This page last updated: 4 Jul 2009
 

YES and projects with several Yesmen	Jon Anderson	Chris Squire	Steve Howe	Alan White
Rick Wakeman	Bill Bruford	Tony Kaye	Peter Banks	Patrick Moraz
Trevor Horn	Geoff Downes	Trevor Rabin	Billy Sherwood	Igor Khoroshev
Anderson & Wakeman	Asia	CIRCA:	Benoît David	Others associated with the band

Bruford has retired from recording and playing live. He retired from public performance as of 1 Jan 2009; the news was announced on 26 Jan on his website, although the plan to do so has been in Bruford's thoughts for some time. He said then that he will continue to record and run his Summerfold and Winterfold labels. However, he has also now retired from recording. "I have no plans beyond [Skin & Wire] to do fresh recordings," he said in an interview with Echoes in Feb 2009. In comments to All About Jazz, he says his decision is discussed more in his forthcoming autobiography. There, he says:

Truth be told, I haven't really enjoyed my music-making for quite a while [...] There, I've said it, but don't be mad at me [...] There are bits of the procedure that are intensely agreeable: the watching as arms and legs produce genuine surprise; the applause at the end of the concert; the camaraderie of fellow musicians; the fleeting moments when everthing comes into focus live or on record [...] Like all occupations, there also exists the extremely disagreeable. But neither the agreeable nor disagreeable circumstamces surrounding the music-making should be confused with the pure enjoyment of the music-making itself. We musicians go a long way, literally, in seach of that most intense of feelings. Until recently, I've always found just enough petrol to keep going, but not a drop more. Now I'm running on empty.

He has now commented further on his blog and reassured people that "his health is fine". All About Jazz's review of the book says, "he's not deserting music entirely, with plans to speak on the subject of a career in music, manage his burgeoning Summerfold and Winterfold record labels and more."

Around Mar 2009, a performance by the percussion department of the Royal Academy of Music included a new piece by Tim Garland (ex-Earthworks) entitled "The Fullness of Time", written as a 'leaving present' to mark Bruford's retirement.

pianocircus playing the music of Colin Riley featuring Bill Bruford
Bruford has been working with composer Colin Riley (MySpace page; Brunel Univ. page) and keyboard collective pianocircus (MySpace page; have worked with Brian Eno, Yumi Hara Cawkwell). Bruford and Riley met in the latter half of 2006. They played a show (described by Riley as more like an "open rehearsal" and by Bruford as "under-rehearsed") in Sep 2007 in London. After an opening set by pianocircus, Bruford and pianocircus (4/6 of the usual group, performing on keyboards) performed 6 pieces by Riley (with some improvised parts), who conducted. The group recorded an album late 2008, Skin & Wire: PianoCircus featuring Bill Bruford play the music of Colin Riley (Summerfold, BBSF023CD) due 7 Sep; album MySpace page. Audio samples can be heard at the collaboration's MySpace page. Riley describes the work: "[it] will not only continue the sparse delicacy of recent electronic works, but also explore high-energy groove-based territory." Bruford described it in a Feb 2009 blog entry so: "In which a composer supervises a jazz drummer who used to be a rock drummer playing with a group of classical pianists best known for performing systems music." In a Mar 2008 blog entry, Bruford described an "experimental day" with Riley, recording engineer Chris Lewis, and musician/digital technologist David Plans Casal (Brunel Univ. page). In a Jun entry, he said:

In a Sep 2008 interview, Bruford said, "The CD is somewhat influenced by guitarist David Torn's recent album called Prezens. Like Torn, Riley reserves the right to judiciously alter, or tamper with, or wreck what he hears, but in Torn's case, the source material was mostly improvised, and in our case it is mostly written."

Read my interview with Colin Riley about the collaboration here.

Bill Bruford's Earthworks & other performances
After a 18-month hiatus, Earthworks briefly returned for a short residency at Ronnie Scott's in London in Jul 2008. The line-up was as in 2006/7: Bruford (drums, percussion), Tim Garland (Chick Corea, Dean Street Underground Orchestra) on saxophones, Gwilym Simcock (Acoustic Triangle) on piano and French horn, and Laurence "Laurie" Cottle (ex-Tim Garland Quartet, ex-Eric Clapton, ex-Brian Eno) on electric bass and trombone.

Bill Bruford did a solo show before an invited audience at Words and Music Live, part of BBC Radio 3's Free Thinking Festival, in Liverpool, UK on 1 Nov 2008. This was also broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

Re-issues and archival releases
Now out are two compilations: the 2CD The Summerfold Collection (1987-2008) (BBSF022CD) includes two rare tracks ("The Sound of Surprise", previously only released on the Japanese release of The Sound of Surprise; and "Beelzebub" performed by Earthworks feat. Tim Garland, from the Drum Nation sample). The 1CD The Winterfold Collection (1978-1986) (BBWF010CD) contains no rarities. A sampler DVD with a lengthy interview with Bruford (done by Jon Kirkman) is available. The DVD includes samples from releases by Bruford, Earthworks, Bruford-Borstlap and the World Drummer's Ensemble. 2000 copies of the DVD were available for free. The sampler will also be included with the DVD release of Earthworks' "Footloose in NYC" (BBSF 020DVD) and can be viewed on Voiceprint's YouTube page. It is also available for sale from Voiceprint under the name "Sampler and Interview".

In his 15 Jul 2008 blog, Bruford said: "I think Voiceprint is about to release a live Gong album from the short time I was with them, but you’d have to check their website". As yet, there has been no announcement from Voiceprint on this. Bruford played with Gong for a few months in late 1974. An example set from Dec 1974 went: "Invocation", "Master Builder", "A Perfect Mystery", "Never Glid Before", "White Christmas", "Solar Musik Suite", "Flute Salad", "Oily Way", "Inner Temple", "Outer Temple", "Sprinkling of Clouds".

Voiceprint re-released "Bruford and the Beat", his 1982 instructional video, on DVD for the first time; duration: 30 minutes. "Footloose in NYC" was previously available as a companion to the 2CD Footloose and Fancy Free, but has now had an independent release. Extra features include behind the scenes footage and interviews.

Out is the 43-minute DVD "Rock Goes to College" (produced by Bill Bruford; Winterfold BBWF008DVD; Region 0) of the Bruford band's 1979 BBC TV performance featuring Dave Stewart (keys), Jeff Berlin (bass), Allan Holdsworth (guitar), Annette Peacock (vocals; this being one of only two shows Peacock did with the group) and Bill Bruford (drums). Tracks: "Sample and Hold", "Beelzebub", "The Sahara of Snow (Part One)", "The Sahara of Snow (Part Two)", "Forever Until Sunday", "Back to the Beginning", "Adios a la Pasada (Goodbye to the Past)", "5G". The release was the fastest selling in Voiceprint's history. A CD of the show (BBWF009CD) followed.

The New Percussion Group of Amsterdam's 1986 Go Between (BBSF018CD), featuring Bruford and Keiko Abe, is out on Summerfold. Tracks: "Go Between", "Redbone", "Marimba Spiritual", "Maenaden". Bruford plays acoustic drums and percussion just on the 14-minute eponymous opener, composed by Rudd Wiener of the NPG. Wiener, Peter Prommel and Herman Rieken also perform on that track, all three playing xylophone, vibraphone, marimba and bass marimba. Abe just plays on "Marimba Spiritual".

Previously, Winterfold releases have generally come with a Summerfold sampler, and vice versa. However, this practice has ended. An Introduction to Summerfold and An Introduction to Winterfold are available for free (postage and packaging only) from Bruford's online shop. (Voiceprint are still selling them for £4.99).

As for future bonus tracks, in the May 2004 interview, Bruford says, "I have one or two strange bits and pieces up my sleeve and a fair amount of recorded live stuff. [...] I do have some very exciting playing from the Bruford group". In a Dec 2003 interview with Voiceprint radio, Bruford is asked whether he has any unreleased material in the archives for Winterforld. He replies:

Somewhat. The bands I'm in always tended to be playing new material, which [...] was likely to be recorded for some upcoming album. If that album never got made, then you find that that album is available in stocks... the material is available in some live concert. For example, the Stewart/Berlin/Holdsworth or John Clark group was working on a fourth studio album after Gradually Going Tornado, but it never got made. So there are some demos from rehearsal rooms and things which are just great and several tunes played live that were also very interesting. However, the only minor fly in the ointment back then of course is that the recording... bootleg recordings were pretty low quality. There's usually some guy just sticking up a cassette in a venue somewhere and not terribly great. And we didn't spend a lot of money recording things live all the time. Now, of course, with portable recording systems, everybody records everything. You record the rehearsal room. You record walking in to the rehearsal room. One of the nightmates in King Crimson was that everything was always recorded [...] The opposite problem occurred in the mid-seventies with Bruford, which was that almost nothing was recorded. So a lot of material went past, but we can, sure, find things and I'm sure you'll find the remastered and re-packaged material will come with interesting tunes of one sort of another or out-takes or some of that, I think.

Chris Squire's solo album Fish Out of Water, on which Bruford plays, has been re-released by Squire—see under Squire for details. Bruford also appears on some of Patrick Moraz' solo albums, now remastered and re-released—see under Moraz.

Phil Manzanera's website had described a possible archival collection entitled Rare Two including material with Bruford, but news of the release was withdrawn. In Apr 2003, bassist Bill MacCormick answered a question about the relevant sessions on the Phil Manzanera/Roxy Music forum saying:

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.

