------------------------------------------------------- MAY 18, 1979 ------------------------------------------------------- Source: Original Source Unknown: Archived by Paul Adams http://groups.msn.com/pauladams1/rickssecondmiscellanypage4.msnw Wakeman on Saying No and Yes to Yes and Watch It to the critics By Rick Wakeman If you'd caught me on the dear old day of 18th May 1974, which was the day I left Yes.... I can remember the days I joined and left each band. I joined the Strawbs on 28th March 1970 and left on 29th July 1971. I joined Yes on 1st August 1971 and, as I said, I left them in May 1974... I would say that Yes was an argumentative band, still is and always will be. The band became split on musical directions. We'd drawn from many sources, but always brought them into Yes music. Suddenly, all the lads, four to one against me, wanted to go into an avant garde area. I didn't want to go there. I said, "Let's bring it back into what we can do properly", but the vote was against me. We started to do "Tales From Topographic Oceans". I couldn't get into it, but I finished it, did the tour we were committed to and left at the end. After that, I think Yes tried to make themselves very inaccessible. I tried to make myself very accessible with "No Earthly Connection" and we both blew it. But the knowledge of that enabled us to get together again. I went over to do a session for them three years ago when Patrick Moraz was leaving and they played me a couple of demos. That's when I realised that we'd taken two different routes to get to the same place, so we carried on as if nothing had happened. It gave me a new lease of life because I'd had a long period of being knocked and people always say it has no effect, but I've learnt a lot from reviews and critics. But what I do think is important, if it's possible, is for a concert reviewer to spend the whole day at a gig with the band and really see what's gone into it. I've often worked all day on stage and everyone seems to think you roll up ten minutes before in a limo. I remember one night in the States, the voltage regulators blew up on every piece of my equipment and I worked for 16 hours to fix it, just before the "off". I did the gig in the clothes I'd been wearing all day and night and one reviewer just wrote "Rick Wakeman looked very tired". Naturally, the technical problems are complicated by the number of instruments I play. When everyone was using one organ I thought, "Sod it, I'll have five up there". I remember Melody Maker writing years ago, "He's taking a great chance putting five keyboards on stage" but if there's one thing I'm pleased about, it's that you can walk into any gig now and the old keyboard player is surrounded by keyboards. At least I've done that. Wakeman on girding up his loins and the dangerous age of 30 The reason why I've tightened up is because I've suddenly started taking this business a damn sight more seriously than I did and you've got to keep yourself pretty fit, I'm 30 this year, I've had a minor heart attack, a collapsed liver, but I dont want to go out in a wooden box. I enjoy the business too much. I've lost two stone and I have an occasional glass of wine or beer now, that's all. Don't laugh, I even belong to a fitness club in Switzerland. I was gonna quit three years ago. I thought, "I've had a good run, I'll knock it on the head rather than fade into oblivion". Then someone came up to me and said, "I think you're playing better than ever". That was the turning point. Everybody has an ego and you have to feel you can do something better than anyone else. I believe the best is yet to come and I love what I'm doing. You know when a boxer gets punch-drunk? Well I get stage-drunk. I've never taken drugs in my life, not even a joint, but the biggest drug I've ever had is this bloody industry. If you took it away from me, I'd have worse withdrawal symptoms that the most persistant heroin addict. Wakeman on Saying No and Yes Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, inquiries, corrections, or additions, contact yitp@yesservices.com