Yet another Wakey interview!

[smatt]

Found this link on the Yes newsgroup AMY. It's ok nothing groundbreaking, but interesting. The link was posted by a chap named Paul Goodwin!

www.classicrockrevisited.com/Rick%20Wakeman.htm


Enjoy!


Matt

[illusion]

Ricks a cool guy! Quite funny too. The funny bits:

Jeb: I have heard that you did not like Tales. I am one of the fans that probably took way to much LSD listening to this as a young man. I loved it. My favorite track is “Ritual.” Now this one I must argue with you. It is awesome!!

Rick: Your opinion and you are entitled to it.

Jeb: Speaking of that, as a Yes fan... Many of your fans were into major chemical experimentations. Was Yes as well into expanding their consciousness?

Rick: I purely drank. I've been teetotal now for seventeen years though. You would have to ask the question to the individuals concerned. This is not an area I know much about and not one that I wish to, to be honest. I have lost so many friends through drugs it's sickening. Personally I'd be happy to see the death penalty worldwide for pushers

Jeb: Now lets jump to 1990 and it is ABWH recording in France. Why didn't Chris participate and why didn't he let you use the name Yes?

Rick: We were doing the second ABWH album in France and the management of Yes and our management got together to discuss a merger, which seemed very logical. Sadly it destroyed the making of the second ABWH album but we had a Wally of a producer thrust upon us anyway so who knows how it would have turned out! We couldn't use the name Yes because we weren't Yes. It's quite simple really. If people leave a band, then they leave the name behind. It just so happened that four people who were quite important to Yes all happened to have left and joined forces. Whilst to a lot of people this was four fifths of a Yes, the fact is that we weren't and Chris was perfectly correct in keeping the name for the Yes that was then in existence.

Jeb: Did the whole fighting thing feed your creativity and make you work harder as a unit?

Rick: There was no fighting at all. The press enjoyed it and made up stories as they do, and we just got on with sorting the problem out in as best a way possible. Hence the Union tour, which for my money was the best tour Yes ever did, and the Union album, which is a piece of brown smelly excretion.

Jeb: The funniest thing on stage with Yes.


Rick: A giant fish appearing up from the middle of the stage during the Union tour. Some strippers appearing courtesy of the crew on a last night somewhere. I can't remember the tour or the venue, but I can remember the strippers, although their faces are a bit of a blur.

Jeb: Any sexy, sordid or salty stories of the years in Yes?


Rick: Yes of course and do you really think I'm going to tell you what they were? Dream on

Jeb: I have heard that you tend to create such a live extravaganza that you eat up profits! Did this happen on Journey??

Rick: Yes, I have invested much of what I have earned in the live extravaganzas and why not? I like to do things properly wherever possible and if people have bought an album with an orchestra on it then wherever possible I try to give them that orchestra in a live setting. I don't do that so much these days sadly as most of what I earn and have earned is eaten up through my very poor record of having been married and divorced three times

[Earl Grey]

And funny indeed.
It sounds like Rick is really happy to be on board again. Amazing!
And things seem to be going great between Rick and Steve, according to the questions he answered about the tour on his web-site... Which is great! They spur one another on live: this tour is going to be AWESOME!!!!

Now I'm excited!
Not like I wasn't already... but things just keep looking up UP UP UP!

The next news I want to hear is the announcement of the new studio album.

Now we're talking!

Stand-up comedy host? I need to get satellite TV. What have we been missing on BBC???

:ele:

[illusion]

I've seen him on Countdown. It's a game where you get ten letters and you have to makethe biggest word possible.