Yes looking for a new lead singer?

 

The music of Yes is eternal and will always exist, but why must the band continue to exist? Or rather, why must there always be some band in existance that calls itself "Yes"? We can bring the music from generation to generation without having an actual band around that calls itself "Yes" can't we? For me it is better that the music will be remembered for what it is (through recordnings mainly) rather than be furthered by some distant decendant that can only be a shadow of the past.

 

If the children of Ringo, John, Paul and George would form a band it would not be The Beatles! It would be a mere tribute band. This would be so even if they somehow managed to get the legal rights to the name. But my point is that the music of The Beatles will live on forever, despite the fact that they have not existed since 1970. So will Yes music!

 

And we should not forget that as long as some of the people who have ever been in Yes still tour they will probably continue to play Yes music live. Rick has played Yes music on his solo tours, so has Jon, Steve has done it most recently with Asia, Tony Kaye and Billy Sheerwood has played Yes music with Circa: etc. etc. - Yes music will not die just because we will not have an actual Yes around in the future.

 

 

 

I definitely agree that it would definitely cease to be Yes.  I've discussed similar things previously on the forums, but where do you draw the line when members leave for when a band can still be the band.  Most of the bands have gone through numerous lineup changes and yet the names continue.  Pink Floyd without Syd Barrett and then without Roger Waters.  Yes without Peter Banks and Tony Kaye, and then without Bill Bruford, and then without Rick Wakeman, etc. etc. etc. to the infinity.  Heck, King Crimson is such a favorite on here, but the band that created ITCOTCK never actually recorded another album.  And of course we don't want to even get started on Genesis.  I always find this to be an interesting discussion so I guess that it beared repeating.  And I think that in a case where all of the original members were gone and replaced by all their kids that that line would definitely be crossed. 

 

Again never going to happen, but what if the scenario were that they released a couple of albums with this line-up with Oliver Wakeman instead of Rick.  And then Alan White dropped out and Dylan or Virgil Howe took over drums (I forget which one plays the drums).  They do a couple of albums and then the other Howe comes in to play guitar (I think the other one plays guitar, but maybe he is a keyboardist.  I forget there too.)  Finally, after a couple of more albums Jon decides to hang up the mike and one of his kids takes over.  Sort of a gradual switch instead of a fullscale switch.  Still crossing the line, but maybe more acceptable. Especially if the new albums that they release are Closer to the Edge and Tales of Mars Oceans.  i.e. so good that we forget that it is the kids doing the music.  Ah well, my straitjacket is already on order so no need to report me.

 

EDIT: Also, note that Chris Squire is still the bass player.  After all, I believe that he still owns the rights to the name and he is the only one who has appeared on every album, so of course that has to continue forever.

On the other hand, if they find a new singer with his own voice and personality and record a new album, now that might be interesting.

 

I think that Esquire was actually Chris's wife or ex-wife.  I don't think there were any kids involved, but I could be wrong too.

 

In regards to the 2nd paragraph, I don't doubt that that is true.  I think that the Howe kids and the Wakeman kids have both appeared on/done albums with dear old dad.  And if I am not mistaken Howe's son who is a drummer has worked with one of Wakeman's sons, but again I might be wrong there.  I realize that the music world is different from the real world, but children take over family businesses all of the time.  Obviously, this probably has never happened in the music world.  And of course, nothing says that once Yes Generation 2 was formed that they couldn't create their own music and perform that while on tour along with dear old dad's music.  Some of the fun of forums is the speculating about what might be in cases that will probably never ever happen, but you just never know.

 

 

 

Instead of Alan leaving, couldn't Chris and Steve join Circa: and that would be the new Yes   Both Chris and Billy Sherwood are fine vocalists and Steve is all right for backing vocals.

 

Seriously, I don't know if I would want them to tour (or record) without Jon unless it is a very special "project". An all instrumental tour maybe? The instrumental Yes-medley that Circa: played live was pretty cool. Maybe Yes could do something like that for a whole show?

 

I agree, she looks nothing like him