Where are they now? - former Yes members
This page last updated: 25 Apr 2022
Bruford has retired from performance (Oct
2017 interview: "I no longer perform, practice or teach on
the instrument."; 2015
interview: "I have not been playing any music. I've not
touched the drums for five years."). Instead, he does research,
writes and gives talks. His latest lecture series covered Denmark
and Norway (Mar 2018) and then the US
northeast and midwest in Apr. He was awarded a PhD from
Surrey University in 2016: his thesis, "Making It
Work: Creative Music Performance and the Western Kit Drummer",
is available here, which was based on interviews with a set
of drummers including Dylan Howe (Steve's son, worked with Yes). He also turned
this into what he described as a "less formal" book, Uncharted:
Creativity and the Expert Drummer. He wrote a Jun
2021 piece for The Absolute Sound.
"Impositions on the River of Time" by Molotov Ape feat. Bill Bruford, released 11 Mar 2022, is a piece by Molotov Ape where they have sampled Bruford speaking.
Compilations,
re-releases and archives Out 29 Apr 2022 is the 6CD collection Making a Song and Dance: A Complete-Career Collection (BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd., BMGCAT529DBOX). All tracks were previously released. I have seen multiple different versions of the track list reported. What follows is from Amazon UK. 'The Collaborator' CD1:
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I couldn’t put on this everything I wanted to. That’s because there’s a time limit. [...] you’d be surprised at the stuff that I couldn’t get licensed and that might have been fun to have some of that and then again the stuff I could get licensed and that turned up on the record. And I think that what you’re allowed legally to license is a big determinant of what you can and cannot use on such a compilation but 99% of what was on my original list for tracks we did in fact license, which is a thrill and BMG have been eternally helpful with the entire project. [...] we’ve been working on this for eight months.Bruford launched his YouTube channel in Jan 2022 with an array of archival content.
Some of the early sessions for the Listen Now album [...] involved Bill Bruford + Phil, [Brian] Eno and me (not sure about Eddie [Jobson] though he certainly played on other sessions). These tracks were never used though I believe Phil still has the 24-track masters somewhere. Every now and then we talk about what we might do with them. We haven't come up with an answer yet.King Crimson
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Kaye has been working on
multiple projects with Billy Sherwood,
chiefly CIRCA: follow those
links for more details. Kaye and Sherwood have recorded a
song with Scott Walton: see
under Sherwood. Brian Chatton (ex-Warriors, ex-Flaming Youth, ex-Jackson Heights, worked with Jon Anderson) has a number of songs on his MySpace page that were produced by Kaye. Kaye has also been helping Chatton with some videos to accompany his autobiography "Rolling with Rock Royalty" (Facebook), now out. Chatton has talked about releasing further songs with Kaye. |
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The
New Empire Before the album, they released two digital singles. On 4
Jun 2020, they released "Faraway
Friend (for Peter)" (lyric
video), written by Perdomo, produced by
Murdock/Perdomo and performed by Koss (vocals), Perdomo (6
and 12 string guitars, bass, Fender Rhodes, Mellotron,
Hammond organ) and Murdock (drums, keys, orchestral
arrangement). Previously, they released a cover of
Empire's "Out of Our Hands" through
Bandcamp, also with Akiyama (keys, synths), produced
by Murdock/Perdomo and mixed/mastered by Zach Ziskin. A
Feb 2019 Facebook
sampler also covered and sampled "Foundation", with
second guitar by Preston Murdock. Perdomo and his Out to Sea Band previously released a
live version of "The Architect", Perdomo's tribute to
Banks. The song has now been released as a single
digitally and as a 7", backed with "Angel". Banks posthumously appears on a new project on Puzzlebox (Bandcamp) from Clint Bahr (ex-Flash, worked with Eartha Kitt; composer, lyricist, vocals, bass, Stick, acoustic guitar, keys, percussion), released 31 Mar 2022. A guitar solo by Banks is used on "Kicking the Wasp's Nest", which otherwise features Bahr (vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, bass pedals, percussion), Billy Ficca (Television; drums) and Jeff Schiller (worked with Gloria Gaynor; saxes). Also appearing on the album are Colin Carter (ex-Flash; vocals), Mike Hough (ex-Flash; drums), Dan Parkington (violin, sitar), David Cross (ex-King Crimson, worked with Peter Banks; violin, viola), David Jackson (ex-Van der Graaf Generator; woodwind), Dick Griffin (worked with Roland Kirk; trombone), Marilyn Crispell (piano), and Stephanie Feyne (spoken word). Banks appeared on Jabberwocky (1999) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (2002) by Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman. These were re-released in a box set Tales by Gaslight: see under Oliver Wakeman for details. |
Tracks with Banks are on The Syn's Flowerman – Rare
Blooms from The Syn, basically a re-release of most
of Original Syn, but with new liner notes: see
details under Squire. |
I’m [...] planning to do some concerts by myself. More than ever, I’m back in the saddle to record. I have multiple projects in the pipeline, and they will come out as they come out. I also have some classic music in preparation, and some other new stuff that’s going to knock your socks off.In a Jan 2017 interview, he said, "I'm playing seven hours a day, and I'm also recording every day and every night[.] I've composed many hundreds of pieces of music."
