Yes

News Flash: Producer Bruce Fairbairn Dead At 49

18 May 1999 02:00:00 EDT

Veteran producer Bruce Fairbairn, who worked with such notable bands as Aerosmith, Van Halen, AC/DC, Kiss, the Cranberries, and INXS among many others, was found dead at his home in Vancouver yesterday of unknown causes. He was 49.

Fairbairn had been expected at an afternoon recording session with '70s art rockers Yes at his Armoury Studios and uncharacteristically failed to show up. Studio manager Sheryl Preston drove to his home and discovered his body on the floor of his bedroom. There were no apparent signs of injury or trauma.

Fairbairn began his career as a horn player in the Canadian band Prism and went on to produce that band, as well as local favorites Loverboy, before going on to record such artists as Krokus and Blue Oyster Cult. He was often assisted by Bob Rock, who later established his own career as a rock producer. In 1986, Fairbairn produced Bon Jovi's breakthough album "Slippery When Wet," which set him on a course as one of the most successful producers of the era.

He recently completed an album with the horn-laden Atomic Fireballs, which Fairbairn said took him back to his "brass roots."

The current sessions for Yes (who were in the midst of mixing a new album) will continue after a brief break, with the bandmembers taking over the controls.

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Yes To Head Into Studio With Fairbairn

11 Nov 1998 12:00:00 EST

Yes, it's true, Yes will be recording a new album in the near future with producer Bruce Fairbairn, confirms bassist Chris Squire.

The band members are currently gathering in Vancouver, Canada, for at least a month of rehearsals before going into the studio with Fairbairn, Squire told MTV News this past weekend. Fairbairn's most recent production job is the just-released Kiss album "Psycho Circus." Past efforts have included Bon Jovi, The Cranberries, INXS and Van Halen.

Yes, these days, consists of longtime members Squire, vocalist Jon Anderson, guitarist Steve Howe and drummer Alan White along with long time cohort Billy Sherwood. They'll eventually be recording at Fairbairn's Amoury Studios in Vancouver. They chose that city for rehearsals and pre-production as well as recording largely because the bandmembers live in England, Los Angeles and Seattle, which makes the city a geographically convenient location.

Yes is signed to Beyond Records (as is Mötley Crüe and Blondie) with distribution courtesy of BMG. This is their second record for that label. They released "Open Your Eyes" in 1997.

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Hootie And Yes Fans Surrounded By Sound

13 Nov 1997 10:00:00 EST

November 13 [10:00 EDT] -- Fans with the ear and the gear will be able to enjoy new releases in "surround sound" including the reissuing of Hootie & The Blowfish's long form video and a special version of the new Yes CD.

70's art rockers Yes, who've always offered up elaborate soundscapes, will be releasing a special encoded edition of its forthcoming CD, "Open Your Eyes," (or "Yes," depending on who you believe) making the disc compatible with surround sound audio systems. The record will be able to be played on the estimated 25 million home theater systems around the country as well as on normal stereos. The Yes release will mark the debut of the new encoding technology. The album is due November 25 with the audiophile version to follow.

For fans wanting the visuals to match, Hootie's 1996's "A Series Of Short Trips" is out this week in a double-sided digital format with optional Dolby digital Surround Sound. It's one of the first DVD releases for Atlantic Records. The video features productions from their incredibly successful debut album, "Cracked Rear View," as well as from the aforementioned sophomore effort, highlighted by a previously unreleased video from the latter for the track "Be The One," taped during the band's tour of Asia. The package also includes interviews and behind-the-scenes footage shot on the video sets, backstage and on the road.

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Fans Say Yes To Yes

14 Oct 1997 12:00:00 EDT

October 14 [12:00 EDT] -- It appears the passing years and the loss of keyboardist Rick Wakeman have done nothing to diminish fan interest in the reunited classic version of Yes.

The band's scheduled tour of the States saw tickets for the first few events on sale, including New York's Beacon Theater (Oct. 29-31) and Philadelphia's Tower Theatre (Oct. 24-25), sell out in a matter of minutes. The high-profile Wakeman left the re-formed band for the second time last Spring largely due to his reluctance to tour. He's concentrating on his Christian and gospel endeavors in England.

Yes is currently longtime members guitarist Steve Howe, vocalist Jon Anderson, bassist/vocalist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White along with long time cohort Billy Sherwood. Helping out on keyboards is Igor "Ivan" Khoroshev.

Yes is also releasing an album of new, original material, simply titled "Yes," November 25 on Beyond Records. A single, "Open Your Eyes," has already been shipped to rock radio. The label is touting the release as the first completely original Yes studio album (with Howe) to be available in the U.S. since 1980, although there have been near-reunion projects recorded in the recent past.

"Yesart" exhibitions including artwork from the band's past album covers by Roger Dean, who is also providing the cover art for the new record, will be featured in the venue lobbies. The bandmembers themselves will be attending many of the exhibits.

The Yes tour dates include: