XYZ (English band)

XYZ were a short-lived English rock supergroup. The name XYZ is taken from eX-Yes-Zeppelin as the group consisted of ex-Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, along with ex-Yes members Chris Squire (bass guitar, vocals, keyboards) and Alan White (drums).

XYZ
OriginLondon, England
GenresProgressive rock, hard rock
Years active1981
LabelsSwan Song
Spinoff ofLed Zeppelin, Yes
Past membersChris Squire
Alan White
Jimmy Page
Dave Lawson

History

The band came together after Squire met Page by chance at a party shortly before Christmas 1980. The group also featured former Greenslade keyboard player and vocalist Dave Lawson.[1] Squire was the main writer for the group.[2] Page believed the band needed a strong vocalist and sought out former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant. Plant did attend one XYZ rehearsal on 28 February 1981, but decided not to join the group citing his dislike for the complexity of the music,[3] and because he was still deeply hurt by the recent death of Led Zeppelin's drummer and his long-time friend, John Bonham.

Without a firm commitment from Plant and contractual issues on who should manage the group (Peter Grant or Brian Lane),[4][5] the project was shelved shortly thereafter.

With XYZ's future in limbo, Squire and White recorded a Christmas single called "Run with the Fox" in October 1981 at Squire's house, New Pipers,[6] before forming Cinema with guitarist Trevor Rabin and keyboardist Tony Kaye. Rabin initially attempted to rework the XYZ material along with his solo songs for the new group. Cinema went on to become a reformation of Yes with the addition of singer Jon Anderson, and the album 90125 was recorded in 1983.[7] It is unclear what of the XYZ material made it to 90125, but White said in a 2008 interview that "those were the beginning of some songs that ended up on the next Yes album anyway."[8] White also confirmed the XYZ material was used on 90125 album in a 2012 interview.[9]

In 1984, Jimmy Page joined Yes, including Squire and White, on stage, playing "I'm Down" during a concert in their 9012Live tour at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany.[10]

Page has not dismissed the possibility of releasing the XYZ material. Squire supported the idea, but said Page hadn't discussed the matter with him.[11] Chris Squire died in 2015[12] and very little has been heard about releasing material, except some speculation in 2020.[13] Alan White also died in 2022,[14] leaving only Page and Lawson as surviving members.

Demoed material

A four-song demo tape of XYZ consisting of two instrumentals and two songs, "Can You See" and "Telephone Secrets" (featuring vocals from Squire), exists and can be found on ROIO trading sites.

  • Instrumental: part of one instrumental was reworked and became part of "Mind Drive" on the 1997 Yes album Keys to Ascension 2[15] (credited as a band composition).
  • Instrumental: part of the other instrumental was used as the intro to The Firm's "Fortune Hunter". About "Fortune Hunter", Squire explained, "One of the tracks ended up being called "Fortune Hunter" [...] that was a riff that Jimmy brought into the mix anyway. Part of our song "Mind Drive" was also from those sessions as well. [...] Most of the songs were mine. I'm the only vocalist on it."[11]
  • "Can You See" would resurface as "Can You Imagine" on Yes' 2001 album Magnification.

Personnel

References
  1. "David Lawson Music - Composer and Sound Designer". Davelawson.org. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  2. "Entertainment". MassLive.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  3. "XYZ Interview with Alan White, 1993". Led-zeppelin.org. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. Welch, Chris (2003). Close to the Edge: The Story of Yes, Revised Edition. London: Omnibus Press, p. 202. ISBN 0-7119-9509-5
  5. "Alan White de Yes: el batero que tocó con todos | RollingStone Argentina". Rollingstone.com.ar. 16 November 2010. Archived from the original on 4 May 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  6. Archived 5 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "90125". Relayer35.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  8. Archived 22 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Interview:Alan White (Yes, John Lennon, George Harrison)". Hit-channel.com. 25 September 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  10. "06/24/1984 Dortmund, Germany". Forgotten-yesterdays.com.
  11. "Chris Squire of Yes Talks Rock Hall, Jon Anderson and Jimmy Page". Kearth101.cbslocal.com. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  12. Kreps, Daniel (28 June 2015). "Chris Squire, Yes Bassist and Co-Founder, Dead at 67". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  13. Reed, Ryan (30 October 2020). "Jimmy Page on Odds of Releasing XYZ Demos: 'It's All Speculation'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  14. Keepnews, Peter (29 May 2022). "Alan White, Who Drummed With Yes and Ex-Beatles, Dies at 72". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  15. "Yes - Perpetual change". Innerviews.org. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
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