“He was grateful just to play some music rather than just dwell on death”: When two members of Yes and one member of Led Zeppelin got together, anything could have happened. Sadly, very little did

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 09: Chris Squire of the band Yes performs at Radio City Music Hall on July 9, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Paul Zimmerman/WireImage) — (Image credit: Getty Images)

When the death of John Bonham brought a sudden end to Led Zeppelin in 1980, the surviving members found themselves in disarray with no clear future ahead. For very different reasons two members of Yes were in the same position. That’s how the tantalising supergroup XYZ – ex Yes & Zep – came together. In 2012 late bassist Chris Squire told Prog how the project began, and why it went almost nowhere.

In late 1980 Yes were in disarray, after Buggles duo Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn had replaced Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson for the Drama album and tour. As the band fragmented, with Downes and guitarist Steve Howe forming Asia, the longstanding Yes rhythm section of Chris Squire and Alan White remained joined at the hip.

“After the sad passing away of John Bonham, Jimmy said to me at a Christmas party at his house that he wouldn’t mind getting together and playing some music,” Squire remembers. “He was grateful just to play some music rather than just dwell on John. And in the spirit of that, we got together.”

Squire fondly recalls the sessions helmed in early 1981 with Elton John producer Gus Dudgeon at a studio in Maidenhead. “It was a really nice time for myself, Alan and Jimmy. It was a fairly relaxed way for Jimmy just getting back into playing again.”

At one point it appeared as if Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant might form part of the dream team. “But there were some complications about Robert coming down,” Squire says, ”and I think it was all a bit too early for him. He didn’t really want to jump back into another band format.”

Consequently XYZ proved short-lived. “Jimmy was hoping that Robert was going to join the party. After we’d done four tracks – mainly written by me –Jimmy wasn’t that bothered really. He just wanted to get back into playing with some guys.”

Mind Drive - YouTube

Watch On

The sessions yielded several demos including Fortune Hunter, Mind Drive, Telephone Secrets and Can You See. While no XYZ material has ever officially seen the light of day, two tracks later appeared on Yes albums: Mind Drive on Keys To Ascension and Can You See, re-titled as Can You Imagine, on Magnification.

Page would go on to form The Firm with Paul Rodgers, Tony Franklin and Chris Slade, while Squire and White reconstituted Yes for the hugely successful 90125 era with vocalist Anderson and keyboardist Tony Kaye returning to the band, alongside South African guitarist Trevor Rabin.

XYZ had proved a brief diversion for Squire from the long and winding Yes road, but he didn’t lose touch with Page. “We see each other at the occasional Classic Rock awards and have each other’s phone numbers. Jimmy knows how much he enjoyed playing with us, and if it’s something he wanted to do again, it’s always on the table.”

But the bassist wasn’t holding his breath: “It’s not something that I’m thinking is going to happen.”

Can You Imagine - YouTube

Watch On

Artists

Nick Shilton has written extensively for Prog since its launch in 2009 and prior to that freelanced for various music magazines including Classic Rock. Since 2019 he has also run Kingmaker Publishing, which to date has published two acclaimed biographies of Genesis as well as Marillion keyboardist Mark Kelly’s autobiography, and Kingmaker Management (looking after the careers of various bands including Big Big Train). Nick started his career as a finance lawyer in London and Paris before founding a leading international recruitment business and has previously also run a record label.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.