Where are they now? - former Yes members

This page last updated: 31 Jan 2012
 
YES and projects with several Yesmen
Jon
Anderson
Chris
Squire
Steve
Howe
Alan
White
Geoff
Downes
Trevor
Horn
Tony
Kaye
Peter
Banks
Patrick
Moraz
Bill
Bruford
Rick
Wakeman
Trevor
Rabin
Billy
Sherwood
Igor Khoroshev
Oliver Wakeman

Benoît David
Asia
CIRCA:
Anderson & Wakeman
Others associated with the band


Jon Anderson

Anderson news is on its own page.
Bill Bruford Official website for Bill Bruford and Earthworks; News; MySpace page

Bruford has retired from performance. He continues to run his Summerfold and Winterfold labels, although with no immediate plans for further releases. He focuses now on teaching, research and speaking engagements. To an interviewer in 2009, he said that he plays practices drumming, but not as much as he used to, in order that he can still teach.

His last live work was an occasional job playing in Soul House, backing singer Ann Bailey (has done sessions for Martine McCutcheon, Damien Wilson, Donna Summer). The band played a Surrey, UK gig in May 2009 and had another in Apr 2010, with Bailey (lead vocalist), Bruford (drums), Tom Cheek (bass), Andy Smith (keys), Jim Cheek (sax), Tom Walker (guitar), Sonia Griffiths (backing vocals), Kate Cameron (backing vocals), Matijn Van Galen (trumpet). (The 2009 line-up, who can be seen on YouTube, was mostly the same, but with Graham Brierton on bass instead of Cheek, and Elliot May on backing vocals instead of Griffiths.)

Re-issues and archival releases

Due Feb 2012 in the UK is a 2CD archival live release by Moraz-Bruford entitled Music for Piano and Drums: Live in Maryland (Floating World Records).

In a 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. 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".

As for the possibility of future archival material on Winterfold, in a Dec 2003 interview with Voiceprint radio, Bruford was asked whether he has any unreleased material in the archives. He replied:

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.
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However, in a Jan 2012 interview, Bruford said:

I think the Summerfold and Winterfold catalogues are full and complete now. I suppose, if you push me, there are the cassette demos, recorded at rehearsals, for the fourth Bruford band CD that never got made. I'm talking to Dave Stewart about that but, right now, I give them a one per cent chance of ever reaching the public domain.

Another interview in Jan 2012 has this:

Bruford: I've got dozens of old demos, but I wouldn't play them to my neighbour's dog. This [From Conception to Birth—see below] was the best of the unreleased tracks. Though from the Bruford band in 1979/80 there was to be a fourth album, but the plug got pulled. And the boom box stuff of that is fantastic but it all got snarled up with Dave Stewart, and it's too complicated. I'm not sure of the audio quality.

Interviewer: Did you record in 1976 with Rick Wakeman or Jack Bruce?

Bruford: I auditioned with Jack Bruce, but there are no tapes. And none with Rick and John Wetton, though we met two or three times. Rick did a very good version of my Beelzebub [...]

Interviewer: Was anything recorded before Yes with The Breed [...]?

Bruford: [...] We did a single with The Breed, [covering] Graham Bond's Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? It was the first time I'd been in a recording studio, when I was 16, and it was excruciatingly bad. [...] heaven knows what we did with it.

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.
King Crimson
King Crimson Collectors' Club releases, consisting of varied archival Crimson material, are available via the DGM Shop. #42 was to be rehearsals from 1983, but was delayed as some of this material may be included on a re-issue of Three of a Perfect Pair (see next paragraph). #43 will be from the 1994-7 sextet line-up. Various archival King Crimson (and ProjeKct) shows are available to buy for download through DGM Live. DGM Live offers some free tracks (registration required).

The King Crimson 40th Anniversary series of CD/DVDA re-releases continues with Starless & Bible Black and Discipline. Both feature new 5.1 mixes by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, Blackfield, worked with Caravan), new stereo mixes by Wilson and Robert Fripp and the original stereo mixes. Starless & Bible Black also includes live footage from 1973 and bonus tracks including "Doctor Diamond" and "Guts on My Side". Discipline additionally includes a rough mix of the album presented in its initially intended running order, video from The Old Grey Whistle Test and further extras. After these will be Larks Tongues' in Aspic.

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.

UK
News about archival and remastered UK releases is under Jobson. Jobson has also been playing UK, King Crimson and Bruford material live—see here.

Other news
Bill Bruford's Earthworks' "Footloose and Fancy Free" is available on Microsoft's Rock Band Network for download and play on Rock Band. This is the first jazz piece for the game. The piano part is played by the 'guitar' in the game, while the saxophone part becomes a 'vocal' part, as can be seen in this YouTube preview.

Writing and academic work
Bruford's autobiography is titled "Bill Bruford: The Autobiography—Yes, King Crimson, Earthworks and More" (Jawbone Press; 336 pages; ISBN: 1906002231). The book has gone into a second printing. An Italian translation is now available, with deals for Spanish and Japanese versions being finalised. Foruli Books have released a signed, limited edition (475 copies + 25 deluxe copies) version, with new introductions by drummers Mark Guiliana (Avishai Cohen, Donny McCaslin) and Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater, Transatlantic) and over 80 more photos. Each copy comes with a 10" vinyl double album, From Conception to Birth and two limited edition art prints. The deluxe version has an additional slipcase and accompanying 10" bronze Bruford Signature splash cymbal, made by Paiste for Foruli. On his website, Bruford described the album thus:

a vinyl album called ‘From Conception to Birth’, which offers the ‘sketch’ or ‘demo’ of the master first, each demo followed immediately by its master. This invites comparison of first thought with final production. Sometimes the difference is marginal, sometimes substantial, but always intriguing, I hope.

The album has 8 demos and then clips from the finished pieces, including "Lingo" (released on Burning for Buddy: A Tribute to the Music of Buddy Rich), "Original Sin" (released on Bruford Levin Upper Extremities) and material from If Summer had Its Ghosts and the Earthworks albums Earthworks, All Heaven Broke Loose, A Part, and Yet Apart and Sound of Surprise, plus an additional, previously unreleased demo, entitled "Banyan".

Bruford has been doing non-performing Evenings with Bill Bruford, talking about his career, mainly at academic institutions, but some are open to the public. In Dec 2010, he brought his talk series, "The Creative Musician in a Commercial World", to the north-eastern US. Further dates in the US midwest followed in 2011. He has done some teaching at the Academy of Contemporary Music (Guildford) and Kingston University, but is now focusing on research work. A Jan 2012 interview with Drummer has Bruford saying he is:

doing postgraduate research in notions of creativity and the drum set at Surrey University.

[...]

I recently prepared the syllabus for and taught a short course in Musicianship for Drummers at the ACM in Guildford, and have also participated in the MA course in Music Performance there. However, I think I'm going to throttle back on all that in favour of research studies at Surrey University music department.

See details on main page. Bruford was interviewed for VH1's forthcoming series Metal Evolution, for an episode on progressive rock and metal.


Tony Kaye MySpace page; YouTube channel

Since Back Against the Wall, Kaye has been working on multiple projects with Billy Sherwood, some also including further Yesmen and mostly covered here. These chiefly include CIRCA:; their thidd album (And So On) is now out. Kaye also guested on John Wetton's new solo album, produced by Billy Sherwood: see below.

Kaye's "End of Innocence" is a 46 minute orchestral interpretation of the events of 9/11. It is now available on YouTube. He first mentioned the project in May 2007 in his MySpace blog. In an interview published Mar 2008, Kaye talked further about the project, saying:

I’m working on an instrumental album based on the events of 9/11. My wife [Daniela Torchia] 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 said:

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.

In a May 2010 interview, Kaye said: "I've been working on a project for quite some time [...] making a video, putting it to images [...] more of an orchestral piece of the day of 9/11 [...] and a little bit beyond, going into the repercussions of the day [...] I started writing it just after the day [...] I went to the studio that night and wrote the first piece [...] I've been working on it for years and years". He went on: "The visuals [...] have really changed it to something I'm really interested in working on right now". He also described the visuals as being very "political".

Out is a special and a deluxe re-release of David Bowie's Station to Station. The special editions includes, on two additional CDs, a complete live set from the accompanying 1976 tour, on which Kaye played keys; tracks: "Station to Station", "Suffragette City", "Fame", "Word on a Wing", "Stay", "Waiting for the Man", "Queen Bitch", "Life on Mars?", "Five Years", "Panic in Detroit", "Changes", "TVC 15", "Diamond Dogs", "Rebel Rebel", "The Jean Genie". (Two of these tracks were previously included on the 1991 release of the album.) The deluxe edition has 5 discs, adding a different mix of the album and a single edits EP.

Kaye's wife is singer Daniela Torchia (MySpace page). Her debut album Have No Fear was executive produced by Kaye. Kaye also plays keys on one song. 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.

Brian Chatton (ex-Warriors, ex-Jackson Heights, worked with Jon Anderson) has a number of songs on his MySpace page which were produced by Kaye.

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Peter Banks Peter Banks Home; MySpace page; Facebook page
Peter Banks & Ambrosia: Original Yes Songs Tour, other Yes-related work & health problems
Banks was planning to team up with US band Ambrosia (worked with Alan Parsons) for a US tour playing material from the first two Yes albums, and more. A website relaunch broke the news that Banks was planning a tour of the US in autumn 2010, but following a positive reception, plans were shifted to Mar 2011. However, on 28 Sep 2010, Banks announced on his Facebook page that the tour was off, saying:

Hope was high with great supporters, venues, presenters, friends. Unfortunately the plan to tour in March 2011 is not going to happen due to unforeseen circumstances. Clearly, the early original Yes songs mean a lot to many fans of Yes who had a wish to experience this music live with a great band like Ambrosia support...

