Progressive and Classic Rock Mainstays Yes Get "Close to the Edge and Back" at Hard Rock Live on August 1

Tickets on Sale Friday, March 28 at Noon

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -  Progressive and Classic Rock mainstays Yes get "Close to the Edge and Back" with their tour stop at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on August 1 at 8 p.m.  Tickets go on sale Friday, March 28 at noon.

Formed in London in 1968, and despite their many personnel changes, Yes has proven their mettle as one of the most successful progressive rock era stories.  Their complex arrangements, unusual time signatures, virtuoso musicianship, dramatic dynamic and metrical changes and a blend of musical, lyrical and vocal harmonic styles has persevered, internationally, for nearly 40 years.

Lead singer Jon Anderson and bassist/vocalist Chris Squire began developing the beginnings of a sound that incorporated harmonies with a solid-rock backing, rooted in Squire's very precise approach to the bass. They recruited Tony Kaye formerly of the Federals, on keyboards; Peter Banks on guitar, and Bill Bruford on drums, who - coincidentally - had only just joined the blues band Savoy Brown a few weeks earlier. The name Yes was chosen for the band as something short, direct, and memorable.

The group's break came in 1968 playing the Speakeasy Club in London, filling in for an absent Sly & the Family Stone. The group was later selected to open for Cream's farewell concert at Royal Albert Hall. This concert, in turn, led to a residency at London's Marquee Club and their first radio appearance, on John Peel's Top Gear radio show. They subsequently opened for Janis Joplin at her Royal Albert Hall concert in April 1969, and were signed soon after.

Their debut single, and Anderson and Squire's first song, entitled "Sweetness," from their self-titled album, Yes, was released in 1969. By 1970's Time and a Word, Banks had left the lineup, to be replaced by guitarist Steve Howe. By 1971's The Yes Album, the public began to glimpse the group's full potential. with orchestrations such as "Your Move" (which became the group's first U.S. chart entry, at number 40),

"Starship Trooper" (which drew its name from a Robert Heinlein novel, thus reinforcing the group's space rock image), "I've Seen All Good People," "Perpetual Change," and "Yours Is No Disgrace" which also became part of the group's concert sets for years to come.

In 1971, Banks was replaced by Rick Wakeman whose innovative use of an entire bank of upwards of a dozen instruments, including Mellotron, various synthesizers, organ, two or more pianos, and electric harpsichord added a new dimension to the band.

Fragile (1971)  the next release, featured the smash hits "Roundabout," "The South Side of the Sky," "Heart of the Sunrise," and "Long Distance Runaround." It reached #7 in England and #4 in America. Even the album's jacket, designed by artist Roger Dean, featured distinctive, surreal landscape graphics, which evoked images seemingly related to the music inside. These paintings would become part-and-parcel with the audience's impression of Yes' music, and later tours by the group would feature stage sets designed by Dean as an integral part of their shows.

Close to the Edge (1972), consisted of only three long tracks, essentially three sound paintings - "Siberian Khatru," "And You and I"  and the title track. By the time of the record's release, however, Bill Bruford had left the band to join King Crimson, and was replaced by Alan White.

A three-LP (two-CD) set entitled Yessongs (1973) was assembled from the best work of the Close to the Edge - the tour. Yessongs became a model for progressive rock live albums; at over 120 minutes, it included the band's entire stage repertory. The live album reached #7 in England and #12 in the United States.

Tales from Topographic Oceans (1974) that followed had such high expectations that it earned a gold record from its advanced orders. It broke all previous artistic boundaries, consisting of four long tracks each taking up the full side of an LP. Shortly thereafter and at the height of their success, star keyboardist Wakeman left the band to be replaced by Patrick Moraz. Three months later, the group's new album, Relayer, was released, reaching the British #4 spot and the American #5 position and saw Wakeman return to Yes for "Going for the One" in 1977. The long-player topped the British charts for two weeks and reached #8 on the American charts, while the singles "Wonderous Stories" and "Going for the One" rose to #7 and #24, respectively, in the U.K. Tormato, released nearly a year later, featured the single "Don't Kill the Whale," the group's first song with a topical message that made the Top Ten in both England and America in the fall of 1978.

