Correction. Rick wakeman was Not a founding member of yes. In fact He was their 2nd keyboard player And didn't appear Until yes is 4th Album "Fragile".
Brilliantly done! I've been a huge Rick Wakeman fan since the early 70's, and have seen him in concert many times. I had the pleasure to meet him a couple of years ago, and there just isn't anybody on the planet who is more kind and gracious. His consistency in composing heart-touching music is incredible. His catalog is massive. I know, because I own everything I've been able to find, and I actively search for new things regularly. This particular song is a staple inn his solo set list and he always tells the story. I think he's received payment for his contribution, just in entertainment value alone. You are an excellent teacher, and made the explanation easy to follow and understand. I truly appreciate this video.
You might be interested in hearing my favorite Rick Wakeman composition ... it's called "Trigger The Bounce" from the Retro 2 album. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kx2OnqtPWPU.html
Loved this explanation and history. Thank you…. So interesting…I’ve always wondered how Rick’s playing (in the Cat Stevens recording) cascades down at the end of a phrase during verses…it sounds like reverse arpeggios or something cascading down …don’t know how else to explain …I wonder if you understand what I’m asking and if so can you tell me how it’s done? It’s never included in sheet music, and it’s always intrigued me. Colleen
Great video. Thanks for sharing. I remember when the Cat Stevens song was released as well as Rick Wakeman's Six Wives. Your digital piano sounds terrific. Could not discern what make and model your piano is from the video. Would you be able to share that info?
I am stunned! One of my favorite songs. I had always assumed it was a hymn adapted by Cat Steven’s. Then upon 3 minutes of googling, I find the author is a woman from the 1800’s who wrote children’s books, to the famous rift written by Rick Wakeman and finally getting to Cat Stevens. I love how Wakeman leaves his fingerprint, so to speak, in other compositions. Thank you for breaking it all down! I’m a long time piano player too, but honestly thought this was just a case of a key change. Soooo much more to the story!
I'm glad you mentioned Rick's "Catherine Howard" from his "Six Wives..." album, as that was the genesis of the intro to Cat's "Morning Has Broken". And BTW, he has been paid. Rick signed my "Teaser and the Firecat" album about 10 years ago at his Anderson Wakeman concert in Buffalo, NY and wrote "I got paid in the end".
Really enjoyed this post Josh. It's an iconic intro and liked your analysis of how clever Rick was with the modulations. I saw Rick a few years ago and he was telling the same anecdote! I didn't know he was the session pianist for this song, unless he hadn't told us. I liked especially as Rick had to turn the 30 second turn into a full 3 minutes plus needed for a song 😁🎹👍
I'm a fan of both Cat Stevens and Rick Wakeman and it was well over 50 years before I found out Wakeman had played on 'Morning Has Broken'. I wonder how many people still think Cat Stevens played it?
They played the song live together in 2020. Cat said in a number of earlier interviews that Rick wasn’t named on the record because of record companies not allowing their artists to play on other peoples records base din their contracts. That’s why many artists went under other names when appearing on other artists records at the time.
They played the song live together in 2020. Cat said in a number of earlier interviews that Rick wasn’t named on the record because of record companies not allowing their artists to play on other peoples records base din their contracts. That’s why many artists went under other names when appearing on other artists records at the time.
Really interesting story about this song Josh! I always enjoyed this song, and didn't realize how genius it was until watching your video, and I didn't know it was Rick Wakeman - wow! Thank you for sharing!
For me the more interesting modulation is from C major to D major. I would sum that up as: C, E, Am, F#, Bm, G, D. Right back to Bach! 7:53 One of my pet projects is find the smooth way to move from any key to any key, then to make those modulations work in different genres. Very fine video, Josh!
I saw Rick and his son Oliver play a couple of weeks ago (with Gordon Giltrap too) in a charity gig; a wonderful night all round. He has so many funny stories in his locker he doesn't really need a piano to get the audience going!
Many people view Rick Wakeman simply as the Yes keyboardist with the lightning fast right hand. In reality, it’s Rick’s compositional genius that has set him apart from his contemporaries for all these decades.
Always loved this song, and especially that thrilling piano part. Later, I sang the hymn in church, and our hymnal had the melody and all the words exactly the same, except, of course, for the piano. And since I'd heard the Stevens virsion first, it always frustrated me - that missing intro/outtro. So I took a few weeks/ months and painstakingly transcribed it, and then memorized it. But I had no idea how it came into being. Was pretty sure that Stevens himself hadn't written it but who did? Thanks to your video I now know the backstory and am much appreciative. Now I'm wondering what the copyright restrictions are for playing it in church.
