Trevor Rabin's demo recording of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" which would appear in final form on the 1983 Yes album 90125 with lead vocals by Jon Anderson.
Me too! Although I'm a big fan of Yes, I didn't know this existed! Thanks Tim, and thanks to Trevor for reawakening Yes. Even though it wasn't always accepted by some, I also think Horn and Downs deserve credit for inspiring the others to keep going!
It just reminds you how the key to a great song - as Richard Carpenter said - lies in how it’s arranged. Horn turns what might have become an enormous failure for Yes’ comeback into a #1 hit and their top selling album. Think about how many songs you’ve heard (Yes included) that “could” have been great with some tweaking or reimagining.
This demonstrates the skill of a good producer to sift through the wheat and the chaff to come up with the polished article. Trevor Horn had such an excellent pair of ears. The final product was groundbreaking.
He certainly did! So much so that calling it Yes was only suggested after Jon joined. Rabin was working on tracks with Squire and White for a completely independent project.
this is whats so genius about 90125 era yes. Yeah, Trevor Rabin is a genius in his own right, but lets be honest, The "Yes"ification of the track via Squire's bassline and Jon Anderson's more ethereal, off-center lyrics make this song what it was meant to be. The combination of Trevor Rabin's pop hooks, and Yes' Prog-Rock bonafides are a once in a lifetime thing. So glad we got to experience it.
Yeah, Jon''s wider range opened up possibilities to expand the tune. Rabin's upward hike here in the chorus sounds ridiculously proto-hair metal, it's like the verses of "Livin' on a Prayer" or something - Jon's vocal leap and steady attack on the pitch gives the song a quite different feeling.
I remember when this album came out. I lived in the UK at the time. There was a car stereo manufacturer around at the time called Sparkomatic who gave you a cassette of 90215 free when you bought one in an attempt to fool you into believing that their car stereo that you had just purchased sounded better than it actually was
The last song of 90125 to be recorded, and one Trevor Rabin resisted recording because he thought it would never be a hit. Good call, Trevor Horn, in recognizing its potential.
I think the use of the word 'mending' is a little harsh, don't you think? So much of the original ideas are in the final cut. Trevor Horn certainly put his mark on it. But as the saying goes, "you cant polish a turd, only roll it in glitter". This is by no means a turd! in fact you have to give the utmost credit to Rabin, for it would not have been without him!
@@alienguitarsecrets001 Of course it wouldn't be a song without Trevor Rabin but you can tell from this demo that it was not a hit. Then when you hear all of the contributions from Trevor Horn that's when it became a hit. By the way Steve Vai is a deity of the guitar 🤘
It was a chorus that’s all. The rest of it is pure shit. Trevor Horn and his team saved the day, the song and Yes as a thing. Who would back Trevor Rabin anyway? Most of the Yes fans I’ve met down the years can’t stand him. You know: That Dio/Sabbath thing.
@@muppetrowlf1473 You said your piece. Good for you. You did your trolling for today. Congratulations. Doesn't change my opinion one bit. Now go piss on another parade.
It's weird people complain how bad these recordings are compared to what was released. Duh, no kidding. These are _demos_ by an individual, not finished songs by a full band and producer. These are like sketches an artist makes before beginning to paint or sculpt. Or like watching the first day of practice and comparing it to the Superbowl. Apples and oranges.
@@kimparking1You're absolutely correct that it's how he wanted it to sound, and even though it was more polished and had other instruments, it was still recorded as a demo. I actually really enjoy hearing demos and how songs evolve before they're released. It shows how an outside perspective from a producer can help develop a song.
The builds into the choruses ("don't say you want to travel that way"), the part following the second chorus ("you won't take chances") and the guitar/synth solo following the third chorus almost reminds me of Boston, sound-wise.
As was the style at the time. I’ve earnestly made this same argument regarding Nirvana’s Nevermind LP. To be clear, I’m talking about studio productions that sound inspired by the “Boston Sound”
Yep, the sound of the entire "full band demo" (though it's Rabin on all hands) is somewhere midway between "More Than a Feeling" (Boston), ""Airport" (The Motors) and "The Heat Is On" (Glenn Frey) with new-wave/proto-hair metal guitars added... :) His way of singing "Owner of a lonely HEEEEART" is kinda embarrassing because the upward hike (and distortion) on the last words is so super-early eighties! 😜 Jon changed the feel of those vocal lines completely...
The polished demo sounds like 80s era pop/rock meets new wave meets The Police all mixed with elements of the final version of the song. Very interesting to hear!