Bruford is on a number of King Crimson compilations. The (eventually 8CD) 21st Century Guide to King Crimson is a sort of replacement for the 1991 Frame by Frame compilation. Vol. One: 1969 to 1974 (DGM 0403) contains 4 CDs; Bruford is on the latter two discs: CD3 In The Studio: 1972-1974—"Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part I" (abridged, from Larks' Tongues in Aspic), "Book of Saturday" (Larks' Tongues...), "Easy Money" (Larks' Tongues...), "Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part II" (Larks' Tongues...), "The Night Watch" (Starless & Bible Black), "The Great Deceiver" (Starless & Bible Black), "Fracture" (Starless & Bible Black), "Starless" (abridged, from Red), "Red" (Red), "Fallen Angel" (Red), "One More Red Nightmare" (Red); CD4 Live: 1972-1974—"Asbury Park" (USA), "The Talking Drum" (The Great Deceiver), "Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part II" (USA), "Lament" (USA), "We'll Let You Know" (Starless & Bible Black), "Improv: Augsburg" (previously unreleased, concatenated with preceding track so does not show up as a separate CD track), "Exiles" (abridged, from USA), "Easy Money" (USA), "Providence" (The Great Deceiver), "Starless & Bible Black" (The Night Watch), "21st Century Schizoid Man" (USA), "Trio" (The Night Watch). Bruford also appears on DGM's new 2CD The Condensed 21st Century Guide to King Crimson (1969-2003). DGM are planning to release a DVD compilation of archive video footage of King Crimson, including previously unreleased footage.

Dust is a collection of rarities from Adrian Belew. While once planned as a boxset, instead the collection of 85 tracks is being released as a series of downloads ("Dust particles") available from StoreBelew. Some of these features Bruford and Levin, including "Dust" (unreleased 1983 King Crimson song from sessions for Three of a Perfect Pair) and "Manhattan/Neurotica" (recorded by Belew/Bruford/Levin in 1982). At one stage, it was announced that the set would include an early version of "Heartbeat" and other outtakes from Beat.

A cover of King Crimson's "Starless" by Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy and Randy George is due as a bonus track on Morse's next release. Bruford describes the version as "brilliant". John Wetton is also doing King Crimson and UK material with the Paul Green's School of Rock All-Stars on Mar 2009 US dates, and with iCon in Feb.

UK
News about archival and remastered UK releases is under Jobson. Meanwhile, Jobson's new band UKZ played UK, King Crimson and Bruford material at their debut live show—see here.

Other news
Bruford's tenure in Genesis will be covered by the forthcoming Live 1972-2007 (EMI), due 14 Sep in Europe. This 10CD/3DVD set is expected to include at least all the band's official live albums: Live, Seconds Out, Three Sides Live (with Bruford), The Way We Walk and Live Over Europe.

Since Back Against the Wall, Kaye has been working on multiple projects with Billy Sherwood that also include further Yesmen and so are covered here. These chiefly include CIRCA:, a new band project also with Jay Schellen and Jimmy Haun; their second album (CIRCA: HQ) is now out, the band are planning a live-in-the-studio DVD and hope to tour in 2009. The members of CIRCA: are also working with Bobby Kimball (ex-Toto; vocals) in a new quintet called AKA. Kaye also guests on a post-Conspiracy album by Sherwood and Schellen. Kaye also played on Return to the Dark Side of the Moon, a tribute album to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, and its predecessor Back Against the Wall, as well as Led Box: The Ultimate Tribute to Led Zeppelin and a forthcoming Beatles tribute album, all organised by Sherwood—details here.

In May 2007, Kaye said on his MySpace blog that he has "been working on [a] project called End Of Inocence that is an orchestral interpretation of 9-11-2001." In an interview published Mar 2008, Kaye talks further about the project, saying:

I’m working on an instrumental album based on the events of 9/11. My wife co-wrote and sings on one of the songs. It’s mostly orchestral and I’d like to have an actual orchestra perform it, but they are very expensive.

In a Dec 2008 interview on Yesfans.com, Kaye talks more about the project:

It's an orchestrated work. I started writing it the day after 9/11 happened, and went into the studio and started writing a piece that actually musically follows what happened that entire day. [...]

it has 'Floyd-ey' YES-like moments [...] Band moments. [...] I keep reviewing and re-doing things, and it's getting closer to what I hear in my head. I think it's very different to do an orchestral album without an orchestra; Because of the purity of what it is. I'm a big fan of Trevor [Rabin], and what he's achieving now. But you see, he has the money to do it right, to get that purity of sound. [...]

to be totally authentic, I think to have a one-hundred piece orchestra is the way to go. But it's really a work in progress, and of course the subject matter is rather difficult [...] because of the intensity and the gravity of what it was [...]

Some of it is more melodic, it has Floydian rock and roll moments which kick-up the symphonic parts. [...]

I actually go between liking it and sort-of not liking it, which is why I keep going back to re-vamp it. It IS pretty dark and intense subject matter. I like playing inspirational music, but I also like to play with a song; With the lyrics, which this doesn't have. It's purely instrumental. It's not finished, not quite yet, but it's getting there. [...]

Some of it is pretty complex, and some of it is quite simple. It balances-out.

Kaye's wife is singer Daniela Torchia (MySpace page). Her debut album Have No Fear was executive produced by Kaye, and produced by Brian Yaskulka and George Alayon. Kaye also plays keys on the song "I Promise You". Also appearing are Robin LeMesurier (ex-Rod Stewart; guitar), Cole Coleman (MySpace page; Davison/Coleman, worked with Circa:; guitar), Kevin Holmes (guitar), Joe Jewell (guitar), Jeff Hawley (guitar, bass), Willard Lozano (Flamenco guitar), Mike Bennett (drums), Morris Goldberg (sax), Glen Sobel (drums), JJ Kleutgens (bass). There is a Spanish-language version of the album entitled Sin Miedo. See Yescography for details.

On his MySpace page, drummer Paul Cassarino (stage production for CIRCA:) says he is, "Currently, working along side Tony Kaye [...] and his wife Daniela Torchia's solo project." I am unclear whether this is the 9/11 project, another album from Torchia or something else.

Kaye is also executive producing several new artists. He was playing piano, Hammond and synths in The Neil Deal, a tribute band for Neil Young and Crazy Horse based in Los Angeles, CA, but seems to have left in 2007. The rest of the band are Dennis Neil (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, harmonica), Jim Altman (ex-Steve Vai, ex-Eric Burdon; guitar, backing vocals), Bruce Spiegel (bass, backing vocals), Bert Wolf (drums). The band play regularly in California. Their live set included "After the Gold Rush", "Alabama", "Barstool Blues", "Cinnamon Girl", "Cortez the Killer", "Cowgirl in the Sand", "Down by the River", "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere", "Harvest Moon", "Heart of Gold", "Helpless", "Hey Hey My My", "Hurricane", "The Loner", "Long May You Run Mr. Soul", "Mansion on the Hill", "Needle and the Damage Done", "Ohio", "Old Man (Look at My Life)", "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", "Out on the Weekend", "Over & Over", "Powderfinger", "Rockin' in the Free World", "Sedan Delivery", "Southern Man", "Sugar Mountain", "Tell Me Why", "Walk On", "Welfare Mothers", "When You Dance I Can Really Love", "After the Garden". The band were recording a studio album; it is unclear whether Kaye will be on this.

Harmony in Diversity and Self-Contained
Harmony in Diversity is an improvisational trio with Peter Banks (guitar, MIDI guitar), Nick Cottam (Pulse Engine; bass) and Dave Speight (a.k.a. Jick; drums). Speight replaced Andrew Booker (Pulse Engine, Tim Bowness, Improvizone; MIDI drums, drums), who left the band in Jun 2006. The band's debut release is Trying, available only from their website; it features Banks, Cottam and Booker and largely consists of material recorded in late 2004, save for the last track recorded live in Jun 2005—details in Yescography. The new trio are compiling an album: Banks blogged in Apr 2008 about "the Harmony In Diversity project I have and the tracks are being worked on and assembled by H.I.D bassist Nick Cottam , who has done an outstanding job and continues to work on this up coming release." Speight's MySpace reports, "The latest HiD live album is currently being mixed and will feature live recordings captured in the UK and Eastern Europe in 2006/2007." Sound samples from Trying and from recent shows with the new line-up can be heard at their website, and at Speight's and Banks' MySpace pages.

Since 2007, Banks has had a call for collaborators on his MySpace blog. It currently reads:

 Diligence, tenacity, precision, a driven confidence, iconoclastic lateral thinking and er....stuff.

Pete Banks is looking to hear from musicians who like breaking rules, for his HARMONY IN DIVERSITY project. The gigs will be 80% improvised, no prisoners will be taken. If you're interested in playing between the lines, if you are in the London area I would like to hear from you.

Call today!
44-776-694-2372

Harmony in Diversity played various European shows in 2007. A Feb 2007 show in Budapest, Hungary was recorded, either for a separate live release or material from it will be used on their forthcoming album. In Mar 2007, they played in Newport, Wales, courtesy of Islwyn Acoustic Guitar Club. (Streaming video from this show is now up on Banks' MySpace page.) The new line-up's debut was two English shows in Oct 2006 supported by Whimwise (led by Nick May, ex-The Enid). While the band's live performances were initially entirely improvised, they have introduced a prepared piece, an arrangement of a piece from The Two Sides of Peter Banks.

Banks was planning a number of projects with Gonzalo Carrera (dB-Infusion, Whimwise, Karnataka, Wild Turkey; keys), including live work in London: they initially talked about a duo, Harmony in Diversity II, with the same improvisational ethos as its namesake. The pair were also planning live work as Self-Contained, playing rock instrumental material composed by Banks. In Apr 2007, Banks said he, Carrera and Dave Wagstaffe (Landmarq, Oliver Wakeman; drums) were planning some London gigs of composed material. However, these plans appear to have stalled. Banks has also talked of wanting to assemble an instrumental band to play material from his 1990s solo albums: in a Nov 2006 interview, he said, "I'd like to put an instrumental band together and go and play my stuff, and do some covers of different songs and pieces, instrumentally, and put a whole different spin on it." In Apr 2007, Banks joined dB-Infusion (with Carrera) plus John Etheridge (guitar) for the last two pieces of their London show.

