Tony Kaye streams first new music from debut solo album

Tony Kaye
(Image credit: Gottlieb Bros)

Former Yes keyboard player Tony Kaye has streamed brand new song Flight 11, which you can listen to below.

It's the first new music from Kaye since he initially retired from music in 1996 and is taken from his first ever solo album, End Of Innocence, which is released through Spirit Of Unicorn Music (distributed via Cherry Red Records) on September 10.

End Of Innocence is a requiem for those who lost their lives and all those touched by the horrific events of 9/11. Primarily orchestral, End Of Innocence is a powerful and emotional suite that is both beautiful and sinister, reflecting the dark forces at work that day. It guides the listener through the day and touches on the response, to reach a hope that peace and calm may prevail.

Flight 11 reflects the struggles on board the flight from Boston to LA, portrayed by Jay Schellen's dynamic drum solo and the plaintive calls made to the tower by flight attendants Amy Sweeney and Betty Ong, before the plane was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Centre.

"I've been friends with Jay Schellen from Yes for a long time," says Kaye, "and reconnected on the 50th anniversary in 2018 when I came back into the band for a little while. So, I asked him to help on this track depicting the scene inside the planes. I wanted a drum solo - Jay's just the guy to do that - and it includes the conversations stewardesses had with the tower. It was an emotional track and Jay did great drums on it. I lost friends, I knew a lady who was on one of the planes. It made it personal, knowing that she was on the plane."

A well as Schellen, the album features an appearance from Kaye's wife Dani Torchia. The artwork for the album has been created by Roger Dean.

Pre-order End Of Innocence.

Jerry Ewing

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.