Booking and publicity were by long-time Yes fan Nic Caciappo (worked with Rick Wakeman). On 28 Sep 2010, he said to alt.music.yes:

Sorry to say that the plan is off the table for now for Banks & Ambrosia to tour in March. There were some good gigs and venues lined up for a great route, but circumstances beyond Pete's control have caused us to shelve the plan, for now. We're equally as disappointed.

The Facebook page had this update in Oct:

here is the explanation for delay of touring. Pete has been hospitalized twice in recent weeks with Sciatica [...] Also, Pete experienced blood poisoning known as Septicemia or Sepsis. He has been home since last weekend and recovering. He is hoping that touring could be a possibility in late summer 2011.

Former Flash road manager George 'TheMiz' Mizer said to Yesfans.com on 3 Feb 2011 that, "Pete's recovery is taking much longer than thought."

Venues of 350-1000 capacity were planned. Songs planned include "Beyond & Before", "Astral Traveller", "Sweet Dreams" and "Time and a Word", and Banks' later material, including Flash. The evening was to open with a set by Ambrosia (focusing on their more prog material), Banks joins the band, Ambrosia end the concert alone, then a couple of songs encore with Banks. Caciappo said in Jul 2010, "there is not a plan to do any studio album with Ambrosia, but it might be possible to record some shows and put the best tracks together."

Banks' Facebook page on 21 Jul 2010 carried this message:

What do you think? "SWEET DREAMS" remake by Rabin, Howe & Banks, with vocals by either Mr Anderson or Mr Rabin? Produced by Trevor Horn?? Hoping to put the idea in motion.

It is unclear how much traction this idea can achieve.

A few years ago, Banks and Jon Anderson were writing some new material together. The collaboration was abandoned, but re-kindled in 2011, with Anderson saying they were back in touch, although how likely this is to produce any output is unclear—details on the main page.

Guest appearances
Out in the US is Ant-Bee's Electronic Church Muzik (Barking Moondog Records, BMR1). Ant-Bee is the performing name of Billy James, who co-wrote Banks' autobiography "Beyond and Before" and is now doing promotional work for Jon Anderson and CIRCA:. Banks appears on two tracks, "The Guff" (which also features Gilli Smyth (Gong)) and "Endless Journey" (on streaming audio on Banks' MySpace), his contributions recorded a number of years ago. Other guests include Daevid Allen (Gong), Jan Akkerman (ex-Focus, worked with Banks), Rockette Morton and Zoot Horn Rollo (ex-Capt Beefheart's Magic Band), Moogy Klingman (ex-Todd Rundgren; keys), Michael Bruce (ex-Alice Cooper) and multiple former members of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention, namely Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals), Don Preston, Bunk & Buzz Gardner, James 'Motorhead' Sherwood and the late Jimmy Carl Black. See details in the Yescography.

Banks guests on one track ("Midnight Blues") of Muso & Proud (DB0002), the second album by dB-Infusion, now out. The band, who have previously opened for Oliver Wakeman, is led by Danny Berdichevsky (ex-Requiem, Swing Duo; guitars), with Gonzalo Carrera (Whimwise, ex-Karnataka, Wild Turkey; keys), Ollie Usiskin (Christopher Lee; drums), Steve Stephenson (percussion) and Lakis Economou (bass). Other guests on the album include John Helliwell (Supertramp; sax), Hugh McDowell (ex-ELO, iCon; cello), John Etheridge (ex-Soft Machine, Soft Machine Legacy; guitars), John Hackett (Steve Hackett; flute) and Mornington Lockett (ex-Stanley Clarke; sax). See details in the Yescography. Banks guested live with dB-Infusion in London a few years ago. He was previously planning a number of projects with Carrera, including live work in London, although these plans stalled.

Harmony in Diversity and Self-Contained
Harmony in Diversity was an improvisational trio with Peter Banks (guitar, MIDI guitar), Nick Cottam (Pulse Engine; bass) and Dave "Jick" Speight (drums). The new trio were compiling an album; Speight's MySpace reported, "The latest HiD live album is currently being mixed and will feature live recordings captured in the UK and Eastern Europe in 2006/2007." However, this never emerged.

Flash & re-releases
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. Ray Bennett (now on guitar) and Colin Carter (vocals) are continuing with their Flash reunion, without Banks.

Other news
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."

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.


Rick Wakeman

Wakeman news is on its own page.


Patrick Moraz PatrickMoraz.com; PatrickMoraz.net; MySpace page

Recent work
Moraz played a one-off show in Mar 2011 at Bergen Community College. This was about 1.5-2 hours long and the set included a version of "Soon", the intro to "Sound Chaser", "Jungle Alien", "Symphony of the Trees", "Gentle Storm", "Rite of Passage", and a new piece written for the concert and dedicated to his wife, as well as improvisations. Moraz' set-up consisted of a grand piano, two keyboards, a computer and various percussion instruments. Three guest musicians also made brief appearances. The night before, Moraz did a free lecture/demonstration at the same venue. He next played a show in Sarasota, FL in May 2011.

At the Bergen show, Moraz talked of an upcoming CD and performed a piece from it. Moraz's website lists two forthcoming solo releases, due 2011: World Wide Human Interface Live from Abbey Road (which, to quote the site, "was complet[el]y performed and recorded live, entirely on his own in 1987, at Abbey Road Studio #2") and Pianissimoraz, the latter described as "Piano Solo New Recordings and Special Selections 2011" and as "A classical solo piano CD, composed by Patrick Moraz of some new pieces for "enhanced" piano and some creative excerpts for acoustic piano". Neither appeared in 2011, but the former, as Live at Abbey Road (Floating World Records), is now due 27 Feb 2012 in the UK. The promo for the album says:

[...] Moraz [...] recorded this material live at the legendary Abbey Road studios in 1987. The session lasted exactly one hour, with the first eleven tracks being performed entirely in one recording. All keyboards and instruments, music and themes, arrangements, electronic orchestrations, drums and percussion playing and programming, sounds sampled, loops composed, sequences and twiddly bits are played by Patrick Moraz.

Tracks:

  1. "Introduction"
  2. "Overture-electronic Classica"
  3. "Night Lights"
  4. "Scoops of Love"
  5. "Molecular Symphony - 1st Movement"
  6. "Godmother Theme"
  7. "Age du Tertiaire"
  8. "Stresslessness"
  9. "Night in Kyoto"
  10. "Interview"
  11. "Piano Soul O"
  12. "Late Night Run"
  13. "Space Between"
  14. "Molecular Symphony - 4th Movement"
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Then, due 2012, is a new studio album, entitled Away to Freedom. For some years, Moraz has been working on an "electro-ethnic" solo album, previously known under the slightly different name of 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.

His website also says Moraz is working on a piece entitled "EcoCantata", "an homage to our planet", for a soprano-alto-tenor-bass choir. His site goes on, saying Moraz is "progressing in the compositional development, production and "finition" of a "Futuristic Ballet" and other works featuring electronic arrangements as well as innovative, rhythmic instrumentation and acoustic orchestrations."

In the Oct 2010 Classic Rock Presents... Prog, Moraz says:

I am so busy right on many projects. They vary from rock to classical. Right now, I'm working with some extraordinary musicians in Tampa, Florida. Moreover, there are various reissues being planned. And I'm currently writing my autobiography, when I will reveal the truth of what happened with Yes.

Moraz has been working on a CD with himself on piano and electronic keyboards and drummer Jacob Armen (ex-Prince). Moraz also appears on one piece on Armen's forthcoming solo album: called "Cachaca II", it is an arrangement for piano and drums of Moraz's "Cachaca" on The Story of i. In a 2007 Innerviews interview, Moraz says, "It features the piano base of the original track which you can't really hear on my album, in addition to the original chord structure from the middle of the piece. The rest of it is quite different—almost a different tune." The duo have played a small number of live dates and further shows. In late 2009, Moraz, Armen and bassist Matt Malley (ex-Counting Crows) were working on an album together at Malley's studio. In Oct 2009, Malley wrote on his website:

For the last couple of nights I've been recording with Patrick Moraz, (Yes, Moody Blues) and Jacob Armen, (Prince) in my studio and it is downright frightening how good they are.  No need to "explain" anything...no analyzing...just play.  Think with your heart and feel with your brain.  I would love to tour with this little combo!

In a Feb 2007 interview, Moraz talked of his desire to play live with a band and that he was rehearsing for live performances, but he did not seem to have any specific plans for shows. Moraz had said that Vega Music, a Japanese label who are re-releasing Moraz's solo album Resonance there (see below), would like to bring him to Japan for both some piano and electronic concerts. In the interview for Innerviews published in May 2007, Moraz talked about what material he might play live, describing delving deep into his back catalogue with material from Mainhorse, Refugee ("like "Papillon" or a bit of "Credo.""), The Story of i, Out in the Sun, Future Memories, and "even" Timecode. He adds, "Perhaps I'll play some Moraz-Bruford pieces like "Children's Concerto" as well" and that he "might consider playing something from Yes like "Soon"".

Moraz and Ronnie Ciago (Facebook) (ex-CIRCA:, Brand X, worked with Bill Ward, Mick Taylor, Jaco Pastorius, Robert Downey Jr.; percussion) have been working on an album together; one piece with Ciago appeared on Moraz's solo album Change of Space. Ciago said on Facebook in late Sep 2011: "there is also 2 Moraz & Ciago cd's due out in the next few months, Patrick Moraz & Ronnie Ciago "Live On The Radio" and The new studio cd ( Moraz & Ciago ) with known guest musicians."

Plans were moving forward for 2012 US touring involving Moraz, Ciago, John Goodsall and Percy Jones. Goodsall, Jones and Ciago worked together in Brand X. The set list being proposed was to have included a suite from Relayer, plus material from Moraz' The Story of i, Refugee and Brand X. However, in Dec 2011, Moraz withdrew from the plan citing a lack of time available in the summer due to other plans. The door has not closed entirely on the possibility of later tour dates; meanwhile, the others are now moving forward with keyboardist David Sancious (ex-Jon Anderson) instead for live dates this year.

