Yes Pays Tribute To Founding Bassist

Yes, the British prog-rock band who’ll perform at Foxwoods on Aug. 7, has been around since the late 1960s. To say it has weathered a few lineup changes is grossly understating the situation: Wikipedia awards band-member status to no less than 20 musicians, not counting most studio or touring players. Some (drummer Alan White) have been in Yes for decades, while others (keyboard player Eddie Jobson) are short blips in the timeline. It’s easy to lose track.

Somehow the fluidity of its membership doesn’t damage Yes. Fans keep showing up. Radio stations keeps playing “I’ve Seen All Good People.” But the death of bassist Chris Squire earlier this year represents something different: he was the one constant figure, the only founding member to ride the whole ride, through every incarnation, over nearly 50 years.

“When we heard the news about Chris, we were all beside ourselves, not only with grief but knowing what he’s done for Yes over the years,” current keyboardist Geoff Downes said. “He was the principal lynchpin of Yes.”

Three months ago, Squire, who had leukemia, told his bandmates White, Downes, guitarist Steve Howe and singer Jon Davison about his upcoming surgery. Assuming he’d pull through, they tapped Yes alum Billy Sherwood (1997-2000) to fill in. “We made plans for the tour some time ago, and Chris told us that he wasn’t able to do it,” Downes said. “We hoped at the time that it was a temporary situation.” Squire died on July 27, at age 67.

As the Buggles, Downes and Trevor Horn launched MTV with “Video Killed the Radio Star” (also a number-one single) in 1979. In the era of punk and New Wave, Yes was floundering.

“Chris came around to my flat at the time and said, ‘Your album is really great,'” Downes said. “[Yes] had a slight misfire with their album, the one they started in Paris [after “Tormato,” from 1978], and Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman had gone off and done other things.”

Sensing they’d help Yes find its way, Squire recruited both musicians to join for the 1980 “Drama” album; Downes and Horn stayed only a year, but continued to work with Yes in various ways. Downes rejoined Yes in 2011. “I’m eternally grateful to him and his confidence in my abilities and my performances,” Downes said. “He was very much as a partisan behind what I was doing as well.”

Squire’s guitar-like attack, aggressive sound and melodic lines influenced generations of rock bass players. He provided less of an anchor and more of a counterpoint, giving Yes’ music a certain deftness and touch — a contrast to some of the era’s heavier, progressive music. He also had a considerably high voice, which he used to great effect.

“You have to also consider that Jon Anderson’s input was huge from the beginning,” Downes said. “The style of Yes music is really quite unique… It moves beyond just being a regular rock band. It has its own stamp. Yes music, if you look back historically: there aren’t a lot of bands that make music like that. It’s a unique band that has made a considerable number of breakthrough albums, and hopefully we’ll be able to continue with that legacy. “

In the wake of Squire’s death, Downes said, breaking up Yes wasn’t an option. “In many ways, it was his baby,” Downes said. “He carried it on for as long as he possibly could. In that respect, that’s one of the reasons why we’re continuing, not only just to honor that legacy but to carry on what he set out to achieve.”

“When I had conversations with Chris about things,” Downes continued, “he said, ‘Well, Yes is going to continue whether you, me, X, Y or Z are in the equation.’ That was his wish… I think Yes is very much a brand. It’s a style of music, and we’ll try to continue that legacy and carry the candle as far as we can.”

With Sherwood on board, Yes tours North America through the early fall, starting at Foxwoods and ending in Vancouver on Sept. 12. The band plans to honor Squire with a tribute at every show.

“There’s a planned segment of the show when we will definitely pay homage to Chris’ role over the years,” Downes said. “That’s very important. But Yes music is a style as much as anything else, and he was an integral part of that. We’ll honor that legacy and hopefully continue along the lines of what he originally set out to achieve. Hopefully [the tribute] will be very poignant. It will be a moving part of the show. It’s not just a case of business as usual. We need to look at the fact that Chris was an integral part of the whole thing. That’s an important part of the forthcoming tour. It’s a very difficult position for us because everybody is very, very sad about his passing, and that’s something that we’re not going to get over quickly.”

YES performs at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket on Friday, Aug. 7 at 8 p.m., with Toto opening. Tickets are $50-$60. Information: foxwoods.com.

A previous version of this story misspelled the lead singer’s name. It is Davison, not Davidson.