Chris Squire of Yes - Meeting Jimi Hendrix
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- Опубліковано 19 лип 2009
- Chris Squire of Yes talks about meeting Jimi Hendrix, how an accidental billing allowed him to play in front of some of the biggest names in music. Part of the EMP|SFM Oral History Live! series, Yes was interviewed live in JBL Theater by EMP|SFM Curator Jacob McMurray. www.empsfm.org/oralhistory
As a lifelong Jimi fan... This is the greatest Hendrix anecdote ever. RIP Chris and so glad you shared this with us
Have you heard this great anecdote about Hendrix from The Isley Brothers who Jimi played guitar for? ua-cam.com/video/XvATqTKI3Uc/v-deo.html
What a reward from a random click. That was an awesome story. RIP
I have mixed feelings, my friend. Great story and as a 13 year old Londoner then I just missed out on The Marquee years but I did not know Chris died in 2015...:(
Felt exactly the same way
Felt exactly the same way
I realised he was Close To The Edge but I did not realise he had died.
The fragility of life..@ @@lifelong5425
totally i did the ohhh i wonder what that is n the reward is ace :)
Thirty years ago I was a comic/doorman at the Comedy Store in LA, and became friends with Sam Kinison, who was good friends with Chris Squire. Chris had a very cool home atop Mullholland Dr and we used to all party there or at Sam's all the time! Into the wee hours of the next day or two with never a lull, or boring moment. In fact, I heard this very Hendrix story (and many, many others) from Chris directly and nearly verbatim, with Sam coming back with equally cool stories of stars he'd encountered in his career. Many times we were joined by John Entwhistle, Lemmy Kilmister, (Jesus, they're all gone now!) and/or any famous rocker or comic left at the Rainbow when we exited at 2:30-3:00 30 minutes to an hour after closing. The amazing thing was, as great as Chris was, and a legendary musician, he, John, Lemmy, all of them happily deferred to Sam as the de facto "leader," and I was happy just to be included. Chris was a fun-loving guy and gracious host who loved to laugh. And as great as his Hendrix story was he had dozens of equally cool stories about the Beatles, Stones, and Zeppelin, and in none of these stories was Chris the star of, just a self-deprecating observer with a real comic's flair for storytelling. God Bless him and life goes on without us all but it's a lot less interesting life without the possibility of Chris (and Sam) coming in the room and setting it ablaze with fun! RIP.
wow . can you write these stories down as you remember them and put them out there in the world as you know them. MANY THANKS
Beautiful
If your memory is good, you ought to write a book. I'd read it.
How could anyone give this a thumbs down? Funny, interesting, intelligent, insightful, affable and witty - What more do you guys want?
I agree! Whats there to not like bout a candid snapshot of history that includes two of Rocks royalty. But haters are gonna hate!
Probably from Stoke on Trent...
Discontent people find it hard to like anything. I agree, very cool to watch and insight into behind the scenes we'd never know.
I am always wondering why some people use the thumbs down button, and for a video like this, it beggars belief. This was the best little rock history story I have heard in years, and it underlines again what an amazing guy Chris was. I am sure a good percentage of people watching this nowadays, have a wee tear in their eye by the end. BTW I have heard Erik Clapton tell the same story about him not being God anymore. It's interesting to watch Rick Beato talk about Hendrix, because he actually quantifies what was so different about his playing, and why he was so great.
cos he said he changed his bass strings every night
Best Hendrix story ever. I’ve heard Clapton, Townsend, and Harrison refer back to the first time they saw Hendrix play, and it’s great how each reference coincides with each other, just like Squire tells it. ONWARD Chris Squire - you are missed...
Agree.One of the best bass players of all time, Chris Squire.
@@apexjoe4769 yep he played out like a classical instrument and he had to play off of Steve so I'm sure that helped but tales of topographic oceans blew my mind. Chris figured prominently on that it had such a deep rich sound and he played his guitar like a percussion instrument at times. Unique and amazing.
@@TLH442 I totally agree with you. Chris was an unbelievably sounding bass player !
