Interviews

Chris Squire from YES talks to Britsound

Interview with Chris Squire, November 2008

Chris Squire was born in Kingsbury, a suburb of northwest London, in England, and was trained in the church choir as a young boy, beginning his musical career in the church's basement, along with his friend Andrew Jackman. In 1964, he was suspended from school for "having long hair", and given money to get a haircut. Instead he went home, used the money for other things, and never returned to school.

Squire's early influences were diverse, ranging from church and choral music to the Merseybeat sounds of the early 1960s. Squire's first musical groups The Selfs, The Syn (both including Jackman), and later, Mabel Greer's Toyshop, would introduce him to his early Yes collaborators Peter Banks and Jon Anderson.

During his first conversation with Anderson, the pair broke the ice by discussing one of their favourite groups, Simon & Garfunkel (Yes later covered the duo's "America") and Squire discovered that he and Anderson were both into vocal groups.

Yes released their first record in 1969, and though the band have had many personnel changes over the years, they have continued to record and tour for nearly 40 years. Squire is the only original member who has remained in the lineup throughout the band's tenure, with Jon Anderson only having been absent on Drama.

Britsound's Ray Ciampi talked with Chris Squire on the eve of Yes' 40th anniversary tour...