[...]
I have other symphonic works [in development; in addition to A Way to Freedom] as well, including the completion of my “Children’s Concerto” for orchestra. I’ve added some orchestral colors to it…but I like to keep some mystery about what I’m doing!
I have also been expressing myself by writing poems, either in French or in English. And I’ve already recorded some of them. And I’ve almost completed a double CD with my other group in Switzerland [possibly a reference to Random Kingdom]; that’s going to come out..probably not this year [2015] or next year [2016], but after that. I have at least two other albums schedule to come out. But for now, MAP is taking priority
[...]
Because my children are grown up, and because I’m not committed, contracted yet – yet! [laughs] – to tour with a big band with my music, I have more time. And I’ve developed a very interesting studio here in Florida.
Solo shows
Moraz had a solo
piano show on 18 Nov 2019 in Sellersville, PA.
Moraz appeared at Moogmentum:
Synthesizing Innovation, Music, and Creativity, a
3-day event for the opening of the Moogseum in Asheville, NC, 13-5
Aug 2019. On 13 Aug, he performed and was in conversation with
Larry Fast; and he did a demo/Q&A/signing on 14 Aug, with a
VIP event in the evening.
The latest Moraz solo show was on 5 Aug 2018 in Sellersville, PA. He had a solo show in Winter Park, FL on 30 May 2018; the set included "Soon" and material from i. He next played at The Iridium, New York, NY on 26 Jul 2018and had another show, I think again The Iridium, on 30 Jul 2018. 30 Jul set: "Light Elements", "Aural Contact", "Soul Eternal", "Rite of Passage", "Temples of Joy", "Galatea", "Cachaça", "Imps Dance", "The Best Years of Our Lives", "Talisman—Caravan", "Isle of View", film scores medley, "For Mom", "Krazy Kapers", poem: "If YOU Think You Can...", "Nights in White Satin", "Soon", Variations and medley on Chopin/Mozart/Beethoven, 3-4-5-notes improvisation, "Modular Symphony". He previously played a solo piano Earth Day concert on 22 Apr 2018 in Sarasota, FL, when pieces included "Aural Contact I: Sacrifices".
Band projects
Moraz and Ronnie
Ciago (Facebook) (ex-CIRCA:, Brand X, worked with Bill
Ward, Mick Taylor, Jaco Pastorius, Robert Downey Jr.; percussion)
have been working on an album together; one piece with Ciago
appeared on Moraz's solo album Change of Space. Ciago said
on Facebook in late Sep 2011: "there is also 2 Moraz & Ciago
cd's due out in the next few months, Patrick Moraz & Ronnie
Ciago "Live On The Radio" and The new studio cd ( Moraz &
Ciago ) with known guest musicians."
Solo albums
It was a balance between the two [beginning with Moraz' compositions or not]. We played together and jammed and so on. The music was composed, first and foremost. Actually I composed more than nine pieces – at least fourteen pieces – and then I let him choose the ones that felt the most comfortable. [...]Moraz also said they are "discussing and planning how we’re going to do" live dates, continuing, "Not only promotional dates, but proper concerts."
