Peter Banks is the stage name of Peter Brockbanks (April 8, 1947—). He was the original guitarist of the progressive rock band Yes. A stage name, or a screen name for movie stars, is a pseudonym used by performers and actors. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A guitar is a stringed musical instrument. ... Progressive rock (shortened to prog, or prog rock when differentiating from other progressive genres) is an ambitious, eclectic, and often grandiose style of rock music which arose in the late 1960s, reached the peak of its popularity in the early 1970s, and continues as a musical form to this day. ... Yes in concert in Indianapolis in 1977 (left to right, Steve Howe, Alan White, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman) The popular music group Yes is a progressive rock band that formed in London in 1968. ...

Peter Brockbanks was born in England. When he was a young boy, his father bought him a cheap acoustic guitar, and Pete showed unsuspected devotion and ability with the instrument. As a teenager, he also learned how to play the banjo. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Inter. ... An acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the Classical guitar, but generally strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. ... Old 6-string zither banjo 4-string banjos The banjo, derived from the banjar, is a stringed instrument of American origins, sometimes called the gourd banjo. The banjar, in turn was based on the African akonting. Some etymologists derive it from a dialectal pronunciation of bandore, though recent research suggests...

Early career

In 1966, shortening his last name to Banks, he and Chris Squire decided to form a rock band, The Syn, with their friends Clive Bailey (rhythm guitar), who would later be the co-composer of Yes' first single, and Andrew Jackman (keyboards), who in later years became an orchestral arranger for some Yes and Squire records. The Syn only lasted until 1967, but the group released two singles. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... Chris Squire performing in concert with Yes in 1977 Christopher Russell Edward Squire (born March 4, 1948), better known as Chris Squire is the bassist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes, and is the only member of the group to appear on every album (co-founder Jon... Rock group (or later rock band) is a generic name to describe a group of musicians specializing in a particular form of electronically amplified music. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1968 Peter played briefly with the band Neat Change, recording one single, but the London rock scenery wasn't too big in those days and so he found playing again with Squire in a new group, Mabel Greer's Toyshop, whose singer was Jon Anderson. Prior to Pete Banks joining the band, Squire and Anderson had recruited a keyboardist named Tony Kaye and an unknown drummer, Bill Bruford, an aspiring jazz musician. Banks suited perfectly to the mix and they all played some gigs together. 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Jon Anderson performing in concert with Yes in 1977 Jon Anderson (born October 25, 1944) is a British musician, the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes. ... Tony Kaye (born January 11, 1946) was born in England with the name Anthony John Selridge (some mistaken authors spell it Selvidge). Early years Kaye was only four years-old when he started to receive piano lessons. ... Bill Bruford William Scott Bruford (born May 17, 1948 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England), better known as Bill Bruford, is an influential drummer known for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. ... Jazz master Louis Armstrong remains one of the most loved and best known of all jazz musicians. ...

Career with Yes

This was the embryo of a new definite band, so the members searched for an appropriate name. It was then that Peter suggested they called the group "Yes", a very short and positive word. All parts agreed that the name was not meant to be permanent, but just a temporary solution. 36 years later, the name remains Yes.

Atlantic Records took notice of the band and, in 1969, signed the band and rushed them into a studio to record their first album, named simply Yes. The next year another album was in progress ("Time and a Word") but Jon and Chris decided they wanted an orchestra backing the five musicians. The idea was not well received by Banks, and things got only worse when the orchestral arrangements left the guitarist, as well as keyboardist Tony Kaye, with little to do (fiddles replaced almost note-for-note the guitar licks and parts Pete elaborated in the rehearsals). Once the album was released, Pete left the group after a few shows. Some sources say that it was Anderson who, tired of Banks reservations about the orchestra, accused the guitar player of being "indulgent" in the last recording sessions and shows. Another (coincidental) motive for Banks quitting the group was that Squire, Anderson and Bruford were not happy enough with their manager, Roy Flynn, a man who trusted the group and helped it to gain a record contract. Kaye kept a shy defense of Flynn, but Banks felt that releasing their manager was an act of betrayal and announced he too was leaving. Flynn and Banks kept a long and collaborative friendship since then. Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is a record label founded in 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson, principally as a R&B label. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... The violin is a stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a fifth apart. ...

Work with other bands

After leaving Yes, and while looking for some musical project to come his way, Banks supported the band Blodwyn Pig for a brief period in late 1970 and guested as session musician in an album by Chris Harwood. In 1971 he formed Flash, a group whose original keyboard player was Tony Kaye, and sessions began for a first album. The record appeared in 1972 (called simply Flash, in true Yes one-word style) and had a warm reception. Kaye left the group some months later, and Banks took the dual role of guitarist and keyboardist. Without losing momentum, Flash recorded and released its second album ("In the Can") in November that same year; and the third ("Out of Our Hands") in 1973. 1971 (MCMLXXI) is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... See also: 1972 in music, other events of 1973, 1974 in music, 1970s in music and the list of years in music // Events January-February January 9 - Mick Jaggers request for a Japanese visa is rejected on account of a 1969 drug bust, putting an abrupt end to The...

