Fact #171362
When:
Short story:
Yes make a significant early appearance at Blaises Club, London, England, UK, Europe.Full article:
Roy Flynn (manager, Blaises) : Sly and the Family Stone were due to appear at 11.30pm. Then the record company rang me at 11pm to say, 'Sorry, Sly's not coming - he's out to lunch.' I thought, 'Now what?' I walked towards the double doors seeking inspiration - and the first person I saw was (head of Charisma Records">Charisma Records) Tony Stratton Smith.
I said, 'Tony, where the hell can I get a band from at this time of night? He said there was a band he'd seen at The Marquee who lived nearby.
Peter Banks (Yes) : Everyone was living in Drayton Gardens in Fulham but I was still living at my parents place in Barnet.
Roy Flynn : I went down to this scruffy flat and met Jon and Chris (of Yes).
Peter Banks : Jon phoned me up and said, 'Come on, we've got a gig tonight.' This was about 11pm. So we all rushed down to play at Blaises. There were lots of famous people there, all waiting for Sly and the Family Stone. Instead they got Yes.
Roy Flynn : They went on stage at 1am. I was totally knocked out and it was like one of those Hollywood movies as I heard myself saying I wanted to manage them.
Peter Banks : We went down very well. Keith Emerson was there. and so was Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton … a lot of faces.
Jon Anderson : It was a surprise, and it was good because most of the people who were there had never seen me perform. It was quite a nice feeling, to smile down at your associates as if to say, 'Here I am doing my thing. Bet you didn't know I could sing.'
Bill Bruford (Yes) : It seemed to go well, But I Don't really think there were a lot of people in the club that night … It wasn't Standing Room Only. It was a rotten, boring night at Blaise's. As usual.
Roy Flynn : Normally, I never went on stage to announce the bands but, after they had played, I found myself willed to go on the stage. I said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. Tonight could have been a disaster. On the contrary, it has been magnificent.'
Peter Banks : Roy immediately said, 'I'd like to manage you,' and we said, 'Yeah.' It was as simple as that.
Roy Flynn : In a blinding flash, their music had got through to me. It’s very odd. By nature I’m very cautious and I had never, ever, thought of managing a band in my life. And yet I was the very next day buying them a Hammond organ, a red van and a new drum kit. I even found them a place to live. I sunk every penny I had into the band. Without me they would have broken up. (Source : interview with Chris Welch)
But their music was so exciting. I’d never heard anything like it and I wanted to help them. Because of my running The Speakeasy I had got to know every agent, every manager, absolutely everybody in the music business. So I was in a key position to help this young band.
(Source : interview with Chris Welch)
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I said, 'Tony, where the hell can I get a band from at this time of night? He said there was a band he'd seen at The Marquee who lived nearby.
Peter Banks (Yes) : Everyone was living in Drayton Gardens in Fulham but I was still living at my parents place in Barnet.
Roy Flynn : I went down to this scruffy flat and met Jon and Chris (of Yes).
Peter Banks : Jon phoned me up and said, 'Come on, we've got a gig tonight.' This was about 11pm. So we all rushed down to play at Blaises. There were lots of famous people there, all waiting for Sly and the Family Stone. Instead they got Yes.
Roy Flynn : They went on stage at 1am. I was totally knocked out and it was like one of those Hollywood movies as I heard myself saying I wanted to manage them.
Peter Banks : We went down very well. Keith Emerson was there. and so was Pete Townshend and Eric Clapton … a lot of faces.
Jon Anderson : It was a surprise, and it was good because most of the people who were there had never seen me perform. It was quite a nice feeling, to smile down at your associates as if to say, 'Here I am doing my thing. Bet you didn't know I could sing.'
Bill Bruford (Yes) : It seemed to go well, But I Don't really think there were a lot of people in the club that night … It wasn't Standing Room Only. It was a rotten, boring night at Blaise's. As usual.
Roy Flynn : Normally, I never went on stage to announce the bands but, after they had played, I found myself willed to go on the stage. I said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. Tonight could have been a disaster. On the contrary, it has been magnificent.'
Peter Banks : Roy immediately said, 'I'd like to manage you,' and we said, 'Yeah.' It was as simple as that.
Roy Flynn : In a blinding flash, their music had got through to me. It’s very odd. By nature I’m very cautious and I had never, ever, thought of managing a band in my life. And yet I was the very next day buying them a Hammond organ, a red van and a new drum kit. I even found them a place to live. I sunk every penny I had into the band. Without me they would have broken up. (Source : interview with Chris Welch)
But their music was so exciting. I’d never heard anything like it and I wanted to help them. Because of my running The Speakeasy I had got to know every agent, every manager, absolutely everybody in the music business. So I was in a key position to help this young band.
(Source : interview with Chris Welch)