It's a great Hendrix story, and it's made better by the fact that Chris Squire likes to tell stories, but it's not the best. The absolute best Hendrix story is Robert Fripp's: ua-cam.com/video/woRhyl4k6sc/v-deo.htmlsi=j1hiduRVUUqovR7t
What a storyteller this guy was. Amazing
There's the way people played guitar before Hendrix. Then there's the way people played after Hendrix.
I am not a musician but love music! Don't think I have ever ran across anyone especially musicians that didn't think Jimmy Hendrix was not "Everything and all that!"
Absolutely the truth...
#2 on Mt.Rushmore of rock guitar .
That part!👏🏾👏🏾
The ones that I have usually I think are jealous and they say will Hendricks did stuff that no one ever did before but it's not that hard to do really
I'm trying to imagine Jimi Hendrix being the first black guy I had ever met.
first back guy he'd ever had a conversation with.......not first black guy I had ever met....okey dokey
callyharley Jimi Hendrix “Unlucky”?? In what way was he unlucky?
True Story. I was born and raised in South East London and went to Grammar School just 2 miles from Brixton in The 1960's.
First Black and also first Mixed Raced ( Clint as I recall ) Guys I ever met in Kennington Park nearby robbed us, which was unheard of in those days and then they asked where I lived and I lied and told them East London and they returned me 2 old pence which is 1/100th of a cyrrent English pound.....@ my@callyharley
Jimi was murdered because he was black..
Cecilia Wells “Jimi was murdered because he was black”??? What the holy fuck are you talking about? Utter shite. Hendrix died because he took too many fucking downers mixed with booze and choked on his own vomit, just like John Bonham and AC/DC’s singer Bon Scott, only their poison of choice was too much alcohol.
They weren’t “murdered” either.
In my opinion this is the most sincere interviews about what english musicians thought of Hendrix AT THAT time.
You forgot this guy was a true story teller just every word he chose was perfect.I miss one of the true Bass players and he was worried about Noel Redding give me a break.That was no mistake that u were there it was meant to be.RIP oh Rick sold a ton of bass guitars due to u
I was in the second row of that interview with my twin sons. Steve Howe and Alan White were right next to him.
@@sherpa6071 dick
@@sherpa6071 fuck all of your opinions
@@bl9234 I have looked all over the Internet for the entire interview. There are two snippets, this one and one about capes with Steve, Alan and Chris. Is there more?
I’ve watched this several times now and it just doesn’t get stale.
Squire was the best. And what a terrific story.
To me he’s as important to the evolution of rock bass playing as Hendrix is to guitar.
Such players are like royalty and Chris was one of them.
Never to be firgotten.
Never to be forgotten.
Just humble and hilarious, rip Chris, the world is too quiet without you.
My favorite "musician meeting Jimi" story is from Robert Fripp... he said Jimi came to see King Crimson, and afterwards, met the band...Jimi had his arm in sling for some reason.. and when Fripp went to shake his hand, Jimi said "shake my left hand... it's closer to my heart"!
Jimi was lefty,and Fripp dont know why said sometimes that Jimi doesnt knew nothing about guitar..
My favorite Hendrix/Fripp story is Robert Fripp describing how someone gets into rock music from a more traditional music background: "Something in the first few bars of "Purple Haze" reached you that the entire classical repertoire never even touched".
No photos of Hendrix exist of him wearing a sling...and that quote by Hendrix has been voiced by other people who met him...a bogus story!
He usually prefaced the story, in his West Country accent, with "now this is the hand that shook the hand of Mr. James Marshall Hendrix"
I like this story, but to put myself in it,let me tell you when I met Mike Kennaly! Yeah I spelled it wrong! But my band had just played our set at the BBQ im Austin Texas during SXSW but the next band up was Mike's band. I stood way back, but my band's other guitar player stood in back of Mike. We both kept looking at each other with stank faces as he played!!! He is utterly amazing!!! At the end of his performance, I ran back to the backstage to speak with him. As we talked, I asked him if he could grab my hands. He did, but when he took them away, I started rubbing my hands across my face and body!!! He looked at me and asked what the heck was I doing!!! I told him, what he was playing is like stuff in my head. I hope by doing this it will all come out!!!!
Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Chris Squire. That would have been insane.
NO DOUBT! In one of his letters Jimi said he wanted another bass player.
Hendrix liked Redding's hair so he hired him.
Well, I would have added Prince Prairie of The Tubes as well as Rick Anderson of The
Tubes.
quarter_moon and_a_guitar He liked his hair but Jimi wouldn't have hired anybody just for that. The Experience wasn't KISS.
Flipside Phil Noel was a guitarist who needed a gig and picked up a bass on the fly. He was better than people say and some of Jimi's note patterns were a bit difficult for musicians of that era to grasp.
I'm so pissed at myself that I will never get to see this guy live. RIP.
+Brie Russell He just stole the show, he impersonated YES on stage, Fantastic show man and Musician. I had the chance to see him twice and I´m glad
+Luis Eduardo Galindo He really did, that Ric bass looked like it was made of balsa wood the way he tossed it around!
I am so glad i did. It was for Big Genrator. (only time i ever saw them. wish i could have seen the classic lineup!) I went by myself, so i got a ticket right in front. Like second row. Everyone was just kind of sitting down in front for a good part of the show. At one point, i was looking at Chris, and he looked at me and motioned, like "Come on up here!!" So i ran to the front of the stage, and the next thing you know, so did everyone else. Got up out of their chairs, and we standing up rockin' out! It was a pretty cool moment.
I don't want to be mean but Chris Squire was the best bass player I ever see live ......this guy could do anything with his bass what a player I will miss him
Me too and he came to my country in 2010
Wonderful. I could listen to Chris tell stories all day. The word 'missed' does not come close to describing the gap he left in the world. Great post.
same here!
I feel lucky to have seen Yes recently before he passed
He was a giant, literally and musically. And seems to have been a fine person
As he’s talking about Jimi teaching Noel the notes to Foxey Lady, I’m realizing now what I’m sure many Yes fans know already - that Chris Squire had perfect pitch, as he’s humming the notes in this story, they’re the same exact notes used in the song. Chris Squire was such a powerhouse of a player, and this makes total sense.
It weren't the notes to Foxey Lady, though, but to Purple Haze.
Yep…. Foxy Lady simply a lyric in the song titled Purple Haze.
The song is Purple Haze. Chris sang G# F# E B E G#.
Well Noel wasn't really a Bass player he actually a guitar player that ancered a newspaper add for musicians and Jimi Hendrix asked him would he play bass that is a documented fact
"Oh, look at that......Dessert!!!" Too Funny!!!
That's one of the best lines I've heard.
Yep = bums on seats
R.I.P.Chris Squire.Another giant passed away.
Yes , I just heard that ... :-(
RIP Chris Squire ...
Marianne Teulieres good evening marianne teulieres,
i"ve heard it through another heartfelt dereckvon post when i checked my mail.i saw the description of his video and thought,oh no.deeply sad that my assumption was true.
thanks for your response and support.
What an amazing and modest musician Chris Squire was. Anyone else would have bullshitted that story up to a MAJOR degree. It still brings a tear to my eyes that Chris is gone forever.
Missing him too,he was/ is a genius
Fucking great story!!! Can you imagine seeing Jimi play live in those days not knowing anything about him??? I was 11 years old in 1967, smoking weed in my buddy's garage when his parents went out of town and was launched into another dimension listening to AYE...finally saw HIM on the summer solstice in 1970 at Ventura County Fairgrounds, still the most extraordinary experience of my life...
Great Hendrix story.
I’ve seen Yes in concert 12 times, all in the 1970s. I saw Chris the final time on December 10, 2007. He was part of the supergroup that opened the Led Zeppelin reunion concert. He played just like himself, incredibly.
RIP Chris, you are missed and loved. Thank you.
That's amazing that you've seen Yes 12 times. I've never seen them and I think they're incredible. I'm jealous. I can't even imagine seeing Yes in a tiny venue like that.
