XYZ (band)

XYZ was the proposed name for an abortive 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). Page believed the band needed a strong vocalist and sought out former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant — Plant did attend one XYZ rehearsal in 1981 but decided not to join the group, citing his dislike for the complexity of the music. [ [http://www.led-zeppelin.org/reference/index.php?m=int34 Led Zeppelin :: Achilles Last Stand ] ] Without a firm commitment from Plant, and contractual issues on who should manage the supergroup (Peter Grant or Brian Lane), [Welch, Chris (2003). Close to the Edge: The Story of Yes, Revised Edition. London: Omnibus Press, p. 202. ISBN 0-7119-0509-5] the project was shelved shortly thereafter.

Since the mid 1990s, a number of bootleg tracks have surfaced, originally recorded by XYZ at Chris Squire's home studio at New Pipers, in Virginia Water, Surrey, during April 1981. They are believed to have been sourced from demo tapes stolen from Jimmy Page's house at Cookham, Berkshire, in 1987. These consist of four pieces: two instrumentals (the riff from one of which was used on The Firm's "Fortune Hunter"; the other was later used in a drum piece on Yes's "Union" tour and then incorporated into their 1997 song "Mind Drive"), plus vocal numbers known as "Telephone Secrets" ("a.k.a." "Telephone Spies"; previously attempted by Yes as "Song No. 4 (Satellite)" during the sessions for "Drama" and included on a re-release of that album) [ [http://relayer35.com/Yescography/drama.htm Drama ] ] and "And (Do) You Believe It" (or "Can You See"). This latter track was recorded by Yes in 2001 under the title "Can You Imagine" on "Magnification". It is quite possible other songs were also attempted but nothing else has been released publicly.

With XYZ's future now in limbo, Squire and White recorded a Christmas single called "Run With the Fox", in October 1981 at New Pipers, [ [http://www.nfte.org/Chris.Squire/cs_bio80.html Chris Squire Biography ] ] 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, but the material was abandoned. (Cinema went on to become a reformation of Yes with the addition of singer Jon Anderson, and the recording of the album "90125" in 1983.) [ [http://relayer35.com/Yescography/90125.htm 90125 ] ]

In 1984, Jimmy Page joined Yes on stage, playing "I'm Down" during a concert in their "9012Live" tour at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany. [ [http://www.forgottenyesterdays.com/date.asp?s=5&tname=11&tdate=1616&navb=10 06/24/84 Dortmund DE ] ]

The demo tracks have recently resurfaced on Youtube.

Personnel

* Jimmy Page - Lead guitar
* Chris Squire - Bass guitar, keyboards, vocals
* Alan White - drums

References