Yes & related collaborations
Banks guested on Return to the Dark Side of the Moon, a tribute album to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon organised by Billy Sherwood—details here. In an interview for Guitar Player (Sep 2006 publication date, but conducted in the first half of the year), Banks says, "I may be doing something with former King Crimson violinist David Cross, and there are two potential projects involving former Yes personnel that I'm sworn to secrecy about for now." One of these Yes-related projects was probably a reference to early ideas around what became CIRCA: (with Sherwood, Tony Kaye and Alan White), but Banks ultimately was not involved with this. The other may have been writing with Jon Anderson.

Banks and Jon Anderson were writing some new material together, but the collaboration was abandoned—details also on main page. In Oct 2007, former Flash road manager George 'TheMiz' Mizer reported that "Pete [Banks] has givin up on a FLASH reunion [see next paragraph] at this time as he wants to be part of the YES 40th Anniversary in 2008". See main page for more on Banks and Yes. On the other hand, in an interview in Record Collector (circa Oct 2006), Banks said, "It's been suggested to me to do an album of Yes pieces, but why? I don't want to repeat something I did 200 years ago."

Flash
Banks and former Flash road manager George 'TheMiz' Mizer, through their production company AdequateSounds, are trying to arrange a release entitled In Public, an archival 16-track recording of a complete 1973 Flash concert recorded by the Record Plant. Banks blogged in Apr 2008 about the album, describing it as "a forth coming CD called FLASH "In Public" we have had many offers for a JAPAN release but this is worth a wider release. So we shall see what comes ." An edited version of one track ("There No More", a.k.a. "Room with a View", originally 18 min.s long) can be heard on Banks' MySpace page.

Syn
Banks left The Syn reunion: in an interview in Record Collector (circa Oct 2006), he says, "That was a bitter experience [...] the singer [...] was impossible."

Other news
Banks has been planning a project with singer Reggie King (ex-The Action). In a Nov 2006 interview, Banks talks of producing King and assembling a backing band: "I'm hoping to put a special band together, can't say too much about it because I've not spoken to Reggie about it. [...] I'm hoping to tempt him into the studio. It would involved people who played the Marquee in the late 60s, like Phil Collins, Chris Squire, Stevie Winwood, this kind of thing. But we're still discussing things."

Banks was announced to be guesting on a number of tracks on the next studio album by Yesterdays, now expected around 2009, but I am unclear whether this is still happening. Harmony in Diversity's Speight has, however, been working with them. (Banks' Harmony in Diversity were supported by Yesterdays at MiniProg Festival in Budapest in Feb 2007.)

In an interview in Record Collector (circa Oct 2006), Banks says, "I have almost enough material for a solo album too, but I'm not sure I want to release one, as I burned myself out on the previous one. If I did, it'd be live-in-the-studio with my wish-list of players. It's been suggested to me to do an album of Yes pieces, but why? I don't want to repeat something I did 200 years ago."

Some while back, Banks recorded parts for three tracks on Ant-Bee's planned album Electronic Church Muzik (as Billy James, Ant-Bee co-wrote Banks' autobiography "Beyond and Before"). Other guests include Daevid Allen (Gong), Gilli Smyth (Gong), Jan Akkerman, Napoleon Murphy Brock (ex-Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention; vocals), Don Preston (ex-Mothers), Bunk Gardner (ex-Mothers), Rockette Morton (ex-Capt Beefheart's Magic Band), Zoot Horn Rollo (ex-Capt Beefheart's Magic Band), Moogy Klingman (ex-Todd Rundgren; keys), Roger Powell (ex-Todd Rundgren; keys) and members of the the Alice Cooper Group. At last report, Ant-Bee (a.k.a. Billy James) is still working on the album.

Christine Harwood's 1970 album Nice to Meet Miss Christine, on which Banks plays on 2 tracks ("Crying to be Heard", "Mama"), was re-released in 2007 by Finders Keepers, with 4 bonus tracks, on CD (FKR005CD) and LP (FKR005LP). Details in Yescography.

Banks was interviewed (circa Nov 2006) for a documentary about Pink Floyd's Meddle album. He said in the aforementioned Nov 2006 interview that he wanted to write another book: "not a biography, about music in general and the way I view it now and the way it was. I'm pretty opinionated and want to get it out of my system."

Peter Banks has a MySpace page. This may feature some archival recordings Banks has, including The Syn live in the 1960s.

Change of Space and supporting live work
Moraz has a new album now out on Voiceprint. Called Change of Space (Time Wave, IDVP020CD; dur. 60:00; also to be available digitally) and described as "a return to Patrick's progressive roots", the album has 10 tracks. Voiceprint erroneously describe the album as having been recorded over the last two years in the US, but in a Mar 2009 interview with the official MorazNews e-mail list, Moraz describes it as "a collection of songs and instrumental pieces of never released material which I worked on, composing, recording, mixing and "polishing" over a period of about 14 years." The album is largely instrumental and composed by Moraz, but there are, as I understand it, two songs co-composed with Don Adey (ex-The Jamme) and a third piece, "The Power of Emotion", composed by Moraz with lyrics by Adey and Alex Ligertwood (ex-Santana, ex-Brian Auger). Musicians on the album include Moraz (keys, synths, Moog, keytar, backing vocals), Adey (lead vocals), Ligertwood (lead vocals), John Wackerman (Chad Wackerman's brother, ex-Kazumi Watanabe, ex-Lindsay Buckingham; acoustic and electronic drums), Bunny Brunel (ex-Chick Corea, ex-Kazumi Watanabe; electric bass), Kazumi Watanabe (worked with Bill Bruford; electric guitars), Alex Acuna (ex-Weather Report, ex-Joe Zawinul; percussion), Ronnie Ciago (drums), the late Mark Craney (drums) and Michael Tovar (rhythm guitar), with backing vocals from Janis Liebhart (worked with Michael Bolton, ex-The Moody Blues), Nicol Mecerova (ex-Bunny Brunel, ex-Herbie Hancock), Wendy McKenzie (ex-The Moody Blues), Naomi Starr and Jill Meschke (also keys). Technicians on the album include Barry Radman, Lee Bales, Joseph Rivers and Eric "Woody" Wood. There are some audio samples here.

Tracks:

1. "Peace in Africa" (Adey on lead vocals, with Moraz and others on backing vocals)
2. "Change of Space" (Ligertwood on lead vocals)
3. "Sonique Prinz (Movt. 1)"
4. "Sonique Prinz (Movt. 2)" (Moraz on keytar)
   
5. "Sonique Prinz (Movt. 3)"
6. "One Day in June"
7. "Cum Spiritu"
8. "The Power of Emotion" (Ligertwood on lead vocals, additional keys by Meschke)
9. "Stellar Rivers and Streams of Lucid Dreams" (in 4 movements: the first three are 6:37 long, with the fourth, "Adagio Cantabile", is 5:31 and segues into the next track)
   
10. "Alien Spaces"

In 1989, Moraz was working on a follow-up to Human Interface. At the same time, he was renting his Los Angeles studio out to Watanabe, who was recording his solo album Kilowatt with Brunel, Wackerman, Ligertwood, Acuna, Wayne Shorter (ex-Miles Davis, ex-Weather Report; sax) and others. These musicians, minus Shorter, played on sessions for Moraz, while Moraz also played on Kilowatt. The deal with Cinema Records fell through, but some material from these sessions appears on Change of Space, namely the tracks "Peace in Africa", "Change of Space", "Cum Spiritu", "The Power of Emotion" and "Stellar Rivers & Streams of Lucid Dreams". "Cum Spiritu" was begun by Moraz earlier: he had previously composed the piece and recorded all his parts in London, with Brunel then writing and adding a fretless bass part in this period.

The remaining pieces were recorded in the late 1990s/early 2000s in Orlando, FL. The basis for "One Day in June" was a 1998 session with Ciago on drums, which Moraz then added to. The "Sonique Prinz" suite and "Alien Space" were recorded entirely by Moraz.

Moraz was to play two solo piano concerts (17-18 Apr) in Issaquah, WA, but these have been postponed. Moraz hopes to reschedule. He said in the MorazNews interview that, "some other dates are in the works in the States and also hopefully in Europe and Switzerland" and that he hopes to subsequently tour in support of the album with a band including some of the musicians who appear on the album.

Other recent work
In the MorazNews interview, Moraz says:

there are quite a lot of recordings and works which have never been released, and there are also some new productions, recent works, in the "classical" section and also in the "prog-rock and avant-jazz fusion" section. Of course, I have quite a lot of projects already "earmarked", so-to-speak, for the coming years.

Moraz has done music for a forthcoming DVD release called "Transmuteo" by Jean-Luc Bozzoli; trailers featuring Moraz' music are now online. In his interview for Innerviews, Moraz expands:

it’s a story made up entirely of visuals and music, with no story or words. [...] The music will have a very symphonic approach and some of the pieces are very emotional.

Moraz and Ronnie Ciago (percussion) have been working on an album together; one piece with Ciago appears on Change of Space (see above). Moraz played on sessions for bassist Dave LaRue (The Dixie Dregs, John Petrucci) for a second solo album which has yet to appear.

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). For some years, Moraz has been working on an "electro-ethnic" solo album, A Way to Freedom. 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. Especially now that I have all these [re] releases [...] coming out [see below] [...] It is still a work in progress and I cannot announce its release yet. But it will come out in the not-too-distant future.

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.

