Yes 1969-10-27 Actuel Festival Amougies, Belgium

 

 

Amougies (Belgium), Actuel Festival

27 October 1969

source: audience recording (mono)

And now for the penultimate day of this legendary festival... I'm sure this is one of the most anticipated performances - a rare early performance by Yes, plus bits from the Pretty Things and Sam Apple Pie sets (yes, "bits" is the appropriate word - sorry for these bands' fans !).

Yes fans are in for a treat - sonics aside, this is a really interesting listen. First, with the exception of "Then", they only play covers, including the rare "It's Love" from The Rascals which extensively features Chris Squire on vocals and bass (there is a version with Steve Howe on the recent live boxed set) - and, already at that point, has Anderson quoting the introductory theme to Stravinsky's "Rite Of Spring" (as he again did on "Yessongs"). The climax of the gig, I think, is the very extended "I See You" which has one of those long, wild guitar/drums duets between Banks and Bruford that Banks has referred to repeatedly but here's the first real chance of hearing what it really was like. Of course, Yes went on to make great music, arguably better and more accomplished, but there's a wildness and freedom to their early incarnation that was missing in their later, superstar days.

Lastly, the usual reminder about the sound quality - the tape recorder used was way below modern standards and the sound is nowhere near "professional" quality. This reservation aside, however, this is simply an unbelievable document of a legendary festival, and so our hearfelt thanks to the taper, JJB, for recording this at the time, and for allowing me to seed it here.

(technical note: JJB tells me he remembers using a Grundig tape recorder with LR14 batteries, using 8cm-diameter reels with a 4,75 cm/s recording speed)

Yes

1.01 No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Havens) (4:31)

1.02 Tuning problems (4:17)

1.03 Then (Anderson) (4:55)

1.04 It's Love (Cavaliere/Brigati) (12:56)

1.05 Everydays (Stills) (5:03)

1.06 I See You (McGuinn/Crosby) (12:42)

1.07 Something's Coming (Bernstein/Sondheim) (10:28)

Jon Anderson - lead vocals

Peter Banks - guitar & backing vocals

Tony Kaye - organ

Chris Squire - bass & vocals

Bill Bruford - drums

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Sam Apple Pie

1.08 Unknown (2:05)

1.09 Unknown (1:28)

1.10 Moonlight Man (6:05)

Sam Sampson - vocals & harmonica

Mick Smith - lead guitar

Andy Johnson - slide guitar

Bob Renny - bass

Dave Charles - drums

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Pretty Things

1.11 Soundcheck - Band Intro - Unknown (8:31)

Phil May - vocals

Victor Unitt - guitar

John Povey - keyboards

Wally Allen - bass

'Twink' Alder - drums

 

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