It’s the beginning of a new love in sight…Parallels – Going For The One – Yes 1977
For me, Yes has always been not just a band but a “brand” – my “logo rock” experience. From the start, when I first listened to Close To The Edge in 1972 with the phenomenal album presentation (sonically and visually), I was instantly aware of the sound as a product. Throughout the many incarnations and line-ups – I still find live Yes to be a musically satisfying commodity even sans Anderson. Jon Davison gainly carried the evening and held his own with a heartfelt, accurate and inspired performance with the original band composers and players Steven Howe and Chris Squire – who were brilliant this evening as well. Grumbles from audience members about any of the past line-ups has always been part of the live Yes discourse as there was this evening – but I’ve been on this ride for a long time now and I’m still in. All in all, I walked away content to see the music of Yes continue. Would be interesting to see what a new CD might sound like.
Bruce Morrow (born Bruce Meyerowitz on October 13, 1937 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American radio personality, known to many New York metropolitan area listeners as Cousin Brucie. – Wikipedia
Daniel Trombley “Dan” Ingram (born September 7, 1934 in Oceanside, New York) is an American Top 40 radiodisc jockey with a forty-year career on radio stations such as WABC and WCBS-FM in New York. – Wikipedia
Area affected by the 1965 Northeast Blackout – Wikipedia (click for larger image)
It’s funny where my searches will take me when I put together a blog posting. In researching WABC’s theme song on YouTube, I found two great clips (both recently deleted) of two of my favorite DJs of my youth Bruce Morrow and Dan Ingram. The one with Ingram featured the moment the 1965 Blackout began in NYC. I remember I was watching I Love Lucy on our two-toned green Zenith black and white TV when the lights began to flicker.
1957 RCA two-toned green Portable TV
It was late autumn and the sun was already going down. My mom Willy was on the phone with her friend Barbara who lived a few doors down in our Laurelton Queens garden apartment. Then the TV tube gave one last gasp and the screen shrank into a glowing dot as the lights went out. Before I knew it, Barbara and her three kids – Dawn (my first girlfriend) – and her fraternal twin brothers David and Lester, crying from down the block – were in our apartment. I was hungry. I found a flashlight and got some candles and our camping stove. I lit some candles and started to make some Campbell’s Tomato Soup. I was five years old. I have since always done well in emergencies.
Campbell Soup Co. envelope – Brass Dragon
Campbell Soup postage meter slogan – Brass Dragon
Campbell Soup Company envelope – Brass Dragon
After the 1960s, I became a fan of the WNEW DJs since I was by the early 70’s an AOR (Album Oriented Rock) listener and we had moved to Howard Beach to escape the oppressive “bussing” experiment implemented to racially integrate NYC schools. Jonathan Schwartz, Vince Scelsa & Alison Steele were my favs. I remember calling Alison Steele regularly to request Yessongs. She got to know my voice after a while. “Hey Frank,” The Nightbird would say with her breathy, smoky voice – “Wanna here something from Yes?” “And here is Heart of the Sunrisefor Frankie in Howard Beach.” I was listening to Alison Steele during the 1977 Blackout. She had just announced that Yes’ Going for the One album was going on sale with an early NY release when the lights went out.
Going For The One – Yes – 1977
It was the day before Bastille Day, hot and sticky. I worked a 48 hour shift at JFK that day and the following day I drove to Sam Goody in Green Acres to buy the album. I drove there in record time on South Conduit without any traffic lights. I miss you Nightbird.
Alison Steele – The Nightbird – 1937-1995
Alison Steele (born Ceil Loman on January 26, 1937; died September 27, 1995) was a pioneering American disc jockey in Manhattan at what would become the archetypal progressive rock radio station in the United States, WNEW-FM. She was commonly known as “The Nightbird“. She also became a writer, television producer, correspondent, and an entrepreneur. – Wikipedia