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). Moraz has also been working on an album with Michel Sanchez (Deep Forest) for some time. A report circa Feb 2005 said that Moraz has two electronic albums close to completion, one of which seemed to be the one with Sanchez. It is unclear whether the other was A Way to Freedom, with Armen or some other project.

Moraz has expanded "Modular Symphony (1st Movement)" from his 1987 Human Interface album into an entire piano conerto, which he intends to release at some point according to a Mar 2005 interview.

Although he has no immediate plans, in his Mar 2005 interview, Moraz talked of his willingness to do a video or film project based on his solo album The Story of i. In his NftE interview (Jan 2001), he said, "I've also been writing and researching some stories. I'd like to do a movie of THE STORY OF I either in 3-D computer graphics, an animated version, or the real thing. I have also written a couple of other movie scripts; one is a science fiction story and the other is about the life and times of a composer who lived three hundred years ago." In an earlier interview (Oct 2000), he said: "I have just about 30 other projects that I have already composed, I've composed hundreds of pieces of music in the last 9 years. [...] I have also, maybe, studying to get a commission for a symphony orchestra perhaps in europe for next year [2001]." At some point, he has been planning to do a charity Christmas album.

In the 2005 interview, Moraz mentioned too his desire to do some live shows with flautist Syrinx to play music from their album Coexistence/Libertate, although again there are no specific plans at present. Moraz has said he may collaborate with Annie Haslam in the future.

Re-releases and previously unreleased archival material
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.
The set ended with a medley of Beatles tunes.

Other news
Moraz guested on a space-themed concept album entitled Seeking Major Tom by actor William Shatner (Star Trek, worked with Ben Folds), also featuring Steve Howe. See details on main page. He is also guesting on a forthcoming covers album by Nektar, also featuring Howe, Rick Wakeman and Geoff Downes. See details on main page.

Moraz-Bruford news, including a new archival release, Music for Piano and Drums: Live in Maryland, is under Bruford.

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


Trevor HornOfficial site; SPZ website; ZTT Records website; Official Facebook

Horn has re-united with Yes. He produced and co-wrote material for the band's new album, Fly from Heresee main page. Yes now again includes Geoff Downes. Downes played with Horn in The Buggles reunion in 2010 (see immediately below) and has continued to work with Horn and, as a Feb 2011 Classic Rock Presents... Prog interview with him says, "will be collaborating further with Horn, focusing more on songwriting and playing on Horn's production work than in a band situation." An Apr 2011 interview describes Downes as "working on a project with former Yes band mate turned record producer, Trevor Horn". These seem to be a reference to Downes joining The Producers: he played with them at a Mar 2011 show and has recorded parts for the forthcoming album. In a Jul 2011 blog, Downes said:

I had [...] started working with Trevor again on the ‘Lost Buggles Gig’ which we performed at the Supperclub in London [...] as well as working in the studio with him on other things, adding some keys parts to his ‘Producers’ project amongst others. So there was quite a Buggles reformation going on, amidst Trevor working with Gary Barlow & Robbie Williams in the same studio complex. I must say working with Trevor again in the studio after such a long period was truly inspirational. [...] we got on like a house on fire. It was just like the old days – The Buggles were back!!!

The Buggles
In the last few years, Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes have re-visited The Buggles on a number of occasions. They appeared together as The Buggles at the 2004 Produced by Trevor Horn concert and then played the band's first-ever full live set in 2010 (see next paragraph). They performed next at the British Music Experience on 25 Oct 2011, with Horn (bass, lead vocals), Downes (keys) and co-founder Paul Robinson (drums) joined by Steve Lipson (The Producers, worked with Grace Jones, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Annie Lennox; electric guitar), Lol Crème (The Producers, Art of Noise, ex-10cc, worked with The Buggles; guitars), Julian Hinton (worked with Seal, Olivia Safe, Don Black, Sarah Brightman; keys) and three backing vocalists (Kirsten, Holly and Kate). The performance was preceded by a question and answer session with Horn and Downes; set: "I am a Camera" (intro)/"Two Tribes" (instrumental), "Video Killed the Radio Star" (backing vocalists joined on stage), "Living in the Plastic Age", "Slave to the Rhythm" (with Alison Moyet (Yazoo) providing lead vocals), "Elstree", "Rubber Bullets" (lead vocals by Crème), "Space Oddity", "Johnny on the Monorail (A Very Different Version)", "Check It Out" (lead vocals by Kirsten/Holly/Kate). Downes' tweeted this picture of the band. That's, left to right, Hinton, Lipson and Robinson on the back row, and then the men on the front row are Downes, Crème and Horn, with the girls in between. Hans Zimmer (ex-The Buggles, "Pirates of the Caribbean", "Kung Fu Panda") was in the audience.

The Sep 2010 show in London was with Horn (vocals, bass), Downes (keys, Vocoder) and Bruce Woolley (guitar, backing vocals), backed by most of The Producers, i.e. Lol Crème (guitar), Chris Braide (written for Cheryl Cole, Glenn Tilbrook, Clay Aiken, Will Young, Kylie Minogue, S Club 7; keys, backing vocals) and Ash Soan (worked with Will Young, Rick Wakeman's English Rock Ensemble, Squeeze, Adele, Cee Lo, Eliza Doolittle; drums, percussion), plus Phil Palmer (guitar), Paul Robinson (drums, percussion), Freyja (backing vocals) and another as-yet-unidentified backing vocalist. The show was in aid of the Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability. The set covered all of their debut album in order, and they were also joined by various guest vocalists for further songs:

Front of house was by Gary Langan (ex-Art of Noise, worked with Yes, The Producers). Support was from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and a performance of Propaganda's "Duel" (originally produced by Horn) by Claudia Brücken (Onetwo, ex-Propaganda; lead vocals), Paul Humphreys (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Onetwo; keys), an unidentified guitarist and Horn (backing vocals).

In a blog entry in Jun 2005, Downes described a discussion with Horn, "about a new Buggles album we've been talking about for some time". 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". Some news reports described the 2010 show as the band's last-ever live performance: however, the announcement on Horn's website did not explicitly rule out work together at some future time. Asked about the possibility of a new Buggles album in an Aug 2011 interview, Downes mooted the possibility of some more live shows. He talked of "a few isolated shows here and there and maybe do some more writing" towards an album. And, asked in another Aug 2011 interview about whether there will be more Buggles activity, he said, "Yeah, I think so. [...] we've discussed that." At the Oct 2011 show, when an audience member said he had given up on there ever being a third Buggles album, Horn, smiling but emphatically, said, "Good". The compère of the show, Harvey Goldsmith, said at the end that the band would be "back on the road" in 2012. In a Nov 2011 interview in Record Collector, Horn said, "we're planning a tour now and we might put out a new single later this year."

"Check It Out", which samples "Video Killed the Radio Star" and has been covered by The Buggles, is included on Nicki Minaj's album Pink Friday, which has been nominated for the Best Rap Album Grammy.

Producers
The Producers long consisted 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 Cheryl Cole, Glenn Tilbrook, Clay Aiken, Will Young, Kylie Minogue, Pixie Lott, S Club 7; keys, vocals) and Ashley 'Ash' Soan (Will Young, Rick Wakeman's English Rock Ensemble, ex-Del Amitri, ex-Squeeze, worked with Enrique Iglesias, Robbie Williams; drums). Braide was the main vocalist, but Horn and Crème sang lead on some songs. The band were, for a period, continuing without Braide, inconsistently under the new name of Us and with Geoff Downes (Yes, The Buggles, Asia) on keys. Downes played a show with the band in Mar 2011 and, in a Jul 2011 blog, spoke of "adding some keys parts to [Horn']s 'Producers' project". (Downes is also working on a separate project with Braide: see under Downes.) However, an anonymous Wikipedia update in Sep 2011 has Braide still associated and as having recorded vocals for a song entitled "Garden of Flowers" for the project in 2010. In a Nov 2011 interview in Record Collector, Horn referred to the band as "a six-piece", which would seem to imply both Braide and Downes. A debut album, entitled The Path of Sydney Arthur, is due Mar 2012 (according to an Oct 2011 news report and Downes at a Yes concert in Nov 2011). Most of The Producers are now also in The Buggles (see section above).

The band began as a low-key, live, covers project, but then began recording a debut album in Dec 2006 at Hook End Studios. In Mar 2008, they announced they had finished mixing it and that release under the title Studio 1 would follow on Stiff Records (sister label to ZTT). 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. 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. Braide then left the group and the band, under the leadership of Horn and Crème, changed their name to Us (or US) with an album due called The Path of Sydney Arthur, a concept piece based around the fictional life story of a man born on the same day as the first Moon landing; an associated short video promoting the new album name appeared on MySpace. "You and I" was confirmed for The Path of Sydney Arthur. It was unclear how much of the material or recordings for Studio 1 was to be carried over to The Path of Sydney Arthur given Braide's departure, but some of the Braide co-written material has been expected to be used. In a late 2009 interview, asked about The Producers, Horn said: "we are called 'Us' now. [...] We are just finishing off an album". Braide then re-joined for what was described as a one-off show by The Producers in Oct 2009, and then for another show in Jan 2010 (approximate set: unidentified song, "Freeway", "Man on the Moon", "Rubber Bullets" (originally by 10cc), "Your Life", "Watching You Out There", "Slave to the Rhythm" (with guest vocalist; originally by Grace Jones), "Space Oddity" (originally by David Bowie), "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (originally by Tears for Fears), "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (originally by Yes), "I'm Not in Love" (originally by 10cc), unidentified Producers song, "Video Killed the Radio Star" (originally by The Buggles), encore: "Freeway" again). On stage, the band said they were still working on an album and they were aiming for a 2010 release, suggesting a return to the original line-up.