Greg and I and John Avila, we can now play that music with our eyes closed! We can play it the way it is [written], but we can also jam. And that’s what we will do for the next album. We are really, really determined to put out a bunch of albums together. We had so much fun making this album
I want to keep it a surprise. But what I can tell you is that it’s not just one CD, one album. It’s a bunch of different works for myself at the piano, with a band, with a trio, orchestra and choirs. That’s why it’s taking so long. In this kind of work, you can never say exactly when it’s going to be ready.In an interview circa May 06 (Notes from the Edge #299), Moraz said:
A WAY TO FREEDOM seems to be taking a long time to come out. It's not the lack of material, but more about the inherent inertia which has surrounded the project from the beginning. I have lots and lots of recorded material already, but I never seem to be able to put the finishing touch to the production as a whole.
In an Aug
2013 interview, asked about the project, Moraz replied:
It’s still on the front burner, it’s just that I’ve got different projects and different productions that take precedence. [...] I’ve got several pieces that I’ve had rendered for a symphony orchestra and percussionists and a jazz brass band. All of the music is written and arranged; it’s on paper. It’s just that it takes time. I could have finished it and released it, but in some way I have been enjoying my right to be a little bit of a perfectionist. (Laughs.)
Asked about the project in the late 2014 interview, Moraz said,
"I am in the finishing stages of A Way To Freedom, because
I've got some other productions that take precedence. [...] that's
going to be my solo album. I've been working on that for several
years on and off."
A Jun
2014 interview described it as "due in the very near
future". It also describes as upcoming Cantata, a piece
for a soprano-alto-tenor-bass choir in 7 movements, "paying homage
to 'Our Planet.'" The latter was previously described on Moraz'
website as EcoCantata. His site website also said Moraz is
"progressing in the compositional development, production and
"finition" of a "Futuristic Ballet" and other works featuring
electronic arrangements as well as innovative, rhythmic
instrumentation and acoustic orchestrations."
Other news
Moraz guested on the 10-track album Not in
Kansas Anymore, the posthumous and only solo album by Robby
Steinhardt (ex-Kansas, worked with Jon Anderson),
released 25 Oct 2021. Steinhardt was working on the album in his
final months before his death in May 2021. The album was produced
by Michael Franklin (works with
Jon Anderson), while further guests include Chuck
Leavell (ex-Allman Brothers Band, worked with The
Rolling Stones, George Harrison; keys on a remake of
"Dust in the Wind"), Billy Cobham, Steve Morse, Liberty DeVitto (works with Billy Joel), Pat Travers, Bobby
Kimball (Toto) and Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull, worked with Jon Anderson), as
well as many of the players on Jon Anderson's
1000 Hands: Chapter One and the associated touring
band, including Michael & Tim Franklin, Tommy Calton, Jocelyn
Hsu, and Rayford Griffin.
Moraz appears on the next Prog Collective album from Billy Sherwood, Songs We were Taught, due 1 Jul. He is on a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World": see main page for details. Moraz appears on "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" on the forthcoming Cleopatra Records release, Animals Reimagined – A Tribute to Pink Floyd: see on main page for details.
In the late 2014 interview, Moraz described another project:seven years ago, I had a project [...] “Seven Days a Week: Music on the Road From A to Z,” [...] I was seeing real people in real time, and the idea was to record in one week, in seven days — actually seven different CDs, one CD every day with a different theme every day. I kind of started to prepare production, because it’s a rough animal to do that, but as of yet I haven’t had the chance to complete such the project. But it’s still in the future works, as a future operation.
In the Oct 2010 Classic Rock
Presents... Prog, Moraz says:
I am so busy right on many
projects. They vary from rock to classical. Right now, I'm
working with some extraordinary musicians in Tampa, Florida.
Moreover, there are various reissues being planned. And I'm
currently writing my autobiography, when I will reveal the truth
of what happened with Yes.
