RIP Alan White

[bucephylus]

The article is accurate: White joined the band for the Close to the Edge TOUR, and their first ALBUM he played on was Tales.

The lore I had heard was that Bruford got the KC call DURING the YesSongs tour, and Alan stepped in on pretty short notice to keep the tour dates going. But, so long ago, it could have just been hearsay.

BTW, I attended one of those dates in New Haven.

 

[roccobass]

"He joined Yes on July 27, 1972, and with only three days to learn the music, opened their U.S. tour in front of 15,000 fans in Dallas."

Wow.

Yeah. That was in my interview too. This was after he asked when rehearsals were and the response was, “Oh, we don’t do rehearsals”. Shows how good he really was.

 

[5StringBlues]

We go sailing down the calming streams
Drifting endlessly by the bridge
To be over, we will see, to be over

Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays
Always doors to lock away your dreams
Think it over, time will heal your fear, think it over
Balance the thoughts that release within you

Childlike soul dreamer
One journey, one to seek and see in every light
Do open true pathways away

Carrying closer
Go gently, holding doors will open every way
You wander true pathways away

After all your soul will still surrender
After all don't doubt your part
Be ready to be loved

 

[Gilmourisgod]

What a drag, I saw him several times in his prime back in the 70’s, a great drummer and decent human by all account’s. All Things Must Pass, but it sucks watching my teenage musical heroes pass one by one.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Very sad, indeed. I've seen him many times with Yes, going back to 1974 (the first time I saw them). The last time was in 2013 for an amazing concert at a small outdoor amphitheater a short walk from home. I met with him a couple times; breakfast with Yes in 1975, then at the Syn concert in 2006.

 

[dave64o]

I'm A huge Yes fan, very sad news.

RIP to a fantastic musician.

 

[5StringBlues]

He's cookin' on this.

 

[kobass]

RIP Alan.

 

[Vinny_G]

Nooo...

I had the chance to see Yes in concert (with Chris and Alan) twice in my life. My favorite prog rock rhythm section is now gone. RIP Alan.

 

[JimK]

"He joined Yes on July 27, 1972, and with only three days to learn the music, opened their U.S. tour in front of 15,000 fans in Dallas."

Wow.

Isn't that crazy?!?

RIP, sir...

 

[RichardW]

If the only thing he ever recorded was Instant Karma he'd still be worth his weight in gold.

His drum break in Instant Karma is one of the most incredible moments in rock n roll, IMO.

Geez, this is terrible news.

 

[pbass2]

RIP. What a bummer. I was a HUGE Yes head growing up. Lately I've been on a solo Lennon kick and have been listening to him a lot----superb drummer, as good as it gets.

 

[5StringBlues]

His drum break in Instant Karma is one of the most incredible moments in rock n roll, IMO.

Geez, this is terrible news.

John- "I don't know what you're doing Alan, but keep doing it".

 

[coyote1]

If the only thing he ever recorded was Instant Karma he'd still be worth his weight in gold.

Yep. It got him, as it gets all of us eventually. One of my fave drummers. RIP

 

[Steve59]

RIP

 

[LBS-bass]

John- "I don't know what you're doing Alan, but keep doing it".

An incredible tune that I fell in love with as a wee little thing.

 

[Low Down Brown]

Major BUMMER!

RIP sir.

 

[B Dax]

RIP Alan White.
I love progressive rock and his drumming throughout the years has been so incredible and most inspiring.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Oh no...

When I was a wee teen learning to play drums in the early 1970s I drummed along with a ton of Alan's Yes recordings. He had this wonderful ability to sound completely precisely controlled in one moment, and then like he'd pushed a cart full of percussion down a flight of stairs in the next moment, and then right back to the crisp precise execution in the very next moment. Uncanny and engaging player. RIP.

 

[Relayer71]

What??? OH man, just two days ago I saw some news item with them, I think something about a new tour and made a mental note of how it was just him and Steve Howe left (since Squire died and Anderson quit).

While Bruford is one of my favorite drummers, I appreciated that White put his own signature on Yes' subsequent work. White's approach to drumming (more hard hitting, straightforward, less nuanced) was just about perfect for my favorite Yes album, Relayer. The heaviness of that album I love so much has a lot to do with White's playing.

RIP. Man, I feel like the last 10 years have seen the loss of so many of progressive rock's greatest musicians. So depressing.

(And not prog rock related but just saw Depeche Mode's Andy Fletcher died, too).