ABWH on Rockline with Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe [Beginning of show not available] [music: 'Brother of Mine'] Host: Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe. Brother Of Mine on Rockline. We're with Steve, Rick and Jon from the band. Our next call is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It's Frank, a listener of WDVE. Good evening and welcome, Frank. Caller: Hi, guys. Yesmen: YO! Hi there. Hi. Hi. Caller: Yah, um, I was at the concert in Harrisburg last Wednesday and the one in the Philadelphia, at the Spectrum. Mesmerizing. Awesome. Beautiful work. Jon: Good. Steve: Thank you. Caller: What I was wondering, and any of you can answer this, are you planning on adding or dropping songs, changing the set as the tour goes on, cause I've got tickets for next week, too, Tuesday and Wednesday. Host and Jon: (laughter) Host: Kind of like to see a different show, huh, Frank? Jon: Okay. Yah, well. We'll organize it for you, Frank. Host: Are you changing the set list as you go on or are you pretty well staying with it? Jon: We're just fine-honing, at the moment. In fact, when we first went on stage, as we talked about Memphis, we went on with three hours of music, and it just seemed a little too long for everybody to sot of, grapple with. So we've honed it down to about... Rick: Twenty-five minutes. Jon: (two and a half) ...twenty-five minutes, yah. So, so um, you know, it will be a similar show. I wouldn't say, I'm not going to tell any fibs. It will be the same show, but it will be better. Host: There you go Frank. And boy, talk about a fan! He's going to shows all over the country there. Jon: Ahh, I know. Host: Frank, we appreciate it. We're going to talk now with Kathy in Charlotte, North Carolina, listener of 95.7, the Rock. Hi, Kathy. Caller: Hi, guys. Um... Rick: How you doin'? Steve: Hi, there. Caller: ... you ever think about using Eddie Offord as producer? Jon: Yah. Actually, Eddie did ring us, uh, around the time we were discussing the formation of the band and stuff, but it just, it just worked out that it wasn't going to work, uh, exactly the way we wanted to go and work in America. We felt more European in terms of putting the album together that really set us up to really start the album without any producer at all. That was the idea. So I took the reigns a little bit of the idea. So, you know, we love Eddie very much, he's a great guy. Host: Uh, you and Chris Kimsey did a nice job on that, Jon. And Kathy, thank you for that call. We're going to talk to Rob, now. Rob is in Middlebury, Vermont, and he's a listener of 106 WIZN in Burlington. Rob, you're on the Rockline. Caller: Hello, Jon!... Jon: Hey. Caller: How're you doing? You... you... Steve: Hi. Hi. Caller: Hello, Steve. How are you? Steve: Okay, thanks. Say hello to Rick. Rick: Hello, there. Caller: Eh, Rick. How are you doing? Rick: Fine, thank you, sir. Caller: I'd like to say that all three of you are some of my greatest creative influences. You've really been great. Rick: That's nice. What's your question? Caller: Eh, uh, I was wondering about Jon. You were commenting on a song called 'Shoot High, Aim Low' and about how it was about how like um, relating to the potential of life beyond war, and about how mankind used to live beyond war, but then it f..., then we forgot, but now we're remembering. And I'm wondering, how do you see mankind moving into the nineties and progressing into the next millennia? [There seems to be giggling in the background distracting Jon.] Jon: Well, um, you know I'm totally optimistic about it. It's one of the things that we all feel very strongly about, that we all need a little bit more peace in the world. And it's going to come, and that's the way I feel about it. So, I gotta be simple and basic about this situation while a lot of things are happening around us. We're going through an amazing time of readjustment towards the year two thousand. It's going to be amazing. Host: It certainly will, Rob. Thank you for the call. We appreciate it. Call us again, sometime. If you haven't called, why don't you. Pick up the phone. Call 1-800-344-ROCK. We'll put you on with Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe. There's only one number for the one and only Rockline. We'll be back in a moment on the Global Satellite Network. [commercial and station break] DJ: ...Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe on 95.5 KLOS. It's Rockline. Thanks for coming back. We're with Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe this evening. Our next call is from Reseda, California. It's Manual, who's a listener of 95.5 KLOS. Hi. Welcome. Caller: Hey. How's it going, guys? Rick: Fine, thank you, sir. Jon: Thank you. Steve: Fine, yah. Caller: It's always a pleasure to be speaking with you guys. Steve: Good. Caller: Um, I'd like... I have a question for uh, I guess all of you, um... What compelled you guys to write the song, 'Birthright'? And, uh, well, I have another part of it, too. It is if 'Beyond War' had anything to do with writing such a song. Steve: Okay, okay. The first part of the question, I might tackle a little bit. Yes, um... [the sound of a marking pen writing on paper in the background] ...there was some um, experiences I had when I visited certain places, where I felt there was a little bit of unrest. And I think one of the initial lyrical ideas was the idea that there is a birthright and there are places all over the world that aren't, kind of, properly balanced, not properly organized to give space and appreciation, and respect for the people who actually were there hundreds, if not thousands of years before. So, it seemed appropriate that one day this comes in. I wouldn't say there's a particularly strong political bias. It's just to say here is an inaccuracy, you know, here's something that's unbalanced and this. And then, Jon, maybe you could handle the next bit. Jon: Well, yah. I was just sort of remembering when I first heard the rough idea, one of the lines that Steve had written: This place ain't big enough for Stars and Stripes and for red and white. The idea was there's so much power play going on around that it just seems that we're losing touch with the real people of the world. And they have so much treasure of knowledge to give us, and we just seem to overrule them flying the flag, and this arms race, we all know, is not a very happy sort of situation. And uh, a few years ago I was very fortunate enough to realize there was this uhm, this formation of people that uh, under the name of 'Beyond War', a foundation, which are trying to really see the potential of how life could be without the threat of war around us. And, uh, I think that's one of the feelings I've carried through the last few years. And 'Birthright'... um... it's a sort of very dynamic song to play on stage. Very emotional. And I'm sure that we all feel, whoever's listening to the radio, and I must say this is going on a bit, we all feel very, very strong about our Mother Earth and this is one of the things that we've always been very interested in. I think rock'n'roll has always been very clear about this, that we are trying to help each other and really work towards a better world. Host: 'Birthright' Jon: Rick Wakeman just falls on the floor. Host: [Laughter] 'Birthright', Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe. On Rockline. [music: 'Birthright'] Host: 'Birthright', Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe. Our guests tonight on Rockline, Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe. Our next call from Calgary, Alberta. It's Dan. He's a listener of KICK 107 FM. Dan, you're on the Rockline with us. Caller: Hi, guys. Rick: Hello. How're you doing. Steve: Hi, there. Caller: Pretty good. First let me commend you on just a fantastic album. Just great. Rick: That's kind. Thank you, sir. Caller: And my question actually is for Jon. I noticed that Vangelis had a hand on 'Let's Pretend'. Are you going to be doing any further work with him? Jon: Yah. The song 'Let's Pretend' was written about six years ago. It just popped up one afternoon when we were in Paris. And we recorded it initially, not thinking that it was going to be on the album. But it just seemed to fit very well. And as far as a new Jon and Vangelis album, that'll be coming out, I think, around January [1990]. We... actually, as we speak, Vangelis is actually producing it now. Host: There you go, Dan. You've got something to look forward to. And thanks for your call tonight on Rockline. It's Mark's turn as we head to Richmond, Virginia now. XL102 is our station there. 'We welcome Mark to the program. Hi. Caller: Hi, guys. I saw you in Hampton. It was 'masterful concert. Beautiful. Rick and Steve and Jon: Thank you, sir. Thank you. Thank you. Caller: I was wondering, why has Yes always had such low media coverage? I have only one article in my collection. Steve: Uh, well maybe it's just something we brought over from the record companies. [Laughter from Jon, Rick, and Steve] I think there's a certain feeling of guilt in that particular debum[?]