Re-releases and previously unreleased archival material
Following their remastered re-release series, Voiceprint have also released a Patrick Moraz compilation in their Sixty Minutes With... series (VP6007CD). In an Oct 2006 interview with the Francophone Yes fanclub, Nous Sommes Du Soleil, Moraz was asked whether there might one day be a release of a Dec 1987 live-in-the-studio performance in support of Human Interface. Moraz replied yes:

Oui, celui-là j’en ai le master sur DAT et je vais le mastériser avec Jean Ristori dans les semaines à venir. Bien que la partie électronique de la musique soit très similaire à l’album de studio de « Human Interface », ayant tout joué « live » en direct,  avec l’aide d’ordinateurs et de « midi » cependant, le son lui, est plus « urgent », peut-être un peu moins sophistiqué que sur l’album de studio, et les tempi sont dans certains cas plus rapides ! Et puis les lignes improvisées sont évidemment différentes de celles de l’album de studio. [...] J’ai retrouvé des enregistrements inédits de pièces pour pianos préparés que j’avais enregistrés ultérieurement et que j’ai mis en bonus sur le CD.

[Support this website by buying the Moraz remasters and other releases through Amazon (US or UK): go to the Where Are They Now? Amazon listings page.]

Refugee
Refugee consisted of Moraz (keys), Lee Jackson (ex-The Nice, ex-Jackson Heights; bass, vocals) and Brian Davison (ex-The Nice, ex-Jackson Heights; drums). Voiceprint, within their series of Moraz releases, have re-released the band's only contemporary album, Refugee (IDVP001CD), plus a live Refugee CD, Live in Concert - Newcastle City Hall 1974 (VP421CD), one of the band's earliest concerts, sourced from tapes held by Davison and fully endorsed by the band. The set was mainly drawn from the album, but with some further pieces played: "Outro - Ritt Mickley", "One Left Handed Peter Pan" (previously unreleased Refugee original), "The Diamond Hard Blues Apples of the Moon" (originally by The Nice), "Someday", "Papillon", "She Belongs to Me" (originally by The Nice), "Grand Canyon Suite", "Refugee Jam" (previously unreleased original). In his 2007 interview for Innerviews, Moraz says that he is "not ruling out regrouping Refugee either. I'm in touch with Lee Jackson and Brian Davison every few weeks and we're talking about maybe doing a couple of reunion shows in Europe." However, sadly Davison died in Apr 2008.

Other news
Moraz is one of many musicians to appear in Dianna Dilworth's documentary film about the Mellotron, "Mellodrama: The Mellotron Documentary".

Trevor Horn Official site; SPZ website; ZTT Records website
US Official site; MySpace page
The Producers have changed their name to US. The band consists of Trevor Horn (bass, vocals), Steve Lipson (worked with Grace Jones, S Club 7, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Annie Lennox, Will Young; guitar), Lol Crème (Art of Noise, ex-10cc; guitar, vocals), Chris Braide (Malmo, written for Glenn Tilbrook, Clay Aiken, Will Young, Kylie Minogue, S Club 7; keys, vocals) and Ashley 'Ash' Soan (Rick Wakeman's English Rock Ensemble, Enrique Iglesias, ex-Del Amitri, ex-Squeeze; drums). Braide is the main vocalist, but Horn and Crème sing lead on some songs. The band began recording their debut album in Dec 2006 at Hook End Studios. In Mar 2008, the band announced they had finished mixing it and that release under the title Studio 1 would follow on Stiff Records (a sister label to ZTT). However, by Jun 2008, the band were back recording and the album was entitled Watching You Out There and to be released on a different label. It has now changed name again, to The Path of Sydney Arthur and become a concept album based around the fictional life story of a man born on the same day as the first Moon landing. The album is now due toward summer 2009. (An associated short video promoting the new album name has appeared on MySpace, while "Freeway" and "Man on the Moon" are on the album's MySpace page and "Freeway" can be heard at the Perfect Songs site.) Album tracks for Studio 1 were to be: "Freeway", "Waiting for the Right Time", "Watching You Out There", "Your Life" (Horn on lead vocals), "Barking Up the Right Tree", "You and I", "Stay Elaine", "Man on the Moon" (Braide on lead vocals), "Music From BelAir" (inspired by Horn's time as a homeowner in California). A song entitled "Seven" (in 7 time about an escort agency, with Horn on Vocoder) was played live; I presume it is included in that list under some other name. "You and I" is confirmed for The Path of Sydney Arthur; preview video here. Gary Langan (ex-Art of Noise, worked with Yes) mixed and engineered. Note that Horn, Lipson, Crème, Soan and Langan all worked on Escala's eponymous debut too: see below.

The debut single was "Barking Up the Right Tree" (3:21; Crème on lead vocals, Horn on double bass), backed with "Freeway" (5:55; Braide on lead vocals; originally announced as the debut single), now out (Stiff Records, CDBUY270). The single was co-written and co-produced by all five of the band. A number songs could be heard on their their MySpace page and at the Stiff Records website. There is also a video for "Barking...", a hand-drawn animation by Crème. (A teaser video for "Barking Up the Right Tree" and "Freeway", produced by Lol's son, Lalo Crème, can be seen at Braide's MySpace page here.) The band is managed by Luke Mitzman (Lipson's stepson). "Barking Up the Right Tree" is also included on the 4CD The Big Stiff Box Set (SALVOBX402).

The band played two London dates in Apr and May 2008 (as support for Zucchero). A 5-date UK tour was planned for Oct 2007, but, according to one report, it was cancelled save for the opening London night. The set then was: "Two Tribes" (instrumental, originally by Frankie Goes to Hollywood), "Invisible" (originally by Braide), "Waiting for the Right Time" (from Studio 1; Braide on acoustic guitar and lead vocals), "Rubber Bullets" (originally by 10cc; Crème on lead vocals), "Music from Bel Air" (from Studio 1; Horn on acoustic guitar and lead vocals), "Freeway" (from Studio 1, which Horn introduced under its original title of "Driving"), "Into the Great Wide Open" (originally by Tom Petty; Horn on lead vocals), "Your Life" (from Studio 1; Horn on lead vocals), "Barking Up the Right Tree" (from Studio 1), "Man on the Moon" (from Studio 1; Braide on lead vocals and keys), "Seven" (from Studio 1; Horn on lead vocals and Vocoder, including Soan drum solo), "I'm Not in Love" (originally by 10cc; Braide on lead vocals and keys, Crème on keys), "Video Killed the Radio Star" (originally by The Buggles; with comedy bossa nova intro), "Watching You Out There" (from Studio 1; live debut), medley: "Space Oddity/Highway 61/Everybody Wants to Rule the World". "You & I" (from Studio 1) was also played, but I forget where it came in the set list. An encore of "Get Back" (originally by The Beatles) was planned, but not played due to lack of time. In an interview in Apr 2007, Horn said they might do more Buggles numbers at a future show, including "Living in the Plastic Age".

Production and solo work
Trevor Horn did a film score in 2007 for the forthcoming drama/comedy "Young Americans" (formerly "Kids in America") from Universal Pictures, but said in a May 2008 interview that he wasn't particularly interested in doing many more films. The film, starring, co-written and co-executive produced by Topher Grace and written by the writers of That '70s Show, is expected Jan 2009.

Horn is co-producing the first English-language album from Israeli artist Aviv Geffen (English-language page, MySpace page; Blackfield). They were recording at Sarm Studios in London with players including Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree, Blackfield; guitar) and Mike Garson (ex-David Bowie, ex-Smashing Pumpkins). The electronic press kit for the album, including a brief comment from Horn, can be seen on YouTube. Later sessions for the album have been in Israel with producer Ken Nelson (worked with Coldplay, Echo & The Bunnymen, Snow Patrol, Paolo Nutini). One track, "Love Song", is produced by Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio, worked with Yeah Yeah Yeahs). Further tracks on the album include "October", "Black and White", "The One" and "It's Alright", while the debut single, "Silence", is now out.

Horn is producing the new solo album from Robbie Williams (ex-Take That) at his Sarm West studios. The album is expected in the autumn. In Apr, Williams said of the new album, "It sounds big. Very. I'm buzzing." He is reported to have over 50 contending songs for the album.

Horn produced Set the Mood, the debut album from David Jordan for ZTT/Mercury Records, now out. Tracks: "On the Money", "Place in My Heart", "Sun Goes Down", "Set the Mood", "Love Song", "Move On", "Sweet Prince", "If I'm in Love", "Glorious Day", "Only Living Soul" (co-written with Chris Braide (US)), "Fight the World". The album peaked at #8 in the UK and #60 in Switzerland. "Place in My Heart" was the lead single, with remixes by Joey Negro and StoneBridge. While it failed to chart, the second single, "Sun Goes Down", peaked at #4 the UK, #20 in Ireland, #34 in Italy and #42 in Switzerland. The third single is "Move One", including new track "Ghost Train" as a b-side, and also charted in the UK. Musical director for David Jordan's band is Paul Sayer (also guitar), while also working on the album were Braide and Steve Lipson (The Producers).

Horn is also producing the forthcoming album (rumoured to be called Maladies) from singer/songwriter Kid Harpoon (a.k.a. Tom Hull; MySpace page); summer 2008 recording sessions in Los Angeles, CA were planned. Tracks are expected to include a re-working of his own song "Riverside" plus new material. (Kid Harpoon is also in Arrows of Love, who are working with producer Aaron Horn, Trevor's son.)

Now out is Evolver, the 11-track album from R&B singer John Legend. Horn co-produced the final song on the album with Devo Springsteen (a.k.a. Devon Harris; worked with Estelle, Kanye West, Aretha Franklin), "If You're Out There", which was inspired by Barack Obama's Presidential campaign. The track, which also features the Agape International Choir, was released as digital download in the US. It made #10 in the Billboard US Bubbling Under singles chart (i.e. approx. #110 on the singles chart), #135 in the UK chart and #41 in the Netherlands. Others who worked on Evolver include Andre 3000 (Outkast), Kanye West, Estelle, will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Pharrell Williams, Brandy, Akon, Kelly Rowland and The Neptunes. Horn and Legend were among the judges for a competition to remix "If You're Out There" run by Indaba Music. The winning entry, by Raj "RajStar" Makhija, is to be streamed on Legend's website and MySpace page.