Moraz played on sessions for bassist Dave LaRue (The Dixie Dregs, John Petrucci) for a second solo album that has yet to appear.
Moraz-Bruford tracks are included on Bill
Bruford's career retrospective 6CD box set Making a Song
and Dance: see above
for details.
Longer term plans
Moraz has talked of multiple further
projects, but many of these appear to be some way from producing
any output. He has plans for a third "Future Memories" show,
which he discusses in a new interview on a forthcoming DVD
release of the first two "Future Memories" TV programmes (see below). Moraz has also been
working on an album with Michel Sanchez (Deep Forest)
for some time. A report circa Feb 2005 said that Moraz has
two electronic albums close to completion, one of which seemed to
be the one with Sanchez. It is unclear whether the other was A
Way to Freedom, with Armen or some other project.
Moraz has expanded "Modular Symphony (1st Movement)" from his 1987 Human Interface album into an entire piano conerto, which he intends to release at some point according to a Mar 2005 interview.
Although he has no immediate plans, in his Mar 2005 interview, Moraz talked of his willingness to do a video or film project based on his solo album The Story of i. In his NftE interview (Jan 2001), he said, "I've also been writing and researching some stories. I'd like to do a movie of THE STORY OF I either in 3-D computer graphics, an animated version, or the real thing. I have also written a couple of other movie scripts; one is a science fiction story and the other is about the life and times of a composer who lived three hundred years ago." In an earlier interview (Oct 2000), he said: "I have just about 30 other projects that I have already composed, I've composed hundreds of pieces of music in the last 9 years. [...] I have also, maybe, studying to get a commission for a symphony orchestra perhaps in europe for next year [2001]." At some point, he has been planning to do a charity Christmas album.
In the 2005 interview, Moraz mentioned too
his desire to do some live shows with flautist Syrinx to play
music from their album Coexistence/Libertate, although
again there are no specific plans at present. Moraz has said he
may collaborate with Annie
Haslam in the future.
sorry i've been missing in action,,,.but I have been 24/7 on the new solo album, and it's turning into something pretty cool.In Sep 2014, Rabin said the album will have "some surprise guests" and described 3 drummers will be involved, Lou Molino (who had already recorded parts, and previously played on Jacaranda and with Anderson Rabin Wakeman), son Ryan Rabin and an as yet unnamed drummer. Recording sessions continued in Sep 2014. In Aug 2015, he posted to Facebook:
I was hoping i'd be closing in by now.
Ufortunately it'll take a but longer. It's just taking time to let it all happen the right way. But i'm quite excited with where it's going.
I'm about half way through and very happy. Bare with me.
Sorry there's been little on the new album.The next day, in response to a question, he posted, "BTW...Yes it is very much a vocal album". A Jun 2015 interview described him as "now writing an album of all-original rock material and considering a tour." However, in Feb 2016, he said (again on Facebook) that he was "just working crazy at the moment" and "putting my solo album on hold". This appeared to be connected to the ramping up of activity by Anderson, Rabin & Wakeman.
I'm had to take some breaks to fulfill some film obligations.
But it's going great, I wish it was happening a little faster.
I would say I'm half way there and will be back at it next week.
speak soon. all the best
I've completed 2 tracks for my next solo album.Journalist Jon Kirkman said on Facebook (Jan 2014) that Rabin is keen to get the rock album out within 2 years and he already has some material for it. On Facebook in Feb 2014, Rabin talked of having completed two songs in the style of Can't Look Away and 90125.
I wasn't sure what shape my voice would be in, as singing is something I do little of with scoring (or on Jacaranda), ... but voice exercises and singing a lot,....i'm in good shape.
Happy so far, ...long way to go!
Once [...] we [ARW] do Europe […] once that tour is finished, I'm actually going to start bookings [for film scoring]. So I've promised [new manager] Rich [Jacobellis] that when I come back, in between now and doing the next tour [26 Aug-9 Sep 2018] […] I'll agree to start taking meetings, speaking to people and I'll phone my friends [like directors Renny Harlin and Jerry Bruckheimer]Wakeman said in his Sep 2018 GORR that ARW are taking the rest of 2018 off as a group, while "Trev is doing the score for a new film".