In a Jul 2010 interview, Soan said, "In between the last three [Will Young] shows I dropped into Sarm Studios to see how an album I'm making with Trevor Horn, Steve Lipson and Lol Creme is getting on. [...] The music is, dare I say it, slightly progressive and it sounds very much like a Trevor Horn production." The Dec 2010 issue of Classic Rock Presents... Prog says, "TREVOR HORN WILL finally release his space rock project, US, in 2011, a project he's been working on for three years." In the article, Horn goes on the explain the album is, in part, about the nature of time. Listed as Trevor Horn and The Producers, the band were one of the acts at an exclusive London charity show in Mar 2011 with a new line-up of Horn, Crème, Lipson, Soan and Downes. Tony Hadley & Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet), playing "Gold" and "Through the Barricades", and Alison Moyet guested. The Nov 2011 Classic Rock Presents... Prog then announced that the band was now called Producers (no "The"), the line-up is Horn, Braide, Crème, Lipson and Soan, and the debut album's due Mar 2012. However, the article then continues:

And perhaps most intriguingly of all, [...] [Horn] will final[ly] issue his space-rock concept album about the meaning of Time, mooted back in 2010 and said to be a combination of pop melody, ambient atmospherics, prog technoflash and musicianly virtuosity.

This description matches the Us album they described in late 2010, but Us was the new name for The Producers, so I am uncertain how these all relate: it could be that Prog have mistaken a description of one Producers album for two projects, or that the earlier report confounded two distinct projects, or that two albums have emerged out of The Producers (one might guess the Producers album might reflect the initial Studio 1 plan with input from Braide, while the concept album about time reflects post-Braide work around 2009).

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), out on Stiff Records (CDBUY270). The single was co-written and co-produced by all five of the band. A number of songs could be heard on their their MySpace page, which has since disappeared, and at the Stiff Records website. Gary Langan (ex-Art of Noise, worked with Yes) has mixed and engineered for the band. The band is managed by Luke Mitzman (Lipson's stepson).

Lipson, Crème, Soan and Langan all commonly appear on Horn's productions. For example, they all worked on Escala's eponymous debut; Horn and Lipson worked together on Jeff Beck's new album; Soan appeared on the Horn-produced Aviv Geffen; and Horn, Soan, Braide and Crème are all on Robbie Williams' Reality Killed the Video Star. Horn, Crème, Braide and Soan were all in The Buggles line-up for their Sep 2010 show (see above).

Production and solo work
Trevor Horn did a film score in 2007 for the drama/comedy "Take Me Home Tonight" (named after the Eddie Money song, and formerly known as "Kids in America") from Rogue Pictures, but said in a May 2008 interview that he wasn't particularly interested in doing many more films. After some delay, the film, starring, co-written and co-executive produced by Topher Grace, was released Mar 2011 in the US. The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" is also used in the film. A soundtrack album is out, with period songs including "Video...", but no original content.

Horn has been working with Seal again, producing the 11-track Soul 2 (Reprise Records/Warner Bros. Records), out in most of the world, but due 13 Jan 2012 in the US. A sequel to Soul, Soul 2 again sees the singer covering classic romantic soul songs. Tracks produced solely by Horn, recorded in London and Los Angeles, are: "Lean on Me" (originally by Bill Withers), "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" (Rose Royce), "Love T.K.O." (Teddy Pendergrass), "Oh Girl" (The Chi-Lites), "Ooo Baby Baby" (The Miracles), "What's Goin' On" (Marvin Gaye), "Wishing on a Star" (Rose Royce) and "Ain't Nothing But a House Party" (The Showstoppers). Further tracks on the album—"Backstabbers" (The O'Jays), "I'll be Around" (The Spinners), "Let's Stay Together" (Al Green) and "Love Won't Let Me Wait" (The Delfonics)—are produced by the Canadian David Foster (worked with Jon Anderson, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Beyonce Knowles) and Horn, with Jochem van der Saag (worked with Andrea Bocelli, Eric Benét, Katherine Jenkins) as co-producer. "Let's Stay Together" was the debut single (streaming audio at Seal's SoundCloud page), released 30 Sep, and followed by "Wishing on a Star" on 2 Nov; both are digital-only. Also on the album are Julian Hinton (worked with The Buggles, Olivia Safe) who provided keys, programming, arrangements, orchestrations and conducted.

Soul 2 chart positions:

Country/chart Peak position
UK
24
France
6
Poland
38
Spain
32
Netherlands
25
Belgium (Flanders)
16
Belgium (Wallonia) 3
Australia
42
Czech Rep.
9
Switzerland
38

Horn produced Robbie Williams' Reality Killed the Video Star. Performers included Horn, Ash Soan (ex-Rick Wakeman's English Rock Ensemble, Us, ex-Squeeze, worked with Escala), Anne Dudley (Art of Noise, ex-ABC; strings arranger, conductor), Chris Braide (ex-The Producers), Tim Weidner (worked with Yes, Dead or Alive, Escala), Steve Lipson (Us, worked with Frankie Goes to Hollywood) and Bruce Woolley (ex-Tina Charles, ex-The Camera Club, ex-Grace Jones). Horn produced "Shame", a subsequent single by Williams and Barlow (Take That); Soan also played on the track. The song is one of two new tracks on Williams' In and Out of Consciousness: The Greatest Hits 1990–2010 (Virgin). The collection also includes three songs from Reality Killed the Video Star.

Horn produced Aviv Geffen's English-language, eponymous, debut album, Aviv Geffen, released 2009. Horn has now also produced and contributed additional keys to "Oxygen" on the new Blackfield album Welcome to My DNA, Blackfield being a collaboration between Geffen and Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, No-Man, Bass Communion, works with King Crimson, Caravan, Opeth, Marillion, Yoko Ono). The album, released Mar 2011, peaked at #139 in the UK. Details in Yescography.

Horn also produced one song on Olly Murs (Epic/Syco), the 2010 eponymous debut album from the TV talent show The X-Factor. The song, "A Million More Years", was written by Lol Crème and Matt Schwartz (also works as M'Black; worked with Robbie Williams), with guitars by Crème (The Producers, Art of Noise, ex-10cc) and Phil Palmer (worked with The Buggles, Robbie Williams), drums/percussion by Ash Soan (The Producers, worked with Robbie Williams), additional bass by Darren Heelis, and backing vocals by Horn and Tracy Ackerman (worked with The Spice Girls, Robbie Williams). Orchestral arrangement and conducting were by Anne Dudley (Art of Noise). The song was engineered by Graham Archer (worked with Robbie Williams) and Tim Weidner (worked with Yes, Robbie Williams). Chris Braide co-wrote another song on the same album, which has gone double Platinum in the UK after peaking at #2. It was the 20th best-selling album of 2010. It also went Gold in Ireland, where it had made #11.

Horn is working on a new solo album by Sarah Brightman (ex-Andrew Lloyd Webber, worked with Andrea Bocelli, Jose Carreras, Nigel Kennedy). Backing vocalist Freyja (worked with The Buggles) described working on a track called "Frozen" in Sep 2010. Julian Hinton (worked with The Buggles, Seal, Olivia Safe) describes on his website 2010 work for Horn at Sarm Studios "on projects as diverse as Sarah Brightman, Soundgirl and The Pierces". Further information on SoundGirl and The Pierces, and Horn's involvement, is absent. Horn was also working with Estelle in 2010.

Horn had been working with Enrique Iglesias on an album, at one point expected in Nov 2005, but delayed. Geoff Downes 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".

Art of Noise
The new Art of Noise album, Influence: Hits, Singles, Moments, Treasures (ZTT/Salvo; previously under the working title of Legacy Part 1), now out, is a compilation with hit singles, collaborations and previously unreleased archival material. Out 5 Sep is a deluxe edition of the band's debut, Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise, with bonus tracks of the band's two BBC Radio 1 Live sessions: Nov 1984: interview, "Close (to the Edit)", interview, "Moments in Love", interview, "Beat Box (Diversion Seven)" (including "Video Killed the Radio Star"); Mar 1985: "From Science to Silence", "Beat Box", "Moments in Love". The release also comes with a DVD including Anton Corbijn and Zbigniew Rybczynski's videos for "Beat Box" and "Close (to the Edit)", a 2-part documentary, live performances and more.

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."

Frankie Goes to Hollywood
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's first album, Frankie Say Greatest
, is an album of old and new remixes, rare material and cover versions, now out in the UK on ZTT/Universal. Horn, of course, worked on both the original Frankie albums (Welcome to the Pleasuredome and Liverpool), while both Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin did session work on both.

A 2CD "Collector's Edition" of Liverpool is now out on ZTT/Salvo. Disc 1 (original album, b-sides, b-side outtakes)—"Warriors of the Wasteland", "Rage Hard", "Kill the Pain", "Maximum Joy", "Watching the Wildlife", "Lunar Bay", "For Heaven's Sake", "Is Anybody Out There", "The Waves", "Pamela" (outtakes from Pamela Stephenson's narration for the 12" version of "Rage Hard"), "Pocket Vibrator", "Suffragette City", "Roadhouse Blues" (cover of The Doors), "(I Can't Get) No Satisfaction" (cover of The Rolling Stones), "(Don't Lose What's Left) Of Your Little Mind", "Rage Hard (Voiceless)"; disc: 2 (cassette single versions, previously unreleased works in progress and the band's appearance at the 1986 Montreux Pop Festival)—"Rage Hard (Montreux Mix)", "Warriors of the Wasteland (Montreux Mix)", "Warriors Cassetted (Featuring Highlights from Both the 7" and 12" Single, Warriors of the Wasteland, The Twelve Wild Disciples Mix and a Phenomenon of Megabytes)", "Drum Loop" (Wisseloord Sessions, Nov 1985), "Fuck Off" (Wisseloord Sessions, Nov 1985), "Wildlife Cassetted (Featuring Orchestra Wildlife, Watching the Wildlife (Hotter), The Waves, Bit 1, Bit 2 and the Frankie Condom Mix (for a Wilder Time)", "Our Silver Turns to Gold" (Ibiza Sessions, May 1985), "Delirious" (Ibiza Sessions, May 1985), "Stan", "For Heaven's Sake" (Wisseloord Sessions, Nov 1985). A 36-page booklet is included.