Evolver album chart performance Country/chart Peak chart position USA (Gold) 4 (15 Nov) US R&B/hip-hop 1 Japan 26 Japan foreign artists 5 UK 21 (1 Nov) France 38 Canada 14 Italy 29 Sweden 36 Belgium 37 Netherlands 72 Ireland 52

Buy from Amazon.com (US):

Buy from Amazon.co.uk (UK):

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Vocalist Fiona Renshaw (worked with Lisa Stansfield, Kubb, Mr. Scruff) has recorded some vocal sessions with Horn and Lol Crème (The Producers, Art of Noise, ex-10cc), although for what project is unknown: Horn does not seem to be working on her forthcoming album. She's also signed to Horn's publishing company Perfect Songs.

This is Hazelville (EMI) is the debut album from Captain (MySpace page) and produced by Horn. The band are Rik Flynn (vocals, guitar), Clare Szembek (vocals, piano, percussion), Mario Athanasiou (guitar), Reuben Humphries (drums, piano) and Alex Yeoman (bass). Another new band with links to Captain and The Delays (who have worked with Horn) is Ghosts and they have signed to Perfect Songs, Horn's publishing company.

Horn had been working with Enrique Iglesias on an album, at one point expected in Nov 2005, but delayed. Geoff Downes has played on two tracks of the project, including a cover of Cutting Crew's "(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight". However, this material appears to have not been used.

In a Yahoo chat in Oct 1999, Horn wrote: "I'm writing a musical [...] about Robots." In a 2008 interview, Horn said he had an upcoming "Musical/Show project".

[Support this website by buying This is Hazelville and other releases through Amazon (US or UK): go to the Where Are They Now? Amazon listings page.]

Pet Shop Boys
Horn produced the Pet Shop Boys' Fundamental (Parlophone). See details in Yescography. A special edition version includes a second disc (Fundamentalism) with 8 remixes. Various alternate mixes and versions of the songs appeared on different formats. The album went Gold in the UK where it peaked at #5 (#1 on the album dance chart). It also made the top ten in Denmark and Switzerland, and the top twenty in Sweden and Finland. It made the US electronic chart's top five. Singles from the album were "I'm with Stupid", "Minimal" and "Numb", the last of those in an edit with new production by Horn. B-sides on various formats included a live version of "West End Girls" from Concrete on which Horn plays. Concrete (Parlophone/EMI) is a 2CD live album out in the UK (no US release planned). It is a recording of an exclusive London show in May 2006 by the Pet Shop Boys with the BBC Concert Orchestra (conducted by Nick Ingman) with Horn (bass, musical director), Dudley (keys, piano), Phil Palmer (ex-Tina Turner; acoustic guitar), Steve Lipson (The Producers, ex-Grace Jones, ex-Frankie Goes to Hollywood; guitar), Paul Robinson (ex-Buggles;drums), Lol Crème (The Producers, Art of Noise, ex-10cc; backing vocals) and others. Tracks: "Left to My Own Devices", "Rent", "You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk", "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show", "Casanova in Hell" (with Rufus Wainwright), "After All", "Friendly Fire" (with Frances Barber), "Integral", "Numb", "It's Alright", "Luna Park", "Nothing has been Proved", "Jealousy" (with Robbie Williams), "Dreaming of the Queen", "It's a Sin", "Indefinite Leave to Remain", "West End Girls". The album made #61 in the UK.

The Pet Shop Boys' Disco Four, now out, includes "Integral (PSB Perfect Immaculate mix)" and "I'm with Stupid (PSB Maxi-mix)". In conjunction, "Integral" was released as a download single (making #197 in the UK chart), with a physical version released only as a promo. Ewan Pearson's re-mix of "Psychological" is included on his album Piece Work, also out.

Produced by Trevor Horn: 25^th anniversary celebration
Produced by Trevor Horn was a celebration of Horn's career on the 25th anniversary of The Buggles' The Age of Plastic, his first major release, encompassing a charity concert recorded for DVD and a compilation album (see in Yescography). The live concert was held in Nov 2004 in aid of The Prince's Trust charity. The line-up consisted of artists who have been produced by Horn and both Yes and The Buggles appeared. The show was recorded (and overdubs done, it seems) for a DVD release. A Region 2 release came in Japan first as "Produced By Trevor Horn: The Best 25 Years of Pop" (Geneon Entertainment). A US release under that title was announced (Clear Channel Entertainment Home Video 00110-7, distributed through Ventura Distribution; dur. 2 hours 40 minutes), with bonus material to include backstage footage, interviews and "Frankie Say Reform" (the documentary about Frankie Goes to Hollywood's search for a new singer), but did not appear and its status is unclear. The show was broadcast on HDNet (US TV). A 2-hour UK release through ZTT is now available under the name of "Slaves to the Rhythm". The Japanese release has songs out of order compared to the evening's perfomances and seems to omit Dollar's "Mirror Mirror" entirely, whereas the UK release is complete.

There was a 'house band' for much of the evening, which varied somewhat, but included Horn (bass, backing vocals), Dudley (Art of Noise; keys), Geoff Downes (keys), Jamie Muhoberac (ex-Seal; keys), Lipson (electric guitar), Robinson (ex-Buggles; drums), Alan White (drums), Lol Creme (The Producers, Art of Noise, ex-10cc; acoustic guitar, backing vocals), Palmer (ex-Tina Turner; acoustic guitar), Luis Jardim (ex-Asia;percussion), Bruce Woolley (ex-Buggles, ex-Grace Jones; backing vocals, guitar), Tessa Niles (worked with The Buggles; backing vocals), Barry (backing vocals), Debi Doss (worked with The Buggles, The Kinks, Pet Shop Boys; backing vocals), Linda Allan (worked with The Buggles; backing vocals), Andy Caine (backing vocals) and an orchestra (conducted by Nick Ingman (worked with Jon Anderson), string leader Gavyn Wright, horn leader Steve Sidwell). Tim Weidner (produced Magnification) was also in attendance, while orchestral sound was by Greg Jackman (worked with Chris Squire, Steve Howe). The acts were:

• The Buggles: "Video Killed the Radio Star", "Living in the Plastic Age"
• Dollar (with house band): "Mirror Mirror", "Give Me Back My Heart"
• Belle & Sebastian: "I am a Cuckoo", "Come Into My Office, Baby"
• Grace Jones (with house band): "Slave to the Rhythm"
• Art of Noise (including Horn, White, Dudley): "Close (to the Edit)"
• Propaganda (Claudia Brücken/Michael Mertens/Ralf Dörper/Susanne Freytag with house band): "Das Testament des Dr Mabuse"
• ABC (with Dudley): "Poison Arrow", "All of My Heart", "The Look of Love"
• Yes (Chris Squire—bass, White—drums, Trevor Rabin—guitar, vocals, Steve Howe—guitar, Downes—keys, Horn et al.—backing vocals): "Cinema" (Downes on Keytar), "Make It Easy" intro/"Owner of a Lonely Heart" [Squire, White and Downes were seemingly involved in mixing "Owner of a Lonely Heart" for the DVD]
— intermission —
• Pet Shop Boys (with Sally Bradshaw): "Left to My Own Devices", "It's Alright"
• Lisa Stansfield (with house band): "Takes a Woman to Know"
• t.A.T.u. (with house band—Horn and Creme both on bass): "All the Things She Said"
• Seal (with house band): "Killer", "Kiss from a Rose" (new arrangement), "Crazy"
• Frankie Goes to Hollywood (Ped Gill—drums, Mark O'Toole—bass, Paul Rutherford—vocals, Jed O'Toole—electric guitar, Ryan Malloy—lead vocals, with Steve Lipson—electric guitar, Luis Jardim—percussion et al.): "Welcome to the Pleasure Dome" (with Howe—lap steel), "Two Tribes", "Relax" (with Horn—backing vocals).

The Buggles
The Feeling have been performing "Video Killed the Radio Star" live on their current tour and Horn joined them for a performance at a London show on 4 Nov.

Horn and Downes were discussing the possibility of reforming the Buggles. In his blog for 20 Jun 2005, Downes wrote, "I was supposed to have a meeting with Trevor Horn and Jill in London today, but [...] we did it remotely. [...] It's just about a new Buggles album we've been talking about for some time and maybe to coincide with the 25th year anniversary next year of MTV." As well as appearing at the Produced by Trevor Horn show in Nov 2004, thought has also been given to further live work. An article in Jul 2004 in The Independent (UK newspaper) reported that "The idea for reforming Buggles for a belated tour emerged when [Horn] performed "Video Killed the Radio Star" at a Belle and Sebastian concert in Los Angeles last year [2003] and the audience went wild. [...] no decision has yet been made on a full tour because of the cost, leaving the Wembley concert [of 2004] as possibly the only option for older pop fans to see Buggles perform live." At the Produced by Trevor Horn concert, Horn said his original idea had been a low-key Buggles tour. Downes also previously hinted at the possibility of live Buggles work, saying in an interview in early 2004: "The Buggles was much more a studio environment idea, which we never actually took on the road. Things may change though - watch this space later this year [2004]!"

The reunited Asia, including Downes, are playing The Buggles' [SPOILERS—highlight to read] "Video Killed the Radio Star" in their set—see details here.

Art of Noise
In the Apr 2008 interview for Future Music, asked about whether the Art of Noise will be doing anything new, Horn said, "We keep talking about it." He also describes how they worked on a "visual sampler" before The Seduction of Claude Debussy: "So when you hit a note, you get a picture as well as sound. [...] there's about a 20 minute video that Lol Creme did, and I'm going to put it on DVD."

