Cinema (song)

Not to be confused with Cinéma (song) or Cinema (Benny Benassi song).

"Cinema"
Song by Yes from the album 90125
Released	14 November 1983
Recorded	1983
Genre	Rock, New Wave
Length	2:08
Label	Atco Records
Writer	Trevor Rabin, Chris Squire, Alan White, Tony Kaye
Producer	Trevor Horn
90125 track listing
"Changes" (4) "Cinema" (5) "Leave It" (6)

"Cinema" is an instrumental song by the progressive rock band Yes, from their 1983 album, 90125. It won the 1984 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance, the band's first (and as of 2010, only) Grammy.^[1]

History

The 1980 incarnation of Yes included Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White. When this group split up following the tour for the album Drama, Squire and White joined forces with South African singer and guitarist Trevor Rabin. The three were eventually joined by former Yes member Tony Kaye, and the four began writing and recording demos under the band name "Cinema".^[2]

Cinema (the band) demoed some of their recordings to former Yes lead singer Jon Anderson, who expressed interest in participating in the project. With four out of the five having been Yes members, it was decided to change the name of band from Cinema to Yes. The title of the instrumental track "Cinema" is therefore a nod to this history.^[2]

"Cinema" developed from a twenty minute-long track with the working title "Time."^[3] At just over two minutes in length, "Cinema" is the shortest song on 90125,^[4] and indeed one of the shortest songs Yes has recorded. Although the band had recorded shorter songs before, they were well-known in the 1970s^[5] for entire albums of lengthy songs, such as 1973's Tales from Topographic Oceans, which has four songs, none of which are shorter than 18 minutes.^[6]

"Cinema" is one of two songs on 90125 (the other being "Leave It") that does not list Anderson as a co-writer.^[4]

Live performances

In the 9012Live concert video, "Cinema" was the first song played, preceding "Leave It" as it does on 90125.

In later years, Yes would follow "Cinema" with "Owner of a Lonely Heart" instead, as seen in the House of Yes: Live from House of Blues video concert.^[7] In 2004, current and former Yes members Squire, White, Rabin, Howe, and Downes united to perform "Cinema" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart" at the Prince's Trust concert honoring Horn.^[8]

References

1. ^ "Yes: GRAMMY awards". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5891. Retrieved September 8, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} (1991) Album notes for Yesyears by Yes.
3. ^ Chambers, Stuart (2002). Yes: an Endless Dream of '70s, '80s and '90s Rock Music. Burnstown, Ontario: General Store Publishing House. p. 67. ISBN 1-894263-47-2. http://books.google.com/books?id=Uqogkt7VcwwC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
4. ^ ^{a b} (1983) Album notes for 90125 by Yes.
5. ^ "Yes: Rolling Stone profile". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/yes/news/artists/14845/92578/92603. Retrieved September 9, 2010. 
6. ^ "Yes: Tales from Topographic Oceans". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r22458. Retrieved September 9, 2010. 
7. ^ "House of Yes: Live from House of Blues". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r498666. Retrieved September 8, 2010. 
8. ^ "Alan White News: 2004". November 18, 2004. http://www.alanwhite.net/news2004.html. Retrieved September 8, 2010.