I’ve got two solo records which I’m scheduled to do and two scores which I’m not at liberty to mention [...] I pretty much signed on to them now, and so I’m pretty busy right up until the end of 2018 at this point.In a Jun 2017 interview, Jason Becker, who is having Rabin guest on a piece of his, said, "[Rabin] is working on a symphony now": I am unclear what that is, and whether it is related to solo work, film scoring or something else.
I did an instrumental album in 2012 [Jacaranda]. I wanna follow that up with another [instrumental] album, and I also do wanna do a kind of vocal rock album to follow up on [...] Can’t Look Away [...] obviously, a priority goal for us is ARW
I've had something on the burner for a long time, but I've never really got centered on it [...] I have an electric-guitar concerto. I'm calling it that, which might sound a bit posh, but it's just a classical electric guitar. What I have sketched out is for full orchestra and electric guitar. I've also included four bagpipes, which just sounded so great. It's a great combination, these very legato, almost sitar-ish guitars and the drone of the bagpipes, which is an extraordinary sound. I really want to come to terms with this guitar concertoAnd:
I'm also very determined to do a rock album, whatever that means, with singing on it.In a Jun 2012 interview, he said, "I will sing on a record in the future. I've started working on a followup to Jacaranda. I'm going to do a vocal." He also says, "I met with Robert Plant and we wanted to do something together, so I'd love to revisit that." And in another Jun 2012 interview, Rabin says, "I will sing soon! Yes, I will definitely be singing on my future albums and projects." And adds, "This album [Jacaranda] and the music I express on it is definitely a turning point for me. I will be far more creatively free from this moment on since creating Jacaranda." In my Jul 2012 interview with Rabin, he said: "I am so motivated by Jacaranda it certainly won't be 20 years between albums again." In an Aug 2013 interview, he said: "I am starting a new solo album as a follow up to Jacaranda".
Collaborations, guest appearances
& other news Rabin guests with Outlanders (alternate website, Twitter), a collaboration between vocalist Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish) and musician/producer Torsten Stenzel (York, worked with Mike Oldfield, Nelly Furtado, Joss Stone). Further guests include Mike Oldfield (worked with Jon Anderson, Geoff Downes), Al DiMeola, Vernon Reid, Joe Satriani, Bumblefoot (Asia), Walter Giardino (Rata Blanca), Steve Rothery (Marillion), Marty Friedman, and Jennifer Batten. The project, which was mainly recorded in Antigua, mixes electronic music, vocals and (electric and acoustic) guitars. The album uses some texts by Paulo Coelho. Marcelo Cabuli is the executive producer. The first single, "Closer to the Sky" (streaming audio; music video), features Rabin and was released digitally 26 Nov. There is also a 7" vinyl release, with a b-side of "Closer to the Sky (Dub Mix)". The song was written by Turunen and either Erik Nyholm or Stenzel (I've seen different reports), and is performed by Turunen (vocals), Stenzel (programming) and Rabin (guitars). It was recorded and engineered in Antigua by Stenzel, with the vocals recorded by Turunen in Marbella, Spain, and the guitars recorded and co-produced by Rabin. The song was produced and mixed by Stenzel, Turunen and MIC, and mastered by Tom Porcell. The band plan to release 8 singles in total before an album release in 2023 (around May), with the next single ("The Cruellest Goodbye" with DiMeola) out 28 Jan 2022. Rick Wakeman and Rabin have both mooted the possibility an album together at some point: see here for details. Rabin and Roger Hodgson worked together after Hodgson had turned down the idea of joining Yes, the collaboration yielding "Walls" on Talk. Some of that material was recorded with Squire, White and Kaye. Asked in the Sep 2020 SOAL interview whether any of it might see release, Rabin replied that he and Hodgson "always keep in touch". He continued, "we really spent quite some time enjoying writing together and recording stuff. A lot of it just never got finished. [...] That's something that, y'know, maybe, at some point, Roger and I should... y'know, time's getting on, so we should do it sooner than later. [...] There's quite a lot of stuff that wasn't finished and, we've always talked about, we should get this done, finished, and forget about where, how it's gonna be done, let's just do it and get it done." Gary May (Trevor's brother-in-law) said on Facebook in early 2015 how he had had "Trevor produce, orchestrate and play on one of my songs", with a photo taken in Rabin's Jacaranda studio in Oct 2014. |
