This Week’s One-Hit Wonder (OHW) is ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ (#9 Adelaide 1984) by English Progressive Rock (Prog) band YES. YES have been in existence ever since 1968 with an ever-evolving cast of characters. This period however was the closest they had come to ending. Bassist and YES leader, the late, great Chris Squire was starting a new band that he intended to call ‘Cinema’. He recruited a South African musician, Trevor Rabin, who came with this song in his pocket. It was a very different sound to the band previously recorded material. Chris then asked YES vocalist Jon Anderson to join the project, but all agreed to add Jon’s vocal would make the band sound just like YES so, they again adopted the name YES and put out their album 90125 (named after a part of the barcode). ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ was a U.S. No. 1 and a smash hit all around the world. To be clear YES were never a singles band. They are the premier Prog band in musical history and my favourite band … period. The song was produced by the mercurial Trevor Horn.
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