Wonderous Stories
| "Wonderous Stories" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Wonderous Stories cover.jpg Special Limited Edition cover | ||||
| Single by Yes | ||||
| from the album Going for the One | ||||
| B-side | "Parallels" | |||
| Released | September 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 1976–1977 | |||
| Studio | Mountain Studios (Montreux, Switzerland) | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 3:45 | |||
| Label | Atlantic (K 10999) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jon Anderson | |||
| Producer(s) | Yes | |||
| Yes singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Wonderous Stories" is a song by the English rock band Yes, released in 1977 as the first single from their eighth studio album, Going for the One. It was written by lead vocalist Jon Anderson, who gained inspiration for the song one morning during his stay in Montreux, Switzerland where the band recorded the album. The song reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart and remains the band's highest charting single in the country.
Music and lyrics
"Wonderous Stories" is the second track on Going for the One and is solely written by lead vocalist Jon Anderson.[1] He wrote the song during "a beautiful day" while staying in Montreux, "one of those days you want to remember for years afterwards". It was then when the words "wonderous stories" entered his head, which he later used for the song's lyrics.[2] He noted the song's meaning as "the joys of life, as opposed to the uptightedness of some aspects of life" that was inspired by romantic stories and "a kind of dream sequence".[2] Author Bill Martin believed the song is about the importance of hearing and listening.[3]
The song was one of two sent in demo form to keyboardist Rick Wakeman after the band invited him to return to the group following the departure of Patrick Moraz. He took a liking to the songs and agreed to rejoin the band.[4] It was recorded at Mountain Studios in Montreux and produced collectively by the band, with John Timperley as their recording engineer and David Richards assisting.[1]
Guitarist Steve Howe commented that Anderson wrote the song during "his Renaissance period" when he was into a "classical ... feeling to things" and noted its strong "classical framework".[2] The song features Howe playing a 12-string Portuguese guitar, which he had used on "I've Seen All Good People",[5] and an electric guitar which he plays at its conclusion. Wakeman plays the Polymoog, a polyphonic analogue synthesiser.[3] Drummer Alan White contributed the idea of the drums and bass playing on odd beats.[2]
Release
"Wonderous Stories" was released in 7-inch and 12-inch formats as the first of two singles from Going for the One, in September 1977.[6] A limited edition in black and blue vinyl was also released and marketed as a Special Edition.[7][8] The B-side contains the complete edit of "Parallels", a track written by Squire. In the US, "Wonderous Stories" was released with an edited version of "Awaken", also from Going for the One, as the B-side.[6]
The single entered the UK Singles Chart at number 31, the week of 17 September 1977. After a four-week climb, it reached its peak of number 7 for the week of 8 October to become the band's highest charting UK single. It remained on the chart for the next five weeks.[9]
To promote the single, Yes produced a music video for the track, their first such production. It features the group playing the song in a live setting.[8]
"Wonderous Stories" has been released in several Yes compilation albums and box sets.[10] The song was performed acoustically for the first time during the band's 2004 tour in celebration of their 35th anniversary.[11]
Reception
The song has been considered as Yes's "pop moment" and a marked departure from the less accessible approach of their previous two albums which broadened their audience as a result.[7] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Ross Boissoneau thought the song, along with "Turn of the Century", a track from Going for the One, were "lovely ballads the way only Yes can do them".[12] Critic and author Martin Popoff also praised the song, calling it "perhaps the most beautiful Yes composition of the quiet sort, an angelic acoustic bit of frolic, whose deceptive, simple arrangement bears many hard-won treasures".[13] Critic and band biographer Chris Welch described "Wonderous Stories" as "relaxed and melodic" and a track that makes the group "fly without really trying".[14] Author Bill Martin picked Anderson and Squire's harmony vocals as a highlight of the song.[3]
Yes keyboardist Geoff Downes rated the track as one of Yes's "hidden gems",[13] and bassist Billy Sherwood has ranked it as one of his favourites from the band.[15]
Personnel
- Yes[1]
- Jon Anderson – lead vocals
- Steve Howe – acoustic and electric guitar, vocals
- Chris Squire – bass guitar, vocals
- Rick Wakeman – electric keyboards
- Alan White – drums, percussion
- Production[1]
- Yes – production
- John Timperley – recording engineer
- David Richards – assistant recording engineer
References
- ^ a b c d Wonderous Stories (Media notes). Yes. Atlantic Records. 1977. K 10999.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b c d Morse 1996, p. 59.
- ^ a b c Martin 2015, pp. 175–176.
- ^ Welch 2008, p. 161.
- ^ Ray, Randy (31 January 2013). "Steve Howe: A Roundabout Way to Yes". JamBands.com. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ a b Welch 2008, pp. 312–313.
- ^ a b Dimery & MacDonald 2015, p. 392.
- ^ a b Popoff 2016, p. 71.
- ^ "Official Charts – Yes – Singles". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
- ^ "Yes – Wonderous Stories – Overview – Appears On". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ Songs From Tsongas - Yes 35th Anniversary Concert (Media notes). Yes. Warner Music Vision. 2005. 5050467-5073-2-6.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Boissoneau, Ross. "Yes – Going for the One – Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- ^ a b Popoff 2016, p. 182.
- ^ Welch 2008.
- ^ Tiano, Mike. "Notes From the Edge – Conversation With Billy Sherwood [NFTE #195]". Notes from the Edge. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- Sources
- Dimery, Robert; MacDonald, Robert (2015). 1001 Songs: You Must Hear Before You Die (Paperback ed.). ISBN 978-1-844-03880-0.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Martin, Bill (2015). Music of Yes: Structure and Vision in Progressive Rock. Open Court. ISBN 978-0-812-69945-6.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Morse, Tim (1996). Yesstories: "Yes" in Their Own Words. St Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-14453-1.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Popoff, Martin (2016). Time and a Word: The Yes Story. Soundcheck Books. ISBN 978-0-993-21202-4.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Welch, Chris (2008). Close to the Edge – The Story of Yes. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1-84772-132-7.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)
External links
- Official Yes website at YesWorld