More drama from the two bands called Yes that are touring this year.
The manager of Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman has apparently challenged "the other Yes band" to identify its key members in what Ultimate Classic Rock reports is a move to further publicize the fact that the band touring as simply Yes (led by guitarist Steve Howe) has no original members.
“It would help prevent confusion among the fan base if the other Yes band would identify their key members as we have,” reads a statement from Yes feat. ARW manager Brian Lane. “If you just want to see the original Yes this summer, Yes featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman is the band for you.”
Yes was founded by singer Anderson and bassist Chris Squire in 1968. Howe joined in 1970 and drummer Alan White joined in '72. Those two were both included in the iteration of the band that was active through Squire's death in 2016.
With Squire gone, Anderson (who has been out of the band since 2008) began talking steps to reclaim his ownership of the name, culminating in his announcement backstage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction this year that his group with former Yes keyboardist Wakeman and guitarist Rabin would begin billing itself as Yes Featuring ARW.
Lane says ARW "wants to make it clear, under no uncertain terms, that Jon Anderson is the co-founder and the original creative soul of the band Yes and is not a member in the band that is touring under the name Yes for the Yestival Summer 2017 Tour."
If the ARW camp gets its way, perhaps the other Yes would be called Yes Featuring Steve Howe, Alan White and Geoff Downes.
So if you're planning to see Yes this year, choose wisely.
See Yes Featuring ARW tour dates here. See Yes (for now) tour dates here.
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