The story behind the record cover - Going for the one (1977) - YES
Rotterdam has another new skyscraper: the Zalmhaventoren. At a dazzling height of 215 meters, it is the tallest residential tower in the Netherlands. Standing in front of such a modern tower, suddenly I get the irrevocable urge to take off my clothes. This has everything to do with my musical past. I was, no I am, an avid Yes fan and the cover of the album "Going For The One" has burned itself onto my retina. Naked man stands in front of the Century Plaza Towers in Los Angeles. So far, sense has prevailed and kept me from undressing. But I look forward to my dementia with great anxiety. What's also stopping me is that I don't look like the person on the cover. I don't have broad shoulders.
The album dates from the period when prog rock music was in danger of extinction. Yes wanted to take a different approach with "Going for the One". A fresher sound, no more endless songs and no more covers by artist Roger Dean. Yes ended up with the most famous design agency from the 1970s, Hypgnosis; what band didn't? Designer Aubrey Powell suggested the idea of Century Plaza Towers with a naked man in front. Powell had just returned from photo shoots with ex-Beatle Paul McCartney in America and had been impressed by the skyscrapers in Los Angeles. Vocalist Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe, in particular, had bad feelings about the proposal. They were mainly concerned with a spiritual world and skyscrapers didn't fit in. Powell sensed this and put some colored lines on the design that indicated the `spiritual energy points` in the naked body. Anderson and Howe immediately subscribed to the idea. Then the record company proved difficult. A naked man on the cover. Would that go down well in America? Hypgnosis and Yes kept their backs straight.
A triple gatefold cover rolled off the printing presses. Yes fans raved about the cover as well as the music with beautiful songs such as 'Wonderous Stories', 'Turn of the Century' and 'Awaken'. And above all: keyboardist Rick Wakeman was back in the band. His return had everything to do with friction between Swiss Patrick Moraz, who had succeeded him, and the rest of the band. Yes, on Moraz's advice, went to Switzerland to record "Going for the One" also because of the favorable tax climate. The English band members liked the idea, somewhere up in the mountains. First a little skiing and relaxing and getting into the studio later in the afternoon. Moraz, on the other hand, worked hard. Once in the recording studio, the Brits rejected Moraz's musical ideas. An endless amount of material was recorded, but it never actually evolved into an album. "A festival of ego-tripping," Moraz called these studio discussions.
The English also missed the specific humor of their old friend and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, whose voice was often the deciding factor during discussions. Manager Brian Lane approached Wakeman. So did bassist Chris Squire; he promised Wakeman to kick out Moraz. Before Wakeman could say yes, the news had already reached music newspaper Melody Maker. With Wakeman back on board, recordings for "Going for the One" were finished in no time. Moraz was furious. He claimed that many of the compositions were his. "Listen to my solo albums from that time," he said regularly. But Moraz was quickly forgotten by the fans, who embraced prodigal son Rick Wakeman. Released from my parental home, I played "Going for the One" until it wore out, in my student digs in Almelo. With eight friends we traveled to Rotterdam to the Ahoy venue in Rotterdam for the "Going for the One" show, in a rented VW van. I was wearing my self-knitted white sweater, which drummer Alan White also wears on the inside of the cover. And, of course, hair down to my shoulders.
The show started three hours late, because extreme left-wing German terrorist group RAF (Rote Armee Fraktion) had carried out an attack in Germany. Trucks and crew of Yes were therefore stuck at the Dutch border. Fortunately for us, because we got lost with our little van somewhere in Rotterdam. It became one of those shows that you will never forget, with the song 'Awaken' as absolute highlight. With the starry sky in the background and Jon Anderson's harp sounds, you felt as if you yourself were in paradise. You forgot the harsh reality of the horrible attacks that took place in Europe. Now, 45 years later, I would love to go on a city trip to Los Angeles to see the Century Plaza Towers. But something is holding me back. Afraid of losing my mind out there?
By Gerrit-Jan Vrielink
Translation Alex Driessen
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