Maybe there’s no religion? Not to get too sidetracked, because it’s my personal belief that music (and math. . . I know weird) are a source of something we cannot understand yet. Sorry for the interruption!
Not anything is new! According Wikipedia, when shaping "Morning Has Broken" for recording, Stevens had to start with a hymn which took around 45 seconds to sing in its basic form. Producer Paul Samwell-Smith told him he could never put something like that on an album, and that it needed to be at least three minutes in length, although an acoustic demo exists of Stevens playing an early version which lasts almost three minutes.Prior to the actual recording Stevens heard Wakeman play something in the recording booth. It was a rough sketch of what would later become "Catherine Howard". Stevens told Wakeman that he liked it and wanted something similar as the opening section, the closing section and, if possible, a middle section as well. Wakeman told Stevens he could not as it was his piece destined for a solo album, but Stevens persuaded him to adapt his composition.[5] The familiar piano intro and general structure of the piece may be attributed to Stevens or to Wakeman.
Josh Walsh, there are thousands of music "THEFT" out there! Why choosing Cat Stevens who converted to Islam? Josh, NEVER call him Cat Stevens again, call him YUSUF ISLAM! Ignorantus Maximus! 🤲☪️
Great piece Josh, I really enjoyed it. I'm sure I have some Rick Wakeman vinyl stashed away somewhere. Despite getting had over on this occasion he did alright for himself and it makes for a great story.
Excellent stuff, as usual! A pedant notes, however (he always does!), that Rick Wakeman did *not* co-found the band Yes, but replaced the original keyboard player, Tony Kaye.
RW did not co found Yes, when Morniiiiing has broken was recorded Yes had already existed for several years. Wakeman replaced Tony Kaye hat was sacked because Wakeman was considered a most prominent card
When Yusuf (Cat) heard about the good-natured complaining from Rick, he was supposedly shocked - remember, he had walked away from the music business for many years. He did finally send Rick that (9 pounds?) payment for a session musician, 37 years later - he told it in one of the videos out there. I think Rick even donated the payment to Yusuf's charity - it wasn't about the money, it was the acknowledgment that he was a significant contributor to the success of the song.
Rick Wakeman - also known as "One take" Wakeman from his session days, 'cos he only needed one take to record his part. Have watched a whole documentary where he talks about Morning Has Broken. And yes, he eventually got paid - years later. Cat made squillions and Rick got 30 squid from what I recall. I have to say, I love him in the Grumpy Old Men series.
As a person of a certain age, it’s really gratifying to see a younger generation appreciate the brilliance of the keyboards players with whom I grew up. As a Brit, I’m lucky to have seen Rick and Yes on many occasions and to have met Rick several times. The story of course is a great one and yes, as a previous comment has said, Cat Stevens (by then Yusef Islam) did eventually pay Rick, although if I recall correctly they agreed for the payment to go to charity! Tony Kaye, the original Yes keyboardist, was only interested at the time in playing his Hammond and piano. When Anderson and Squire persuaded Rick to leave The Strawbs and join Yes it really expanded their sound as Rick was happy to experiment with all of the keyboards of the 70s (Mellotron, Moog, Clavinet, Fender Rhodes etc.) I remember well the annual contest here in the UK between Rick and that other prog giant of the 70s, Keith Emerson, to claim the Melody Maker crown as top keyboards player. At Emerson’s memorial concert in Birmingham a few years back, Rick guested and commented that he and Emerson had tried many times to do an album together, but that “management” got in the way. Such a shame…..what an album that would have been! Thanks, Josh, for this excellent insight!
Well done and a very interesting documentary. Apparently many years later, Yusuf Islam met with Rick Wakeman and paid him an undisclosed sum for his contribution to Morning has Broken.
I saw Rick Wakeman's "Grumpy Old Rock Star" solo show in Toronto just a few years ago. The way he recounted it was that Cat Stevens phoned him up one evening saying he had the idea to record Morning has Broken, but it was too short as is for Radio, and so would Rick like to add a piano part? Rick told Cat to come by and play what he had so far, which he did. It was indeed short: like maybe 1 min altogether... Rick had been working on a piano riff for another piece which he thought might work as an intro. He played it for Cat who loved it, but even with the intro, it was still way too short. So Cat asked him for another piano solo after the first verse. It was still too short... So, they kept adding piano interludes until the piece eked over that minimum radio length. And yes, Rick didn't get paid his session fee until much later, but in his own words "I got paid in the end". Here is Rick himself: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-R7ZwQfK0jQw.htmlsi=IWdVCkOTcl0RUPgL And I dunno: I'm pretty sure Rick Wakeman would have been more than capable of recording this in one day, and improvising all sorts of variations on this theme... He is one of the best keyboardists/arrangers in the genre.