Chris Squire was an awesome bassist, and hearing about how he got to meet a great guitarist like Hendrix is just fascinating!!
Agree - and of course there are so many wildly comic points here! His laid-back, underhand tilted style of delivering them (and making them so visual, too) makes this a gem of a clip.
Chris told me this story back in the 80's when they were on the, "Big Generator" tour... he was such a genuinely nice person. I'll never forget my time him, great guy, bass player!
RIP Chris. Thank you for the most spectacular bassist that you were.
Not only a helluva musician, but a great, & funny guy. So sad he's gone now.
STEVE SIMMS what happens to people when they die?
@@grifftrain I don't know. I never want to die to find out! All that I love would vanish.
@@Beamshipcaptain We all die...that is the only true fact of life.
@@tonypowell250 Why should he and Jimi Hendrix die and Donald Trump still be living? Makes no sense.
I've had the pleasure of seeing Chris play several times. Musicianship at its finest.
man, he is such an entertaining story teller. excellent.
was, sadly.
Could listen all day
“All my heroes are in the front row....” I’m in tears enjoying Chris so much tell this story RIP
Him and Rick Wakeman , what a pair of raconteurs
Clapton: "I'm not god anymore"... LOL
What a lovely down to earth man
I love this. Best Hendrix story ever. Must have been at the very beginning to have not know about him.
I thought the same.
He refers to Jimi's first gig at the Marquee Club, that occured on the 22nd of January 1967. So Jimi was in London only for 4 months or so up until that point.
One of the best rock interviews ever.
lol
There was and will always be one Chris Squire. He could tell a story. Loved him most dearly!
He could tell a story, but normally did it with his fingers and voice
Chris, how much joy you've given the world.
He's a true story teller. Every now and then I get to listen to this story and I enjoy it again and again.
"I'm not God anymore." Great line ; )
Is no-one else tired of hearing repetition of this "God" bullshit? Some were probably thinking "fucking amazing" while others are thinking "fucking shite" and some (card holding straight muso's) were just confused.
Was this Marquee gig before or after the Country Club gig? That was almost an empty room, never saw a set there so sparsely attended.
At the time it seemed to me like an obvious progression from Dick Dale, Joe Meeks and Link Wray to singles by the Kinks and the Who (PLAY THAT PART AGAIN AND for FUCKS SAKE TURN IT UP!!!) to Jimi being the first to go 110% full bore deliberately AND to have a game changing commercial success in doing so.
At this time Eric Clapton was (and someone who was not there in '65/'66 might not believe it) a relative unknown but influential with a small hardcore following, but there WERE loads of guys teetering on the edge. Pre-Beck I was not then a Yardbirds fan, but bought their single only for Clapton on the instrumental B-side "Got to Hurry").
At the Country Club gig one member of the support band was being a real prick, clearly pissed off and running his mouth about it. Jimi's commercial success was a big greenlight for legitimising overloaded amplification and distortion became something it was fashionable to play.
Like anything else, eventually it plumbed its potential for being boring, like shouting all the time.
Everything goes around, goes away for a spell, comes around again, slightly altered, different context etc.
The same with intelligence in content and application.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not so bright, but since my sister and niece both have Ph.D's in real, hard subjects, nothing like Comparative Folk Dancing or Hairdressing, but real science and proper math-based shit.
I can't phone home but can ask a friend or ask a scientist or even get of my arse and do my own research.
Memory can be filtered in ways that might mislead.
Rosy recollection is not evidence.
Clapton is on record has holding hands with another guitarist in shock during a Hendrix gig. So, probably was a big deal.
Well, I was there in that era too and Clapton was still “God” and the first in line to still call him that would have been Hendrix.
All that has been lost in the mish mash of the years and there is one in every crowd, but go back and listen to Blues Breakers if you doubt it.
Chas Chandler said he took Jimi to see Cream and that was his first meeting with Clapton. He said Clapton just backed offstage and was shaking lighting a cigarette. He told Chas “You didn’t say how good he was” when asking the band to let him sit in.