The Police surely shaken the reality of Rock and Metal world a lot it seems... they forced all others to step up their game... The Police showed everyone that it was possible to have Pop Catchy music while being technically musically Sophisticated too 🤘🤘🙏
Pretty incredible what happened to this song. It become a really dark but beautiful pop song. It's kind of like when Johnny Cash sings a cover of someone's song it just completely becomes a different song altogether.
Good observation. During the Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe concerts, they would perform a medley of "Time and a Word" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart" that worked really well.
Horn pushed it on the band, changing the lyrics. It went from a simple boy loves girl song to some dystopian bizarre video about the band turning into animals and intimidating a guy to leap off of a building! Freaked me out as a teen!
Rabin says that Horn's input is quite overstated. Rabin gave Horn credit because of him introducing Rabin to the synclavier, and because they were close friends.
It was really Squire and Anderson who gave the song form and way better lyrics. Horn insisted on that, and was the one who tightened it up, seeing it's potential as a single. But it's really the combined genius of everyone involved that made it what it became.
@@putogonzalez9592 Because they were good friends? And he merely suggested the use of the synclavier? I dont think that's accurate. Horn was friends with Squire and his involvement was huge, like most producers.
I have seen other comments with Yes playing this in concert recently that Rabin did very little - this seems evidence to the contrary. This is the basic essentials of the song. Thanks for posting - I will point people here in the future to see what it was like originally.
Rabin once said "All I did was come up with the title "Owner of a Lonely Heart". He was being sarcastic. And so are the others that say the Rabin did little. It's an inside joke. Anderson, Horn and Squire did make important contributions, despite Rabin having a complete song at the start.
@@jeffbeckfreak54 That must have been special. When Rabin joined the band for this album on, that was when Yes had its biggest success in record sales (they had success before this point, but it was huge on this album).
Great, great! the "one way ticket" is sounds the same as in "one way ticket to hell" by Darkness years after. Listen to believe. And the "boston" note from anather commenter is also true. I believe the transformation from this version to the final one shoud be studied in courses for musician and producers.
Now I see exactly what Trevor Horn was talking about when he was citing dreadful "hey baby wanna party rock 'n roll" (or similar) lyrics. I love Rabin and his contributions to Yes and movies a great deal, but there is just no way this would've gotten anywhere without Jon and Horn participating in lyrics and production.
I think it's also worth noting that Squire wrote the Motown style bridge on the final version of the song. I think that really helped lift the song to another level.
@@JoinTheProgress Really? I've seen it described that way sevearl times over the decades. Think about the bassline and the rhythm, it's very Motown sounding.
@@Kohntarkosz I listened again...the bridge...and have no ffng idea what you're talking about. ;p I really don't. Unless Motown now sounds like orchestra-hit electronica (lol).
@@JoinTheProgress You're clearly not listening to the right part of the song. Here, I've cued it up to the bit I'm talking about, that's very much a James Jamerson style bass line Squire is playing here: czcams.com/video/7LLzPPFc21o/video.html
Based on Horn's telling of the story, I would guess that the full band version here is Rabin's original demo, and the acoustic version at the start is actually from later on after the two Trevors had stayed up all night trying to rewrite the verse
Trevor Horn was in trouble with his wife, because she thought Yes was a thing of the past and a waste of his time. So he frantically went through all the demos trying to find something he could make a pop song out of and found this, then begged Yes to make this a hit. The first time Yes ever played to a click track or a drum machine or a metronome of any kind, because Trevor's technique was to use drum machines, and bass sequences to make the song perfect for radio airplay.
The sensibility of parts of it is so pop-like, it's unbelievable. Some very major contributions made no doubt but Anderson and the others absolutely whipped it into shape.
Although I think that the final version is way smoother and overall the better track I really like this version, there´s a certain "rawness" to it that I really enjoy
I too like this a lot and for the same reasons 😀 It's almost like a cover done with mostly conventional instruments of a song that had been programmed 🙂 I also like how many elements were kept for the Yes release, even the cowbell! 😄
Wow - so the song was basically completed by the acoustic demo! Chords/riff, melody, phrasing,feel, "vibe". Great to hear Rabin's excellent singing. Also really enjoying the isolated vox from Jon on the release - i knew he was a virtuoso, but always thought of his voice as quite light in tone. But those isloated vox show he has more low mids and fry than that - guess they got buried under all the falsetto backing vox :)
The main thing that Horn and Anderson contributed were the rewrite of the verses. Apparently, Horn had written one set of lyrics, then when Anderson came on aboard, he changed the words, I think, to the second verse. And Chris Squire wrote the sort of Motown sounding bridge that comes after the second chorus. I think Rabin once claimed that in terms of songwriting, most of what Horn came up with ended up being used. He claimed that the reason Horn was in the byline (and recieves 15% of the royalties) was a thank you for introducing Rabin to the Synclavier. But I'm given to believe Horn was definitely responsible for that skeletal arrangement we hear on the final version of the album. Horn liked the hook, and the verse riff, and that's all that was really kept.