Fear
Factory's album Aggression Continuum (Nuclear
Blast, NB 5847-2) was released 18 Jun 2021 on Nuclear Blast
Records on CD or 2LP. The album features Dino Cazares
(guitars, writing), Mike Heller (drums) and Burton C Bell
(vocals, lyrics). Bell recorded vocal parts in 2017, but
left the band in Sep 2020. Khoroshev was the main
keyboardist on the album and is confirmed on "Recode", "Fuel
Injected Suicide Machine" and "Collapse"; he is also
credited with some arrangements, sound FX design and vocal
engineering. There are additional keys from Max Karon,
Giuseppe Bassi, Alex Rise (outro of "End of Line") and
Jeremy Krull (intro to the title track). Rhys Fulber (worked on The Ladder)
contributed programming to 2 tracks. The album was produced
and engineered by Damien Rainaud and mixed by Andy Sneap.
The album has been as high as #6 in Heavy Metal (27 Apr),
#16 in Alternative & Indie and #128 in CDs & Vinyl
(25 Apr) on Amazon in the UK. It made #98 in the UK album
chart (#2 in Rock & Metal, #7 in Independent), #15 in
Australia and Switzerland, #20 in Germany, #31 in Austria,
#53 in Wallonia and #76 in Flanders (Belgium), and #81 in
Czechia. A first single, "Disruptor" (3:45; music
video), was released 16 Apr 2021. Tracks:
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Busy trying to finish the writing sessions for my new album which will hopefully be out later this year [2020]. Had a breakthrough today writing the middle section for a piece I’ve been working on for some timeThis seems to be for a solo release due late 2022 and called Anam Cara. It is unclear how this relates to earlier announced plans for an album called Cultural Vandals: more on that below.
Nearly ready to start working on the arrangements. Then comes the recording!
I have continued to work on the collection of instrumental piano pieces based on music I have written for my family or commissions for other people's loved ones.Pieces on the album include "Lottie's Song" (for his daugher) and a new version of "November Wedding" (previously released on Trinity). In a Facebook broadcast in Apr 2020, Wakeman said he is currently working on the album, which will be called Works for Art. He is working towards a release for the end of 2020, with a cover by Rodney Matthews.
I have decided to include other musicians on the album (as it was originally going to be just myself on piano) as I feel that, with the way some of the pieces are developing, it feels more like the follow up to 3 Ages of Magick album I recorded in 2003. I think I have all the music now composed but the crafting and arrangement work has started in earnest. I am hoping that this will be out for Spring 2020.
Cultural Vandals is coming
along really well. We are currently discussing the options for
releasing it which will hopefully be towards the end of the year
[2011] or early 2012. I have been working on another project for
the last few months and I hadn't listened to it for a while. I
mentioned in my last blog that I always like to let albums sit
for a while and then revisit them to make sure that I am happy
with them. I sat and listened to it in full yesterday to see
what other work was required and it felt really good to me. I
can't wait to start recording [...] a finished version
Manzi was recording vocals with Wakeman in May 2012, presumably
for this project.
In a review of 2016 on his website, Oliver said, "There is my large scale musical project which I have been working on all year [2016] with a well known music producer and my business partner. We are confident that it will see the light of day this year [2017]." In a May 2018 tweet, he talked of "working on my next album rough mixes".
In a May
2009 interview, Oliver says:
I have a lot of solo material
that I'd like to record too – four very different albums' worth.
One will be a rock album, another Celtic rock, the third is a
rock opera, and the fourth is made up of piano pieces. I really
hope to start recording them before the end of the year [2009].
I like to use a studio in Virginia Water, Surrey, where I have a
great relationship with the engineer Karl Groom. I produce my
own recordings myself.