. But, it's very difficult to circulate music that isn't blatantly commercial. I suppose that would apply to Europe. Maybe it's not so bad here in a lot of respects, and you've got a lot of good things going. Rick: You've a lot more going here than you have in Europe. I mean, if anything exceeds sort of three minutes twenty seconds in Europe it is almost non-impossible to get it played. And in fact if it's not Top 40 it's very difficult to get it played. You are far more geared up, although, as Steve pointed out, it's got less and less in the 80's than it was in the 70's. Host: Yah, but it was nice to see Brother Of Mine' come in at ten and a half minutes and see so many stations play it without doing anything to it. Rick: That was fantastic. That says a lot... that says a lot for, um, I won't say changing attitudes of stations, but the fact that stations are realizing that there is a lot more to music than just, just the three minute, you know, song all the time. There's a lot of music out there that people actually want to hear. Host: Here, here! Mark. Thank you for the call. Let's talk now with Scott in Chatham, Ontario. He's listening to WRIF in Detroit. And Scott, we welcome you to the Rockline. Hi, there. Caller: Hi. Jon? Uh,... Jon: Hey. Caller: How are you, Jon? Steve? Jon: Very good. Steve's very good. Steve: Hi. How're you doing? Caller: Oh, good. Rick? Rick: Hi. How are you? Caller: Hi. It's good to talk to you guys. I was really glad to see you guys back together again. Uh, Jon? [obvious radio delay echo in the caller's background] Jon: Sure. Caller: Oh, how are you, Jon? It's been a... I talked to you the last time you were on Rockline. It's really good to t... hear your voice again. I'm a big fan of yours. Host: What's your question for us tonight, Scott? Caller: Okay, on the song, 'Quartet,' off the new album, okay this is directed to Jon and Steve, so I'm assuming you guys are the lyric writers of the band, like wrote most of the lyrics, especially for that song. Part two, 'She Gives Me Love' um, I noticed there's some background vocals on that track on that part and they sound like old Yes lyrics, like... the first part of it I've been able to get, um, 'What happened to this song we once knew so well, signed promise for moments, caught within the spell' which is from 'Revealing Science Of God.' But I haven't been able to get the rest of the lyrics from them, and I think their probably other Yes songs, and I was just wondering, Jon or Steve, maybe you knew, you could tell me what they were. Jon: Well, it's, in a way, it's a whimsical look at our past musically, and uh, the song, 'She Gives Me Love' and I was thinking that she wasn't so much a woman, it was music that always came around when I was a bit lost. And some of the songs over the years are 'Soon or soon the light' and there's one or two other ones, 'In and around the lake' from Roundabout, 'South Side Of The Sky' we sing about. It's a little, a little vignette. Steve was, uh, very instrumental in putting this together when we were working on it because he came with the initial song, uh,... What's it called, Steve? I forgot. Rick: It's 'Long Distance Runaround' it was the first... Jon: No, no, no. Rick: ...the cue, it was the first cue... Jon: On 'Quartet'. Steve: Oh, the backing thing. It was originally called 'More About You' and we changed it to 'I Want To Learn' Jon: 'I want to learn more about you.' That's right. Steve: Then the melodic opening, uh, I think I called it 'The Go Between' or something. And it all got kind of stuck together. My ears are phasing? Am I going out of phase? [studio laughter] Host: You sound fine to me, here. And Scott, thank you for the call. Scott, try and pay a little more attention to the music, there, would you. [studio laughter] Talk about a man totally immersed in your music there. Uh, we have Rick Wakeman about to play live, we have plenty more coming up, and I have a couple of concert dates, quickly, for the band, Houston, Texas, the 28th at the Summit. That's in August. 