YES Steemitbloggers Music Contest

Music moves ones soul through highs and lows in life, reminding us of times, people and places.

Music has been used in to create awareness about wars, famine, unfair governing, fighting for equal rights, yet it remains a constant in our lives either uplifting or painful memories sweep in, my selection is covering well known musicians, some who took different approaches moving around a musical world.

Battling in making a decision, sticking to one group only after reading and thoroughly enjoying @fionasfavourites and @zen-art it is unanimous that this is not an easy task. (Especially if you have been around some time, growing up with music). Here you go @zord189 and guest judge @nickyhavey have fun!

Going through my Vinyl LP's too many memories, I never sold I selected YES for sharing with you and why. Let' venture down the rabbitt hole of music....

It all started in the late sixties when I first heard music of Jon Anderson, an English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he co-founded in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. He was a member of the band across three tenures between 1968 and 2008.

Jon Anderson -Song of Seven

Song of Seven my favourite song done by Jon Anderson singer/songwriters who performed for many years, musically one of the most smooth, harmonic, and complete pieces.

We had the good luck of seeing Yes live on Friday, October 27, 1978, at the Wembley Arena, London. At the time holidaying with friends who were living and working temporarily in Britain.

So let us not regress, if my memory serves we well, Trevor Rabin (will tell you more later) moved to England in January 1978, Trevor Rabin did a guest appearance with Yes, featuring Jon Anderson - singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Steve Howe - songwriter and producer, best known as the guitarist, made many albums as a Solo Artist. Chris Squire - singer and songwriter best known as the bassist. Rick Wakeman - keyboardist, songwriter, television and radio presenter, and author. Alan White - drummer and songwriter. All members of the band had brilliant careers as musicians, I have only scratched the surface.

Time for another song I loved of the time, Don't Kill The Whale from LP Tormato.

Yes Live: 10/27/78 - London - Don't Kill the Whale

How our evening unraveled in London, we traveled via underground from West Hampstead to Wembley Stadium, our friends living in London had arranged tickets and we had no clue as to size of venue. Using underground network, the train filled up with other music revelers, when we arrived at Wembley the evening was electric with excitement.

We did not know about the revolving stage, nor whether it was a first time this technology had been used, I do know it made the evening a total blast with the musicians playing turning around on this unusual stage _which I see from some research cost around £50,000. Our seating was about fifteen rows back from the stage we had a pretty amazing view.

Yes Live: 10/27/78 - London - Madrigal

For some reason we never took cameras perhaps it was not allowed so everything is literally from down memory lane, Forty Years ago! Whether we bought the LP at a side stall on the night, or purchased it later I cannot remember, the 7 Single was however something given to us on arriving in the concert, not something we had ever seen happen before, here are the two together....

LP 12" (Long Playing) sleeve of "Tormato" together with SP 7" Single disk - "Don't Kill The Whale" handed out at the concert.

Four South African's, super excited we recognized Trevor Rabin whether he just filled a gap during the show I cannot remember, we were proudly South African and to have someone from a band we knew back home perform in London, something beyond our wildest dreams.

A little about our home grown musicians, Trevor Rabin in South Africa we had followed the band Rabbitt from around 1975-1977, due to our political pressures from outside (and within South Africa) this band dissolved everyone going there own way Trevor Rabin - Solo and Groups Yes, Manfred Mann, Supertramp plus others, also did movie scores. Duncan Faure - Bay City Rollers, career followed as a songwriter. Ronnie Robot - Ronnie has made a successful career producing many hit selling South African artists. Neil Cloud, did a world tour with pop superstar Peter Frampton.

Rabbitt - Charlie

We were young and free at that time, escaping the regime back at home, second year into our marriage we took four months off to travel, to say the least a live show was a highlight beyond imagination.

Living in a country where we could not mix freely, brought up in a family who in no way agreed with our ruling party, yes it summed up a totally different way of life over that period out of the country. The Berlin wall still stood, when traveling it was strictly in the West only, yes music helped in many ways to pull that wall down, remove apartheid, help rectify by righting wrongs, music still carries the same passion.

Musicians play together over the years forming bands, move on in different directions, regroup to play again. A recent announcement of activity in January 2016 was Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman (ARW).

Yes, the show goes on:

At the time of Squire's death, the band name "Yes" was co-owned by Anderson, Squire, Howe, and Yes drummer Alan White. During Squire's lifetime, he and Anderson had informally agreed that only Squire's group would use the name "Yes". In 2018, Anderson said that Squire's wife Scotland had suggested, in the wake of his death, that both groups could use the name. Anderson maintains that there has been no legal conflicts between the two bands over the matter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes_Featuring_Jon_Anderson,_Trevor_Rabin,_Rick_Wakeman

Thought for today: You cannot dance without music though you can sing instrumentally without dancing.. African Proverb

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Photography is my own, all videos are the property of YouTube

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