@Jethro Tull did you even read that whole diatribe he wrote lol?
What a great story from such a legend. Always enjoyed seeing Chris Squire perform with Yes. R.I.P.
Daniel Lars a great man
Chris was the best!!! Musically and Personally!!! Just a great person!!!! My hero!!!
I camped out the night at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1981 to get front row seats for Yes. What a night ! Squire was such a great player.
I saw them "In the Round" at Madison Square Garden twice in one week..Nothing like it, ever!..Lots of great 8 track car audio too!
DMA Lewis: The first time I saw YES they were supporting THE NICE at The Marquee. I saw them several times there. I used to like to sit on the edge of the low stage and get mesmerised watching Bruford's bass drum work! I clearly remember a great cover of 'Eleanor Rigby' they whipped out one night! At the time one of my favourite bands was 'Tomorrow'. I was really pissed when they split, but over the moon when I heard Steve Howe was to be Pete Banks replacement! Having said that, PB bought me a beer at The Marquee once. He was a great guy, with a wicked sense of humour. More to the point he was a really good guitarist! Tony Colton, the guy who produced Time And A Word, played a big part in PB's departure. The pair of them took an instant dislike to one another! So it goes eh!
I met him after a Yes concert in St. Petersburg Fl. In 2014, great guy and the best bass guitarist ever! The next year he was gone, what a terrible loss RIP Chris Squire!🎸
What a great story and a fantastic memory
I'm glad I ended up in the same universe as this Chris Squire.
Rest in peace Chris thanks for all the music.
this is one of the greatest rock and roll stories ever told in my humble opinion....
Yeah, instant favorite. I want to remember to watch it every now and again.
Perfectly charming story which also underscores just how much hype (all of which was true) surrounded Hendrix when he showed up in England.
One of modern musics best bass players talking about one of modern musics best guitarists.
Priceless.
This is a delightful interview. Chris must have been a great guy to hang out with. I saw him with Yes in Columbia, South Carolina fifty years ago. I was a teenager. The band was phenomenal and Chris was the star (at least in my opinion). I left the Carolina Coliseum that night determined to become a bass player, which I did. Like everyone, I wish Chris was still alive, but at least we have his amazing recorded legacy.
I got to interview Chris back in the early teens. I got the impression he was generally on guard against strangers, especially weirdo fans (Yes has plenty). Every time I encountered him in a room he'd either be looking at his phone or already talking to someone else, and he avoided making eye contact. You had to earn his willingness to extend a conversation beyond basic hellos and chit chat, but once you did he would relax and open up. He was a bit lazy as a conversationalist (you could almost see him thinking "What tired old stories will we revisit this time?") so it helped if you could steer the conversation into 'more interesting' directions. If you did THEN he could be a house on fire.
A real gentleman. Modest and down-to-earth.
a classy guy.period.
a lot of musicians are really down to earth...not talking about singers, but players. i was in the music business in the ny metro area for a few decades and you wouldn't believe how famous musicians just want to sit down and have a good conversation about their experiences...and i was glad to listen!
SAM MILLER like whom
I wish I could have met Chris. He was one of my heroes...
A lot of humour
I could listen to him for hours...rip chris
Dale Maguire Yes, that's for sure! Generally, ,my focus is on the lead guitar player and the singer. In Yes, Chris Squire divided my attention from even the great Steve Howe. He was a true giant on the stage and one of my three favorite bass players along with Jack Bruce and John Entwistle. R.I.P. and raise a glass to a great musician.
It was on January 24, 1967. And yeah, it was a Tuesday. The Squire's group was The Syn. "Hey Joe" had been released a little more than a month before, so Squire's unawareness at the time is justified. In Tony Brown's book on Hendrix there's a picture of Jimi on stage at the Marquee, but behind Mitchell there's a curtain, so it is not possible to see if there's a grand piano.
Considering it was 5 months before his legendary set at the Monterey Pop Festival and that both club managers didn't know either, it must have been insider information leaked from friends of all the British talent also present that evening.
