I've Seen All Good People

Last updated
"I've Seen All Good People"
Song by Yes
from the album The Yes Album
Released19 February 1971
RecordedAutumn 1970
Studio Advision, London
Genre
Length
  • 6:56
  • 3:35 ("Your Move")
  • 3:21 ("All Good People")
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Official audio
"I've Seen All Good People" on YouTube
"Your Move"
Your Move cover.jpg
Single by Yes
from the album The Yes Album
B-side
  • "Clap"
ReleasedJuly 1971 (US) [3]
RecordedAutumn 1970
Studio Advision, London
Length3:00
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s) Jon Anderson
Yes singles chronology
"Sweet Dreams"
(1970)		"Your Move"
(1971)		"Roundabout"
(1972)
Official audio
"Your Move" on YouTube

"I've Seen All Good People" is a song by the English progressive rock band Yes, written by frontman Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire and recorded on their third studio album, The Yes Album (1971). The almost 7-minute song is in two parts; the first, titled "Your Move", was released as a single in 1971 which peaked at number 40 in the US, which helped the group build momentum. [4] The second part is entitled "All Good People".

Contents

The tune uses chess as a lyrical, if incoherent, metaphor for navigating interpersonal relationships, [5] and contains several allusions to the music of John Lennon. It has received positive reviews from several critics and has been considered one of Yes's best-known songs, with AllMusic's Mike DeGagne stating that "the harmonies are resilient from start to finish" and that the track "still stands as one of their most appealing" works. [4] Music critic Robert Christgau has also singled it out for praise. [6]

Lyrics

The first part of the song, "Your Move", alludes to the game of chess as a metaphor for male–female relationships. [5] Examples include the phrases "move me onto any black square", "make the white queen run so fast", and "the goal is for us all to capture only one".

A reference to John Lennon's work is in the lyric "send an instant karma to me", with "Instant Karma!" being a single released by Lennon in 1970. Another reference occurs just before the three-minute mark of the song, in the closing moments of "Your Move", where the chorus of Lennon's song "Give Peace a Chance" is sung by the backing vocalists under the main melody. [7] [8] [9] [10] More generally, Anderson has stated that the line "'cause it's time, it's time in time with your time" was an attempt to say that he would "do anything that is required of me to reach God" and that he wants the listener to feel "in tune and in time with God." [11]

Composition and legacy

In the studio recording on The Yes Album , the song opens with Jon Anderson, Chris Squire and Steve Howe singing the sentence "I've seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I'm on my way" twice a cappella , in three-part harmony. This is followed by a solo intro by Steve Howe on a Portuguese guitar.[ citation needed ] Howe also sometimes plays the solo on a standard acoustic guitar. As the Portuguese guitar begins a repeated four-bar phrase, it is joined by bass drum as Anderson resumes singing the lyrics, solo and in three-part harmony. Dual recorders enter on the third verse. Finally, a Hammond organ joins them, playing the same chords as the Portuguese guitar until the first part of the song ends on a loudly sustained and unresolved organ chord.

The second part, "All Good People", consists of many repetitions of the sentence "I've seen all good people turn their heads each day so satisfied I'm on my way" sung to the same melody as before, but over a driving country rock accompaniment, ending in a powerful vocal harmony and organ phrase which begins on a chord progression of E, D, C, G, then A. Each repetition of the verse is one whole step lower than the previous as the song fades out. Anderson has stated that he wanted to have the song develop quietly but then open up into a big grandiose, church organ sound. [11]

The Village Voice critic Robert Christgau called the song a "great cut", being one in which he thought Yes' "arty eclecticism comes together." [6] Record World said that "Your Move" is "very pretty." [12]

The song has been included on several compilation albums, such as 1981's Classic Yes and 2004's The Ultimate Yes , since its initial release on The Yes Album in 1971. It has been performed during many of Yes' concert tours, and appears on many of Yes' live albums. As of 2021, the most recent live album to feature the song is The Royal Affair Tour: Live from Las Vegas , which was recorded in July 2019 and released in October 2020.

Personnel

Yes

Additional musicians

In media

The song is used in the opening scenes of the episode "The Tragedy of the Commons" of the fifth series of Fargo (TV series).[ citation needed ] The song appears on the soundtrack of the film Almost Famous .

