Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Doug Curran and Jeffrey Crecelius

This week Mark and I listened to 2 medleys - the Big Medley from the The Word Is Live box set, recorded on 5th October 1978 at The Forum, Inglewood and a recording of Jon Anderson and The New Life Band playing their Yes medley in 1980 at The Royal Albert Hall from a BBC recording broadcast the same year. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAGcYMSbpc8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5dR1wtjEv8

It was a very entertaining process and, as you’ll hear, Mark has a particularly interesting reaction to the rather different style of the New Life Band’s interpretations, on a tour that Jon Anderson arranged to promote his recently-released second solo album, Song of Seven. Having just left Yes for the first time, he ended up being out on tour at the same time as the Yeggles version of Yes, who boasted Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn as part of their (fairly hastily assembled) lineup. For his part, Anderson collected together brilliant musicians but with a rather different instrumentation to the classic rock band arrangement.

The Big Medley wasn’t played on The Drama Tour (unfortunately, some would say) so we can’t compare these two performances directly, but they are very close in time.

What songs were included in each medley?

How does the New Life Band instrumentation work?

Which ends up being a better Yes medley (and do we even make a decision on that)?

Do take a listen to the recordings I have embedded into the show notes for this week and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Mark Lang's photos:

Yes - The Tormato Story & Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes Album Listening Guide

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Producers:

Joseph Cottrell

Wayne Hall

Jeffrey Crecelius

Doug Curran

Patrons:

Aaron SteelmanSteve LuziettiLindAl Dell'AngeloTerence SadlerLobate ScarpBarry GorskyJohn ThomsonMark BaggsBill WhittakerSteve PerryMark James LangBob MartilottaThomas DeVriesMark SlaterBrian HarrisJohn ViolaMartin KjellbergBrian SullivanSteve RodeMichael HanderhanChris BandiniTim StannardMichael O'ConnorCraig EstenesSteve ScottMiguel FalcãoDave OwenChip PalmerPaul HailesDavidGuy DeRomePaul TomeiDavid HeydenSteve MossRachel HadawayDavid PannellGeoffrey MasonRobert NasirDavid WatkinsonHenrik AntonssonRobert VandiverDeclan LogueHogne Bø PettersenRonnie NeeleyDemSteven RoehrScott ColomboBrianTodd DudleySimon BarrowFergus CubbageJohn HoldenStephen LambeFred BarringerDouglas CaldwellSteve DillGary BettsJohn CowanJamie McQuinnGeoff BailieRay RiethmeierKen Fuller

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