As executive producer
Work continues on the debut album from opera singer Olivia Safe (La Mia Bocca, worked with Robbie Williams, The Squad), produced by Graham Archer (worked with Robbie Williams, John Legend, Olly Murs) and Julian Hinton (worked with The Buggles, Seal, The Squad) and with Horn as executive producer. The album will be on SONYArista. It is described as a collection of covers, including of pieces by Damien Rice, Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright and Tim Buckley.

Horn was the executive producer on Emotion & Commotion (Atco Records (Rhino)), the solo album from Jeff Beck (ex-Yardbirds, working with Eric Clapton); the album (except "Poor Boy") is produced, engineered and mixed by Steve Lipson (US, worked with Grace Jones, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Annie Lennox) and recorded late 2009 at Horn's Sarm Studios in London. Familiar Beck collaborators also appear: Vinnie Colaiuta (ex-Asia, worked with Billy Sherwood; drums), Tal Wilkenfield (MySpace page; works with Trevor Rabin, ex-Chick Corea, worked with Prince; bass), Jason Rebello (Sting; keys). Also performing are Pete Murray (keys), Lipson (programming), Earl Harvin (drums) and Chris Bruce (bass). Tracks: "Corpus Christi Carol" (by Britten), "Hammerhead" (Rebello/Beck), "Never Alone" (Rebello), "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" (from "The Wizard of Oz"), "I Put A Spell on You" (cover of the Screamin' Jay Hawkins' song; vocals by Joss Stone), "Serene" (Beck/Rebello), "Lilac Wine" (by Shelton; vocals by Imelda May), "Nessun Dorma" (from Giacomo Puccini's opera "Turandot"; with a 64-piece orchestra), "There's No Other Me" (Rebello/Stone; vocals by Stone), "Elegy for Dunkirk" (cover from Dario Marianelli's score for the film "Atonement"; vocals by Olivia Safe, with orchestra). The Japanese release has 2 bonus tracks: "Poor Boy" (by Burnett; vocals by May), "Cry Me a River" (by Hamilton). Tim Weidner (produced Magnification; engineered Fly from Here) is among those who did additional engineering on the album. The album made #11 in the US, the top 10 in the UK and the top 100 in France. "Nessun Dorma" from the album won Best Pop Instrumental Performance and "Hammerhead" won Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards. "I Put A Spell on You" was also nominated for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, with the album being nominated for the Best Rock Album and the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Grammy.

Other news
Horn produced and played some keys on parts of Paul McCartney's 1989 solo album, Flowers in the Dirt. The whole of McCartney's solo discography is being successively re-released through his new label, Concord Music Group, with new bonus material, although details for the Flower in the Dirt re-release are some way off.

There is a new ZTT compilation forthcoming including previously unreleased period mixes of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Propaganda and ACT and new-to-CD Art of Noise material: some details here. A second volume of the ZTT compilation The Art of the 12" is due 20 Feb 2012 with multiple tracks involving Horn:

CD1:

  1. ‘you are warmly invited to come inside’
  2. Frankie Goes to Hollywood: "Two Tribes (Keep the Peace)" *
  3. Paul McCartney: "Spies Like Us (Art of Noise Remix)" **
  4. Godley & Creme: "Cry (Extended Remix)" *
  5. Instinct: "Swamp Down (12" Mix)" **
  6. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: "Julia's Song (Extended Version)" *
  7. 808 State Vs. Art of Noise: "Moments in Love (Massey Mix One)" **
  8. Thomas Leer: "Heartbeat (Extended Mix)" *
  9. ‘bassline interlude’ **
  10. Act: "Chance (Whammy Mix)" **
  11. Frankie Goes to Hollywood: "War (Coming Out of Hiding)" **
  12. Propaganda: "Dr Mabuse der Spieler (An International Incident)" *

CD2:

  1. Scritti Politti: "Absolute (Version)"
  2. Art of Noise: "Close Up"
  3. Propaganda: "Sorry for Laughing (12" Mix)" **
  4. Das Psych-Oh! Rangers: "He He Radical (Episode 2)" *
  5. ‘piano interlude’ **
  6. Nasty Rox Inc.: "What Is It (Live Instrumental Wonder)" **
  7. Mint  Juleps: "Every Kinda People (Parts I, II and III)"
  8. Anne Pigalle: "Hé Stranger (Parts I, II and III)"
  9. 808 State vs. Art of Noise: "Moments in Love (Massey Mix Three)" **
  10. ‘the flash forward’
  11. Frankie Goes to Hollywood: "Relax (Man has a Sense for the Discovery of Beauty, Part I)" **
  12. ‘zang tuum interlude’
  13. Art of Noise: "Close Up (Hop)"
  14. Propaganda: "Dr Mabuse (Special Instrumental Mix)" *
  15. ‘cadenza’

* previously unreleased on CD; ** previously unreleased



A Jul 2004 article in The Independent 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 heads up the SPZ Group, the entertainment business which includes two record labels, ZTT (MySpace page) and Stiff Records; Sarm Studios (who operate recording studios and manage record producers and engineers); Perfect Songs (music publishing company); Music Bank (backline hire and rehearsal studio facilities); and The Workplace (a London business centre).



Trevor Rabin Homepage; News

New solo album

Rabin has a new instrumental, solo album forthcoming, entitled Jacaranda. The album was originally announced as being due Sep 2011 on Gonzo Multimedia, but was delayed and we await new release details. Rabin plays guitars, bass and keys, with drums divided between Lou Molino III (ex-Yoso), Vinnie Colaiuta (ex-Frank Zappa, worked with Billy Sherwood, Sting, Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin) and, on 2 tracks, his son Ryan Rabin (Grouplove). Bassist Tal Wilkenfeld (Jeff Beck) also appears on 1 track. The cover is by Hannah Hooper (Grouplove). The Nov 2011 Classic Rock Presents... Prog (issue 21) has this:

"We're in the mixing stage right now," Trevor tells Prog. [...]

Right now, there are no touring plans, but that might well change if the reaction to Jacaranda is strong.

"I'd like to play some dates. I do have a lot of commitments with film soundtracks. However, if I get some offers to play live, then I certainly wouldn't rule it out."


Previously, to Classic Rock Presents... Prog (Jun 2011), he said the album is, "definitely in the jazz-rock vein." He goes on, "The idea of a solo tour appeals, but I've far too much on my plate right now." And in the Mar 2010 issue of Classic Rock Presents... Prog, he described it: "It's a jazz-rock labour of love. I've been recording it on and off for a while, whenever I've had the time." In an Oct 2010 interview, Rabin said:

I’ve just finished an instrumental album, my new solo album that will be out soon, which I did [...] basically utilizing a digital work station. [...] I used a lot of different amplifiers, and guitars, more so than I tend to do on scores, as the orchestra usually becomes the largest part of the palette.

The interview continues:

Arlene [interviewer]: I hear there’s a lot of Dobro on the new album [...] What artistic direction and style of music is the focus of your new record?

Trevor: A lot of bluegrass, jazz, and a bit of, not sure what to call it!

Arlene: [...] Will you be singing on your new solo record?

Trevor: I will definitely be doing a vocal album next
[...]

Arlene: Will you be touring in support of your solo album, time and schedule permitting around your film scoring?

Trevor: I hope to. I played with Yes recently at The Greek Theater in L.A. and enjoyed it. So, time permitting, I hope so.


In a Sep 2011 interview with Arlene Weiss, Ryan described the project:

This album is all over the place. I suppose you can call it a form of jazz, but it’s really insane to listen to. Every time I listen to the songs, I hear something new. Playing on it was great. He brought in the music one night, I listened to it, heard his rough electric drum track, and then recorded my own live takes. We did it all in one night.

A Feb 2009 interview said:

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.

Talking to Innerviews back in late 2003, Rabin said he hoped to record a new solo album soon. He said, "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.
In his Innerviews interview, Rabin talked about the format of the album. He talked of wanting to use an orchestra and also suggested it will not be a singer-songwriter album:
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.
In an e-mail to me in Jul 2004, Rabin spoke of his focus on writing for orchestra, both in his film scores and a next solo album, rather than the traditional rock line-up. He said that when he does an album, it will be different to anything he has done before as a solo artist or in a band. He also said that he misses playing live.

Film scores etc.
Rabin's latest score is for the short documentary film "The Movement", produced and directed by Kurt Miller. The film tells the story of a man paralysed in a skiing accident. The film also uses music by the Foo Fighters, U2 and k.d. lang.

Rabin did the score for "I am Number Four". This Walt Disney/DreamWorks film, directed by DJ Caruso, is now out. Regular collaborator Gordon Goowdin conducted the Hollywood Studio Symphony. A full score release is out on Varèse Sarabande (302 067 090 2). Tracks: "Welcome to the Jungle" (1:56), "#3 Ashed" (:50), "Who We Are" (3:03), "Water Vision" (:59), "Getting to Know Sarah" (3:28), "OK We'll Stay" (3:05), "Finding Henry" (2:31), "VI to the Rescue" (3:42), "IV and Sarah Escape" (1:50), "Pack Your Things" (1:37), "Mog Shop and Feed" (1:00), "Henry Dies" (1:25), "Hit Me with Your Lumen" (2:49), "Forest Fight" (2:28), "Going to a Party" (1:29), "Darkroom Lumenary" (1:07), "Rising from the Ashes" (1:00), "Warehouse Search" (3:14), "Commander Mog Explodes" (2:30), "Quarterback Intuition" (1:07), "We Know Where to Go" (3:07). The music is produced by Rabin and executive produced by Robert Townson. Additional music was by Paul Linford. In Dec 2010, Jon Anderson described Rabin as "working with Spielberg", which appears to have been a reference to "I am Number Four", executive produced by Spielberg.

