In conversation with Paul K Joyce about his contributions to the new Yes album, Aurora - 718
Release Date: 04/24/2026
Record Collector Presents Yes - 735
Yes Music Podcast
This week Mark and I discuss the latest special edition of Record Collector magazine which is dedicated to the world's greatest progressive rock band. I was surprised and pleased to be asked to contribute some articles to the publication and the publisher came back and asked for more so I assume they liked what I had done. I ended up writing 4 pieces: An article on Close to the Edge A profile of Jon Davison A roundup of the most interesting extra tracks on remastered and expanded albums An overview of Yes members' side projects This is the first time I have been published in a...
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A conversation with Chris Clark from Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks - 734
Yes Music Podcast
Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Jeffrey Crecelius, and Doug Curran This week, Mark and I spoke to Chris Clark, thanks to YMP Patron, Mark Lang who put us in touch with him. We asked Chris about his experiences working with Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks live and in the studio. Now a veteran of approaching 100 concerts with the Yes co-founder, we were keen to know what it’s been like, how it came about, how the first album, True, was born and what the future might hold for the collaboration. If you listen carefully, I think you might be able to pick up some tantalising clues as to...
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Roosevelt 1976 Live - 733
Yes Music Podcast
Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Jeffrey Crecelius, and Doug Curran This week, Mark and I have been taking a somewhat forensic look at the newly-released Roosevelt Stadium Jersey City 17 June 1976 live set. We go rather deeply into the weeds around the quality, sources, presentation and packaging, all for your edification. Mark uncovers some surprising aspects of the (rather expensive) vinyl version of this release and we both enjoy the actual performances of the band which featured Patrick Moraz rather than Rick Wakeman at this time, during the Solo Albums Tour. What does this...
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Prog at the Proms or Yes Symphonic? - 732
Yes Music Podcast
This week, Mark and I were unable to get together so we both recorded separately, like we used to do years ago. Here we have 'retro' or 'classic' YMP I suppose. Anyway, we both enjoyed listening to/watching 2 different versions of And You And I - one from the brilliant Symphonic Live DVD and the other from the BBC Prog Prom event last week. I have embedded both versions into the show notes for this week so do watch those and see what you think of our reactions. Which version is 'better'? Is it fair to compare them? What was the rest of the concert like?
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Who did a better Yes Medley? - 731
Yes Music Podcast
Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Doug Curran and Jeffrey Crecelius This week Mark and I listened to 2 medleys - the Big Medley from the The Word Is Live box set, recorded on 5th October 1978 at The Forum, Inglewood and a recording of Jon Anderson and The New Life Band playing their Yes medley in 1980 at The Royal Albert Hall from a BBC recording broadcast the same year. It was a very entertaining process and, as you’ll hear, Mark has a particularly interesting reaction to the rather different style of the New Life Band’s interpretations, on a tour that Jon Anderson...
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Olias of Sunhillow 50th Anniversary with Dave Watkinson - 730
Yes Music Podcast
Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Doug Curran and Jeffrey Crecelius It’s the 50th Anniversary of Jon Anderson’s masterpiece, Olias of Sunhillow this month, so it was highly appropriate that we spoke to the album’s biggest fan, David Watkinson, this week. Dave helps us plot the musical development of Yes’ co-founder to the point at which he felt able to create his first solo album - entirely on his own. We also discuss the amazing packaging and the album’s influence on Anderson and Yes. Do watch Dave’s interview with artist, Jeff Cummins, which is embedded into the show notes...
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YesKit Part 5 - Tony Kaye's Vox Continental - 729
Yes Music Podcast
Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Doug Curran and Jeffrey Crecelius This week, we return to our occasional series on YesKit, this time featuring the instrument Tony Kaye used, briefly, in 1968 before he upgraded to a Hammond M100. It was the 1960s iconic keyboard, the British-made Vox Continental. The story of this revolutionary instrument is fascinating and we are indebted to the undisputed expert in the field, Chris Dale, for a great overview I read out at the end of the episode. It was huge fun to both research and then chat about the Vox Continental and I’m sure you will enjoy...
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The Roundhouse(s) story - 728
Yes Music Podcast
Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Doug Curran and Jeffrey Crecelius This week, I have been researching one of the sets of photos that will be in the Barry Plummer book - Master of Images. It was labelled 'Roundhouse' but, as you will hear, that wasn't as straightforward a venue as I thought it was going to be. Once I get it all sorted out, I was delighted to discover that there is a crowd recording of the concert available over at: After I told the story about what I found out, Mark and I compared notes on this early outing for songs from The Yes Album. It's a fascinating concert...
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Our Aurora review - 727
Yes Music Podcast
Produced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius It's time to post our full review of the latest Yes album, Aurora. Mark and I spoke - quite a lot - about the record and our reactions to it. As you will hear, we both like it a lot and we go into depth about why. There are a couple of aspects I'm not so keen on and there is even a [Shock! Horror!] minor disagreement between your two favourite podcast co-hosts! However, we agree that Aurora has some wonderful features and it's a hugely enjoyable record. What are the best features of this new album? Does it feel like a...
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R.I.P. Roy Flynn and Aurora physical copies - 726
Yes Music Podcast
It’s been a week of huge contrasts. Aurora was released and Mark and I chat about the physical copies later in the episode but I also had the news from CLive Ayer that Yes’ first manager, Roy Flynn died this week. Clive kindly agreed to come and share his recollections of Roy but before that, here are two tributes, the first from Yes’ current management team and the second from Dave Watkinson: All of us at QEDG are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Roy Flynn, Yes’s very first manager, there at the beginning, “beyond and before,” when everything was still forming, still...
info_outlineProduced by Joseph Cottrell, Wayne Hall, Ken Fuller and Jeffrey Crecelius
This week we spoke to Paul K Joyce who has contributed orchestrations to the new Yes album, Aurora. This is the third Yes album he has been involved with after helping the band create the wonderful aural landscapes of The Quest and Mirror to the Sky. He tells us about how the decisions came about, how many of the songs on Aurora feature orchestra and how the Czech National Symphony Orchestra went about recording the tracks, with him in the recording booth. As always, it was a fascinating conversation with someone who is both intimately connected with the newest Yes music and is also a huge Yes fan himself.
There is also time for Mark to give us some great feedback on the Record Store Day release of Tales From Topographic Tours.
- How many songs on the forthcoming album have orchestral augmentation?
- Who made the decisions on what to put where?
- What was it like working with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra?