90125

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90125
90125album.jpg
Studio album by Yes
Released 7 November 1983 (1983-11-07)
Recorded Spring/Summer 1983
Studio SARM Studios and AIR Studios
(London, England)
Genre Progressive rock, dance-rock, pop rock
Length 44:49
Label Atco
Producer
Yes chronology
Drama
(1980)Drama1980		 90125
(1983)		 9012Live: The Solos
(1985)9012Live: The Solos1985
Singles from 90125
  1. "Owner of a Lonely Heart"
    Released: October 1983
  2. "Leave It"
    Released: February 1984
  3. "It Can Happen"
    Released: June 1984
  4. "Hold On"
    Released: November 1985

90125 is the eleventh studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 7 November 1983 on Atco Records. Following the group's disbanding in 1981, Chris Squire and Alan White formed Cinema with Trevor Rabin and former Yes member Tony Kaye. During the mixing stage of their new album Jon Anderson was invited to sing lead vocals, resulting in Cinema becoming the sixth line-up of Yes that lasted until 1988.

Named after its Atco catalogue number, 90125 remains Yes' most commercially successful album. It reached No. 5 in the U.S. where it sold over 3 million copies, and No. 16 in the UK. Four singles were released from 90125—"Owner of a Lonely Heart", "It Can Happen", "Changes", and "Leave It"; "Owner of a Lonely Heart" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. In 1985, "Cinema" won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance and 90125 received a nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Yes toured the album from 1984–85 and spawned the concert film 9012Live and the live album 9012Live: The Solos. A collection of Rabin's early demos of some of the songs were released in 2003 as 90124. The album was remastered in 2004 with bonus tracks.

Background

This new incarnation of Yes came about by happenstance rather than design. In 1980, members Jon Anderson (vocalist) and Rick Wakeman (keyboardist) had left the band, replaced by Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes respectively. The new line-up was short-lived: after a single album (Drama) and tour, they disbanded in March 1981. Bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White continued to work together (including a stint on the aborted XYZ project with Jimmy Page) and released a Christmas-themed single Run with the Fox as a duo in 1981.

At the same time guitarist and singer Trevor Rabin, formerly of the popular South African band Rabbitt and more recently a less successful solo artist, was looking for a band project to join (having previously been proposed for a 1980 quartet with Rick Wakeman, John Wetton and Carl Palmer and a proposed trio with Keith Emerson and Jack Bruce. Rabin had also tried out for Asia, alongside Wetton, Palmer and former Yes members Steve Howe and Geoff Downes, but gave up on the band, feeling that a two-guitar partnership with Howe wouldn't work.

Having been put in touch with Squire and White, Rabin began working with them in early 1982. The trio decided that they needed a keyboard player to fill out their sound. Squire suggested inviting original Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye, whose sparse style he felt would suit the new band's direction.

Naming themselves "Cinema", the band began recording their debut album in November 1982. Trevor Horn was approached as a potential lead vocalist for the project, and sang on early versions of some tracks, but ultimately chose to take the role of album producer instead, with Rabin and Squire alternating lead vocals. Most of Cinema's material was drawn from songs Rabin had written for a shelved solo album, although Squire and White had brought along some of the abandoned XYZ material and an early version of "It Can Happen". The band rewrote their existing material together, with additional advice coming from Horn, who himself made a substantial contribution to the vocal showcase "Leave It".

By early 1983 the initial version of the album was complete, although by this time Cinema were suffering from personnel issues. Kaye had fallen out with the strong-willed Horn and been edged out of the band, resulting in much of the album's keyboard work being played by Rabin. Record company feedback had also suggested that neither Squire nor Rabin were perceived as being strong or distinctive lead vocalists. This led to a meeting between Squire and Jon Anderson in April 1983. Having been played some of Cinema's recordings (notably "Leave It" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart"), Anderson was impressed by the band's work and agreed to join the band as lead singer. Effectively brought in at the last minute, Anderson also rewrote lyrics and made final alterations to songs, including "Owner of a Lonely Heart".