Absolutely nothing without Trevor Horn. Otherwise Yes would have already been using his material. Half the lyrics, the structure, the arrangement and the entire production was Trevor Horn. The fact is the band tried to muscle in and get credits on as much as they could, including still messing with the final mix weeks before release. Luckily the head of Atlantic Records put a stop to their childishness and Trevor’s mix won the day. It’s no good the band taking any credit. I don’t believe them. This polished record was dragged from a mediocre demo with a catchy chorus.
The most surprising thing for me is to learn that keyboard/synth thingy at 1:54 was there all along. Here I was thinking it was improvised in the studio by Tony Kaye...
all this talk about rabin vs horns' contributions. you listen to this demo and you can tell, half of it remained, half didn't make it. horn did an amazing job cutting off the demo fat and turning it into a commercial, flowing, catchy song. he seemed to add a lot to it, not just a lyric - i mean the proof is right here. just listen to the huge gap between the demo and the finished product. this was a total collaboration.
Yeah, totally agree with that! I remember they played his solo stuff all the time in KSHE 95 in St. Louis. Horn and Yes gave Rabin's energy in the direction and structure it needed all along👍
All kudos to Rabin, but surely the acoustic beginning was after the other guys hade made some contributions. The phrasing and lyrics (well, "Move yourself...") are totally different. Just watched Rick Beato's interview with Jon, and he talked about how his contribution was changing the phrasing and lyrics.
A full 90% of the substance of the final song is there in this version. It’s upgraded by adjustments to the arrangement and a big revamp of the technology and sampling, but that’s the work of any producer and his recording engineer. Horn takes way more credit than is due to him.
Horn put all his whiz bangs on what was a good song. Its all there just needed repurposed for Yes...Horn one of the best...major surgery on this tune! Horn heard the hit and song. Amazing.
Rough as hell. Sounds like a Sammy hagar track. But I can hear why Horn saw the potential. Never under estimate the value of a great producer. The YES recording is still one of the best tracks to test a sound system with.
"More than a Feeling" (Boston", Airport" (The Motors and "Snakeskin Cowboy" (Ted Nugent) - with some early 80s powerpop /proto-hair metal guitars added in... 😅
It seems like the first all acoustic part of the track is a later version and the rocked up track afterwards is the one Horne described as the original
I've read the Wikipedia article (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owner_of_a_Lonely_Heart) and listened to this. What a fascinating story. The demo version contains the main hooks of the song, what the others did was make it tasteful. Ooof, just got to the keyboard solo, awful!
Anybody know what this demo was used for? The acoustic version sounds remarkably similar to the final. The cowbell version is pretty harsh though. I think they made a lot of really good choices getting it to the released version.
Trevor was sending this around to record labels to make an album. A guy from Atlantic records thought some of the Yes guys would like the demos, they did, and the rest is history.
@@fenderstratguy the purpose would be to get a record financed, made and marketed. Perhaps get a contract if one hadn't already been procured. Also, there isn't an acoustic version and a cowbell version here. This demo is representative of how Rabin envisioned the final recording: with an acoustic intro before getting heavier
I always considered the chorus the major key part, that was no where found relatively close to what it became on the demo. Just that it was maybe in F.
As a fan of 4 track recording... this makes sense..... chop the guitar chords, voice the general melody... forget about meaning, just get it out, get it "in the can"
As a songwriter and a musician it's amazing how songs "Morph" eventually. To me it's always about the Melody first and Trevor Horn discovered that in the Chorus of this song. I'm sure the other Trevor was pissed off about having his song changed by a producer.
I also love the 4 Track aspect of this music genre called Dungeon Synth... it has a certain rawness and energy on it that I believe comes from the fact of the composer trying to stay limited within the 4 Track range (it's also cool that the artists in this genre also include original Cassette-Tape-sized artwork to accompany their releases...) 🤘
I don't actually believe that this was an early demo recording - the rhythm / intonation of the melody is pretty much identical to the finished article, which is highly unusual. A song will usually go through all kinds of changes before it gets finalized - particularly in a group like Yes. I think he might have recorded this retrospectively, TBH....
In most ways this is better than the original, it's much cleaner, start should be at 1:47 with a few more loops before the vocals and more bass, the ending is better than the final as its a simple fade out of the intro, the vocals are better in demo I think, but the sudden switches to hard rock in the demo are a bit over the top, Trevor didn't need to be there they could have fixed the song easily, its basically 90 percent there already.
Not even Cheap Trick, more like Foreigner, which is weird, because Rabin said Clive Davis rejected the demos he had put forth (including, apparently, this one) and told him to "Write something like Foreigner".
