90125
Yes's 1983 comeback album, their best-selling release.
90125 is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 7 November 1983 by Atco Records. It was named after its catalogue number and became the band's best-selling album, reaching No. 5 on the US Billboard 200. The single "Owner of a Lonely Heart" became Yes's only song to top the US Billboard Hot 100.
Quick Facts
- Released
- 7 November 1983
- Recorded
- November 1982 – May 1983
- Studio
- SARM and AIR Studios (London, England)
- Length
- 44:34
- Label
- Atco
- Producer
- Trevor Horn; Yes
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Owner of a Lonely Heart | Trevor Rabin, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Trevor Horn | 4:27 |
| 2 | Hold On | Rabin, Anderson, Squire | 5:15 |
| 3 | It Can Happen | Squire, Anderson, Rabin | 5:29 |
| 4 | Changes | Rabin, Anderson, Alan White | 6:16 |
| Total length | 21:37 | ||
Side two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Cinema | Squire, Rabin, White, Tony Kaye | 2:09 |
| 6 | Leave It | Squire, Rabin, Horn | 4:10 |
| 7 | Our Song | Anderson, Squire, Rabin, White, Kaye | 4:16 |
| 8 | City of Love | Rabin, Anderson | 4:48 |
| 9 | Hearts | Anderson, Squire, Rabin, White, Kaye | 7:34 |
| Total length | 22:57 | ||
Track listing from the source article.
Background
After the 1980 tour for Drama, Yes disbanded in early 1981. Bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White continued writing together, releasing the 1981 Christmas single "Run with the Fox". Later that year they rehearsed with Jimmy Page for a project called XYZ, which was shelved due to management differences and singer Robert Plant's dislike of the material; some ideas from those sessions later appeared on 90125. In 1982, South African guitarist Trevor Rabin moved to London and sent demo tapes to record labels for a fourth solo album. Atlantic Records manager Phil Carson, a longtime Yes associate, was introduced to Rabin by producer Mutt Lange and arranged for Rabin to play with Squire and White in London. Rabin turned down a solo deal from RCA Records to work in a group context. The three rehearsed using Rabin's demos, including "Owner of a Lonely Heart", "Hold On", and "Changes", which pointed toward a more commercial, pop-oriented direction. Squire recruited original Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye, who had left in 1971, feeling his simpler style suited the music. Trevor Horn was considered as lead singer but after unsuccessful rehearsals became the producer. The four named themselves Cinema to establish a new identity separate from Yes.
Production
Recording began in November 1982 at SARM Studios in London under the name Cinema, with Trevor Horn producing; "Hold On" was produced by Horn and Yes. Gary Langan and Julian Mendelsohn assisted production, with Stuart Bruce and Keith Finney also working on the album. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" came from Rabin's demos; its bass line and hook were written while he was in the bathroom. Squire replaced Rabin's original bridge. The song samples the horn section of "Kool Is Back" by Funk, Inc., which Horn stored on his Fairlight CMI and White played. Rabin used the same guitar tone he had used on a session for Manfred Mann's Earth Band, panning two guitar tracks left and right for a heavy sound. "Hold On" was originally titled "Moving In" and combined two Rabin songs of the same tempo, keeping the chorus from "Hold On" and verses from "Moving In". "It Can Happen" was written on piano by Squire, with Rabin adding the introduction. "Changes" came from Rabin's demos, developed during a depressed time after a potential solo deal with Geffen Records fell through; White put together its introduction. "Cinema" is an instrumental recorded live at AIR Studios, originally the two-minute opening of an unreleased 20-minute song called "Time". "Leave It" grew from a Squire bass line and Rabin melody; recording difficulties led to vocals being recorded first, then re-done onto a Synclavier over several weeks.
Release
90125 came out on November 7, 1983, climbing to number five in the US and number sixteen in the UK. The single "Owner of a Lonely Heart" dropped a month before the album and spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. Three more singles—"Changes," "Leave It," and "It Can Happen"—hit the top ten on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1984. The track "Cinema" won a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1985, and the album itself got a nod for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. One reviewer called 90125 a "missing link" between The Yes Album and Fragile, praising the dreamy keyboard work and Rabin's gutsy guitar, while comparing "Cinema" to a Jeff Beck tune. Another critic noted Rabin's big role but thought the album lacked the old inspiration due to less input from Jon Anderson, singling out "Hearts" as a throwback to 1970s Yes. A third review credited producer Trevor Horn for the band's reinvention and found the record accessible, even if some tracks felt overblown.
Tour
Yes promoted the album with a worldwide tour from 28 February 1984 to 9 February 1985, covering over 110 dates. The planned North American leg in January 1984 was cancelled after Rabin ruptured his spleen in a swimming pool collision and required surgery. American new wave band Berlin were scheduled as opening act but were dropped due to a contract dispute; instead, the band opened shows with two Bugs Bunny cartoons. In Dortmund on 24 June, the group performed "I'm Down" with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. In 1985, Yes headlined two shows at the inaugural Rock in Rio festival, followed by two sold-out dates in Buenos Aires, Argentina—the first performance by an English band in the country after the Falklands War. The band was escorted by a private air force jet and surrounded by militia; they had a conference call with the president before arrival, who assured their safety despite reported death threats.
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