And What Have You Done With My Body, God? (ZTT) is a 4CD box set about the early Art of Noise. The set includes a 36-page booklet with track-by-track commentary by Horn and the other four original members, Anne Dudley (ex-ABC), Gary Langan (worked on 90125), JJ Jeczalik (worked on 90125), Paul Morley. One track is entitled "Close to the Edge" in reference to the Yes song of the same name on which this piece was loosely modelled; Alan White plays drums. Disc 1-3 consists of previously unreleased material, including from the original Who's Afraid... demo tapes, and Anne Dudley has collated fragments into a set of finished pieces (including "It's Not Fair" and "It Stopped"). Disc 4 consists of the full 'Into Battle with the Art of Noise' EP and 'Close (to the Edit)' and 'Moments in Love' cassingles, released on CD for the first time.

ZTT have also produced a new, limited edition, promo-only sampler CD (ZTT202CD) in unique slip-case artwork taken from the box set, shipped free with orders over £10 placed at the ZTT shop. It has 12-tracks, including "Once Upon a Lime" and "Close to the Edge".

Other news
ABC performed the entirety of The Lexicon of Love, their debut album produced by Horn, on 8 Apr at the Royal Albert Hall in London, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Anne Dudley (Art of Noise). The show was introduced by Horn.

Zang Tumb Tuum: The ZTT Box Set (Salvo Music (Union Square Music), SALVOBX405) is a 3CD/1DVD box set compilation of 25 years of ZTT Records. The set includes both hits and rarities, plus remixes, from multiple artists, including many produced by Horn. The DVD is 72 min.s long, consisting of music videos. The box was compiled by ZTT's archivist Ian Peel, who has also penned a 72-page booklet, with contributions from Horn and particularly Paul Morley (Art of Noise). Details in Yescography. The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" and Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" are both on the 3CD Island Life: 50 Years of Island Records (Universal/Island).

ZTT are planning an anniversary Frankie Goes to Hollywood release with rarities. Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" (produced by Horn) is included on the 2CD collection North By North West: Liverpool & Manchester from Punk to Post-Punk & Beyond 1976-1984 (Korova), compiled by Paul Morley (Art of Noise). (A 3CD limited edition version is also available.)

"INSPIRED" (Shoehorn Media Ltd.; ISBN 978-1-907149-01-6) is a forthcoming book raising money for The Prince's Trust with stories by various celebrities of how music has changed lives. Contributors include Trevor Horn, as well as Tony Blair, P Diddy, Kevin Spacey, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, Gerald Scarfe, Al Pacino, Take That, Boris Johnson, Richard E Grant, George Martin, Gary Lineker, Jane Asher, Cerys Matthews and many others. The book is due Jul 2009 and will have a foreword by Prince Charles and portrait photos by Cambridge Jones.

Horn was awarded an outstanding contribution award at the Radio Academy's Radio & Music Forum conference in Mar 2009.

A Jul 2004 article in The Independent (UK newspaper) reported Horn as saying "that he knows he will have to give up producing some day because the hours are "just crazy"." The article goes on to quote Horn directly: "It's a tough game being a record producer. I've always worked very hard and very intensively. I've never left anything to chance." In a May 2008 interview, Horn said that his children and running the business (since his wife's accident) takes up most of his time, but that he still likes making records.

Horn's music business concerns are complex, but there is SPZ Holdings Ltd., which then owns Sarm Studios (who operate recording studios and manage record producers and engineers), Perfect Songs (music publishing company) and ZTT Records Ltd. (record label; MySpace page), which also owns Stiff Records.

Geoff Downes Official site; Official online store; MySpace page

Asia
The Four Original Members of Asia
The original Asia line-up—namely Downes (keys), Steve Howe (guitar), John Wetton (ex-King Crimson, ex-UK; bass) and Carl Palmer (ex-Emerson, Lake & Palmer; drums)—have re-united, have a new album, Phoenix, and are touring. Details are on the Asia page.

iCon
The Wetton/Downes collaboration iCon continues in parallel to their work together in Asia. (In a Mar 2006 interview, Downes said, "It's important to point out [...] that the Icon stuff is quite a different approach [...] So this is Icon, this is Asia. There are really two quite different styles we address to each one.") The pair's third album, 3 (dur. 53:53), is now out on Frontiers Records (FRCD406) and worldwide partners; tracks: "Twice the Man I was", "Destiny", "Green Lights and Blue Skies", "Raven", "Sex, Power and Money", "Anna's Kiss", "Under the Sky", "Don't Go Out Tonight", "Never Thought I'd See You Again", "Peace in Our Time". All tracks were written and produced by Wetton/Downes; the album was mixed and engineered by Steve Rispin. See Yescography for details. Some samples are available on Downes' website. There were live dates in support in Feb 2009. The new line-up is with Hugh McDowell (ex-ELO) on electric 'cello, who has worked with Asia and iCon previously, plus Dave Kilminster (MySpace page; Roger Waters, ex-John Wetton, ex-Qango, ex-Keith Emerson; guitar) and Pete Riley (Dave Kilminster, ex-Keith Emerson; drums). Guesting on the album are Andreas Vollenweider (harp; on "Raven" and "Anna's Kiss") and vocalist Anne-Marie Helder (MySpace page; ex-Karnataka, Panic Room, Mostly Autumn, ex-Fish, ex-Dave Kilminster) on three tracks ("Raven", "Don't Go Out Tonight" and "Peace in Our Time"). The band toured Japan with 8 shows in Feb without McDowell. They played two back-to-back shows each night, with the sets on the first night being: first show—"Countdown to Zero" (from Asia's Astra), "Go" (Astra), "Elstree" (The Buggles' The Age of Plastic), "Rendezvous 6:02" (U.K.'s Danger Money), "Angel" (Dave Kilmimster's Scarlet), "The Night Watch" (King Crimson's Starless and Bible Black), "Heat of the Moment" (Asia; acoustic version), "I've Come to Take You Home" (Wetton's Rock of Faith), "Twice the Man I Was" (3), "Voice of America" (Astra), "Rubicon" (Icon II: Rubicon), "My Own Time" (Asia's Alpha); encore: "Days Like These" (Asia's Now and Then). Second show—"Countdown to Zero", "Paradox/Let Me Go" (Icon), "Meet Me at Midnight" (Icon), "The Die is Cast" (Icon II: Rubicon), "True Colours" (Alpha), "In the Dead of Night" (U.K.'s U.K.), "Book of Saturday" (King Crimson's Larks' Tongues in Aspic), "Battle Lines" (Wetton's Battle Lines), "Tempus Fugit" (Yes's Drama), "Don't Go Out Tonight" (3), "Starless" (King Crimson's Red); encore: "Rock and Roll Dream" (Astra). They then played the Netherlands on 19 Feb, with Helder joining the line-up.

On 21 Feb, they—Wetton (bass, vocals), Downes (keys, backing vocals), McDowell (electric 'cello), Kilminster (guitars, backing vocals), Riley (drums), Helder (backing vocals, shakers)—played a special sold out concert at St Mary-Le-Bow Church in London for an audience of 200, which was recorded for a live DVD ("Live at St Mary-Le-Bow") and CD release: see press release here. Set: "Countdown to Zero"/"Go", "I've Come to Take You Home" (Helder on flute at end), "Twice the Man I Was", "Elstree", "Angel" (Kilminster on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Riley and Wetton sat out), "Voice of America", "The Die is Cast", "To Catch a Thief" (Icon II: Rubicon; duet with Helder); interval; "Starless" (Helder sat out), "Paradox/Let Me Go", "Meet Me at Midnight" (Kilminster on acoustic guitar, Wetton on vocals only), "Raven" (3; duet with Helder, Wetton on vocals only, Kilminster on backing vocals only, Riley sat out), "True Colours", "Heat of the Moment" (acoustic; Wetton on acoustic guitar and vocals, Kilminster on acoustic guitar, Riley sat out), "Rubicon", "Don't Go Out Tonight", "My Own Time", "Days Like These"; encore: "In the End" (Icon; Wetton on vocals only, duet with Helder, who also played flute), "Rock and Roll Dream". Downes' website says that, "virtually everything played at the iCon show will be exclusive and not be played at any Asia shows."

iCon are performing on 7 Aug 2009 at the Memories of Woodstock Festival in the West Midlands, UK. The same day, their Asia compatriots are also performing (a solo set from Steve Howe; Carl Palmer with his band), and Asia are headlining the next day. There is also a plan being considered for a joint Asia/iCon/Steve Howe Trio/Carl Palmer Band tour for 2010. See under Asia for details.

Anneke van Giersbergen covers "To Catch a Thief" from Icon II: Rubicon on her new solo album Pure Air (Agua Recordings), with Wetton guesting on vocals. See Yescography for details. Van Giersbergen guested on the original version.

Again in his Feb 2007 blog, Downes described a new project also involving Tony Levin (bass), Michael Holmes (IQ), Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard, ex-Genesis), Thomas Lang (ex-John Wetton; drums), Rob Aubrey (worked with Wetton/Downes; engineer). Downes writes:

[In Feb] We [Downes, Holmes & Aubrey] were working on a few tracks that they have been putting together at their respective studios. At the moment it's what you might call a 'virtual' project, with people sending in their stuff/parts from all over the World. [...] It's a fairly interesting but low-key kind of project, and the material - quite different and unusual, but at the moment is still very much a kind of 'work-in-progress' type of thing. Any of you prog-heads out there will probably love it all and lap it up

Other news
The Buggles appeared at the Produced by Trevor Horn show in Nov 2004. As well as playing in the Buggles, Downes was in the 'house band' for much of the evening, performing with many of the other acts. A DVD is out. More details and other Buggles news under Horn. Downes also plays on an Enrique Iglesias project being produced by Horn—details under Horn.

Downes appears on a number of projects headed by Billy Sherwood: a tribute album to Pink Floyd's The Wall; another for Led Zeppelin; a forthcoming Beatles tribute album—details here.

Downes appears on a new project from Starwood, a spin-off from the band Lizzy Borden.