Yep, it sounds like a mixture of a couple of late-seventies/early-80s charting bubblegum pop-power rock bands, with some proto-hair metal guitar added in. Boston, Kansas, the Motors, Boomtown Rats, even Ted Nugent... Very date-stamped. :) The way he sings the critical word HEART - hiking it upwards in that cheesy way and with a tone of distortion - is particularly jarring to me. Jon changed the tone of the chorus completely because he is, frankly, a much more powerful singer with a clearer, more flexible voice.
It’s interesting that the original guitar demo contains many of the song beats that ended up in the final version. And the initial studio demo seems to ignore a lot of those moments. It’s like they just went back to the original demo in some ways. Very cool. So glad they kept working on it and didn’t go with the super pop version
I’m here because Tim Pierce told us to check it out.
And for that I thank him.
Me, too! 😀 And it's sooo much better than Trevor Horn had once rather negatively described it!
Me too! Although I'm a big fan of Yes, I didn't know this existed! Thanks Tim, and thanks to Trevor for reawakening Yes.
Even though it wasn't always accepted by some, I also think Horn and Downs deserve credit for inspiring the others to keep going!
It just reminds you how the key to a great song - as Richard Carpenter said - lies in how it’s arranged. Horn turns what might have become an enormous failure for Yes’ comeback into a #1 hit and their top selling album. Think about how many songs you’ve heard (Yes included) that “could” have been great with some tweaking or reimagining.
The lyrics on the acoustic version are particularly inspiring.
nah.
Damn straight
@@lordybomb wrong
Rodger That!!! 🤘👍🤪😜😂🤣
It's the Louie Louie of the 80's.
This demonstrates the skill of a good producer to sift through the wheat and the chaff to come up with the polished article. Trevor Horn had such an excellent pair of ears. The final product was groundbreaking.
Thank God for having two Trevors at that time
I remember hearing this song back then and being thoroughly impressed by Rabin's contribution to Yes' resurgence.
He certainly did! So much so that calling it Yes was only suggested after Jon joined. Rabin was working on tracks with Squire and White for a completely independent project.
this is whats so genius about 90125 era yes. Yeah, Trevor Rabin is a genius in his own right, but lets be honest, The "Yes"ification of the track via Squire's bassline and Jon Anderson's more ethereal, off-center lyrics make this song what it was meant to be. The combination of Trevor Rabin's pop hooks, and Yes' Prog-Rock bonafides are a once in a lifetime thing. So glad we got to experience it.
Yeah, Jon''s wider range opened up possibilities to expand the tune. Rabin's upward hike here in the chorus sounds ridiculously proto-hair metal, it's like the verses of "Livin' on a Prayer" or something - Jon's vocal leap and steady attack on the pitch gives the song a quite different feeling.
I remember when this album came out. I lived in the UK at the time. There was a car stereo manufacturer around at the time called Sparkomatic who gave you a cassette of 90215 free when you bought one in an attempt to fool you into believing that their car stereo that you had just purchased sounded better than it actually was
The last song of 90125 to be recorded, and one Trevor Rabin resisted recording because he thought it would never be a hit. Good call, Trevor Horn, in recognizing its potential.
Thank you Trevor Horn for mending this into a great song.
I think the use of the word 'mending' is a little harsh, don't you think? So much of the original ideas are in the final cut. Trevor Horn certainly put his mark on it. But as the saying goes, "you cant polish a turd, only roll it in glitter". This is by no means a turd! in fact you have to give the utmost credit to Rabin, for it would not have been without him!
@@alienguitarsecrets001 Of course it wouldn't be a song without Trevor Rabin but you can tell from this demo that it was not a hit. Then when you hear all of the contributions from Trevor Horn that's when it became a hit.
By the way Steve Vai is a deity of the guitar 🤘
It was a chorus that’s all. The rest of it is pure shit. Trevor Horn and his team saved the day, the song and Yes as a thing.
Who would back Trevor Rabin anyway? Most of the Yes fans I’ve met down the years can’t stand him.
You know: That Dio/Sabbath thing.
@@muppetrowlf1473 You said your piece. Good for you. You did your trolling for today. Congratulations. Doesn't change my opinion one bit. Now go piss on another parade.
@@muppetrowlf1473 Yes fan and I love Rabin. I have all of his solo and Rabbitt albums. Great player.
It's weird people complain how bad these recordings are compared to what was released. Duh, no kidding. These are _demos_ by an individual, not finished songs by a full band and producer. These are like sketches an artist makes before beginning to paint or sculpt. Or like watching the first day of practice and comparing it to the Superbowl. Apples and oranges.
++++
Well, a lot of people are pretty stupid.