Parallel to that, Banks and guitarist Jan Akkerman (of Focus fame) became friends and started to play and record together, privately, since 1972, for a joint album. Banks also played in an album by Roger Ruskin Spear in that time. In 1973, not long after the third and final Flash release, Banks edited "Two Sides of Peter Banks" (a clever reference to both personality and vinyl records), with an impressive array of guest musicians: Akkerman, bassist Jon Wetton, drummer Phil Collins, guitarist Steve Hackett and fellow Flash members Ray Bennett and Mike Hough. Jan Akkerman (24 December 1946) is a Dutch guitarist. ... Focus was a Dutch progressive rock band of the 1970s. ... Roger Ruskin Spear, the son of Ruskin Spear, was a founder member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, staying with it until its end. ... Phil Collins on the May 1983 cover of Rolling Stone. ... Steve Hackett (born February 12, 1950) is a musician and virtuoso guitar player. ...

Trying to form a new version of his last group (a "Flash Mark II" as he said once), Banks recruited musicians and fell in love with singer Sydney Foxx, who soon became Banks' wife. As Empire, the group recorded three albums until 1980, none of which saw the light of day until the mid-1990s. Eventually Banks and Foxx divorced and went separate ways. The 1990s refers to the years 1990 to 1999; the last decade of the 20th Century. ...

Later work

The only released work of Peter Banks in the second half of the 1970s were a number of sparse session appearances in albums by the likes of Lonnie Donnegan (in his 1977 comeback record) and Jakob Magnusson (1979). In 1981, another recording by Empire appeared, but it is possibly what some call "a semi-official bootleg". Banks did a surprise brief apparition some time later in "Romeo Unchained", a 1986 album by Tonio K. The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... See also: 1976 in music, other events of 1977, 1978 in music, 1970s in music and the list of years in music // Events In this year, the St. ... See also: 1978 in music, other events of 1979, 1980 in music, 1970s in music and the list of years in music // Events Disco reigned supreme in 1979, with several #1 hits from The Bee Gees and Donna Summer that year. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... See also: 1985 in music, other events of 1986, 1987 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 23 - The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee...

In 1993, Banks released "Instinct", a solo album of instrumental tracks with him playing all the parts. Only a keyboard player joined him in his next album, "Self Contained" (1995), which confirmed Peter Banks as a true solo musician. In 1997, Peter was mainly responsible for the release of a double-live set called "Something's Coming" (in the UK, being renamed "Beyond and Before" in the US), a collection of Yes appearances in the BBC during 1969 and 1970, featuring the original lineup in all tracks and with a booklet containing the guitarist appreciation of those early days. See also: 1992 in music, other events of 1993, 1994 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 8 - The U.S. Postal service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. ... See also: 1994 in music, other events of 1995, 1996 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 18 - Jerry Garcia wrecks his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California. ... See also: 1996 in music, other events of 1997, 1998 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 9 - David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert (the day after his birthday) at Madison Square Garden, with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Another buried treasure that saw the light was "Psychosync", a live Flash recording made in 1973 for the King Biscuit Flower Hour and released 25 years later (in 1998). Also, between 1995 and 1997 all three Empire albums were released at last (one per year). Banks also collaborated in 1995's "Tales From Yesterday" performing a solo version of the song "Astral Traveller", appeared on the album "Big Beats" in 1997 and played on 1999's "Encores, Legends and Paradox", an ELP tribute album. He also lend a (guitar) hand to 1999's "Come Together People of Funk", an EP by Funky Monkey. (Funky Monkey includes keyboardist Gerard Johnson who helped on a number of Banks' projects in the 1990s.) See also: 1998 in music, 1999 in British music, other events of 1999, 2000 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 7 After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation. ... ELP can also stand for Extra Long Play, a format for the VCR tape. ... The 1990s refers to the years 1990 to 1999; the last decade of the 20th Century. ...

Those collaborations filled the gap in his own recording career, until 1999, when the album Reduction appeared with similar style as his prior ones. In 2000, he put out a collection of his oldest recordings (all previously unreleased) called "Can I Play You Something?". The front sleeve of this last record showed an eight year-old Peter posing with his very first guitar. The track listing includes some early recordings by The Syn, Mabel's Greer Toyshop, and Yes, including an early rendition of the song "Beyond and Before". This article is about the year 2000. ...

A short track in the latter collection is called "Lima Loop". This is because Lima, the capital of Peru, became a special place for Pete in recent years. A Peruvian girl who was a Yes fan moved to the US many years before. Chatting on the internet, she contacted Peter, and they began a cyber-friendship that ultimately led to their wedding. They married in Lima, where the bride's parents live, and Peter stayed in Peru for some months in 1999, being present when Yes played in Peru for the first (and only) time. The couple are currently living in England. This article is about Lima, Peru. ...

Most recent work

Since 1998, there are plenty of rumours about Peter Banks having (secretly) rehearsed and recorded with Geoff Downes both in duo projects as well as some Asia sessions. None of this have been confirmed, except for a brief presentation Peter and Geoff gave together to Yes fans in the 1998 edition of Yestival (a Yes fan festival with many members or ex-members of the band attending). Musically, Mr. Banks had even appeared in small concerts by new young local bands of his liking, specially one Yes tribute band. 1998(MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Geoffrey Downes (born August 25, 1952 in Stockport, England) is an English rock keyboard player. ... Original Asia lineup, from left to right: John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes, and Steve Howe. ...