In March of 1980, Yes' lineup collapsed as Wakeman, and then Anderson, walked out after an unsuccessful attempt to start work on a new album. Two months later, Trevor Horn (vocals, guitar) and Geoffrey Downes (keyboards), formerly of the British band the Buggles, joined the Yes lineup of Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White. This configuration recorded a new album, Drama, In January, 1981, Yesshows, a double-live album made up of stage performances dating from 1976 through 1978 was released and reached #22 in England and #43 in America.

Finally, in April of 1981, the breakup of Yes was announced. Geoff Downes formed Asia with Steve Howe, which went on to some considerable, if short-lived, success in the early '80s, and the rest of the band scattered to different projects. For a year-and-a-half, the group seemed a dead issue, until Chris Squire and Alan White announced the formation of a new group called Cinema, with original Yes keyboard player Tony Kaye and South African guitarist Trevor Rabin. This band proved unsatisfactory, and Squire invited Jon Anderson to join. It was just about then that everyone realized that they'd virtually re-formed the core of the Yes lineup, and that they should simply revive the name.

In late 1983, this Yes lineup released an unexpected #1 chart-topping hit, "Owner of a Lonely Heart," from 90125 .The album also was buoyed by the hits "Leave It" and "It Can Happen." Yes was invisible for a time after that until the late 1987 release of Big Generator, and its hit "Rhythm of Love." Union (1991), debuted on the British charts at number seven and reached number 15 in America. This would be the final Yes album with Bill Bruford, and would be the last album with Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman until their return in 1996. Other albums that followed included Talk (1994), Keys to Ascension I & II (1996 & 1997), Open Your Eyes (1997), The Ladder (1999) and Magnification (2001).

This 2008 "Close to the Edge and Back" touring incarnation of Yes will feature band members Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White with Oliver Wakeman (Rick's son) on keyboards.

Tickets cost $125, $100, $75 and $50.*All seats are reserved and available at the Hard Rock Live Box Office, open Monday - Saturday from noon to 7pm and on Sunday - only open on event days at noon. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: Miami-Dade (305) 358-5885, Broward (954) 523-3309, and Palm Beach (561) 966-3309. Doors open one-hour prior to show start time. *Additional fees may apply.

About Hard Rock Live

Hard Rock Live, a spectacular state-of-the-art facility has quickly emerged as the entertainment capital of South Florida. Attracting music, comedy and sports fans, this 5,500-seat indoor arena further expands the ultimate entertainment experience at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. For more information please visit http://www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com/.  

About Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is South Florida's leading entertainment destination featuring Vegas-style slots on a 145,000-square-foot casino with 50 live action poker tables and more than 2,500 of the most popular machines. Property enhancements include a high-limit gaming room offering a cashier booth, check cashing services, ATMs, and safety deposit boxes, the VIP Plum Lounge, an exclusive area for loyal Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Players Club card members, Chef's Table celebrity show kitchen, and non-smoking gaming room with ATM and redemption machines and its own Players Club Booth. This Four-Diamond, AAA rated, 500-room hotel offers 17 restaurants and lounges, 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting room space, a full-service, European-style spa, environmentally friendly hand car wash and auto detail salon, and 22 retail shops and 11 nightclubs in Seminole Paradise. Entertainment aficionados can enjoy national and international musical acts, comedic performances, and more in Hard Rock Live--a state-of-the art and acoustically-sound arena located on property. Lucky Street parking garage offers guests an additional 2,300 spaces for parking. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is located on State Road 7 (U.S. 441) exit Stirling and travel west (1 Seminole Way) in Hollywood, Florida. For more information, call (954) 327-ROCK, 1-800-937-0010 or visit us online at http://www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com/.       

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