Charts

Chart (1971)Peak
position
Australian Singles (Kent Music Report) [14] 32
US Billboard Hot 100 [15] 40

Related Research Articles

<i>Close to the Edge</i> 1972 studio album by Yes

Close to the Edge is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 8 September 1972 by Atlantic Records, and is their last album of the 1970s to feature their original drummer Bill Bruford. After scoring a commercial and critical hit with Fragile and touring the album, Yes regrouped to prepare material for a follow-up, ideas for which had been put down some months before. The album's centrepiece is the 18-minute title track, with themes and lyrics inspired by the Herman Hesse novel Siddhartha. Side two contains two non-conceptual tracks, the folk-inspired "And You and I" and the comparatively straightforward rocker "Siberian Khatru". Bruford found the album particularly laborious to make, which culminated in his decision to quit the band after it was recorded to join fellow English progressive rock band King Crimson.

<i>The Yes Album</i> 1971 studio album by Yes

The Yes Album is the third studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 19 February 1971 by Atlantic Records. It was the band's first album to feature guitarist Steve Howe, who replaced Peter Banks in 1970, as well as their last to feature keyboardist Tony Kaye until 1983's 90125.

<i>Going for the One</i> 1977 studio album by Yes

Going for the One is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 15 July 1977 by Atlantic Records. After taking a break in activity in 1975 for each member to release a solo album, and their 1976 tour of the United States and Canada, the band relocated to Montreux, Switzerland to record their next studio album. During rehearsals, keyboardist Patrick Moraz left the group, which marked the return of Rick Wakeman who had left to pursue a solo career after differences surrounding Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973). In a departure from their previous albums, Going for the One, with the exception of the fifteen-minute "Awaken", features shorter and more direct songs without an overarching concept, and saw Yes record with new engineering personnel and cover artists.

<i>Open Your Eyes</i> (Yes album) 1997 studio album by Yes

Open Your Eyes is the seventeenth studio album by the English rock band Yes, released in November 1997 by Eagle Records in the UK and by Beyond Music in the US. Following the 1996 revival of the 1970s "classic" line-up of Yes, the band's relationship with management had broken down and keyboardist Rick Wakeman had once again left the band. While various other members dispersed, guitarist, keyboardist, and producer Billy Sherwood began developing new songs with band bassist and de facto leader Chris Squire to prevent the band from losing momentum and fully splitting. Yes' new management company suggested adding a couple of songs originally written for Squire and Sherwood's other band Conspiracy to help build up material for a new Yes studio album. With the writing and production sessions dominated by Squire and Sherwood, and with singer Jon Anderson, guitarist Steve Howe and drummer Alan White only involved later in the process, the writing and creative input of the latter three members was limited.

<i>The Ladder</i> (Yes album) 1999 studio album by Yes

The Ladder is the eighteenth studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in September 1999 on Eagle Records. It is their only studio album recorded with six full time members and their last with keyboardist Igor Khoroshev and with guitarist Billy Sherwood for 22 years.

<i>The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection</i> 2003 box set by Yes

The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection is a compilation album by the English progressive rock band Yes. It was originally released on 2 CDs on 28 July 2003 by Warner Music in the United Kingdom. A 3 CD edition with additional material, including new recordings from October 2003, was released in the US on 27 January 2004 by Rhino Records.

"Starship Trooper" is a song written by British musicians Jon Anderson, Steve Howe and Chris Squire, which first appeared on Yes' 1971 album The Yes Album. The song is in three parts, "Life Seeker", "Disillusion" and "Würm". "Life Seeker" was released as a single on the B-side of the UK release of "Your Move".

"Close to the Edge" is a song by the English progressive rock band Yes, featured on their fifth studio album Close to the Edge (1972). The song is over 18 minutes in length and takes up the entire first side of the album. It consists of four movements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">And You and I</span> 1972 single by Yes

"And You and I" is the second track from the album Close to the Edge by the English progressive rock band Yes. The song is just over ten minutes in length and consists of four movements. The first and second parts of the song were released as a single edit and reached number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Siberian Khatru" is the third song on the album Close to the Edge by English progressive rock band Yes. Live versions of the song are included on the albums Yessongs, Keys to Ascension, Live at Montreux 2003 and In the Present – Live from Lyon. Multiple performances of the song are included on the 2015 boxed-set Progeny: Seven Shows from Seventy-Two, which features seven complete consecutive concerts recorded on the band's late 1972 North American tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roundabout (Yes song)</span> Single by Yes

"Roundabout" is a song by the English progressive rock band Yes from their fourth studio album Fragile, released in November 1971. It was written by singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe and produced by the band and Eddy Offord. The song originated when the band were on tour and travelled from Aberdeen to Glasgow, and went through many roundabouts on the way.

<i>Live at Montreux 2003</i> 2007 live album by Yes

Live at Montreux 2003 is a 2007 live album and video from the English progressive rock band Yes. It is a live recording of the group's headlining concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival on 14 July 2003. The performance was filmed and is also available on DVD/Blu-ray.