Hello Josh - I like how you showed the different cords at the beginning of the video. I am not a musician, so it would have really helped me if you had highlighted the cords as you were playing it later as well. Best of luck!
On the original vinyl album cover of Teaser & the Firecat there is no mention of Rick Wakeman. On the insert for the CD version however it does state, "Piano - Rick Wakeman" although without specifying the track on which he performed.
Who is the author of this song; Ty for sharing btw I always sing this in the key of C on guitar y sometimes playfully do the chordal by ear on the piano… stilll stuck on white keys though since the seventies);
Hello legend, I'm new and just subscribed to your channel 😘Do you have 2 different piano sheets by Rick and Cats? I tried to search online, but none sound the same as what you play.
Hello fellow legend. I do not have sheets, I just learned this by ear. Far too many sheets don’t match the recording. Some for good reason (more approachable to play) some for bad reason (they are just wrong)
Excellent video. After reading P F Sloan’s biography I know how rotten the music business can be. Big name creeps and small name creeps. Appreciate all the work you put into this. Just found a great new channel. Thank you.
Rick Wakeman was not a co-founder of Yes. Yes had three albums under their belt with their original keyboard player Tony Kaye before he was replaced by Rick Wakeman.
VERY interesting. VERY informative. VERY fascinating. I’m including this video as well as your ‘Amazing Grace’ Reharm in 5 steps as two of my most useful chord progression and re-harmonization tutorials. What similar type tutorials might you suggest that I may have overlooked? (I’m a relatively new Subscriber.)
That’s awesome. Thanks. I’m a relatively new creator full time, so I’d say my best videos are ahead of me. I’m proud of the “your first jazz lesson” video, even though the production value is lower. It’s similar to what you are looking for. Glad to have you here as a subscriber!
Great video , people have been borrowing each others music since the time of Sibelius and before , every band that ever was borrows from one and no one gives a toss . However I'm with you with the Rick Wakeman ingredients
Hey man, nah, it’s copyrighted so that’s not something I’d feel comfortable doing. But, if you search google images I’m sure there are sheet music sites in the results that sell it.
This reminds me of a project I was required to accomplish in 3rd semester Music Theory. Now - understand, I had decades of theory under my belt, just to enter the university in my late 40s. For this project, my professor said< "Don't get creative - just follow the instruction." Pardon me, but . . . ""don't get creative"??? You're talking to the world's future composers, and you're mandating, "don't get creative"? Well, long-story-short, I turned in apiece that exploited every compositional mechanism class had afforded - secondary dominants, borrowed chords, leading tone-sevenths --- the whole kitchen sink. And . . . to my dismay, my professor gave me a grade of C-. So, then, I renamed my composition "Sonata In C Minus" LOL- Yes_ LOL-LOL- But, for the past 7 years, this same piece I composed is known as "Louella's Theme" after my wife.
I've heard Rick say that he did meet Cat Stevens (or whatever name he now goes by) a few years ago and mentioned it, and that Cat did pay him the eighty bucks!
@@tbird81 totally false and it seems like it is you who harbour hate for Cat. The reality is very simple, record companies had contracts with artists that didn’t allow them to play on other peoples records. That’s why some went under other names back in the day. You obviously know very little about anything. Keep it that way. It suits you 😂
@@Pinkeye82517 He ripped lyrics from a hymn book, and used someone else's melody. Keep defending pretentious multimillionaires online. Fight the good fight.
Small correction Josh. Rick wasn't a co founder of YES but joined up to make their 4th album Fragile. Roundabout was on that album giving him the notoriety he well deserved. He replaced Tony Kaye also a great keyboardist that was actually a co founding member previous to Fragile was on The Yes Album and best album in my opinion. Yes at that time was looking for a synthesiser/keyboardist and walla, they found Rick. Rick is such a great natured guy and FUNNY AS HELL!! He said that the Union Tour with YES was very enjoyable and nostalgic to him teaming up with almost all (less Peter Banks orig guitarist) of the founding members and Steve Howe 3rd The Yes Album 1970-71, Trevor Rabin (latter 1980's guitarist 90125 album). Ok recap. Jon Anderson co founder vocals, Chris Squire co founding bass, Tony Kaye co founder and Rick on keys, co founding drummer Bill Bruford and Alan White, Steve Howe, Trevor guitars at Union concert. Here is his solo grand piano version arrangement of Morning Has Broken. Beautiful> ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VebVIXSQFC0.html
Thanks Arthur. I am doing these by key framing them in Final Cut, but I’ve been working a reusable FCP title for it in Motion since it’s really tedious to do individually.
Like JFK, the Challenger disaster, 9-11. I know where I was the first time I heard this song. I can't think of another recording that had that impact on me.
