25 years ago today Rick Wakeman rejoined Yes
November 11th, 2001 by Koldo Barroso
25 years ago today, on the 11th of November 1976, keyboardist Rick Wakeman rejoined Yes at Montreux studios in Switzerland to record the legendary album “Going for the One”, which is considered one of the top works of the group’s career. Wakeman had quit the band back in 1974 and he would later leave the band several times through the years to concentrate on his solo career.
Rick Wakeman has recorded seven studio albums with Yes and has been the keyboardist of Yes since 2002.
October 10th, 2006 at 6:53 pm
[…] Rick Wakeman quit Yes on his 25th birthday, on 18th May 1974 and he followed his successful career as a solo artist. On the 27th of July that same year, Rick Wakeman performed his new work “Journey To The Centre of the Earth” featuring the New World Symphony Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir at London’s Crystal Palace Bowl. That day, he felt extremely sick and next day after the show while he was stroke by a heart attack next day while being interviewed at home by Melody Maker magazine. During his stay at Wexham Park Hospital for four weeks, something happened that would change his friendship with Jon Anderson for the rest of their lives, when he got an unexpected visit from the singer. Anderson apologized for the hard times and offered him to come back to Yes, which Rick refused. But just for a while because in November 1976 he was called back to join the band in Montreux Switzerland for the recordings of The new Yes album “Going For The One”, and he did. From my point of view there was never so much musical unity in Yes like in this album and Rick Wakeman showed his best with the band. […]