Just like to add...the band rehearsed at Whitley Bay ice rink for the tour ...the last night if rehearsal was opened to the public for a tenner...free for unemployed....full show....amazing...
I was so fortunate to see ABWH perform at the Greek theater in Los Angeles in 1989. This was a perfect venue as the Greek is an outdoor theater with no bad seating. My sister and I had perfect viewing from the grassy knoll just behind the general audience. This peculiar ensemble was such a relief for me as I was not a big fan of the 90125/Big Generator lineup that I often refer to as Rabin's Yes. Although Rabin's Yes produced two commercially successful albums, it was not the sound most Yes fans were familiar with. Even the Drama lineup without Anderson in 1980 sounded enough like Yes to whet my appetite. When I heard ABWH was working on an album and tour without Chris Squire, I was a little hesitant. But after listening to the album I was ready to see them live. They made it work without Chris. This was close enough to that original sound I had come to love about Yes. Sadly, it didn't last long. Just two years later this lineup merged with Rabin's Yes in what I call one of the biggest mistakes in the band's history. Some might argue the 1991 Union album and tour was one of their greatest, I disagree. Some ideas might sound like a good plan, but don't work in reality. I will leave it at that
The ALBUM is garbage. The TOUR was astonishing, and ONCE IN A FOREVER event! The very idea that you'd have 8 MEMBERS OF YES on stage for the tour, is NUTSO! The idea that we'd get to see BRUFORD and ALAN WHITE do a DRUM DUET is nuts! The idea that wed' get to see HOWE and RABIN duet is nuts! That they let WAKEMAN solo on...."OWNER" is radical! NO ONE ELSE EVER DID THAT before or since. The footage on YT of that tour CONFIRMS to this day that it was one of the most unique tours EVER!
The kicker is Rabin wasn't joining Yes.He was starting a band with Squire and White called Cinema when Tony Kaye joined and with Anderson joining it pretty much had to be called Yes.
When I watch these entertaining videos of Yes personnel backstage, it occurs to me that the biggest difference between my bands and these guys is simply the number of people that show up. it's encouraging and discouraging at the same time. Yes are not only great musicians but seem like a fun group of people to be around. That's success. Even seeing the "regular people" version of them backstage, I am still in awe of their accomplishments.
Well, I venture to suggest that there may be a reason why more people turn up to these gigs than yours... talent and, heaped upon which thereafter for sure, money. In answer to your 'fun people' observation, some were, others weren't!
@@juliancolbeck2148 Wow, what an incredibly cynical and negative take on what I thought was a pretty positive post. I suggest if you are so bitter about the music of these particular musicians you could find better ways to spend your time than trolling their RU-vid comments. And of course they are more talented than I am, being some of the greatest musicians of the 20th Century.
I was fortunate enough to have seen both Yes, Big Generator Tour on 2/12/88 at the Omni in Atlanta and ABWH at Chastain Park in Atlanta on 7/30/89. I was trippin balls on blotter at the 1988 show, while the 1989 Chastain Park show was more of a yuppie fest (i.e. mummy please pass the Grey Poupon).
very cool. then... Chris Squire took base to a whole new level. Spectrum in Philadelphia, 75 or 76, for me. also had the privilege of interviewing Jon in 2009. we discussed Roger Dean's album covers. Yes is still my go-to on road trips. phenomenal.
Some amazin music with exciting new Yes sons. The Yesmen free of Rabin and the stress looked to be a rebounding and refreshed group. Saw them in Mountain View, Ca. that summer, one of best I've ever seen of them.
Prog Man Then back to Rabin not long after. Was an awesome album, it was Yes but with something different about them. Wonder when the AWR or is it ARW album will surface?
I saw them in Memphis on the Tormato tour and one other time I think. They had some sound issues on one song as I remember with a loud buzzing for a while. Was that the one you went to?
This video ties in with great memories of this tour and album. The BBC being at the gig to record. The show, "In Concert" played highlights of the Birmingham show on Radio 1. I taped it. Still have the cassette.
Birmingham NEC ? That was a great tour- so this is October, 1989, John's birthday ? I saw ABWH, IN Philadelphia August 1989, and then March, 1990.... and then...UNION!
+Larry Fulmer Larry- it was great to see a revitalized Almost YES line up, with the great Tony Levin on bass. For that March 1990 Spectrum ABWH show, a friend of mine knew one of the PRISM camera men ( Prism sports, who also filmed the Yes June 1979 YES In the round show ), so our seats were the same seat locations where the Flyers and opposers benches are located during hockey games! The Flyers organization controled those seats 365 days a year, and if you knew someone in Snyder's organizations, you had a shot at complimentary seats!
CHARLES NOLAN I saw them both times in Philly, too. The first show was BEYOND phenomenal and the second was very flat, in my opinion. Did Jeff Berlin play bass for the second Philly show?
Thank you for the amazing post. I miss these eras of music. This the closest we will ever see to an emergence of Yes and King Crimson. Lol An amazing tour and Tony was a fantastic choice for bass guitar services.
Aside from Chris, he was, obviously. Half of those early 80s King Crimson is part of this amazing band. I always wondered why they didn't call themselves Anderson Bruford Levin Wakeman & Howe, to be fair. The man is a beast!
