"We invented Progressive Rock"

Chris Squire: Hello?

Wikimetal (Daniel Dystyler): Hi, could I speak to Mr. Chris Squire, please?

CS: Speaking!

W (DD): Hi Mr. Chris Squire, this is Daniel and Nando calling from Brazil, how are you?

CS: OK, where are you located in Brazil?

W (DD): We are in São Paulo.

CS: OK.

W (Nando Machado): That's great, Mr. Chris Squire, we're all very excited about the YES shows here in Brazil. Could you talk a little about the show, what the fans can expect, and what the challenge is of playing three entire albums in one show?

CS: Well, we've been doing this show in the United States for a few months now, so you'll get a good version, now that we know how to play everything. And, of course, we'll play the 1972 album "Close to the Edge," the 1977 album "Going for the One," and also the 1970 album "Yes," so you'll get a good history of Yes, from the 70s onwards, and people seem to like hearing music played in exactly the same sequence as the original album. So yes, we're looking forward to playing in São Paulo.

W (DD): Excellent, excellent. We heard you're going to record your next studio album, the first with the new singer, Jon Davison. Are all the songs already written?

CS: No, these are just ideas for now, and we'll work on them at the end of the year.

W (NM): So, Mr. Squire, can you share with our listeners what you remember about the band's early days in the late 60s?

CS: What do I remember? Well, you know, it's been a long time now, 45 years since we got together, but you know, it's very exciting to work with Jon Anderson and Bill Bruford, and Tony Kaye and Peter Banks, our first guitarist. And we didn't know at the time that there would be a YES in 45 years. But yeah, those were very exciting days for us, as a young band learning our music and figuring out what we were doing, and I think we invented Progressive Rock, in a way.

Jon Anderson and I used to listen to a lot of classical music, and we took some ideas from that to incorporate into the YES style.

W (DD): You guys actually invented it. And back then, did you have a formal musical education? How important do you think musical education is, considering that Yes is such a sophisticated group?

CS: Well, the different band members had different kinds of upbringing. My upbringing was in church music when I was a boy. And then, of course, as I entered adolescence, I started to understand Rock N' Roll, because of the Beatles and all the bands that were becoming big pop stars at that time. And also, of course, I listened to classical music, and as you know, the band members had different… Wakeman had classical training, Steve Howe has a good flamenco guitar background, and several different guitar styles that he brings to us. And as I said, Jon Anderson and I used to listen to a lot of classical music, and we took some ideas from that to incorporate into the YES style.

W (NM): Chris, did you have any idea how important the music you guys were creating at that time was?

CS: No, not at all.

W (NM): And do you like the term "Progressive Rock"? Do you agree with it, is the music you play Progressive Rock?

CS: Yes, I would say so. Because I think the true definition of Progressive Rock is when it's a little more than three or four chords, and the melody… You know, we've had all sorts of interspersed rhythms and melodic lines mixed with different instruments, so if anything deserves to be called Progressive, I think it's that style.

W (DD): Chris, we have a kind of classic question on our show that we ask all the guests we have, which is: imagine you're listening to your music player, or a rock station that's playing a lot of rock music, and suddenly, a song comes on that makes you lose your mind, you can't control yourself. What song would that be, so we can listen to it on our show right now?

CS: Ah… From any artist?

W (DD): Yes, from any artist.

CS: Oh, God…

W (DD): It's difficult.

CS: Yeah, anything by Jimi Hendrix is ​​like that for me. How about playing "All Along the Watchtower"?

W (DD): That's great!

From Paul McCartney to Jack Bruce, Bill Wyman and John Entwhistle, I combined many influences, and that's how I created my own sound.”

W (NM): OK. First time we've played a Bob Dylan song, but now played by Jimi Hendrix! How did you develop your unique playing style, and how did you build your unforgettable bass sound?

CS: Because of the way I listened to things. You know, I went to a lot of different shows when I was young, Paul McCartney and Jack Bruce, and Bill Wyman and John Entwhistle, and I combined a lot of influences from those people, and then created my own after that. So, you know, I liked a specific sound, and the way I was doing it, and I just kept developing it.

W (DD): And still on this subject, what made you choose the Rickenbacker when your main bass was a Fender?

CS: I liked the look of the Rickenbacker, and I liked its sound, mainly because of what I said about John Entwhistle, he was a big influence on me in The Who, and when he played with them, he played a lot of Rickenbacker basses, as well as Fenders, but I really liked it.

W (NM): Chris, could you talk a little bit about the project you had with Jimmy Paige, XYZ? What was it like playing with Jimmy?

CS: Ah, we're great friends, and we had a lot of fun doing that project. It's a shame it didn't go further, but it wasn't meant to be, and you know, maybe it'll happen again someday.

W (DD): We hope so, we'd love to see XYZ again. Can you choose a YES song that you're very proud of so we can hear it on the show?

CS: Oh, there are so many, but if you want, play "Heart of the Sunrise" from "Fragile".

W (NM): Can you invite all Brazilian fans and music lovers to these great YES shows, playing three entire albums?

CS: Yes, what's the name of the place again?

W (NM): It's HSBC, like the bank, HSBC Hall.

CS: HSBC?

W (NM): Yes.

CS: Hi, this is Chris Squire from YES, and I'm inviting everyone to come to HSBC Hall to see YES play three classic albums: “Close the Edge”, “Going for the One” and “YES”. Hope to see you all there, have fun.

W (NM): OK, we'll definitely be there, Chris, thank you so much for your time, and we're looking forward to seeing you.

CS: OK, bye, bye.

W (DD): Thank you, bye.

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