@@greghokamp8552 After Clapton's trauma at their first meeting, both first rank London musicians and club managers were per force aware. But that pro musicians like Squire (let alone those across the pond) were totally unaware of him and that it took McCartney to recommend Hendrix to Monterey organizers tells a lot about how communications worked half a century ago.
Nearly makes me crying while laughing. Such a gentle humorous guy. Yes and his incredible bassplaying was a very important part of my early musical development. i heard yessongs a thousand times and tried to understand. So nice to see him in this interview and so sad, that he had to leave us way too early.
my favorite hendrix story.... ever.
My favorite too. I never realized what a great story teller Chris Squire was. He really had a knack for this kind of thing.
@@ntesslafan Fripp's Hendrix story is pretty good too.
Absolutely.
This Sucks you R Mean
One of my favorite bands was Yes back in the seventies. I saw two Yes shows back to back, back in 1973, when I was 16 years old. And I saw the band several times later over the years. In 1985 I was working as a floor manager at Limelight in NYC. Seems like it was a Saturday night and the place was packed. This tall guy bumps into me on the stairs going up to the VIP Lounge and says, "Hey mate. I'm Chris Squire." That got my attention. He says, "I was in Yes." I'm like, yeah I know who you are. He was like "Do you think I could see the deejay booth?" I'm like absolutely. So I worked our way through the dense crowd and led him up the stairs to where the deejay booth was. I yelled in the Tech Director's ear who this was and could he get a VIP tour of the booth. I remember his name was Steve. Steve goes sure. So I went back and nodded to Chris and yelled in his ear. You got it. Enjoy! And that was that. I wish I could have stopped to say more, but I blew that opportunity. And now it's too late.
He was such a great musician, he sounds like the guy next store telling a story. Chris was such a down to earth guy, I am sorry he passed. I loved his music. The Yes Fragile album he was brilliant!
Losing Chris was such a huge loss. He was an amazing bassist. Listen to some of his isolation pieces here on UA-cam. But he was also a hell of a nice guy and, as you can tell here, he was a great story teller. I really miss him.
He's as wonderful a story teller as he is a musician.
Jimmy King I didn't ever imagine rock would die but it has
Pamela Pettit-holt take a bit of time and listen to music top 40 is always terrible
A Wonderous Story from one of rock music's greatest musician. RIP Chris
RIP dear and unforgettable Chris Squire!
What a cool moment in the history of music, I’m glad this is on film and captured for prosperity
I remember when Hendrix, Elvis and Lennon died. But I'll never miss any of them more than Chris Squire. RIP, man.
Greatest bassist of all time.
I definitely agree with that one best base ever so who wanted him to play with them and he declined
I think Geddy Lee might be right up there, too.
Jerome Walker ...and Mark King.
Jaco Pastorius, guys.
@@benjaminkenobi21 Gotta agree, though apples & oranges. Loved Squire's playing since 1970, definitely more of an influence on my playing, but if pressed, there is only one and that's Jaco. "It ain't braggin' if you can back it up".
Would have loved to hear a Hendrix record with Chris on bass (and John Bonham on drums, that would be a killer band)
From what I've read Hendrix didn't jam too well with Bonham. Bonham was very on top of the beat and Jimi prefers more of a swing beat.
@@333baxter333 that’s interesting, didn’t think zeppelin & Hendrix really knew eachother
Think buddy miles as a bonham type. Then realize why mitch mitchell was perfect with jimi.
I would've just went and dug a hole 8n the ground right then! Just stick a fork in me cause I would have been done!!!!
@@eroldcroft3045 Two different styles that both fit, loved band of Gypsies, but Mitch complimented Jimi's style better, Noel not so much. My favorite lineup was when he played with Mitch & Billy Cox.
While I love Geddy Lee's technical chops, Squire's lines are just a thing of beauty.
RIP Chris squire...a legend
Someone on Amazon left one of the greatest comments I've ever read or heard about a performing musician. I paraphrase: "Chris Squire acts the way I would act if I ever got to be up on stage with Yes." And he does it every damn show.