Second song here was no longer a demo... this is what Rabin wanted it to sound... Horn begged him for almost 6 months to let him change it.
People are morons about this. Demos are sketches at best
@@kimparking1You're absolutely correct that it's how he wanted it to sound, and even though it was more polished and had other instruments, it was still recorded as a demo. I actually really enjoy hearing demos and how songs evolve before they're released. It shows how an outside perspective from a producer can help develop a song.
The builds into the choruses ("don't say you want to travel that way"), the part following the second chorus ("you won't take chances") and the guitar/synth solo following the third chorus almost reminds me of Boston, sound-wise.
As was the style at the time. I’ve earnestly made this same argument regarding Nirvana’s Nevermind LP. To be clear, I’m talking about studio productions that sound inspired by the “Boston Sound”
I hear it…
Yep, the sound of the entire "full band demo" (though it's Rabin on all hands) is somewhere midway between "More Than a Feeling" (Boston), ""Airport" (The Motors) and "The Heat Is On" (Glenn Frey) with new-wave/proto-hair metal guitars added... :)
His way of singing "Owner of a lonely HEEEEART" is kinda embarrassing because the upward hike (and distortion) on the last words is so super-early eighties! 😜 Jon changed the feel of those vocal lines completely...
As a huge fan of the 80's, I totally dig this version! I like the Yes version as well. They're practically two different songs. Love it!
This song cured Bruce Dickinson's fever.
heck this demo is def my guilty pleasure
The polished demo sounds like 80s era pop/rock meets new wave meets The Police all mixed with elements of the final version of the song. Very interesting to hear!
Blinded Me With Science at the beginning.
The Police surely shaken the reality of Rock and Metal world a lot it seems... they forced all others to step up their game... The Police showed everyone that it was possible to have Pop Catchy music while being technically musically Sophisticated too 🤘🤘🙏
and Van Halen too I guess... both from 1978
Pretty incredible what happened to this song. It become a really dark but beautiful pop song. It's kind of like when Johnny Cash sings a cover of someone's song it just completely becomes a different song altogether.
Good observation. During the Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe concerts, they would perform a medley of "Time and a Word" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart" that worked really well.
Horn pushed it on the band, changing the lyrics. It went from a simple boy loves girl song to some dystopian bizarre video about the band turning into animals and intimidating a guy to leap off of a building! Freaked me out as a teen!
once Trevor Horn got his hands on this song, it became a classic
Rabin says that Horn's input is quite overstated. Rabin gave Horn credit because of him introducing Rabin to the synclavier, and because they were close friends.
It was really Squire and Anderson who gave the song form and way better lyrics. Horn insisted on that, and was the one who tightened it up, seeing it's potential as a single. But it's really the combined genius of everyone involved that made it what it became.
@@putogonzalez9592 Because they were good friends? And he merely suggested the use of the synclavier? I dont think that's accurate. Horn was friends with Squire and his involvement was huge, like most producers.
@@putogonzalez9592 True. To be clear it also lined Horn's(as well as Squire's & Anderson's)pockets.
Horn was (is) a great producer.
This is awesome! He’s such an excellent musician all around! Writer, player, producer, wow a lot of talent.
I have seen other comments with Yes playing this in concert recently that Rabin did very little - this seems evidence to the contrary. This is the basic essentials of the song. Thanks for posting - I will point people here in the future to see what it was like originally.
yeah even on the prog Facebook page people blow a lot of poop. It is amazing what people either forget or never knew and act like neither is true HA!
Rabin once said "All I did was come up with the title "Owner of a Lonely Heart". He was being sarcastic. And so are the others that say the Rabin did little. It's an inside joke. Anderson, Horn and Squire did make important contributions, despite Rabin having a complete song at the start.
@Louise X Squire had more input, and Horn. Anderson showed up just in time for vocals.
I saw a live show and Trevor sang it and played all the classic lead solos. His voice sounds like Jon Andersen.
@@jeffbeckfreak54 That must have been special. When Rabin joined the band for this album on, that was when Yes had its biggest success in record sales (they had success before this point, but it was huge on this album).
Great, great! the "one way ticket" is sounds the same as in "one way ticket to hell" by Darkness years after. Listen to believe. And the "boston" note from anather commenter is also true. I believe the transformation from this version to the final one shoud be studied in courses for musician and producers.
Thank god for Trevor Horne.........
Now I see exactly what Trevor Horn was talking about when he was citing dreadful "hey baby wanna party rock 'n roll" (or similar) lyrics. I love Rabin and his contributions to Yes and movies a great deal, but there is just no way this would've gotten anywhere without Jon and Horn participating in lyrics and production.
I think it's also worth noting that Squire wrote the Motown style bridge on the final version of the song. I think that really helped lift the song to another level.