Anderson's involvement meant that Cinema now featured three former Yes members plus another former member as producer. Having signed the new band, Atlantic Records' Phil Carson suggested that they readopt the Yes name (an "old brand" which "worked so well.") Rabin was dubious at first (not wanting to be perceived as Steve Howe's replacement and not wanting the new group to suffer under the expectations attached to the old one) but was persuaded to go along with the idea. As the band started preparing for a tour to support the forthcoming album, Eddie Jobson was recruited as keyboard player and appeared in the video for "Owner of a Lonely Heart". However, seeking to consolidate the band's legal identity as Yes, Chris Squire came to an agreement with Tony Kaye and the latter rejoined the band. Unimpressed with the manoeuvring and not interested in sharing keyboard duties, Jobson left the band. Kaye's familiarity with both the new and classic Yes material would contribute greatly to the success of the act when playing live.

Sleeve design

The album's logo was designed and created by Garry Mouat at Assorted Images on an Apple IIe computer, and a variant would be used on Yes's next studio album Big Generator as well. Trevor Rabin's 2003 album 90124 used the same cover design with colour and text variations.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 4.5/5 stars[1]
Pitchfork Media (7.8/10)[2]
Rolling Stone 3/5 stars[3]

90125 was released on 7 November 1983 and reached No. 5 in the U.S., where it sold over 3 million copies, and No. 16 in the UK.

Four singles were released from 90125; "Owner of a Lonely Heart", released a month prior to the album. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. In 1984, "It Can Happen", "Changes", and "Leave It" reached the top ten on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks.

In 1985, "Cinema" won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance and 90125 received a nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Reissues

  • 1984 – Atco – CD
  • 2004 – Rhino – CD (Remastered with bonus tracks)
  • 2009 – Audio Fidelity 24 Karat Gold CD (Remastered by Steve Hoffman)

Track listing

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Owner of a Lonely Heart"   Trevor Rabin, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Trevor Horn 4:29
2. "Hold On"   Anderson, Rabin, Squire 5:16
3. "It Can Happen"   Squire, Anderson, Rabin 5:29
4. "Changes"   Rabin, Anderson, Alan White 6:20
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Cinema"   Squire, Rabin, White, Tony Kaye 2:08
2. "Leave It"   Squire, Rabin, Horn 4:14
3. "Our Song"   Anderson, Squire, Rabin, White, Kaye 4:18
4. "City of Love"   Rabin, Anderson 4:51
5. "Hearts"   Anderson, Squire, Rabin, White, Kaye 7:39

Personnel

Yes

Additional musicians

Production

  • Trevor Horn – production
  • Yes – production on "Hold On"
  • Gary Langan – engineer
  • Julian Mendelson – additional engineer
  • Stuart Bruce – additional engineer
  • Keith Finney – assistant engineer
  • Jonathan Jeczalik – keyboard programming
  • Dave Lawson – keyboard programming
  • Tony Dimitriades – management
  • Elliot Roberts – management
  • Gary Mouat – sleeve production

Singles

Singles – Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1983 "Our Song" Mainstream Rock Tracks 32
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" Hot Dance Music/Club Play 3
Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
The Billboard Hot 100 1
1984 "It Can Happen" The Billboard Hot 100 51
Mainstream Rock Tracks 5
"Leave It" The Billboard Hot 100 24
Mainstream Rock Tracks 3
"Changes" Mainstream Rock tracks 6
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 69
"Hold On" Mainstream Rock Tracks 43
1985 Mainstream Rock Tracks 27

Sales certifications

  • Canada: 2× Platinum[7]
  • Germany: Platinum[8]
  • UK: Gold[9]
  • US: 3× Platinum[10]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  4. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=2698agB4B1cC&pg=PT40&lpg=PT40&dq=alan+white+fairlight&source=bl&ots=paiUIXDy69&sig=YrgATxNnByKwOQhgmhmkop8CzIA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBWoVChMIs8Kq7Z-HyAIVSZ2ACh3sOQJe#v=onepage&q=alan%20white%20fairlight&f=false
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ http://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/#!/gp_search=90125
  8. ↑ http://www.musikindustrie.de/no_cache/gold_platin_datenbank/#topSearch
  9. ↑ http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards.aspx
  10. ↑ http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database
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