then. Play this song to anyone, then play one of their '70s songs, and the listener will think they are two completely different bands. It remains the band's sole number one hit.
* BreakthroughHit: ''The Yes Album'' was their first album to chart in America, and "Your Move" was their first single to make the Top 40.

** Anderson had a particular distaste for ''Big Generator'', which contributed to his decision to leave afterward. His next album, ''Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe'', was in many ways a complete departure from everything he felt was wrong with ''Big Generator'', such as single-focused writing and trying to mimic ''90125''.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Rick Wakeman wasn't allowed to compose anything on ''Fragile'' for legal reasons [[note]]except for, allegedly, the piano bridge on "South Side of the Sky", which went uncredited anyway[[/note]], which explains why his solo piece on that album is arranged classical work by Brahms. His contributions on followup ''Close to the Edge'' were credited as [[LoopholeAbuse "themes"]] to get around the contractual lockout.
** This is the reason ''90125'' is a Yes album instead of a Cinema album. Cinema was originally Music/TrevorRabin, Chris Squire, and Alan White, with Tony Kaye added mainly for live shows (Rabin and Trevor Horn played most of the actual keyboard parts on the album). However, after Jon Anderson joined the fold, Atco Records insisted that the band be called Yes (but then again, consider the fact Squire, Kaye, and Anderson were founding members and Alan White had been the only drummer since Music/BillBruford left). Rabin wasn't happy about this, not wanting to be perceived as a replacement for Steve Howe.

** After ''Union'', the record label Victory offered a contract to record ''Talk'' only to the members who had been on the hit eighties albums, ''90125'' and ''Big Generator''. They then made sure an epic length song ("Endless Dream") and an old song by Rabin, "Walls", appeared on the record; the latter, much to Rabin's chagrin. In a bit of poetic justice, [[CreatorKiller the label folded shortly after its release]].

* FranchiseKiller: ''Drama'' subverted this when the band came back for ''90125''. ''Union'' played it straight, killing their commercial success, and all their studio albums have since been released on indie labels, though they're still an in-demand live act and several of their albums have still charted in the UK and elsewhere.

** ''Fragile'' had the band members doing "solo" pieces to record the album quickly in order to pay for Rick Wakeman's keyboards. Subverted in that it's still considered one of the band's best albums.

** After the low sales of ''Yes'' and ''Time and a Word'', Creator/AtlanticRecords was seriously considering dropping the band if their third album was also a commercial disappointment. Yes didn't know it at the time, but ''The Yes Album'' was their make-or-break moment...and they passed with flying colors.

** ''Fragile'' was originally envisioned as a double album with live tracks. This was dropped because of cost concerns and the need to get the album out quickly to pay off the bank loan for Wakeman's instruments.

** Rabin, Kaye, Squire, and White originally asked Trevor Horn (who had already committed to be the producer) to sing on the album that would become ''90125''. Horn refused (remembering the poor reception from fans he had received on the ''Drama'' tour). It was only after this that Squire met Anderson at a party and brought him back into the fold.

** Several outtakes have been released through the years which reveal quite a lot about the group's writing process. "All Fighters Past", a fragment included on the 2015 remix of ''Fragile'', reveals that a segment of "The Revealing Science of the God" dates back at least to the sessions for ''Fragile''. It's only a fragment because apparently the group reused tapes of material that they didn't feel was satisfactory, which makes one wonder what was erased in the studio. A rehearsal of "The Revealing Science of God" included on the 2003 remaster of the album (inexplicably not included on the 2015 remaster) also reveals that the same segment got a TriumphantReprise in the rehearsal. The band cut it in the final version, but it feels like a loss. (WordOfGod says that the original version of that particular song was over twenty-five minutes long.) Jon Anderson has expressed a desire for awhile to re-edit ''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' for concision, but one wonders whether there was other material left on the cutting room floor that would have improved the album.

** They were reportedly turned down for Live Aid because there was no room on the bill.

** Music/PhilCollins was scheduled to audition to be their drummer, but earlier that same day he auditioned for Music/{{Genesis}} and went with them instead. Collins later toured ''A Trick Of The Tail'' with Music/BillBruford as the second drummer.

** Rick Wakeman contributed keyboards to several Music/DavidBowie albums: ''Music/SpaceOddity'', ''Music/HunkyDory'' and ''Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars''. Bowie offered him a permanent spot in his backup band, but Wakeman chose to join Yes instead. Tony Kaye was also part of Bowie's band for his 1976 Isolar tour.

** Not anyone from the band, but Steve Howe's son Virgil, who made ''Yes Remixes'' and also played with him and bands like Little Barrie, died in September 2017 of an undisclosed cause.
** Althougth over 40 years removed from Yes, Peter Banks apparently had several projects in the pipeline when he died in 2013.

** Oliver Wakeman intended to contribute heavily to the writing of ''Fly from Here'' before he was booted out for Geoff Downes, who contributed to the title track of that album. By the time it was finished, "Into the Storm" was the only piece Oliver contributed to that remained, although he actually played on parts of the title suite and "Hour of Need" as well. Interestingly, although Benoit David was largely mixed out of the ''Return Trip'' remix, Oliver's contributions were kept intact.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Not anyone from the band, but Steve Howe's son Virgil, who made ''Yes Remixes'' and also played with him and bands like Little Barrie, died in September 2017 of an undisclosed cause.

** The original version of ''Fly From Here'' (not the ''Return Trip'' remix, which is much easier to find) is actually harder to find on CD than ''Talk'', and neither edition is available on digital outlets. Both the original ''Fly From Here'' and ''Return Trip'' were also released on vinyl but are quite rare and expensive.