I think it's the funniest, most entertaining rock and roll interview !!! R.I.P. Chris Squire...
The audience is obviously 98% musicians, and the other 2% are ardent fans as well! I remember in about 1975, listening to Yessongs over and over. The energy in those live performances was amazing. This is an absolutely lovely interview with Chris.
Squire=Monumental
Hendrix=Mind Bending
All said and done, Chris Squire is detailing the intersection of more or less traditional Brit Rock and the overwhelming new power of Hendrix and his renditions of soul on fire, a convergence destined to change the world.
The music industry..music lovers in general, would never be the same, Jimi blew the tight corporate lid off of pop music, and.. for that single act we ALL should praise him fondly and often.
Even today, nobody has ever played music like that in the rock world.
One of the greatest Bass players...Ever!RIP🎸
I think he's the greatest.
@@michaelromanyshyn7023 Absolutely
I honestly just found out from the comments that Chris had died. The Fish on Yessongs was/is unbelievable!
Classic story! I've never heard an interview with Squire before- he seems like another bloke at the bar.
Chris Squire is my favorite rock musician. I still can't believe he passed away, it's so unfair. This video is a gem. It makes you wish you could just sit down with the guy, have some drinks (he'd like that!) and listen to his stories.
best Hendrix story I've heard. Squire was so down to earth, the exact opposite of his otherworldly stage image. What a great story teller
imagine the first black guy you meet is JimI Hendrix... one of thee best rock n roll stories ever !
What a delightful man, I love his honesty explaining how he had never had a conversation with a black guy before and coming from his background I can perfectly understand that lol, lovely story
I saw Mr. Squire at one of my first concerts. A Yes concert, on a whim, last minute from a friend who had an extra ticket...some time in late 70s...they were playing in the round...knew their music.
Then to see them live. Siberian Khatru opened from an orchestral opening. We were up in the nose bleed seats. Miles away. Just kids. And it was still most amazingly clear, powerful, punchy music...precise, clever, syncopated, Ethereal.
Unreal actually. And it was Mr. Squire, seemingly nine feet tall with that Rickenbacher that was the focus.
Driving, relentless, melodic bass. Confident. Man O Man. An experience that will last my whole life. Thank you sir. Rest in peace.
Scott F well said scott. yes was my favorite before i knew who they were. when i was in my elementary years 1969 thru 1975 i remember the indelible imprint left by "roundabout" and "and you and i" but didn't know the name until my sister gave me two cassettes in 1978. i've been a lifelong fan ever since and yes is the one band i always turn to. there are just so many songs that evoke such different feelings. and boy! they were so great live. i've heard pink floyd fans say that yes was much more dynamic and exciting live than the floyd. and i do like alot of floyd, but yes really pulls my heart strings.
Scott F Tormato tour. I was at the Washington D.C. stop. Such powerful music. I'm a huge Chris fan, but have to say that it was Jon who had me transfixed. He seemed a sorcerer to me.
Saw them (on a date with new lady!) In The Round at Wembley 78. Gotta say, Squire's opening on 'On The Silent Wings' was just phenomenal. To see & hear that growling, roaring and downright rude / highly energized sound coming from his harmonized Rick bass was seriously jaw-dropping -- even that's an understatement! Still among the best ever gigs in my time. That whole bass sound / style is unique, without a shadow of a doubt. While many clever bassists have come and gone over the decades, none of them had ever taken it that step further forward. Squire changed the wholesale attitude to bass playing forever. Strange to think that all other bands have a bassist who (by definition) provides a mere sonic platform to accompany the drums / rhythm section overall. Dread to think how most of Yes's material would've ended up if conventional bass lines had been applied !! Yes are a very very lucky band indeed to have had Chris Squire as their bass-man. His style was one thing -- also his songwriting was something else to be held in awe. Squire left this world as rock 'n' roll's most powerful, influential and gifted bassist this world will never see the likes of ever again. His contribution to music was immense.
Also saw them in the round, late 70's, Tormato tour. Outstanding.