29th, Dallas, at Starplex, then Bonner Springs, Kansas, at Sandstone on the 31st. Into September, Denver on the 1st at Redrocks, Park West on the 2nd, that's Park City, Utah. Then on the 4th, San Diego at San Diego State Open Air Amphitheater. More in a moment with Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe. [commercial and station break] Host: And once again, welcome back to Rockline. I'm Bob Coburn. From 'Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe,' this is 'Themes' on the Global Satellite Network. [music: 'Themes'] Host: 'Themes.' That is the song that opens the 'Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe' CD on Rockline. I'm Bob Coburn, and we're with, right now, Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman, and Jon Anderson. And our next phone call is Janet in Naples, Florida, listener of 96 KROQ in Fort Meyers, Florida. And Janet, you're on the show with us. Hi. Caller: Hi. How' you all doing? Rick: Fine, thanks. Jon: Fine. Steve: We're fine, yah. Caller: Jon, I gotta tell you. I've have almost every record you recorded and I love them all. Jon: Thank you, so much. Caller: And I want to quickly ask, um, did you have any problems with the record companies, and the fact that your songs were eight to ten minutes long? And also I wanted to ask, why aren't you coming to Florida? Jon: Well, the first question, we're very fortunate to be with a record company that believes in what we're doing, and so there was no restrictions on the music or the amount of music we played and how long it would exercise itself. Music is like that, if you can just let it go, it'll sing to you. So, the radio stations, uh, have been very helpful, too. So we've had a very, very good response. As far as playing Florida, I'm sure there... it's one of those things. If we could tour everywhere, uhm, we would do, but for the moment we're just doing this kind of tour and there are certain places that we're missing. And maybe we keep our fingers crossed, we can come back early next year or the middle of next year sometime and come down there, 'cause wherever we play, it's always wonderful. You want to say anything, Steve.... Host: There you go, Janet. Steve: No, I agree. Jon: Steve was driving around there. Steve: Yah. We miss Florida, this year. We only got as far as Atlanta, or somewhere like that, as far as going to that corner of the world. Another time. Another time. Host: Keep your hopes up there, Janet. Maybe so. Thanks for the call. Let's talk now with JB as we head down to Marissa, Illinois. He's listening to KSHI 95 in St. Louis. JB, you're on the Rockline. Caller: Hi, guys! How's it going? Jon, Rick, and Steve: Yo! Fine, thanks. Hi. We're okay. Caller: Hey. I just want to ask you... What do you feel are your priorities for the future? Your solo efforts, or continuing with this new group? And I'd like to add to Jon that I thought your 'City Of Angels' album was great. Excellent. Jon: Thank you. Steve: B... Well, I want to keep a balance, I want to keep, uh, keep directions, uh, lots of directions out for the band and also directions out for us as the other projects which have always been there but now are more, um, relevant now today, that we can go and do other things as well as besides the band. There you are. Host: There you go, JB. Thanks you. Let me pass on the other half dozen venues that I have for the band: They will be in Costa Mesa at the Pacific Coast Amphitheater on the 5th of November [September], then the 6th and 7th at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, followed by Santa Barbara, California date at the County Bowl on the 8th, then Mountain View, California, at the Shoreline Amphitheater the 9th of September, Sacramento on the 10th at the Cow Expo Amphitheater, and then Concord, at the Concord Pavilion on the 11th. Now my guests this evening are in Boston. I'm in our Hollywood Rockline Studio and Jon and Steve are in one studio and we have now sent Rick to his room [laughter], and Rick is going to play something live for us. Rick, why don't you set it up, then just take it away. [Steve, Rick and Jon speaking over each other] Rick: Yah. Well they said they've got a piano here. Actually, it's in the bar, next door. [laughter] Steve: Okay, he's just coming along. He's rushing in the room. He's got a bucket of water on his left shoulder. [Rick: pretend panting] and... Rick: Well, I have to say here in the studio they've got a beautiful Steinway piano. Jon: He's sitting down at the piano. It's a remarkable occasion.... Rick: ...Yes, it is... Jon: He's sitting down at the piano. Steve: He's not actually moving his lips, yet. He's not got the cue. I think Rick's going to get the cue any second... Rick: I'll start now...hold on... go and put the lid up... Steve and Jon: There he is. Host: ... there's the lid. I can hear the lid. Rick: That's the lid. There you go. Yah, this is a piece that before anybody else because you can't buy it. It was never released here. It's a piece I originally wrote back in the early 80's. A piano piece called 'Gone, But Not Forgotten' which is pretty poignant for us all so being back together again. Although it has been heavily rumored that it's got more to do with my golf balls than anything else. [Laughter] So, this is a little piano piece I wrote I usually call 'Gone, But Not Forgotten' [Live music: 'Gone, But Not Forgotten'] Host: Beautiful. Very, very tasteful. Boy, is that nice. Mr. Rick Wakeman, ladies and gentlemen. 