Make It Easy

"Make It Easy"
Single by Yes
from the album Yesyears
B-side	"Long Distance Runaround"
Released	August 1991
Format	cassette single
Recorded	1981
Genre	Rock
Length	6:08
Label	Atco - Atco 74-98738
Writer(s)	Trevor Rabin
Producer	Yes
Yes singles chronology
"Lift Me Up" (1991) "Make It Easy" (1991) "Saving My Heart" (1991)
90125 (2004 remaster) track listing "Leave It (single remix)" (10) "Make It Easy" (11) "It Can Happen (Cinema version)" (12)

"Make It Easy" is a 1981 song by the progressive rock band Yes. An early version of this song was written and sung by Trevor Rabin, originally as a demo titled "Don't Give In". It was later re-worked by the band Cinema, which included Yes members Chris Squire, Alan White and Tony Kaye.

The song was unreleased until 1991, when it was included on the Yes boxed set Yesyears and released as a cassette single backed with "Long Distance Runaround". The single debuted on the Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in August 1991, eventually peaking at number 36. It was later included as a bonus track on the remastered version of 90125.

Background

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 keyboardist Tony Kaye, and the four began writing and recording demos under the band name "Cinema".^[1]

Demos produced from the Cinema sessions included "Make It Easy", with lead vocals by Rabin, and an early version of "It Can Happen" featuring Squire on vocals. Both tracks appeared as previously unreleased recordings on 1991's Yesyears boxed set compilation,^[1] and "Make It Easy", recorded in 1981,^[2] was released as a cassette single, backed with "Long Distance Runaround", from 1971's Fragile. The single debuted on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart August 24, 1991, eventually peaking at number 36.^[2][3]

Both "Make It Easy" and the demo version of "It Can Happen" were later included as bonus tracks on the remastered version of 90125 released in 2004 by Rhino Records.^[4]

The beginning of "Make It Easy" has been used as an Intro into "Owner of a Lonely Heart" when played live by Yes from 1984 to 2000. Steve Howe has never performed it; Billy Sherwood played guitar on the intro for the tours to support Open Your Eyes and The Ladder.

In 2003, the early version of this song was released by Trevor Rabin on a collection of demos titled 90124. The track is mistakingly listed as "Cinema Demo 1981". The linear notes reveal the song's real title, "Don't Give In".

References

1. ^ ^{a b} (1991) Album notes for Yesyears by Yes.
2. ^ ^{a b} Whitburn, Joel (February 1, 2003). Joel Whitburn's rock tracks. Record Research Inc. p. 156. ISBN 978-0898201536. http://books.google.com/books?as_isbn=9780898201536. Retrieved October 17, 2010. 
3. ^ "Yes: Billboard singles chart information". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/yes-p5891/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved October 17, 2010. 
4. ^ "Yes: 90125 (Bonus Tracks)". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/90125-bonus-tracks-r680477. Retrieved October 17, 2010.