Jerusalem were an early 1970s British heavy rock band whose one album was produced by Deep Purple's Ian Gillan. Bob Cook (guitar) and Lynden Williams (vocals) have reformed the band for an album produced by Rob Aubrey and, in his Jan 2007 blog, Downes describes doing a session for the project. Others appearing on the album include Pete Trewavas (Marillion; bass), Dave Meros (Spock's Beard; bass) and Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard; drums).

Downes sometimes plays with the Loco All-Stars, also with Hugh McDowell (Wetton/Downes, ex-ELO; cello), Paul Martinez (ex-Paice Ashton & Lord, ex-Robert Plant Band; bass), Ian Luther (guitar), Nicky Hopkins (ex-Robert Plant Band; drums). The band, who have a fluid line-up, were recording a CD to be sold at live shows; Downes is on six tracks including "How Long", "Keep on Rocking", "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Superstition".

News about Asia Featuring John Payne and associated releases is on the Asia page.

New solo album
Rabin is actively working on a new solo album. A Feb 2009 interview says:

Rabin is also currently recording material for an upcoming instrumental solo album. The new music—which he describes as, “jazzier than rock, with a bluegrass Dobro kind of feel”— features him playing nearly every instrument.

In an interview published Mar 2008, Tony Kaye said, "I think [Rabin i]s working on a jazz album. [...] I think he's doing all the instruments himself." Talking to Innerviews back in late 2003, Rabin said he hoped to record a new solo album soon. "But if I get a call from someone I'm excited about working with, it's very difficult to turn down." He continues "I've got quite a lot of material together that I'm happy with. When I get enough together I'll start to do an album." In an Aug 2002 interview for Notes from the Edge, he said:

I've got enough material for about half an album at least [...] I just haven't got time to get around to it.

I think I'd sing on it, but it would be far more instrumental. The previous solo albums were very much singer-songwriter efforts with me delivering a lyric and performing as a guitar player [...] Now, I think it would be a little more eclectic and a lot more natural maybe. It wouldn't stick to a certain genre. I wouldn't do what I'm expected to do. I think it would be a lot freer.

Film scores etc.
Rabin did the score for Disney's "Race to Witch Mountain" (remake of the 1975 film; now out). The former was recorded around early Feb 2009 by a 78-piece ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony, conducted by orchestrator Gordon Goodwin, and a 24-person choir conducted by music librarian Marshall Bowen. The score producer was Paul Linford, who also handled additional arrangements. The scoring mixer was Steve Kempster, with Robbie Boyd, the music editor; Larry Mah, the ProTools recordist; and stage recordist Adam Michalak. The soundtrack, Race to Witch Mountain, has received a digital release only. The 19 track album opens with 3 tracks not by Rabin, with the rest from his score: "Emergency" (Steve Rushton; 2:59), "Boogie Woogie Saturday Night" (Brokedown Cadillac; 3:30), "Southern Nights" (Brokedown Cadillac; 3:53), "Into the Fridge" (6:50), "), "Long Goodbye" (3:01), "Siphon Searches" (4:00), "Make Me a Believer" (4:09), "Bump and Run" (1:14), "Unidentified Main Titles" (3:10), "Jack and Kids Escape" (2:58), "Tell Mr. Wolf I Meant It" (0:50), "Train Wreckage Survey" (0:46), "Burke's Deal" (4:19), "Tracking the E.B.E.'s" (2:13), "Stand Off" (1:48), "Tunnel Flight" (2:17), "Excess Baggage" (2:08), "Convention Escape" (3:12), "Meet the Press" (1:36).

He has also done the score for another Disney film, "G-Force" (animation due summer 2009). Here, Rabin takes over from former collaborator Harry Gregson-Williams, as he has moved to another Disney project. Rabin is also working on "12 Rounds", due 2009, directed by Reny Harlin. This was recorded around Dec 2008, again by the Hollywood Studio Symphony (including Jon Lewis, trumpet; Wayne Bergeron, trumpet; Cécilia Tsan, 'cello; Bill Booth, trombone; Bob Sanders, bass trombone; Jim Self, tuba), while the studio team included Linford, Kempster, Tom Hardisty, Peter Rotter, Robbie Boyd and Erik Swanson. Rabin's website refers to "four new projects for 2009", which seems to imply another score.

Rabin was a speaker at the Fimucité (Festival Internacional de Música de Cine de Tenerife/Tenerife International Film Music Festival) in Jun in Tenerife, Spain. The festival included a performance of Rabin's film music by the Tenerife Film Orchestra & Choir, a 90-piece orchestra and 60-member choir; set (conducted by Joel McNeely): "Gettysburg/Virginia" (from "Remember the Titans"), "Closing Cards (Overture)" (from "The Great Raid"), "Launch" (from "Armageddon"), "Aftermath" (from "Deep Blue Sea"), "Ben" (from "National Treasure"), "The Game" (from "Remember the Titans").

Rabin scored "Get Smart: The Movie". There is a 20-track release, Get Smart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande, 302 066 904 2); tracks: "Smart Dreams", "Get Smart Theme", "Cake Factory", "Theme (Look One)", "Max Denied", "Max Takes a Bow", "Dropping Like Flies", "Theme (Look Two)", "Agent 23", "Max Ejects", "Skydiving", "Laser Hallway", "Entering Moscow", "Rooftop Fight", "Max Calls 99", "Theme (Look Three)", "The Big Chase", "Wish We Had More Time", "Smart Exit", "Theme (Look Four)". The score incorporates the original TV show's theme, by Irving Szathmary, with the album including several re-interpretations in different styles. The score was performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony, conducted and orchestrated by regular Rabin collaborator Gordon Goodwin, as well as using electronic elements, guitar and percussion. It was produced by Paul Linford and mixed by Steve Kempster, with Greg Dennen as the score recordist and ProTools by Larry Mah. A sequel is planned with Rabin to do the music again.

Rabin is signed to Kraft-Engel Management. Rabin is also a painter and his work can be viewed and purchased at the Entertainers Art Gallery.

Projects with multiple Yesmen
Billy Sherwood is the nexus for a number of projects involving other Yesmen, both current and former band members (particularly Tony Kaye and Alan White), which are covered on their own page. In summary, there is:

• CIRCA:, a new band with Sherwood, Tony Kaye, Jay Schellen (GPS, ex-Asia, ex-Unruly Child, ex-Lita Ford, ex-Badfinger, ex-Peter Banks; drums, percussion) and Jimmy Haun (played on Union, worked with Jonathan Elias, ex-Chris Squire Experiment, ex-The Key; guitars), and previously Alan White. The band have released their second album, CIRCA: HQ, and hope to tour in 2009. The members of CIRCA: are also working with Bobby Kimball (ex-Toto; vocals) in a new quintet called AKA. See here.
• Sherwood has been working on Psy-op, a spin-off from Conspiracy with Schellen, but without Chris Squire. This project includes appearances by Kaye and Geoff Downes. (As a preview, a song from the album, "Gone All the Way" (2:12), has been made available for download on Sherwood's website.) See here.
• Sherwood has a series of tribute albums including appearances by Yes men. See here.

Solo work, including At the Speed of Life...
Sherwood released his third solo album At the Speed of Life... exclusively available through his website. Some of the material dates back years, even as far as when he was 15, Sherwood said in a Sep interview for Delicious Agony. In an Apr 2008 interview, Sherwood said:

Tracks: "Forward" (6:27), "In the Maze of the Garden" (8:35), "In Memory of..." (2:36), "Face the Dawn" (6:30), "Alive and Wondering" (5:51), "At the Speed of Life..." (10:04), "Seeing Through the Walls" (10:57); written, produced, and all instruments performed by Billy Sherwood. Audio samples are available at Sherwood's MySpace page. The album has a certain lyrical unity around "life and time and how it should be cherished", as Sherwood discusses in an interview circa Sep 2008. Photos in the CD booklet are by wife Michi. CIRCA: are planning to cover "Seeing Through the Walls" on their planned "CIRCA: HQ LIVE" DVD—see on the CIRCA: page.

In early Jun 2009, Sherwood said his fourth solo album would be called Dream Analysis. He said:

I recently got inspired on bass and created a new piece and have slotted it for the next solo CD I have in the works. I had a dream about the next solo project being about a dream so I am going to call the 4th solo CD "Dream Analysis". I'm going to make all the songs dreamscapes and fantasy based theme wise. I dream often and in very intense ways, so I have plenty to draw from for each song.

Rights to Sherwood's first two solo albums have reverted to him and he is working to re-release them through his website. No Comment is now available digitally through iTunes.

In an Apr 2008 interview, Sherwood talked about writing "about 8" Xmas songs for MasterSource Music Catalog and, more generally, that he writes "a lot" for them. Over Xmas 2007, he put a set of Xmas songs on his MySpace page: "Peace and Love Xmas", "Bring It on Santa", "Xmas Time is Here", "Swingin' Xmas" and "The Santa Letter". These were originally written for film and TV work, presumably the same company, and are entirely performed by Sherwood, except lead vocal on "Swingin' Xmas" by Pat Tezilino. "Bring It on Santa", "Xmas Time is Here", "Swingin' Xmas" and seemingly a new piece "Dear Santa" are or were available on the Billy Sherwood Productions MySpace page.

Jim Ladd's Headsets (MySpace page)
Sherwood is working with radio DJ Jim Ladd on a series of albums based on Ladd's Headsets freeform radio shows of the same name. The improvised radio show adds effects and spoken word material to other artists' songs, but the first Headsets release was planned out and uses mostly original material. Chapter 1: Alone Out Here is on the theme of space, tracks are given below; the lyrics and speeches were written by Ladd (with Sherwood), save for two poems, while the music was largely written and performed by Sherwood. The album largely consists of songs sung by Sherwood and tracks of an ambient nature backing speech by Ladd.

1. Remnants of Creation (Part I)—spoken by Ladd; 30s. duration
   
2. The Launch—with spoken word fragments by DJ Pat "Paraquat" Kelly, DJ Joe Reiling, Damian Bragdon, John Densmore (ex-The Doors) and Sherwood; 22s. dur.
   