In the Jun 2008 interview, Oliver also said that he was "a fair
way through a solo project on the piano". Oliver had also started
work on a singer-songwriter-style album featuring various
musicians he has worked with over the years.
On 13 Mar, Oliver tweeted about being, "Back in the studio
working on the new @dexibellMI project..." Dexibell are an Italian
musical instrument company. Further details as to what this
project entails have not been forthcoming so far.
Oliver is available for writing commissions.
Work with Rodney Matthews
Trinity (Rodney
Matthews Studios, RMS003CD) was a 10-track, mainly instrumental
album from Rodney
Matthews and Jeff Scheetz with Oliver Wakeman,
released Dec 2019. Details
in Yescography. Matthews (drums, lyrics) is best known
as an artist, has worked with Oliver and Rick Wakeman, Asia, Thin
Lizzy, Magnum, Michael Moorcock and others, while as a musician,
he used to play drums in Squidd, who opened for Yes. Performers
included Jeff Scheetz
(guitars, bass), Oliver (keys on 9 tracks), Rick Wakeman
(harpsichord and church organ, on "Trinity" only), John Payne (ex-Asia;
bass, vocals). Tracks:
Rodney and his wife Sarah have re-done the 1978 children's book "Yendor",
originally by Graham Smith and Rodney. (Yendor is Rodney
backwards.) The book is now
out. There is a CD
release forthcoming through Rodney Matthews Studios
(approximately 11 May 2020) with narration by Sarah (recorded Mar
2020), some additional voice from Rodney, and a score by Wakeman,
largely on '70s style keys (Rhodes etc.), plus some guitar
and bass. Mastering was by Karl Groom (worked with
Yes). Tracks:
Wakeman was asked to do some brief interludes between parts of the narration, but decided to do a full score instead, which he worked on without telling the Matthews of his plan. He then sent the whole thing over, fortunately to a positive reception. On 9 Apr 2020, Wakeman tweeted about playing bass on a piece for a Matthews project, which was this. The original plan for the narration had just been a download accompanying the book, but with a score, it was decided to do a separate release. (As they discussed in a Facebook broadcast in Apr 2020, if they could get funding, the Matthews would like to turn it into an animation.) There was a successful Kickstarter
to turn the audio version, with Wakeman's music, into an
animation. This reached its goal on 27 Sep 2020. The 17
minute "Yendor - The Journey of a Junior Adventurer" has
been shown at multiple film festivals, winning several
awards, including Best Animated Short at the 2021 London
Independent Film Festival, Best Children's Story at the
Indo - French International Film Festival 2021 and Best
Short Animation Film at the Halicarnassus Film Festival
2021. The Matthews are working towards a second Yendor
short animation, with a story scripted specifically for
the film. Guest
appearances/sessions Oliver worked on several
projects by John Vehadija, described on the main page as
they sometimes also involve Billy Sherwood: see
here for details. Oliver was doing a commission for
Bill Sandalls. |
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Oliver guests on a new piece by
Inventioning,
a band related to the first Anderson
Ponty Band line-up: see on Jon
Anderson's page for details.
Re-visiting
older recordings
Clive Nolan (Arena,
Pendragon; keys, backing vocals) & Oliver
Wakeman (keys) had been working on a third album, based on the
"Frankenstein" story, but this was abandoned due to lack of
sufficient budget within the record company, Verglas, the
project being too expensive. (The label at the time suggested
doing an instrumental album to save money, so Nolan suggested
doing a set of pieces based around darker fables, to be called
Dark Fables, but they decided not to advance with this
idea.) However, the 3CD boxset, Tales by Gaslight
(ELR001CD; teaser
trailer; lyric
video for "Coming to Town"), was released 23 April
2021 through
Burning Shed, with remastered versions (remastering by
Karl Groom) of their earlier collaborations Jabberwocky
(1999, with, among others, Peter
Banks—guitar, Rick Wakeman—narration)
and The
Hound of the Baskervilles
(2002, with, among others, Banks—guitar), plus a third CD, Dark
Fables, with >30 minutes of material from the
"Frankenstein" project and some further unreleased material. Details in
Yescography. After the success of From a Page,
Yes's management asked Oliver what else he had, so he and
Nolan planned a re-release of Jabberwocky and Hound.