The Renny Harlin-directed "5 Days of War" has been released theatrically in Georgia (as "5 Days of August") and on DVD in Europe. A theatrical release in the US came in Aug. Rabin did the score for this film about the Russo-Georgian War of 2008; the score was recorded by regular Rabin collaborator, Steve Kempster.

Rabin's previous score was for "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. A score album is out (digital only); tracks: "Sorcerer's Apprentice" (3:14), "Story of the Prime Merlinian" (4:02), "Note Chase" (0:38), "Dave Revives Balthazar" (2:41), "Classroom" (1:24), "The Urn" (1:39), "The Grimhold" (1:39), "Morgana Fight" (2:59), "The Ring" (1:43), "Walk in the Rain" (0:42), "Merlin Circle" (2:01), "Dave has Doubts" (0:53), "Becky and Dave on Rooftop" (1:23), "Car Chase" (3:53), "Seeing Veronica" (0:55), "Story of Veronica" (1:43), "Horvath Made Off with the Grimhold" (1:12), "Kiss from Becky" (0:33), "Bull Fight" (2:10), "Balthazar Saves Veronica" (1:12), "Sorcerer's Apprentice Suite" (2:28), "Fantasia Original Demo" (4:21). The music was orchestrated by Tom Calderaro/Gordon Goodwin/Dave Reynolds and conducted by Don Harper. The mixer was Steve Kempster, producer/arranger Paul Linford, music editor Robbie Boyd, and ProTools recordist Larry Mah. At the 26th Annual ASCAP Film & Television Music Awards on 23 Jun, Rabin was awarded in the Top Box Office Films category for "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". The film soundtrack also included the song "Gold Coast" by Grouplove, including Trevor's son, Ryan, on drums.

Rabin scored "Get Smart: The Movie". There is a 20-track release, Get Smart: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Varèse Sarabande, 302 066 904 2). The score incorporates the original TV show's theme, by Irving Szathmary, with the album including several re-interpretations. A sequel is planned with Rabin to do the music again.

Collaborations, guest appearances & other news
In 1989, Rabin played on sessions for 4 tracks of what would have been Mr. Mister's fourth album, entitled Pull, that was then not released as the band was dropped from their label, RCA. Former Mr. Mister vocalist/bassist Richard Page (ex-Third Matinee, worked with Quincy Jones) has now released the album on his Little Dume label. The album is out generally in digital form, but the CD and higher definition download are only available from Little Dume. The whole album can be heard on streaming audio. The band were Page, Pat Mastelotto (ex-King Crimson; drums) and Steve George (ex-Kenny Loggins; keys, sax, background vocals), with John Lang (lyrics). The album was produced by the band and Paul DeVilliers (worked on Big Generator), engineered by DeVilliers and mixed by Kevin Killen. Also on the album are Buzz Feiten (guitar), Louis Conte (percussion), James Harrah (guitar), Doug Makaskell (guitar), Peter McRea (guitar). Tracks: "Learning to Crawl" (5:47; known on boots as "Ever Slowly"; Rabin on guitar and additional bass + Feiten on guitar), "Waiting in My Dreams" (4:54), "Crazy Boy" (3:28), "Close Your Eyes" (4:43), "Lifetime" (4:35; Rabin on guitar and additional bass), "I Don't Know Why" (4:51; known on boots as "Like Rain Falling"; Rabin + Feiten on guitar), "We Belong to No One" (4:54; known on boots under several names, including "Time"), "Burning Bridge" (4:02), "No Words to Say" (5:22; known on boots as "Quietly/Silently"), "Surrender" (4:26; known on boots as "Let the River"), "Awaya" (4:20; known on boots as "Way Oh"; Rabin on guitar and additional bass + Makaskell on guitar).

Rabin, Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson are working on a project together: see the main page. Rabin was previously writing with Anderson too.

Rabin is signed to Kraft-Engel Management, his agent being Laura Engel. Rabin also paints and his work can be viewed and purchased at the Entertainers Art Gallery.
Buy MP3 version from Amazon (US):


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Billy Sherwood Homepage; Homepage for solo projects; MySpace page; MySpace for Billy Sherwood Productions; Billy on Twitter; Billy on YouTube

Projects with multiple Yesmen
Billy Sherwood is the nexus for a number of projects involving other Yesmen (particularly Tony Kaye) that are covered on their own page. In summary:

Sherwood has also been working regularly with various other musicians. The Table below gives a summary of Sherwood's projects and some of his regular collaborators:
 
Projects by Billy Sherwood Tony Kaye Alan White Jimmy Haun John Wetton
notable others
CIRCA:
formerly in band formerly in band

Yoso (now disbanded)


in initial line-up only

Bobby Kimball
Tony Kaye & Billy Sherwood





John Wetton solo album




Geoff Downes, Eddie Jobson, Steve Hackett
Billy Sherwood solo album


song co-written by Haun
guests on one track

Jim Ladd's Headsets on From Here to Infinity
on From Here to Infinity

Jim Ladd

Solo work
On 10 Jan on Facebook, Sherwood described a new project:

Spent the entire evening writing the 2nd track for the "Original Prog Symphony" project (as I call it). the inspiration for writing came from using these incredible new sounds I installed from www.ikmultimedia.com [...] composed a piece that lives mostly in 7/8 meter with marcato strings blazing away... it falls into a slow building thing at the end using the lagato strings

The previous month, he'd said:

Just got hired by Cleopatra Records to produce 2 records at the same time. 1 is a Tribute to Supertramp. [...] The 2nd will be an original record and include various artists from the prog genre. I'm going to write and track all the material and once again... go for the wish list. I'll post on the status of both projects as they progress.

It is unclear how these projects relate to each other.

Sherwood's latest solo album was What was the Question? He self-released it, as with his last few solo albums, on 14 Sep 2011. Tracks:

  1. "What was the Question" — the first track recorded, as Sherwood announced on Facebook on 17 Dec 2010
  2. "Counting the Cables" — on 19 Dec, Sherwood, on Facebook, described this: "Wrote song 2 last night [...] inspired by the Wikileaks story."
  3. "Living in the Now" — on 24 Dec, Sherwood described recording vocals for this song
  4. "Delta Sierra Juliet" — about an infamous incident in 1978 in which an Australian pilot reported seeing a UFO and was then lost; the song by Sherwood and Jimmy Haun (worked with Yes, ex-CIRCA:, ex-Yoso) was originally written for an abortive album project in 1991 of the same name by the original incarnation of The Key; this new version has guest vocals by John Wetton (Asia, ex-UK, ex-King Crimson)
  5. "Neutral Ground" — preview video available on YouTube
  6. "Free World on Fire"
  7. "Made of Stars"
  8. "Going Under the Radar"
  9. "Just Breathe"

Sherwood produced and performed all the instruments. He is also credited as writing the whole album.

Sherwood is planning a streaming live show with a band playing music from his solo repertoire, along similar lines to the recent New Year's Eve CIRCA: show. On Facebook in Jan 2012, he described:

Playing ["What was the Question"] for the 1st time at a rehearsal next week for what what will become the "Billy Sherwood" solo band... bound for a ustream concert. [...] I need to learn the guitar parts, quickly !! We plan on playing the entire "What Was The Question ?" CD as well as other songs from my solo works... building a 2 hour show

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.

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 these Headsets releases use mostly original material.
Chapter 2: Sides, based on a concept by Sherwood, is the latest and only available from the Headsets webpage. The music on the album was written, arranged and performed (guitars, bass, drums; there are no keys on the album) by Sherwood, with spoken word performances by Ladd (except for one spoken word piece, "Haunted by Diversity", written by Helene Hodge and performed by Hodge and Ladd). 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."

Tribute albums & related
In a Dec 2011 Facebook post, Sherwood said:

Just got hired by Cleopatra Records to produce 2 records at the same time. 1 is a Tribute to Supertramp. Creating my wish list of players/artists/singers already.

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." However, further news on this has yet to emerge.

The Human Experimente is a King Crimson-related project from Jeffrey Fayman (Globus, ex-Empire) with Robert Fripp (King Crimson). They released a digital single of "21st Century Schizoid Man" with Maynard James Keenan (Tool; lead vocals) in late 2009. An album now appears to be forthcoming, with Sherwood joining the collaboration. On 14 Jun 2011 on Facebook, Sherwood said he had just finished mixing "21st Century Schizoid Man" with Fripp, Keenan, Gregg Bissonette (ex-Steve Vai, ex-David Lee Roth, ex-Toto, ex-Ringo Starr; drums) and Matt Bissonette (ex-Brian Wilson, ex-David Lee Roth, ex-Ringo Starr; bass), presumably a new mix of the prior single. Then in Jul on Facebook, he talked of mixing a version of "Epitaph" with Fripp, himself on drums and 5-string bass, and Fayman (drums).

In Jan 2012, Sherwood described on Facebook starting a tribute album to The Black Keys for Cleopatra Records, with himself on bass and drums, and guests including Walter Trout and Albert Lee.

In Sep 2011, Wetton described doing "Eminence Front" by The Who for another tribute album on Cleopatra Records. Although not stated, the involvement of Sherwood would seem a reasonable guess.