@@Kohntarkosz I've never heard of it referred to as "Motown style," but I'll give it to ya. ;p
@@JoinTheProgress Really? I've seen it described that way sevearl times over the decades. Think about the bassline and the rhythm, it's very Motown sounding.
@@Kohntarkosz I listened again...the bridge...and have no ffng idea what you're talking about. ;p I really don't. Unless Motown now sounds like orchestra-hit electronica (lol).
@@JoinTheProgress You're clearly not listening to the right part of the song. Here, I've cued it up to the bit I'm talking about, that's very much a James Jamerson style bass line Squire is playing here: czcams.com/video/7LLzPPFc21o/video.html
Based on Horn's telling of the story, I would guess that the full band version here is Rabin's original demo, and the acoustic version at the start is actually from later on after the two Trevors had stayed up all night trying to rewrite the verse
This sounds like some weird Rick James/ Foreigner mashup. I think Trevor Horn and Jon Anderson's adjustments were needed to make this good.
Trevor Horn was in trouble with his wife, because she thought Yes was a thing of the past and a waste of his time. So he frantically went through all the demos trying to find something he could make a pop song out of and found this, then begged Yes to make this a hit. The first time Yes ever played to a click track or a drum machine or a metronome of any kind, because Trevor's technique was to use drum machines, and bass sequences to make the song perfect for radio airplay.
Hahaha - you are spot on with that. I didn't quite understand what you meant until about the 1:48 mark.
The sensibility of parts of it is so pop-like, it's unbelievable. Some very major contributions made no doubt but Anderson and the others absolutely whipped it into shape.
Spot on.
Trevor Rabin sang it. I actually didn't know it until I saw them live.
@@jeffbeckfreak54 the studio version?
The recorded version was Jon Anderson
@@adam872 no. It was live and Trevor sounded like Anderson
Thank God for Trevor Horn!
This may be the best example I've even seen as to why an outside producer is a good idea.
Although I think that the final version is way smoother and overall the better track I really like this version, there´s a certain "rawness" to it that I really enjoy
I too like this a lot and for the same reasons 😀 It's almost like a cover done with mostly conventional instruments of a song that had been programmed 🙂 I also like how many elements were kept for the Yes release, even the cowbell! 😄
This could have been a huge hit for Loverboy.
Steve M. Lol!!!
They were busy with 'Pig and Elephant DNA Just Won't Splice!'
@Dennis LOL
... or The Cars! 😀 This so reminds me of some of their earlier stuff 😊
@@mightyV444Damn, now I wanna hear the Cars cover this song. AI creators get on it!
Trevor’s Electric guitar tone is totally, absolutely, perfect classic 80’s!!
Horn's expert ear turned this very average demo into a worldwide smash. 90125 is elite Yes thanks to Trevor's involvement.
more cowbell
Cowbell? Really???
Do you mean you can't hear the cowbell starting at 1:47? I agree, there is certainly not enough. I want to hear more cowbell!
Gotta call Will Ferrell. Ha!
I got a fever! And the only prescription.. is MORE COWBELL!!
@@artknight3683~😆😀😆😀😆😂😂😂
Wow - so the song was basically completed by the acoustic demo! Chords/riff, melody, phrasing,feel, "vibe". Great to hear Rabin's excellent singing. Also really enjoying the isolated vox from Jon on the release - i knew he was a virtuoso, but always thought of his voice as quite light in tone. But those isloated vox show he has more low mids and fry than that - guess they got buried under all the falsetto backing vox :)
The main thing that Horn and Anderson contributed were the rewrite of the verses. Apparently, Horn had written one set of lyrics, then when Anderson came on aboard, he changed the words, I think, to the second verse. And Chris Squire wrote the sort of Motown sounding bridge that comes after the second chorus. I think Rabin once claimed that in terms of songwriting, most of what Horn came up with ended up being used. He claimed that the reason Horn was in the byline (and recieves 15% of the royalties) was a thank you for introducing Rabin to the Synclavier. But I'm given to believe Horn was definitely responsible for that skeletal arrangement we hear on the final version of the album. Horn liked the hook, and the verse riff, and that's all that was really kept.
Absolutely nothing without Trevor Horn. Otherwise Yes would have already been using his material. Half the lyrics, the structure, the arrangement and the entire production was Trevor Horn.
The fact is the band tried to muscle in and get credits on as much as they could, including still messing with the final mix weeks before release.
Luckily the head of Atlantic Records put a stop to their childishness and Trevor’s mix won the day.
It’s no good the band taking any credit. I don’t believe them. This polished record was dragged from a mediocre demo with a catchy chorus.