<i>Symphonic Live</i> 2002 video / live album by Yes

Symphonic Live is a video and live album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on DVD and a single CD on 18 June 2002 by Eagle Vision and subsequently on two CDs and on Blu-ray by Eagle Records. The album documents the group's performance at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam on 22 November 2001 during their Yessymphonic Tour, supporting their nineteenth studio album Magnification, which also featured an orchestra. The tour featured Yes performing on stage with an orchestra; Symphonic Live features the European Festival Orchestra conducted by Wilheilm Keitel.

<i>Songs from Tsongas</i> 2005 live album by Yes

Songs from Tsongas: 35th Anniversary Concert is a live video and album by the English rock band Yes, released on DVD in 2005 and CD and Blu-ray in 2014 by Image Entertainment. It was recorded at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts on 15 May 2004 during the band's 2004 tour in celebration of their 35th anniversary. It is the band's last live album to feature original singer Jon Anderson.

<i>Symphonic Music of Yes</i> 1993 studio album by London Philharmonic Orchestra

Symphonic Music of Yes is a 1993 album by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, covering songs of the progressive rock band Yes, with the English Chamber Orchestra and the London Community Gospel Choir. The arrangements were by Dee Palmer. Playing on the album were Yes guitarist Steve Howe and Yes drummer Bill Bruford. Some tracks also featured Yes vocalist Jon Anderson and featured the ABWH additional keyboardist Julian Colbeck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yours Is No Disgrace</span> 1971 single by Yes

"Yours Is No Disgrace" is a song by English progressive rock band Yes, which first appeared as the opening song of their 1971 album The Yes Album. It was written by all five members of the band: Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Tony Kaye and Bill Bruford. The song was also released as a single in Italy and the Netherlands. The song has been a regular feature of Yes' live shows. It has also appeared on many live and compilation albums, including Yessongs, Classic Yes and Yesstory.

<i>House of Yes: Live from House of Blues</i> 2000 live album by Yes

House of Yes: Live from House of Blues is a live album and video by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 25 September 2000 by Eagle Records in the United Kingdom and by Beyond Music in the United States. It is a recording of the band's performance at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on 31 October 1999 during their world tour supporting their eighteenth studio album The Ladder. By the time of the album's release, guitarist Billy Sherwood and keyboardist Igor Khoroshev were already out of the band, reducing Yes to a four-piece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wonderous Stories</span> Song by the English progressive rock band Yes

"Wonderous Stories" is a song by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in September 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.

<i>The Steven Wilson Remixes</i> 2018 box set by Yes

The Steven Wilson Remixes is a box set by the English progressive rock band Yes. Released on 29 June 2018, it compiles remixed versions of five of the band's albums—The Yes Album (1971), Fragile (1971), Close to the Edge (1972), Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973), and Relayer (1974)—overseen by Steven Wilson.

References

  1. ↑ "The Best Song on Every Yes Album". Ultimate Classic Rock. December 19, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  2. ↑ Smith, Bradley (1997). The Billboard Guide to Progressive Music. Billboard Books. p. 249. ISBN   9780823076659. The 7-minute 'I've Seen All Good People' is a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young-like hippie folk rock anthem led by acoustic guitar.
  3. ↑ Welch, Chris (2003). Close to the Edge: The Story of Yes (2 ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 293. ISBN   0-7119-9509-5.
  4. 1 2 DeGagne, Mike. "I've Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People - Yes | Song Info". AllMusic . Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Martin, B. (1998). Listening to the Future: The Time of Progressive Rock, 1968-1978. Open Court Publishing. p. 200. ISBN   9780812693683.
  6. 1 2 Christgau, R. "Yes". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 2014-08-16.
  7. ↑ "John Anderson, Former Yes Frontman, Pays Tribute to John Lennon in California". Archived from the original on 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2011-03-09.
  8. ↑ Womack, Kenneth (2014). The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four [2 volumes]: Everything Fab Four. ABC-CLIO. p. 325. ISBN   978-0-313-39172-9.
  9. ↑ Martin, Bill Jr. (2015). Music of Yes: Structure and Vision in Progressive Rock. Open Court Publishing Company. p. 80. ISBN   978-0-8126-9945-6.
  10. ↑ Shea, Stuart; Rodriguez, Robert (2007). Fab Four FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Beatles ... and More!. Hal Leonard. p. 320. ISBN   978-1-4234-2138-2.
  11. 1 2 Yes (1996). Yesstories: Yes In Their Own Words. MacMillan. ISBN   9780312144531.
  12. ↑ "Single Product" (PDF). Record World. August 28, 1971. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  13. ↑ Hurwitz, Matt (January 5, 2018). "Classic Tracks: Yes". Mix Online . Retrieved March 24, 2019.
  14. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 19. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  15. ↑ "Yes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.