3. We are Sailors—sung by Sherwood
   
4. Reaching for the Stars—spoken by Ladd, intro to next track
   
5. Sons of Our Suns—sung by B. Sherwood, with additional voice work by his young son, Ethan
   
6. The Mission—spoken by Ladd
7. The Lonesome Trail (re-make of Conspiracy song)—sung by Sherwood with some additional spoken word fragments by Ladd
8. Finding Our Way—poem written and spoken by Helene Hodge, with drum solo by John Densmore
9. Universal Garden (re-make of Yes song)—sung by Sherwood
10. The Family Business—spoken by Ladd
11. Alone Out Here—spoken by Ladd in a segue from previous track; Schellen on drums
    
12. Systems Failure—spoken by Ladd
13. Reflections—sung by Sherwood
14. Message from Home—poem written and spoken by Victoria Cyr over music by Sherwood
    
15. 2,000 Light Years From Home (re-make of The Rolling Stones song)—Billy Bob Thornton + his band
    
16. Perspective—spoken by Ladd
17. Melancholy Deity——sung by Sherwood; Schellen on drums
18. Remnants of Creation (Part II)—spoken by Ladd
19. One World Going Round (re-make of World Trade song)—sung by Sherwood

A live production and DVD is planned: in a Nov 2007 interview for Notes from the Edge, Sherwood said, "we have plans to make a live production out of it and include perhaps special guests and friends who, between Jim and I and the people we know, put together a unique kind of show, and just make an event out of the whole thing [...] hopefully early in the first quarter perhaps of next year [2008] somewhere we actually bring this to a live setting and film it and record it and create a live DVD of the experience". The live production would not tour: rather it seems a series of local dates is under consideration. The live band would probably be CIRCA: plus special guests. In mid-Jul 2008, Sherwood said, "There is interest in a "Headsets Live" production."

Chapter 2: Sides is due late Jun; Sherwood described mastering the album with Joe Gastwirt (worked with Yes) on 26 May. He tweeted on 12 Apr about completing mixing on a 10-track album. Recording sessions had begun in early Mar. One song is entitled "2 Sides to Everything". Back on 13 Jan, he talked about creating one of the songs on the album:

I write on all instruments, that said the last song I wrote for the upcoming "Jim Ladd Headsets 2" CD was started by a drum groove I had in my head. I was walking around my house with a particular drum groove ringing in my mind and keep humming it to myself, so I ran to the studio and played just the drums, no "music" so to speak. {not that drums are not music for any drummers out there [...] Once the track was cut I grabbed my guitar and sorted out a chord progression and the rest and it became a song called "Opposing Forces".

In the NftE interview, Sherwood said: "we plan on doing as many as we like [...] so in the same way that, for me CIRCA: is doing its thing, and naturally taken on a life of its own, that's what's going kind of happen in this case as well with HEADSETS, so there will be multiple records as years roll by I'm sure." Future chapters may also have live productions too and will probably not re-use as much material.

However, that's not the end of the story. An alternate first, space-themed, Headsets album was released earlier in 2007 as From Here to Infinity (duration 42:09) by Jim Ladd's headsets, on Purple Pyramid (Cleopatra). It was released digitally through distributor The Orchard, but did not have a physical release. With many of the same people involved, it is unclear whether there is any overlap in content between the two releases. The album includes covers of well-known songs, including "Starship Trooper" with Sherwood (bass, backing vocals), Rick Wakeman, Tony Kaye, Steve Howe, Alan White and Mickey Thomas (Starship; lead vocals). This was then re-released later in 2007, still digitally only, as Rock Infinity (and without the Headsets name) with a bonus track of "More Than a Feeling" performed by Sherwood, White and Kaye, presumably the track previously released on Cleopatra's '70s Box: The Sound of a Decade. Details in Yescography. "Across the Universe" was then released on Abbey Road: A Tribute to The Beatles (Cleopatra Records)—see here. In Aug 2007, Sherwood described to Yesfans.com the cover of "Starship Trooper", saying, "That song was for a record that was dereailed mid way through.... record comapny snafu." He later continued, "Let's just say there was a major SNAFU that madse us back up and re-look at the project. I will explain more when the dust settles."

Tribute albums
Led Box: The Ultimate Tribute to Led Zeppelin includes Sherwood, White, Wakeman, Kaye and Downes, while Abbey Road: A Tribute to the Beatles has Sherwood, White, Downes and Kaye. The latter is out as a digital download and is released physically in Mar: details here. Sherwood is now working on a tribute to Xmas classics, including Downes and others: details here. Also out in 2008 was a A Tribute to Thin Lizzy: see details in Yescography.

In an Apr 2008 interview, Sherwood said he is working on a tribute to The Police, saying, "I was planning on kind of inviting just like great guitar players to come on and play some great solos and play over the top of the stuff and keep the music kind of pure."

Other news
In Sep 2007, Sherwood was reported to be producing "a number of bands". In a Mar 2008 interview, he said of his home studio, "I do a lot of production work here. I do a lot of writing for Japanese anime' cartoons. I also work for Master Source, which is a large music library. They're featuring me as their artist of the month on their website, which is quite an honor." In mid-Dec, he said, "I have met some incredibly talented musicians/writters on myspace [...] I've recorded some things for people on their records and I am about to mix a great sounding prog band who contacted me through myspace." In May, he tweeted that he was mixing material for Brazilian prog band Banda Do Sol, and in Jun, he tweeted that he was mastering their album with Joe Gastwirt (worked with Yes).

Sherwood is a guest vocalist on two tracks ("The Challenge", "Going Home") on the concept album Shackleton's Voyage by Eureka (MySpace page), now out on InsideOut. Eureka is Frank Bossert's project and he plays guitars, keys, bass, mandolin, drums and percussion on the album; both tracks on which Sherwood guests can be heard on his MySpace page. Other guests include choir band Kalema with lead singer Martje Johannsen, Troy Donockley (Iona, Mostly Autumn) on Uilleann pipes and whistling, and Yogi Lang (RPWL) on Moog. The album is being mastered.

The Future is the debut solo album from Air Supply's Graham Russell. Sherwood, who worked with the band in the 1990s, co-wrote two songs: "Let Yourself Go" (written by Russell/Jonni Lightfoot/Stina/Sherwood) and "Our Love" (Russell/Mike Zerbe/Lightfoot/Jed Moss/Jeff Allman/Stina/Louis Clarke/Sherwood). He also mixed three tracks. The second album from Julia Francis is entitled Lucky Penny and has additional engineering and production from Sherwood and Ted Stockwell (Treason, ex-White). The album was co-produced by Victor DeLorenzo (Violent Femmes) and Mike Hoffmann (EIEIO); players include Vinnie Colaiuta (ex-Frank Zappa, ex-Asia, worked with Sherwood; drums), Ben Smith (ex-Heart, ex-Cyndi Lauper; drums), Andy Stoller (ex-Tracy Chapman; bass) and Jeff Fielder (Sera Cahoone; bass). The record was mastered by Joe Gastwirt (worked with Yes, CIRCA:).

Sherwood and Bob Kulick head up Fearless Music West, a spin-off from Jamie Lamm's New York-based Fearless Music, doing music for commercials.

Sherwood has been working with Bob Cesca (cover art for Yes and Conspiracy) and his production studio Camp Chaos. Sherwood composed the theme song for Camp Chaos's anime series "Kung Fu Jimmy Chow" (for Heavy.com; lyrics by Cesca) and for their series "Superficial Friends" (also for Heavy.com). In an Apr 2008 interview, he said he had "recently completed" another.

On his MySpace blog in May 2007, Sherwood recounted how he met Malcom McDowell prior to recording Back Against the Wall: "I met Malcolm while doing a session for him and Brian Johnson {acdc singer} BJ wrote a broadway play which he had cast MM in. I did the session". Sherwood's role in this session or any further details are unknown.

Work began late in 2003 on a new World Trade album. In a Jun 2004 interview, Schellen says, "We [Sherwood and Schellen] have recently begun a new World Trade record with Bruce [Gowdy], it truly sounds amazing. [...] [Gowdy] sounds better than ever. The sound is more powerful and explosive than before, with all the hallmark vocals and melodic lead guitars. The partnership is strong and this record is going to be a monster!" It appears the project stalled. In a Jan 2006 interview, Sherwood is asked whether World Trade is now defunct and replies, "It lives on in my mind and in Bruce Gowdy's mind and in Jay Schellen's mind. We talk about it, but life gets busy and it just doesn't seem like it's something we ever focus on. Two of the tracks on the new Conspiracy project [now to be released under another name—see CIRCA: page for details] were written by Bruce and me with the idea that maybe we would start working on a new World Trade record. But Bruce got really swamped, and so did I, and it fell on the back burner. But those two tracks blend in perfectly, so there's a World Trade flavor to the new Conspiracy record." In Jun 2007, Sherwood said, "Bruce and Jay and I always speak of doing another record so, you never know."

The original incarnation of The Key—Sherwood, Jimmy Haun (CIRCA:; guitar), Mark T. Williams (drums)—recorded an album in 1991, Delta Sierra Juliet, which was never released. Sherwood has said they hope to release it one day, but in May 2007, Sherwood wrote on his MySpace blog that, "The original "Key" record with myself, Jimmy haun, Mark Williams won't be released, it was on Impact/MCA a now defunct record comapny." To ProgressiveEars.com in Feb 2009, he said the album "is caught up in ownership issues and most likely will never see the light of day". However, the rights to The World is Watching, The Key's 1997 album, have reverted to Sherwood and guitarist Marty Walsh and Sherwood continued that he is "Thinking of sprucing it up and re-releasing it via my on line store".

Khoroshev has been working with Holly Knight (worked with Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Heart).

Any news, additions or corrections, please e-mail Henry Potts. Thanks.