'Gone, But Not Forgotten.' We're not quite gone, so don't forget us. We're coming right back on Rockline on the Global Satellite Network. [commercial and station break] Host: And once again, welcome back to what has turned out to be a very fun evening, tonight. We have Christine on the line to talk with our guests, uh, Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe. She's in Tampa, Florida, listening to 95 YNF. Christine, welcome to the Rockline. Caller: Hi, everyone. How're you doing? Jon, Rick, and Steve: Hi. Fine. Fine, thank you. We're fine. Caller: Okay, my question, I guess I'll direct it to Jon. How did the catalog number become 90126? Was that planned, or was it just a coincidence? Jon: I think that was just a little bit of a tongue in cheek thing from Arista Records. We didn't actually find out about it until the album was released. It's just a little bit of fun. You know, it's inter-related fun with the record companies, I suppose. Steve: [Host speaking over briefly] We're calling the next one, 'Twenty-four Hours From Tulsa.' [laughter] Host: Christine, thanks for the call. And, uh, she noticed, yes some people are starting to notice that... Rick: Well, good spotting. Well done for ... Host: Yah, really. Good, good job there, Christine. Let's speak with Joe now, in New York City, listening to 92.3 KROQ. You're on the show, Joe. Caller: Yah. Good evening. Rick, Steve, and Jon: Hi. Hi. Yo. Caller: ...Just wondering why 'America,' I think one of the greatest tunes you guys have ever recorded, is never performed live in concert. Steve: Well, we, we...we..bb.b.b.b.... [laughter] ...can't think of a good excuse for it. I mean, I'm very sorry, and all that... Rick: We did do it a couple of times, actually... Steve: We did it a couple of times in, in ,in America, uh,... Rick: ...it never really worked... Steve: ...but then we didn't really have quite time... we couldn't build it into our thinking at that, right at this moment, so hopefully another time, or something like that might happen. We might do it. I agree it's a... it's a fine piece, it's a fine bit of arranging from the group and, uh, y'know.... Jon: It's a beautiful song. It's a beautiful song. Steve: It's a lovely song to work on... Jon: Right. Steve: ...once you've got material that good then... Rick: One of the nice things is, sounds strange but, there is so much to choose from that, uh, that's what makes it so much fun, that there's obviously certain pieces, y'know, get left out. Steve: Yah, there are other radio stations, you know, that they could be listening to, Rick. [laughter] I mean, you got to keep it interesting, [laughter] not [snoring sounds] zzzz... Host: Good show. There you go. Thanks for being on, we appreciate it. [snoring and laughter continues] Stop it! Stop it! Just stop it! Thanks to everybody for listening and calling tonight. Our Rockline address is P.O. Box 4383, Hollywood, California 90078. Next week, Billy Squire. And then, coming soon, Trevor Rabin, also Foreigner's Mick Jones, the Jefferson Airplane, Aerosmith, and then in September, this has been moved back a couple of weeks, a two hour special edition of Rockline with John Cougar Mellencamp. Special thanks tonight to Brian Lane, Pete Smith, and Josh Warner of Sun Arts Lim... Music Limited, to Sean Cokely and Tom Innes at Arista Records, to Lauren Carosic and John Vosey and Jeff Tertin and Raif Allen and our entire Boston Rockline production team at WGBH, to our friends at WAAF in Wooster, and of course to Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe. It's been fun, you guys. Great, great record. Good luck on the tour, and thanks for being here tonight, alright. Rick: Thank you, very much indeed. Jon: Yah. Thanks a lot for having us, and it's always great to be on Rockline. Host: You're welcome, very much. Rick: Thanks to everybody in Boston for making us welcome. It's very nice Steve: Yah, see you tomorrow night in Manchester. Great, guys. Host: I'm B.C. I'll be seeing you in a week. [Transcribed by yesman]