XYZ (band)

XYZ was the proposed name for an abortive supergroup. The name XYZ is taken from eX-Yes-&-Zeppelin as the group consisted of ex-Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, along with ex-Yes members Chris Squire (bass guitar, vocals, keyboards) and Alan White (drums). Page believed the band needed a strong vocalist and sought out former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant — Plant did attend one XYZ rehearsal in 1981 but decided not to join the group, citing his dislike for complex progressive rock^[1]. Without a commitment from Robert Plant, the project was shelved shortly thereafter. Squire has also mentioned Page's personal problems at the time were one of the motives for the dissolution of the band^[2]. Since the mid 1990s, a number of bootleg tracks have surfaced, originally recorded by XYZ at Chris Squire's home studio at New Pipers, in Virginia Water, Surrey, during April 1981. They are believed to have been sourced from demo tapes stolen from Jimmy Page's house at Cookham, Berkshire, in 1987. These consist of four pieces: two instrumentals (the riff from one of which was used on The Firm's "Fortune Hunter"; the other was later incorporated into the 1997 Yes song "Mind Drive"), plus vocal numbers known as "Telephone Secrets" aka "Telephone Spies" (previously attempted by Yes as "Song No. 4 (Satellite)" during the sessions for Drama)^[3] and "And (Do) You Believe It" (or "Can You See"). The latter track was recorded by Yes in 2001 and released as "Can You Imagine" on Magnification. It is quite possible other songs were also attempted but nothing else has been released publicly. With XYZ's future now in limbo, Squire and White recorded a single called "Run With the Fox", in October 1981 at New Pipers,^[4] before forming Cinema, with guitarist Trevor Rabin and keyboardist Tony Kaye. Rabin attempted to rework the XYZ material along with his solo songs for the new group, but abandoned the project with the reformation of Yes with the addition of singer Jon Anderson, and the recording of the album 90125 in 1983^[5]. Jimmy Page later joined Yes on stage and played "I'm Down" on that band's 9012Live 1984 Westfalenhalle Dortmund concert.

Discography

There has been only one official release of their material, the song Run With The Fox. It was released in 1991 in the Yes box set, Yesyears.

Personnel

• Jimmy Page - Lead guitar
• Chris Squire - Bass guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Alan White - Drums

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ [2]
3. ^ [3]
4. ^ [4]
5. ^ [5]