WCSX Classic Cuts
Yes: “Leave It”
The Hook: The track was already totally produced when Jon Anderson came in to sing on it.
Album: 90125
Year: 1983
Writer: Trevor Rabin, Chris Squire and Trevor Horn
Stats: Peaked at number-24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-three on their Top Album Rock Tracks chart.
Background: Singer Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes, once known as The Buggles, joined Yes in 1980 and immediately changed the group’s sound and the way they worked. By 1982, original singer Jon Anderson was ready to return to the fold, so Horn became their producer. Downes left, to be replaced by their original keyboardist, Tony Kaye, and guitarist Trevor Rabin replaced Steve Howe. Anderson recalls that things were still very different from the way they’d been in the past when they started recording songs like “Leave It” for their next album, 90125.
Yes singer Jon Anderson on the different way he interacted with the other members on songs like “Leave It” from the 90215 album. OC:…as well. :22
“‘Leave It’ was already produced, I just sang on it. It was great to do on stage, ‘cause we could use tapes, sounds and things to make it sound really good. Definitely a new way of looking at working with a group — it worked the first time, it didn’t work as well on Big Generator, even though we tried it that way, where the band went in to do all the backing tracks and then I came later. It just didn’t work as well.”