I love when it goes full "Zapp and Roger" at 1:47
Fascinating! In my "Yes..studio" playlist with their version and two dance remixes. Thanks for the upload!
The most surprising thing for me is to learn that keyboard/synth thingy at 1:54 was there all along. Here I was thinking it was improvised in the studio by Tony Kaye...
Very interesting early rough rendition of what became a monster hit for yes! I like it in all of its roughness.😊
The acoustic version is beautiful. The other version sounds to me like if a New Wave recorded that song!
You mean the version that got on the album???
Well from 0:00 to 1:31, anyways, yes;
That acoustic portion is pretty sweet
That’s not new wave, it’s bad pop. New wave was like Talking Heads, The Cars, Devo, the Police, etc.
@@sub-jec-tiv - It does remind _me_ of The Cars, though! 😆 And I do like them! 😀
@@mattmarkus4868 - No, he means the version that starts at 1:31 🙂
Trevor is a genius.
Ultimate Classic , yes he is!
sttgaegoaktd
which trevor ?
lol
@@cdhill9358 Both of them honestly
That's the same way i write. And man is it a good feeling when you know it's gonna be a kickin ass jam.
I was entertained
all this talk about rabin vs horns' contributions. you listen to this demo and you can tell, half of it remained, half didn't make it. horn did an amazing job cutting off the demo fat and turning it into a commercial, flowing, catchy song. he seemed to add a lot to it, not just a lyric - i mean the proof is right here. just listen to the huge gap between the demo and the finished product. this was a total collaboration.
For some reason, I like Trevor's version more than the finished product!
Excellent!
Fascinating. Thank you for posting it here.
I accidentally typed in 90124 and now here I am! Best typo ever!
The rocked up version sounds like Foreigner.
It does have a Foreigner kind of sound! Pretty cool as I also like Foreigner!
wow, incredible!
Dang on another track someone else said that he sounded like Foreigner and they were right.
Wonderful...
Very interesting demo.
This reminds me a lot of Trevors early solo stuff.
Indeed.
Yeah, totally agree with that! I remember they played his solo stuff all the time in KSHE 95 in St. Louis. Horn and Yes gave Rabin's energy in the direction and structure it needed all along👍
Genio Trevor Rabin!
Thank god Jon fixed this song.
Tim Pierce asked me to check this out!
great to hear that, thanks
The chorus was always there and anyone with ears would know it had hit potential.
All kudos to Rabin, but surely the acoustic beginning was after the other guys hade made some contributions. The phrasing and lyrics (well, "Move yourself...") are totally different.
Just watched Rick Beato's interview with Jon, and he talked about how his contribution was changing the phrasing and lyrics.
A full 90% of the substance of the final song is there in this version. It’s upgraded by adjustments to the arrangement and a big revamp of the technology and sampling, but that’s the work of any producer and his recording engineer. Horn takes way more credit than is due to him.
Completely agree. Trevor just did his job. The bulk of the work of this song was Trevon Rabin.
This is what Owner sounds like when it's in my head.;)
That acoustic demo sounds suspiciously after-the-fact to me.
Kind of sounds like the guy knows the finished record, doesn't it. Hm.
Also Trevor Horn claims to have written some of the melody. So it wasn’t available in the demo
It needs more cow bell!
greta demo for good song
seems a Devo cover lol
I like all of the cowbell, but I feel like it just needs more.
😂
Rabins genius is evident. Horns genius may have been pairing it back to the acoustic version. In either case, both Trevors killed it...
He goes Hall and Oates at 2:00
Yes
80s Hall and Oates .............which was very different from 70s Hall and Oates
@@EclecticHillbilly absolutely and I love both eras! All H&O eras actually! I’m a big fan
Horn put all his whiz bangs on what was a good song. Its all there just needed repurposed for Yes...Horn one of the best...major surgery on this tune! Horn heard the hit and song. Amazing.
I wish Trevor would have put this on the "WOLF" album.
Love the refrain in major
Rough as hell. Sounds like a Sammy hagar track. But I can hear why Horn saw the potential. Never under estimate the value of a great producer. The YES recording is still one of the best tracks to test a sound system with.
Rabin was clearly doing HALL & OATES (with some RICK JAMES!) on this electro-funk version!
"More than a Feeling" (Boston", Airport" (The Motors and "Snakeskin Cowboy" (Ted Nugent) - with some early 80s powerpop /proto-hair metal guitars added in... 😅
I bet Chris/Alan added those two Motown inspired brides
Yep! Chris's awesome bass part in 2nd half of chorus (bridge?) makes the song for me, and Alan played the horn chord stabs on the sampling computer.
Love the Thomas Dolby version 🤣🤣
so glad Trevor (Horn or Rabin) decided to put a killer guitar solo in instead of the key / synth solo
It seems like the first all acoustic part of the track is a later version and the rocked up track afterwards is the one Horne described as the original
More cowbell!
I've read the Wikipedia article (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owner_of_a_Lonely_Heart) and listened to this. What a fascinating story. The demo version contains the main hooks of the song, what the others did was make it tasteful. Ooof, just got to the keyboard solo, awful!
1:50 -- More cowbell!
he has a pretty voice
Move yourself
Duh Nuh Nuh Nuh
Dunn dun Nuhnuh nuh
Anybody know what this demo was used for?
The acoustic version sounds remarkably similar to the final.
The cowbell version is pretty harsh though.
I think they made a lot of really good choices getting it to the released version.
MORE COWBELL!! LOL
Trevor was sending this around to record labels to make an album. A guy from Atlantic records thought some of the Yes guys would like the demos, they did, and the rest is history.
This demo was used as a demo. That's what demos are for.
@@guitarslim56 There is usually a purpose for a demo. What was that purpose?
@@fenderstratguy the purpose would be to get a record financed, made and marketed. Perhaps get a contract if one hadn't already been procured. Also, there isn't an acoustic version and a cowbell version here. This demo is representative of how Rabin envisioned the final recording: with an acoustic intro before getting heavier
I always considered the chorus the major key part, that was no where found relatively close to what it became on the demo. Just that it was maybe in F.
The 90124 album is quite good for YES/ TREVOR completists
well played Mr. Horn
As a fan of 4 track recording... this makes sense..... chop the guitar chords, voice the general melody... forget about meaning, just get it out, get it "in the can"
As a songwriter and a musician it's amazing how songs "Morph" eventually. To me it's always about the Melody first and Trevor Horn discovered that in the Chorus of this song. I'm sure the other Trevor was pissed off about having his song changed by a producer.
I also love the 4 Track aspect of this music genre called Dungeon Synth... it has a certain rawness and energy on it that I believe comes from the fact of the composer trying to stay limited within the 4 Track range (it's also cool that the artists in this genre also include original Cassette-Tape-sized artwork to accompany their releases...) 🤘
I don't actually believe that this was an early demo recording - the rhythm / intonation of the melody is pretty much identical to the finished article, which is highly unusual. A song will usually go through all kinds of changes before it gets finalized - particularly in a group like Yes. I think he might have recorded this retrospectively, TBH....
(The first bit, at least).
I thought it was impossible to find a song I hated more than Owner of a Lonely Heart until I listened to the original demo.
My nose's bleeding...
In most ways this is better than the original, it's much cleaner, start should be at 1:47 with a few more loops before the vocals and more bass, the ending is better than the final as its a simple fade out of the intro, the vocals are better in demo I think, but the sudden switches to hard rock in the demo are a bit over the top, Trevor didn't need to be there they could have fixed the song easily, its basically 90 percent there already.
MORE COWBELL, TREVOR!!!! 😛
This is a half step down from where the song would be released.
For moments sounds like Boston to me (that chord sequence).
I think I like Trevor's version better than the final song! Way more funky and positive -can clearly hear the 80's R&B/synth-pop fusion
Odor of a deadly fart
Doo Dooo Ner Ner Ner Ne Nerrr ;)
The acoustic version sounds closer to the album release than Rabin's produced demo. Maybe the acoustic version is a rewrite in progress.
I have to say it: this demo sounds dreadfully “bubblegum”. It suits more Cheap Trick than Yes. Luckily they developed it further after Jon’s comeback.
Not even Cheap Trick, more like Foreigner, which is weird, because Rabin said Clive Davis rejected the demos he had put forth (including, apparently, this one) and told him to "Write something like Foreigner".
Yep, it sounds like a mixture of a couple of late-seventies/early-80s charting bubblegum pop-power rock bands, with some proto-hair metal guitar added in. Boston, Kansas, the Motors, Boomtown Rats, even Ted Nugent... Very date-stamped. :)
The way he sings the critical word HEART - hiking it upwards in that cheesy way and with a tone of distortion - is particularly jarring to me. Jon changed the tone of the chorus completely because he is, frankly, a much more powerful singer with a clearer, more flexible voice.
Iimma listen to that secon version on my motorcicle
It’s interesting that the original guitar demo contains many of the song beats that ended up in the final version. And the initial studio demo seems to ignore a lot of those moments. It’s like they just went back to the original demo in some ways. Very cool. So glad they kept working on it and didn’t go with the super pop version
I really doubt that the acoustic bit is from the 80's
As cheesy as the dancy version sounds, in early 80's, this was the typical sound of pop music. No wonder they didn't want to call the band YES.
Empirical evidence that Trevor Horn was able to turn shit into platinum