Amen to that! It never got old. Think I saw him in various incarnation about 40 times. I could not get enough of their live shows, especially the classic lineup or primetime as I have just dubbed them. Squire was always the showman, always so much fun to watch.
What a nice man. Great sense of humor. Will miss you.
Never get tired of watching this. Maybe it's The 50th time. Great Chris.
I've listen to this story about 6 times and it seems to get better each time I listen to it,it must be my Hendrix worshiping?
There will never be a guitar player better than jimi Hendrix.
Plus his songwriting, singing and fashion.
Well, now I am sure that Chris Squire is finally getting to jam with Jimmy Hendrix.
+ChevKen Jimi
+ChevKen jimi
+ChevKen Actually you have his name correct. He told his Dad that he wanted to shorten his name to Jimi because it was better to him than Jimmy. His Dad agreed.
Randy F technically your wrong because Jimi got a official name change sooooo
Randy F Sounds good sorry i am a little baked ahaha
I miss him RIP Chris - yep 100 years later
Tell you what, seeing Chris Squire in 1975 playing Gates of Delirium was one of the heaviest things I've seen in a concert. The absolute apex of what rock music could do...and he was just SO cool in those days: tall, thin, moved in almost slow motion onstage...and the sound! One of the best concerts ever.
What a great story! Clapton saying " I'm not god anymore" :) Chris Squire..... Nice guy.
I saw Hendrix in 69 and then Yes in 73. I've been blessed.
Wow that’s pretty badass
Yours was no disgrace....A YES man forever...RIP Chris
From a jazz drummer who loves YES and Squire, here we have one of the best talking about the best. Thanks for posting.
Great story, Chris. We miss you.
RIP Mr. Squire. Great story. He seemed like a really good guy and he IS one of the best bass players of all time.
What an amazing time in the history of rock music. RIP Chris
I saw the Yes perform live at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia Pennsylvania twice they were absolutely amazing.
A sad time indeed. I first saw YES and of course Chris Squire 45 years ago at then named Bryant College in Rhode Island, USA.
Needles to say, I have been a Huge fan of YES and Chris Squires playing and singing ability. Many live concerts followed between my gigs and they never disappointed.
RIP to one of the greatest bass players and vocalists ever on this planet. You will be missed...
What a nice guy, don’t know too much about him, great story 👍
This is pure gold. Thanks for sharing.
This is brilliant! Jimi exploded on the scent more than once. God I loved Jimi. The most greatest guitarist EVER!!! Truely EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing this clip. Chris Squire was a big influence on me, but I'd never realised what a wryly funny bloke he was. Enjoy the Big Gig, Chris.
What a bossman Chris was. RIP. Thank you for this gem.
Hendrix was a humble genius who would compliment up and coming musicians. Robert Fripp and Terry Kath are two that come to mind.
Terry Kath was Jimi Hendrix’s favorite guitarist. He told James Pankow of Chicago that “Terry is way better than me”
2 virtuosos; Jimi & Chris...real, special talents & they're both excellent singers, too, which often gets overshadowed by their respective instrumental prowess
Brilliant guy , formed a brilliant band
What a master's sense of comic timing; he put me in stitches more than once. Each time he mentioned the "coming end" to the story, it just got more silly from the added tension. This artist is so unpretentious & tuned into what is real in each situation. Loved it.
Well stated, Bill.
Bill Larstead will
He has that Ronnie Corbett narrative style - rambling round the houses, in a very natural way, until he comes back to the original point.
Since first seeing them twice, in the '70's, I've been a long time fan. Sure thankful I caught them on that triple album tour, just before his passing...such a incredible musician. Thanks for this video
Fantastic story.
He was not only the best bass player in rock (and still is), he was a very funny guy. Rest in peace my friend!
I've watched this a few times. He really tells it well, funny guy as well as a great player.
I had no idea how many people were there until they all laughed. Great story!
Having been a Yes fan since 1969, this is the first time I heard Squire talk.
Absolutely charming and a legend as a bassist. So sad that he's gone.