Many Yes fans gave their grudging approval to 1980’s highly consistent Drama, even though the introduction to the lineup of Buggles hitmakers Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes caused consternation in such a tribalistic era.
"Obviously when we first joined Yes there was a huge outcry from the diehard Yes fans," Downes told us. "The idea of a couple of interlopers from the pop world suddenly stepping into this revered band. But in hindsight, both myself and Trevor were musicians, not pop guys. We were very much into Yes and progressive music. It’s just that our opportunity came to make pop music and we took it."
"It was full of dramas, engineer Hugh Padgam said. "There was so much tension around. I’d done a Buggles session, and it was Trevor Horn who roped me into the Yes camp to help out. Eddy Offord [who produced the album with the band] was mad, but a genius. I got on well with Steve Howe and Alan White. But it was not easy!"
It wasn’t. By the following year Yes had cracked and splintered. Geoff Downes and Steve Howe became founding members of Asia and enjoyed huge success in their own right. Vocalist Trevor Horn was on an upward trajectory as a producer. And that left bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White trying to figure out what do do next. They succeeded – and how! – but that’s another story.
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