** While [[Music/TheBuggles Trevor Rabin and Geoffery Downes were fans of the band]], Chris Squire was also a fan of the Buggles, which is one reason they ended up replacing Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman.

** [[Music/KingCrimson Robert Fripp]] is a fan of the band, saying that Yes was one of the few of his progressive rock contemporaries he actually liked.

** ''Talk'' has only ever had two CD printings (the initial release in 1994 and a limited re-release in 2002; the latter reformats "Endless Dream" as one track and adds an extended mix of "The Calling"), which means getting a CD of ''Talk'' involves finding a used copy or paying inflated prices for the scarce amount of new ones. And if you want to TakeAThirdOption and buy the mp3 version? It turns out ''Talk'' has never had a legitimate digital release, and is not available in full even on streaming sites like Spotify (some of the album used to be available, but as of September 2014 it's vanished entirely). However, the album did receive a 2-disc vinyl reissue in 2015.
** The original version of ''Fly From Here'' (not the ''Return Trip'' remix, which is much easier to find) is actually harder to find on CD than ''Talk''. It's also not available on digital outlets, and neither are ''Open Your Eyes'' nor ''Heaven & Earth''. Both the original ''Fly From Here'' and ''Return Trip'' were also released on vinyl but are quite rare and expensive.

** ''Talk'' has only ever had two printings (the initial release in 1994 and a limited re-release in 2002), which means getting a CD of ''Talk'' involves finding a used copy or paying inflated prices for the scarce amount of new ones. And if you want to TakeAThirdOption and buy the mp3 version? It turns out ''Talk'' has never had a legitimate digital release, and is not available in full even on streaming sites like Spotify (some of the album used to be available, but as of September 2014 it's vanished entirely).
** The original version of ''Fly From Here'' (not the ''Return Trip'' remix) is actually harder to find on CD than ''Talk''. It's also not available on digital outlets, and neither are ''Open Your Eyes'' nor ''Heaven & Earth''.

* BigNameFan: Creator/JossWhedon named his production company Creator/MutantEnemy after a line from "And You And I".

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: ''Talk'' has only ever had two printings (the initial release in 1994 and a limited re-release in 2002), which means getting a CD of ''Talk'' involves finding a used copy or paying inflated prices for the scarce amount of new ones. And if you want to TakeAThirdOption and buy the mp3 version? It turns out ''Talk'' has never had a legitimate digital release, and is not available in full even on streaming sites like Spotify (some of the album used to be available, but as of September 2014 it's vanished entirely).

** Rick Wakeman contributed keyboards to several Music/DavidBowie albums: ''Music/SpaceOddity'', ''Music/HunkyDory'' and ''Music/TheRiseAndFallOfZiggyStardustAndTheSpidersFromMars''. Bowie offered him a permanent spot in his backup band, but Wakeman chose to join Yes instead. Tony Kaye was part of Bowie's band for his 1976 Isolar tour.

** Althougth over 40 years removed from Yes, Peter Banks apparently had several projects in the pipeline when he died in 2013

** Music/TrevorRabin has had a decent career in scoring, doing the soundtracks for films like ''{{Film/Armageddon}}'', ''Film/NationalTreasure'', ''Film/ConAir'' (alongside Mark Mancina), and ''Film/RememberTheTitans''. "Titan's Spirit" from the last of these has been [[RecycledSoundtrack recycled]] for Creator/{{NBC}}'s coverage of the UsefulNotes/OlympicGames and UsefulNotes/BarackObama's acceptance speech after winning the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Rabin is part of producer Creator/JerryBruckheimer's ProductionPosse at this point, having scored or co-scored thirteen of Bruckheimer's films. In total, he has more than forty film score credits, though some were collaborations with other composers. He's taken a break to focus on Yes with Anderson, Rabin, and Wakeman, though.

** Music/TrevorRabin has had a decent career in scoring, doing the soundtracks for films like {{Film/Armageddon}} and Film/NationalTreasure.

** Bill Bruford's original stint in Yes can be seen as this for those familiar with work with Music/KingCrimson, on top of solo work.
** Trevor Rabin has had a decent career in scoring, doing the soundtracks for films like {{Film/Armageddon}} and Film/NationalTreasure.

** Also most of the participants of ''Union'', due to the overproduction, ExecutiveMeddling and replacement of band contributions with that of session musicians and computer editing in post-production. Rick Wakeman famously calls it "Onion" [[IncrediblyLamePun as it brings tears to his eyes]] and he said that when he first heard it, he chucked the CD out of his limo and only has heard one other time since. He also famously quipped, "The only person that didn't play on this album was [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments my dog]]". Bill Bruford simply said it was "just awful". The tour supporting ''Union'' in 1991 only included up three of its songs in the setlist, and only one, "Saving My Heart", appears on the ''Union Live'' album, which wasn't released until ''ten years later''. It is more a document for fans of the "mega-Yes" lineup of that time than for the ''Union'' album itself.

** Also most of the participants of ''Union'', due to the overproduction, ExecutiveMeddling and replacement of band contributions with that of session musicians and computer editing in post-production. Rick Wakeman famously calls it "Onion" [[IncrediblyLamePun as it brings tears to his eyes]] and he said that when he first heard it, he chucked the CD out of his limo and only has heard one other time since. He also famously quipped, "The only person that didn't play on this album was [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments my dog]]". Bill Bruford simply said it was "just awful". The tour supporting ''Union'' in 1991 only included up three of its songs in the setlist, and only one, "Saving My Heart", appears on it, which wasn't released until ''ten years later''. It is more a document for fans of the "mega-Yes" lineup of that time than for the ''Union'' album itself.