Yes consists of Alan White (drums), Chris Squire (bass), Jon Anderson (vocals), Rick Wakeman (keyboards), Steve Howe (guitars).
Yes is a progressive rock band that formed in London in 1968. Despite many lineup changes, occasional splits and many changes in popular music, the band has endured for over 35 years and still retains a strong international following. Their music is marked by sharp dynamic contrasts, often extended song lengths, and a general showcasing of its members' instrumentalism. Probably the most ambitious musically of their wave, Yes manages to use symphonic and other so called "classical" structures with their blend of musical styles - including some innovations - in a happy constructive "marriage" of music.
Founding members Jon Anderson and Chris Squire are often considered the core of the band since Squire has performed on all official Yes albums and Anderson has performed on all but one. Rick Wakeman, on the other hand, has been in Yes five different times. A journalist once remarked that the band could be called "The Squires" as Squire has been a steady guiding influence throughout the band's history playing a similar role to Mick Fleetwood in Fleetwood Mac.
Yes was formed in 1968 by vocalist Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire. The original lineup also included guitarist Peter Banks (who came up with the three letter name, with the rationale that it would stand out on posters), keyboardist Tony Kaye, and drummer Bill Bruford, who was to become one of the most acclaimed drummers of his time. They played their first show at a summer camp in England on August 2, 1968. Early on, the group earned a reputation for taking other people's songs and drastically changing them into expanded, progressive compositions (much like Deep Purple did). Unlike many artists doing this at the time, especially with Beatles material, Anderson and his band made the music their own. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1969. From the beginning, Yes was a band of excellent musicians with ambitious goals. Peter Banks was immediately a break-out star among fans and critics, and the harmony vocals of Anderson and Squire were an immediate trademark of the Yes sound.