I could deal with 90125 cause it was fresh. Big Generator to me was a disaster ( I'm Running holds up well) ABWH came out when I had given up on YES. Like many say it was a YES album without Chris unfortunately.
I've seen Yes live 42 times through the years starting in 75. Only time I've seen them without Jon was the Drama tour .Going in a few weeks to see them in Conn. Bummer Jon isn't with them . When I saw the ABWH tour ,one of the highlites was seeing Tony Levin playing Heart of the Sunrise , with the funk fingers . Freaking fantastic I'll never forget that.
It's great to restore old footage. I love Yes. But even if I didn't, I love locking in all old footage. Who knows who will love it in the future, besides close family. If you have old footage that needs digital transfers, contact a restorer. Or me. I am no pro and this is no ad. But there are ways. Google it. Don't let old footage die ... magnetic tapes only last a few decades.
With Tony Levin on this, it would have been before Aug 29, 1989. Tony fell ill in Houston and was later replaced with Jeff Berlin on the rest of the tour. I was supposed to attend the Dallas show on the 29th...first show to cancel!
Queen was one of the few band that until the end, shared a common space. The prog rock people each had a separate room travelled with their own manager, lawyer, accountant and personal hangers on. Lol
Damn!! I had 3rd row center seats in Dallas. Tony Levin got sick in Houston and they cancelled. I of course always loved the earliest albums but at that time after the hiatus I was blown away by ABWH... I still have dreams about the YES/ABWH 3rd row center seats that never happened. Karma I guess.
Zeus bless Julian Colbeck! Great musician, cooking chef and Zappa expert! Worked with Steve Hackett as well, but left him mid-tour when he realised they had all become too old to hit a stage (that line-up also featured Chester Thompson, Ian McDonald and John Wetton). That's pretty sad but that was his opinion/choice. Note that Julian didn't play on the ABWH album, but the great synth wiz/arranger Matt Clifford did (and couldn't do the tour because he joined Mick Jagger if I'm not mistaken).
Actually, Julian left the Steve Hackett tour at the very end of it, like everyone else. Just decided to go other places and do other things. Steve and Julian remain good friends, should anyone be curious.
This is just amazing, thanks for the upload. Can't possibly get enough of the early Yes/etc footage from this era and before. I loved-loved this tour, saw them five times on it in the northeast US, in support of a fantastic album and line-up.
I can dig Tony Levin on bass but why the heck do you need a backup keyboardist for Wakeman & backup guitarist for Howe?These two can definitely hold their own.
It just helps to play the songs closer to the record. It means they can add parts that might have been overdubbed that one keyboard player or guitarist couldn't perform alone. I would also bet that these two auxiliary musicians can sing and added backing vocals. Somebody had to sing Chris's parts. I would also bet that the second keys player might have been triggering backing vocal samples. Also, these musicians backed Jon for his solo spot.
WoW! l've never seen this before, and l love it!! So cool seen Bill wife Carolyn and is son Alex too! l was at this show in '89 and was _really_ surprised to see Levin there! Should have been called ABWH and Levin/Berlin!
wonderful footage Flesh My Icon Bill Bruford is there but I wish He had stuck with acoustic Drums for the show instead of electronic ones but it is just me I have a preference for acoustic ones and He sounded amazing playing them also!
Great footage not only of the band, but of the old style Birmingham NEC Arena, before it went all pretentious and space age and renamed itself the 'gentings' arena. So so many bands there. Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Dio, Alice Cooper, Gary Moore, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Scorpions and of course Yes.
somehow i got delayed to see the show but finally got in and saw maybe two and a half songs and it was over. lol anyway, when watching I thought okay i can hear that yes magic but, i also hear that one missing thing, whatever could that be....of course. No Chris on bass. It was good but not having the full compliment of the original lineup is distracting overall.
Who was the extra guitar player I see? I know Tony Levin is playing bass but who is the other person playing electric guitar? Thank you in advance, and yes rules!!!✌️🎼🕉😉
Oh, is this the Team Bruford's suite? I wonder if the lady is 'CAROLYN' from San Diego and boys are also Brufords? Bill sounds like he's got a cold and he is pretty chatty and funny. Dr. Bill has been and is my favorite drummer! BTW is this Julian Mr. COLBECK? And finally, are you one incredible Tony Levin??? If so I met you once (along with Bill) at Yoshi's, Oakland CA, took a pic together. Thanks for the memory and of course, wonderful music you created!
Julian Colbeck (who filmed this, according to the description) was the additional keyboard player for the tour. He used to work with Steve Hackett and Alan Parsons. But if you’re referring to the gentleman standing next to Rick Wakeman during the sound check, that’s probably Rick’s keyboard tech. Sorry, I don’t know his name. ✌🏻
Presumably that's Julian Colbeck on keys, although I have no idea what he looks (looked) like. Acoustic guitar is Milton McDonald, who's been with Jeff Lynne's ELO since 2014 (among many other things).
Yes he was brought in to play on the album and the tour at the suggestion of Bill Bruford with whom he had played with in King Crimson. There was a part of the tour where Jeff Berlin played bass (as Tony had fallen seriously ill). Once again brought in by Bill as they had also played together quite extensively.