Other news
Sherwood produced, mixed, co-wrote and performed (electric guitars, drums, percussion, bass) on Raised in Captivity (Frontiers Records, FR CD 522; distributed through EMI in North America and King Records in Japan), the latest solo album by John Wetton (Asia, UK, ex-King Crimson; vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, keys). The album made #79 in the US Billboard Heatseekers chart. There are 11 tracks, 9 co-written by Sherwood. The Japanese release adds adds "Face to Face" (no relation to the Yes song) and a new version of "After All" in support of the Japanese Tsunami Relief Fund (a song originally on Wetton's solo album Arkangel). Cover art is by Mike Inns, who has previously worked with Wetton. Tracks:

  1. "Lost for Words" [Wetton/Sherwood] (4:59) feat. Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple; guitar solo)
  2. "Raised in Captivity" [Wetton/Sherwood/Fripp] (6:10) feat. Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
  3. "Goodbye Elsinore" [Wetton/Sherwood] (4:44) feat. Steve Hackett (Squackett, ex-GTR, ex-Genesis; guitar solo), Geoff Downes (keyboard solo)
  4. "The Last Night of My Life" [Wetton/Sherwood] (5:54) feat. Alex Machacek (UK, UKZ, worked with Terry Bozzio; guitar solo)
  5. "We Stay Together" [Wetton/Sherwood] (4:27) (bonus track in Europe/North America only)
  6. "The Human Condition" [Wetton/Sherwood] (5:23) feat. Tony Kaye (Hammond organ)
  7. "Steffi's Ring" [Wetton] (2:37) feat. Downes (keyboard solo)
  8. "The Devil and the Opera House" [Wetton/Sherwood/Palmer-James] (6:51) feat. Eddie Jobson (UK; violin); co-written with Richard Palmer-James (ex-Supertramp, worked with King Crimson)
  9. "New Star Rising" [Wetton/Sherwood] (4:34) feat. Mick Box (Uriah Heep; guitar solo)
  10. "Don't Misunderstand Me" [Wetton/Sherwood] (3:44) feat. Kaye (Hammond organ)
  11. "Mighty Rivers" [Yoav Goren/Gil Talmi/van Giersbergen] (5:21) feat. Anneke van Giersbergen (worked with iCon, Globus; duetting vocals) and co-written by her with the Globus team; also features the Seattle Symphony Orchestra and Choir — available as a free download

See details in Yescography. Sherwood said of the project:

I was very inspired to work with John, being a huge Wetton fan I thought back to the things that always grabbed me about his works and tried to capture the essence of it in these new tracks. John is incredibly prolific and fast... I can relate to that and so we created the template of the entire record within the 1st 10 days of working together. [...]

John being the singer, wrote the lyrics... I tossed out a few song titles that he liked, he took the titles and built entire sets of lyrics around them. We would sit together with an open mic and sketch out melodies, I'd give him a mix of that, he would return the next day ready to record the entire song... I was very impressed with his determination and drive to make headway. What he returned with was always amazing and sounded great. The man writes very interesting lyrics... I'm sure you will agree when you finally hear the record.

[...] We spent 30 ish days together working every single day with the exception of the day I had to go to the L.A. NAMM show. Everyday we worked we moved forward... positive forward motion, with ease and probably the most fun I have had producing another artists record. I think the emotions of the record reflect what a great time we had making it.

Wetton added to this description on his Guestbook: "Roughly half of the songs had titles before I left these shores, and the basic ideas were there, but the other half were as Billy outlined." Wetton also described the album on his Guestbook in Jan 2011: "it's very me, but there's a large slice of edgy 21st Century Americana in there, along with my folky Brit Celta, and Billy's input is enormous." He's also described the project as "Battle Lines II" in style and as being very "dark", and Battle Lines was originally to have been called Raised in Captivity. An Oct 2011 interview with Wetton had this:

I’m very pleased with the response to RiC. It was made from scratch to completion in one month, so it is a lot rougher around the edges than previous solo albums, but the feel and intensity are much more instant and accessible.

[...] the record was made primarily with just the two of us [Wetton & Sherwood], with soloists added later. I played keyboards, acoustic guitar, plus all the vocals.  Billy took care of electric guitars and drums and we shared bass duties. Billy’s production captures the essence of the energy of RiC and his musical and engineering skills highlight the extremely melodic textures of the music.

Wetton played solo dates in England and Japan in Jan 2012, with further dates possibly to follow later in the year. The live band were John Mitchell (guitar, vocals), Martin Orford (keys, vocals) and Steve Alexander (ex-Duran Duran, ex-Jeff Beck; drums), with a set covering Raised in Captivity, and Wetton's other solo albums and Asia. The one UK date and the Osaka show included only "Steffi's Ring" from Raised in Captivity.

Wetton has guested on many of Sherwood's tribute project and Sherwood is a long-time fan of Wetton's work in King Crimson, UK, Asia etc. In an interview around Apr 2010, Wetton said:

Billy and I have been doing lots of stuff together already, mainly for the cover or tribute albums he was doing a few years ago. I was very impressed by the way he did these [...] I saw something in him apart from being the producer. He’s a prog fanatic and kept sending me all sort of songs. So [...] it’s time to do a solo album again and in October I will hook up with Billy to see what will happen.

[...] I’m hoping it will turn out to be something in the vein of my album ‘Battlelines’…that will be our main aim.

In Oct 2010, Wetton said on his guestbook: "Right now, 9 embryonic new songs, arrangements being worked out, list of available players, seeing Billy tomorrow night [this was at the Yoso show in London]." One fan that month reported: "Had a qwik chat with Billy S last night at the London Jazz Club [11 Oct] [...] Next up [...] is the JW solo album [...] he confirmed a kind of Battlelines feel is on the cards."

Sherwood produced, engineered and mixed the second album from Mars Hollow (Facebook page), World in Front of Me (10T Records), now out. The band are John Baker (worked with Christian Love; guitar, lead vocals), Kerry Chicoine (ex-Ryo Okumoto; bass, lead vocals), Jerry Beller (ex-Ryo Okumoto; drums, vocals), Steve Mauk (ex-Lily White; drums, vocals). The album is co-produced by Mars Hollow. Sessions began Nov 2010 for a release after late May 2011. In mid-Dec, the band said they were "hard at work finishing up our sophomore album (hopefully in time for RoSFest [20-22 May 2011] but we'll have to wait and see how it goes; so far we're blazing thru the overdubs)". In late Feb 2011, Sherwood described mixing the album, which he then described as being largely complete on 13 Mar. The album was mastered by David Javu Morse (worked with David Bowie, Alice in Chains, Frank Zappa). The band talked to me about making the album and more in an interview here. Tracks:

  1. Walk on Alone (12:31)
  2. Voices (6:24)
  3. Weapon (6:52)
  4. What have I Done (5:56)
  5. Mind Over Matter (2:28)
  6. Prelude (1:48)
  7. World in Front of Me (11:19)

See details in the Yescography. Mars Hollow opened for CIRCA: on two shows in Sep 2011 in Mexico and another in Oct in California.

Kurt Michaels (MySpace) has recorded his third solo album, Soaring Back to Earth, with guests including Billy Sherwood, Michael Sherwood and Tom Brislin. The album was released in Jul 2011. Tracks:

  1. Give Yourself Time
  2. Time to Let Go
  3. It's Our Time
  4. Does This Come Up for You?
  5. Words on a Page
  6. Let's Try
  7. Make Me Whole Again
  8. Will You be There?
  9. Didn't Get to Say Goodbye
  10. The Epilogue: Hearts & Thoughts

All songs were written by Michaels. The album was produced by Michaels and Steve Vining. The album is performed by Michaels (guitar, guitar & keyboard synth, lead & backing vocals), Vining (bass (2, 10), keys (10), backing vocals), B. Sherwood (drums (1-9), bass (1, 3, 4, 6)), M. Sherwood (keys (1, 3, 4, 6, 9), string arrangement (9)), Brislin (keys (2, 8)), Jim Gully (keys (5, 7, 9)), Christ Andronis (bass (5, 7, 8, 9)), Len Syzmanski (percussion).

Sherwood is mixing and producing Paranormal by Breathe, with David Hussey (ex-Genesis tribute band Gabble Ratchet; vocals), Adam Malin (keys), Danny Bryle, Jim Wilson and Scott Connor (ex-Yoso, ex-Gabble Ratchet, Genesis tribute band Squonk). Sherwood is also performing "a few solos" on the album. In Jul 2011 on Facebook, he talked of starting the first mix of the album, while in Aug he mentioned tracks entitled "The Flying Dutchman" and "When We Changed You". Mixing continued into Sep, including the 15-minute "At Childhoods End", with Sherwood in Oct saying, "I'd say we are more than half way complete with their project." By Jan 2012, Sherwood said this on Facebook:

we are about 3/4ths completed. Very interesting record, deep lyrics and music, very orchestral and dynamic, in the way old school Genesis was done... I think anyone into prog will dig this record when it is finished.

Sherwood is also mixing and performing on Crusher Jones' Bold Little Stranger, with Jeff Collins (ex-Gabble Ratchet, Squonk, ex-Foam Rubber Sole; producer, vocals, guitars, bass, keys, co-writer), Connor (vocals, drums), Rob Tucker (ex-Stew, ex-Foam Rubber Sole; keys, vocals, co-writer), Sherwood (guitars, bass, keys), Rich Alferi (bass on 1 track), Katie Collins (vocals on 1 track), Joel Valder (ex-Foam Rubber Sole). Tracks: "Hi Hello Hooray", "Whiskey Goes Down", "Bold Little Stranger", "Going Back to Louisville", "Thank You for Trying to Kill Me", "Field of Crosses", "Supertonic", "Heaven is on the Freeway", "Slumber Yard - A Lullaby for the Losers", "The Day the Sun Burned Out", "Darling One", "Across Sand and Sea", "Crestfallen".

Sherwood is working with the Sonic Reality music software development company, founded by Dave Kerzner (working with Steven Wilson, worked with Jon Anderson), including with Sonic Elements, a.k.a. the Sonic Reality Progressive Rock Project. The project entails plans to release various pieces of music with various guests, some covers (including of Yes, Genesis and Rush), some original, but where some of the instrumental tracks are also available through Sonic Reality's sample libraries. With other Yesmen involved, see on the main page for details.

Sherwood is guesting on a new project by Edison's Lab (Facebook page). He sings on one piece (so far) entitled "Up from the Underneath" and plays keys on "17/8" (which can be heard on their MySpace page). Nigel Briggs' debut solo EP, Unwind, was recorded with Sherwood at 4tune Studios. Tracks: "Unwind", "One Last Touch", "Not Quite Enough", "Give It Up for You".