Management then asked if they had any extras, they considered
using some demos of these albums but didn't think the material
very exciting, when they realised they each had demos for
"Frankenstein", amounting to about 35 minutes of material.
Wakeman also found some almost finished demos relating to
Sherlock Holmes ideas that hadn't fitted Hound. They
then developed the material further, recording new parts,
including guitar (by David Mark Pearce from Wakeman's band),
bass and drums. They added ideas, orchestrations etc.
to each others ideas, working remotely. They also added some
vocals, by Nolan, Wakeman, Andy Sears (Twelfth
Night; recruited by Nolan) and Charlotte Dickerson
(recruited by Wakeman). Wakeman also wrote some new material,
with classical guitar by Gordon Giltrap
(worked with Rick Wakeman). Also appearing on Dark
Fables is Paul Manzi. They felt they couldn't called
this album Frankenstein as it wasn't a proper version
of the book matching the first two albums, so they recycled
the Dark Fables name. Pearce also added a guitar solo
to each of Jabberwocky and Hound, that had
been intended for the original releases but had been omitted
in the mixes.
The box set comes with a 16-page
booklet, including additional art by the cover artists for Jabberwocky
and Hound, and 3 art prints of the three album
covers. A limited edition (250 copies) initial run comes
with a fourth art print of the box set cover signed by
Wakeman and Nolan. Dark Fables was produced by
Wakeman and Nolan. The overall box set was produced by
Wakeman, and executive produced by Martin Darvill. Dark
Fables tracks:
In a May
2021 YouTube Q&A, the
pair mooted live shows. Nolan also mooted developing
"Frankenstein" into a full album if someone could
supply the funding! Dark Fables received a standalone release on 5 Nov
2021. |
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Management then asked for further ideas for
releases. This led to a boxset of the albums Wakeman has done with
guitarists, namely Steve Howe (The 3 Ages of Magick, 2001)
and Gordon Giltrap (Ravens
& Lullabies, 2013, with Benoît
David on 1 track), originally to have
been called Guitarists. A 3CD box set, Collaborations
(ELR003; teaser
video), is now due 15 Apr 2022, with those 2 albums
(remastered), with bonus tracks, plus a third disc, From a
Stage, an acoustic live album from the tour with Giltrap.
The release comes with a 16-page booklet and art prints of the
sleeves. Bonus tracks for The 3 Ages of Magick are "Hit 'n
Myth", "The Faerie Ring" and "Dream Weaver (The Storyteller
demo)": no details have been given on these. For Ravens &
Lullabies, there is "Praeludium (from the Well Tempered
Clavier)", "The Forgotten King", "Roots" and "The Wedding
Approaches (Instrumental)". The first three of these are studio
tracks that were on the bonus disc of a limited edition version of
the original release of Ravens & Lullabies, while "The
Wedding Approaches" is a new mix of the
track from Dark Fables just using Wakeman's piano and
Giltrap's classical guitar. From a Stage is from
a Christmas concert by Wakeman, Giltrap and Paul Manzi (Sweet, ex-Arena; the main vocalist on Ravens
& Lullabies) in Maltby that was compered by author Stephen Lambe;
tracks:
Oliver
was on initial album sessions for Yes's Fly from Here.
Material planned for Yes was re-used by Oliver for Ravens
& Lullabies ("From the Turn of a Card" and "Credit
Carnival") with Gordon Giltrap and planned to be re-used in Cultural
Vandals. Some years ago, he explained on Facebook in a
conversation with fan Sanders Thornburgh:
I got the rights back to my songs which will see the light at some point. Plans in the pipeline! I also have lots of demos of stuff from the FFH sessions [...] [including] the 2 songs I wrote and the one I co-wrote with Chris - a cool 10 minute piece.Much of this material was then released on From a Page. It is unclear if anything not used on From a Page will be used now.
Any news, additions or corrections, please e-mail Henry Potts. Thanks.