Perpetual Change - Thirty Years of Yes

Interview with David Watkinson

C:\Web Sites\Yesbook\interview.htm

In this interview David talks about his love of Yes and how the idea of the book came about...

Q: WHEN DID YOU FIRST GET INTO YES?

A: Well it was in 1975 when my big brother borrowed 'Tales' and at the time I was listening to anything that he got hold of. The first band I ever heard was Cream and then it was Deep Purple, those bands do have that something special about them. When I heard "The Revealing Science of God" for the first time I was knocked out. I couldn't believe the sounds of everything and the artwork I loved.

Q: THAT WAS YOUR FIRST ALBUM THEN?

A: Yes, then I followed it by Yessongs. I thought that if I like a triple album's worth of Yes then they have to be the band for me.

Q: WHEN DID YOU FIRST SEE YES?

A: I remember staying up on a special late night to catch them on The Old Grey Whistle Test, seeing them live at the QPR stadium. I was completely gobsmacked by the show. Unfortunately I was too young at the time to go to any gigs.

Q: SO, THE FIRST LIVE GIG WAS WHEN?

A: 1977, The Going for the One shows. I travelled to Stafford Bingley Hall in the middle of the country with my brother. Wonderful shows, wonderful. The album was a real Yes classic. I can still remember seeing Chris Squire driving down the road in his big Bentley outside the arena.

Q: DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE BETWEEN THE 70's AND 80's YES

A: No, you know to me all of Yes's albums are important, all of them are valid and without one stage in their career Yes wouldn't be here today. I am so pleased that they are still actively producing albums and touring, and doing it so well!

Q: HOW DID THE BOOK COME ABOUT?

A: This has been an idea, a dream of mine for years. As an admirer of Yes I collected all the things to do with the band. I had this large collection of stuff that I thought that I should share with all the other fans. I know that I kicked myself for not seeing the band in 1973 with the Topographic Oceans tour or the Relayer tour and there are many fans who have only recently got into the band who have never even seen the band in the eighties. I thought there should be a book about the band that they could dip into and look back at the pictures and see the memorabilia they had never seen before. I want this to be a document to the history of Yes. I hope the band and the fans enjoy picking it up and reminiscing about the times they saw Yes.

Q: SO WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED WITH BEFORE THIS BOOK PROJECT?

I have contributed to the Yes fan magazine scene since the very first ones way back in 1980. I have written this and that and contributed photos and memorabilia. The Yes video Yesyears has some of my material on it and last year I did some work on the official Yes book by Chris Welch who I have to say is a really nice bloke. He came to see Fragile you know and had a really good time.

Q: I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE DONE A FEATURE FOR THE RECORD COLLECTOR MAGAZINE?

Yes that was done a long time ago, late last year. It's taken a long time to come out and I would have liked it to have been at the time of the UK tour but I don't mind as long as the fans like it and get something out of it.

Q: WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

Well the main thrust of it is a tour programme and price guide. I thought this would be interesting to do as a historical piece and for the fans who have never seen them before. The article will include an interview with Jon Anderson , a discography and several other bits are in there as well. It should be about six pages long.

Q: ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING ELSE ON YES?

I am really concentrating on this book for the moment and for the foreseeable future. I want to make sure that we have it out this year while the band are very active and positive and everything is going so well. I have contributed to another Yes project and that may see the light over the next few months.