When the death of John Bonham brought a sudden end to Led Zeppelin in 1980, the surviving members found themselves in disarray with no clear future ahead. For very different reasons two members of Yes were in the same position. That’s how the tantalising supergroup XYZ – ex Yes & Zep – came together. In 2012 late bassist Chris Squire told Prog how the project began, and why it went almost nowhere.
In late 1980 Yes were in disarray, after Buggles duo Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn had replaced Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson for the Drama album and tour. As the band fragmented, with Downes and guitarist Steve Howe forming Asia, the longstanding Yes rhythm section of Chris Squire and Alan White remained joined at the hip.