Recent collaborations include "Jabberwocky" (2000) and "Hound of the Baskervilles" (2002), a pair of albums recorded by Oliver Wakeman (Rick Wakeman's son) and Clive Nolan. Jabberwocky or ykcowrebbaJ is a poem (of nonsense verse) found in Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll. ... Oliver Wakeman is a keyboardist and second son of Rick Wakeman. ... Rick Wakeman performing on stage with Yes in the 1970s Rick Wakeman (born May 18, 1949 as Richard Christopher Wakeman) is a British progressive rock keyboard player. ... Jabberwocky: album by Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman. ...

Yes in concert in Indianapolis in 1977 (left to right, Steve Howe, Alan White, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman) Yes is a progressive rock band that formed in London in 1968. ... Jon Anderson performing in concert with Yes in 1977 Jon Anderson (born October 25, 1944) is a British musician, the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes. ... Chris Squire performing in concert with Yes in 1977 Christopher Russell Edward Squire (born March 4, 1948), better known as Chris Squire is the bassist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes, and is the only member of the group to appear on every album (co-founder Jon... Steve Howe performing for Yes in 1977 Stephen James Howe (b. ... Rick Wakeman performing on stage with Yes in the 1970s Rick Wakeman (born May 18, 1949 as Richard Christopher Wakeman) is a British progressive rock keyboard player. ... Alan White (born June 14, 1949) is a rock and roll drummer best known for his thirty years of work with the progressive rock band Yes. ... Tony Kaye (born January 11, 1946) was born in England with the name Anthony John Selridge (some mistaken authors spell it Selvidge). Early years Kaye was only four years-old when he started to receive piano lessons. ... Bill Bruford William Scott Bruford (born May 17, 1948 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England), better known as Bill Bruford, is an influential drummer known for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. ... Patrick Moraz (born June 24, 1948 in Morges, Switzerland) is a progressive rock keyboard player. ... Geoffrey Downes (born August 25, 1952 in Stockport, England) is an English rock keyboard player. ... Trevor Horn, born July 15, 1949 in Leicester, England, is a pop music producer and musician. ... Trevor Rabin (born Trevor Charles Rabin on January 13, 1954) is a South African guitarist and film composer, best known for being the guitarist and writer for the band Yes from 1983 - 1995, and since then, as a film composer. ... William Billy Wyman Sherwood (born March 14, 1965), is a musician, record producer, and engineer. ... Igor Khoroshev (born July 14, 1965 in Moscow, Russia), is a musician best known as the keyboards player of Yes from 1998 to 2000 for their albums The Ladder and House of Yes: Live From the House of Blues. ... Yes is the 1969 debut album by the classic progressive rock band Yes. ... Time And A Word was the second album by progressive rock band Yes, released in mid-1970 in the UK (the groups home country) and November 1970 in the US. This was the last Yes album to feature the groups original line-up of Jon Anderson (vocals), Chris... The Yes Album is the third album by British progressive rock band Yes. ... Fragile is the fourth album by British progressive rock band Yes. ... Close to the Edge is the fifth album by British progressive rock band Yes. ... Tales From Topographic Oceans is a double album by British progressive rock band Yes released on Atlantic Records in December 1973 worldwide and early January 1974 in North America. ... Relayer is the eighth album by the progressive rock band Yes. ... Going for the One is the tenth album by British progressive rock band Yes. ... Tormato is the eleventh album by British progressive rock group Yes. ... Drama is the twelfth album by British progressive rock group Yes. ... 90125 is a rock album by Yes released in 1983. ... Big Generator is the twelfth studio album by band Yes. ... Union is an album by British progressive rock band Yes, released in 1991 . ... Talk is an album by progressive rock band Yes and was released in 1994. ... Open Your Eyes is an album by progressive rock band Yes and was released in 1997. ... The Ladder is an album by progressive rock band Yes and was released in 1999. ... Magnification is an album by progressive rock band Yes and was released in 2001. ... Escape Arrival Awakening Pathways Yessongs (1973) was the first live album by the British progressive rock group Yes. ... Yesshows is the twelfth album by British progressive rock group Yes, and their second live package. ... The painting Arches Mist, as featured in the liner notes Keys to Ascension (1996) is an album by the British progressive rock group Yes. ... slipcase booklet Keys to Ascension 2 (1997) is an album by the progressive rock group Yes. ... Yesterdays (1975) is a compilation album by the British progressive rock band Yes. ... Classic Yes is the second compilation album by British progressive rock group Yes. ... Yesstory is a double CD distillation of career-spanning material by progressive rock band Yes that had originally appeared on the 1991 box set Yesyears. ... Yes Remixes is a remix album by progressive rock band Yes and was released in 2003. ... Yesyears is a box set of career-spanning material by progressive rock band Yes and was released in 1991. ... The Word Is Live is a 3-CD set of a collection of live tracks from various times in Yes history. ...