Sherwood also guested as a vocalist on 2-3 tracks of concept album Elinoire (YouTube preview) from German band, Flaming Row, now out. The band is led by Martin Schnella (guitars, bass, keys, vocals) with Kiri Geile (co-writing), Niklas Kahl (drums) and Marek Arnold (keys, sax). Other guests include Brendt Allman and Gary Wehrkamp (vocals) from Shadow Gallery, Ali Neander (Rodgau Monotones; guitar) and Jimmy Keegan (Spock's Beard; vocals).

Sherwood played guitar on a forthcoming download-only instrumental track by Leon Alvarado. He is also mixing a forthcoming album from Tymbral.

Having previously mixed their latest album, Sherwood played with Bando do Sol at a live show in Sorocoba, Brazil on 28 Aug 2010; audience ~5000+. They played with a 50-piece orchestra (Orquestra Sinfônica de Sorocaba) and the show was to be filmed for DVD release. The first hour was to be without Sherwood and feature the band's new album. Tracks with Sherwood: "Cut the Ties" (originally by CIRCA:), "Confess" (Conspiracy), "To Seek the Truth" (Yoso), "All Good People" (Yes), "Africa" (Toto), "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (Yes), "Roundabout" (Yes), "My Sweet Lord" (George Harrison), bass solo (excerpts from "Lessons to be Learned" (The Big Peace), "You're Not the Only One" (World Trade's Euphoria), "Oneirology" (Oneirology)). Further shows in Brazil may follow.

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." Sherwood has continued to do a variety of material for Mastersource Music, a music source company, including, according to various tweets, orchestral cues, kids songs and a vocal session with Nancy Ellis. See also the Billy Sherwood Productions MySpace page.

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.

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."

In Dec 2009, Sherwood said that, "I got a message from a guy who has a "reissue" label and he wants to reissue "world trade 1" and "world trade euphoria" along with a few bonus tracks and a booklet etc... Should be cool !!"

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". A new version of the album title track is due to appear on Sherwood's next solo album (see above).

Sherwood's first album, Nomadic Sands by Lodgic, with brother Michael Sherwood (worked with Yes, Conspiracy; vocals, keys), Guy Allison (ex-World Trade, Unruly Child; keys), Jimmy Haun (ex-CIRCA:, ex-Conspiracy, worked with Yes; guitars) and Gary Starnes (drums), has been re-released by YesterRock. The album was co-produced by Tom Knox and Toto's David Paich and Steve Porcaro (Chris Squire Experiment, worked with Yes). It was co-mixed and engineered by Tom Fletcher (worked with Yes).



Igor Khoroshev Homepage

No current info



Oliver Wakeman - Rick's son. Homepage; Oliver Wakeman Band Facebook page
Solo
Oliver's regular band consists of himself (keys, piano), Paul Manzi (vocals), David Mark Pearce (works with Lisa LaRue; guitars), Paul Brown (ex-Medicine Man; bass), Dave Wagstaffe (Landmarq, ex-Peter Banks, ex-John Wetton; drums). Wakeman and Manzi have also worked together as a duo.Out is "Coming to Town", a live DVD of a show in Katowice, Poland in Oct 2007. Bonus material includes an interview with Wakeman, photo gallery and biography. A limited edition version of the release came with an audio CD of the show, and that CD has now had a separate, general release in Europe the US as Coming to Town - Live in Katowice.

Oliver's last but one solo album was Mother's Ruin (Progrock Records) and he's been working on a follow-up with his current band called Cultural Vandals. He continued to write material during his tenure in Yes and has decided on 9 songs for the album. He was re-working this material from Jan 2011, only breaking for the Rite of Spring tour with Yes. Manzi and Pearce have also been working on creating a rough mix of the album. Wakeman said on Facebook in May 2011: "The album itself will be a mixture of different styles and lengths of songs but I don't really like to give away song titles or descriptions before an album is released because that way no-one will have any pre-conceived ideas on how it will sound!" In a Sep 2011 blog, he said:

Cultural Vandals is coming along really well. We are currently discussing the options for releasing it which will hopefully be towards the end of the year [2011] or early 2012. I have been working on another project for the last few
months and I hadn't listened to it for a while. I mentioned in my last blog that I always like to let albums sit for a while and then revisit them to make sure that I am happy with them. I sat and listened to it in full yesterday to see what other work was required and it felt really good to me. I can't wait to start recording [...] a finished version

The plan is then to tour Europe in support of the album, and the US and Japan if there is sufficient interest.

In a May 2009 interview, Oliver says:

I have a lot of solo material that I'd like to record too – four very different albums' worth. One will be a rock album, another Celtic rock, the third is a rock opera, and the fourth is made up of piano pieces. I really hope to start recording them before the end of the year [2009]. I like to use a studio in Virginia Water, Surrey, where I have a great relationship with the engineer Karl Groom. I produce my own recordings myself.

In the Jun 2008 interview, Oliver also said that he was "a fair way through a solo project on the piano". Oliver has also started work on a singer-songwriter-style album featuring various musicians he has worked with over the years. Oliver's Enlightenment and Inspiration, originally part of a 3CD boxset but since deleted, has been re-released by Blue Dot Music as a download album through iTunes. Oliver has also now been commissioned to do a new instrumental album in the same style as Enlightenment and Inspiration.

With other acts
Oliver is working on a prog rock album with Gordon Giltrap (worked with Rick Wakeman).

Oliver has been in the Strawbs (with whom both his father and brother Adam have worked). After live dates in 2009, he recorded Dancing to the Devil's Beat, now out, with the band. Oliver played keys and did orchestrations on the album; he also co-wrote "Home is Where the Heart was Ever", the third part of "Pro Patria Suite". The rest of the band is Rod Coombes (drums), Dave Cousins (vocals, guitar), Chas Cronk (bass, guitar, vocals, keys) and Dave Lambert (vocals, guitar). However, with Oliver busy with Yes, he was absent from the band's Oct/Nov 2010 touring, replaced by John Young (Bonnie Tyler, ex-Asia, ex-Fish, worked with Jon Anderson). The Strawbs continued with Young for touring in 2011. As Oliver explained (Apr 2011):

As many of you know I worked with the Strawbs throughout 2009 [...] I was asked to tour with them in Canada and the UK in late 2010 but because the Yes recording schedule was at the same time I had to let the Strawbs know that I wouldn't be available as I was required in the studio with Yes. They therefore had to replace me with John Young for that tour.

They recorded a live album on that tour and their intention this year [2011] is to tour to promote that album and as John was on it, he will be performing keyboards for them this year. I would love to play with them in the future but I guess we'll have to wait and see!

Highlights from the Strawbs 40th anniversary event (Sep 2009, London) are released on the 2CD 40th Anniversary Celebrations Vol. 1 Strawberry Fayre (WMDCD 2048). Oliver appears on 2 tracks: "Autumn", "Lay Down". (Dad Rick also appears on 2 tracks in his duo with Dave Cousins.)

David Mark Pearce, guitarist in Oliver's band, has his own solo project called StrangeAng3ls, out in the UK and rest of Europe, with a line-up of Pearce (guitars, additional keys, backing vocals), Göran Edman (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, John Norum; vocals), John Payne (Asia Featuring John Payne/ex-Asia; vocals on 3 tracks), Lisa LaRue (keys), CS Brown (Ghost Circus; bass), Mikael Wikman (ex-Vindictiv; drums), and a guest appearance by Oliver. A sample track is available for free download here.

Wakeman has played on a number of tracks for an EP and album from King Friday, with Phil Naro (ex-Talas, worked with Peter Criss; lead vocals), Joe Macre (ex-Crack the Sky, worked with Erykah Badu, Marie Osmond; bass, vocals), Vince DePaul (ex-Crack the Sky, worked with Todd Rundgren; keys), Corey Marbut (guitars) and Joey D'Amico (Crack the Sky; drums). Further guests include Andy Timmons (worked with Olivia Newton John; guitar), Carl Roa (ex-King Friday; guitar), Jim Griffiths (ex-Crack the Sky; 12-string guitar), Ashton Hart (guitar), Carey Ziglair (Crack the Sky; bass). A 5-track EP, Let the Song Begin, has been released digitally, with Wakeman on 2 tracks, and a full album is forthcoming.

Oliver was in the 2007 Starcastle reunion and was subsequently working with lead vocalist Al Lewis on a new project.

Clive Nolan (Arena, Pendragon; keys, backing vocals) & Oliver Wakeman (keys) were working on a third album, which may or may not be based on the "Frankenstein" story.
Buy from Amazon (UK):


Oliver was replaced in Yes by Geoff Downes. Oliver was on initial album sessions for Fly from Here, but Downes joined the sessions partway and recorded most of the keys on the album, although a small amount of Oliver's playing remains on the album. Oliver also co-wrote one of the songs ("Into the Storm"). The band, with Oliver, had developed further material for the album that then wasn't used, as Howe discussed in a Jan 2012 interview by Anil Prasad. Some of this material was (co-)written by Oliver, as Howe explains:

We also allowed Oliver to go off with his music and not keep him waiting forever, wondering if we would release it. We’re most likely not going to release anything we did with Oliver, because he’s doing that music himself and good luck to him. We’re very pleased for him to do that. If we tried to keep Oliver’s songs in the can, they would have been forever held up.

Oliver's last shows with Yes were the 2011 Rite of Spring tour and a final two Mexican dates in late May 2011. Asked on his blog whether he was "sad about the whole Yes thing", Oliver said in Sep:

Yes, it was a very upsetting experience for me and my family.
Chris [Squire] has gone on the record on many occasions saying that I had done nothing wrong and that it was a business decision due to Trevor Horn but not touring with them during the summer was a bit difficult.


Further details are under Yes.


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YES and projects with several Yesmen
Jon
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Squire
Steve
Howe
Alan
White
Geoff
Downes
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Horn
Tony
Kaye
Peter
Banks
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Bill
Bruford
Rick
Wakeman
Trevor
Rabin
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Igor Khoroshev
Oliver Wakeman

Benoît David
Asia
CIRCA:
Anderson & Wakeman
Others associated with the band

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