Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
| Company type | Supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Predecessor | Yes (members formerly part of) |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Bill Bruford |
| Defunct | 1990 |
| Fate | Merged back into Yes for the Union album and tour |
| Successor | Yes (eight-member lineup) |
| Headquarters | London , England |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Bill Bruford, Tony Levin |
| Products | Music albums, live albums, video releases |
Number of employees | 5 (main members) (1989) |
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (commonly abbreviated as ABWH) was an English progressive rock group active between 1988 and 1990, formed by four former members of the band Yes. Vocalist Jon Anderson departed from Yes due to his dissatisfaction with their increasingly commercial and pop-oriented style during the 1980s. He joined forces with guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Rick Wakeman, drummer Bill Bruford, and bassist Tony Levin—Bruford’s colleague from King Crimson—to develop new music together.
Their only studio release, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (issued in June 1989), climbed to number 14 on the UK charts and reached number 30 in the United States. The world tour supporting this album during 1989–90 resulted in two live recordings: An Evening of Yes Music Plus (1993) and Live at the NEC – Oct 24th 1989 (2012).
The thirteenth studio album attributed to Yes, titled Union (1991), featured songs originally planned for a second ABWH project combined with tracks from Yes as well as a solo piece by Howe. This collaboration marked the conclusion of ABWH and initiated a unique eight-member formation of Yes, comprising Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe, Chris Squire, Trevor Rabin, Tony Kaye, and Alan White, which remained active until 1992.
Background and formation
In 1983, vocalist Jon Anderson rejoined Yes to record the commercially successful album 90125, which included bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White, keyboardist Tony Kaye, and guitarist Trevor Rabin, who played a leading role in songwriting. Their follow-up album, Big Generator (1987), continued this commercial momentum.
By September 1988, Anderson decided to leave Yes again, expressing frustration with the band's commercial direction and his limited creative role amid internal dynamics involving other members and producer Trevor Horn. During time spent on Hydra collaborating with Vangelis, Anderson conceived the idea of working alongside members from the classic 1971–72 Yes lineup: guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Rick Wakeman, and drummer Bill Bruford. Meanwhile, bassist Chris Squire remained part of the then-current Yes ensemble.
Studio album
Following his return from Hydra, Anderson met with Steve Howe in London, where they exchanged musical concepts including the choruses for "Brother of Mine" and "Birthright". They dedicated five weeks to crafting demos at La Frette Studios in Paris. To enrich the sound, Anderson brought in guitarist Milton McDonald for supplementary parts. Drummer Bruford recalled encountering Anderson, Howe, Wakeman, and former Yes manager Brian Lane at London airport, realizing this was more than just a solo endeavor.
Recording sessions then shifted to AIR Studios in Montserrat for six weeks—a location that Bruford described as pivotal to finalizing the project. During these sessions, Bruford invited his fellow King Crimson musician Tony Levin to contribute bass performances. He highlighted Anderson’s commanding presence throughout recording, contrasting it with previous challenges experienced while working with Yes. The mixing process was completed under Anderson’s direction at Bearsville Studios, assisted by engineers Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero.
The album Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe was released on 20 June 1989 through Arista Records, bearing catalog number AL85-90126. It achieved a peak position of number 14 in the United Kingdom and number 30 in the United States. Additionally, it reached top 30 chart placements in Canada, Switzerland, Germany, France, Norway, and Sweden. The record sold around 750,000 copies worldwide.
Legal dispute and tour
In late May 1989, shortly before the release of their album and the commencement of their tour, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (ABWH) became the subject of a legal challenge initiated by Yes. The lawsuit sought to prohibit ABWH from using the "Yes" name or promoting their concerts with references to Yes material, on grounds that it could mislead the public about which group was the authentic Yes. This action was grounded in a 1984 separation agreement that limited former members' rights to employ the Yes name. Yes accused ABWH of improperly appropriating the name by advertising their shows as "an evening of Yes music plus." On 5 June, ABWH's legal representatives denounced the suit as an effort to obstruct media and audience comparisons. Ultimately, European promoters incorporated the Yes name into promotional posters, resulting in a compromise. Anderson clarified that ABWH never asserted themselves as Yes; rather, it was the record label's marketing decision. In June 1989, a U.S. District Court permitted ABWH to acknowledge their Yes lineage in tour advertising.
The tour was titled An Evening of Yes Music, Plus, with rehearsals conducted at Nomis Studios located in London.
Abandoned second album, integration with Yes, and Union
The album Union emerged from a collaboration between ABWH and Yes, blending tracks originally intended for separate projects. Several compositions planned for ABWH’s shelved sophomore album, provisionally called Dialogue, surfaced on 1990s bootleg recordings such as We Make Believe and the unofficial Yesoteric collection. Additionally, some early Anderson demos without other band members were officially issued later within his The Lost Tapes series under the title Watching the Flags That Fly.
Material from the ABWH album has subsequently been included in various Yes compilations and live setlists.
Personnel
- Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
- Jon Anderson – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion instruments, harp
- Bill Bruford – acoustic and electronic drum kits, percussion
- Rick Wakeman – keyboards
- Steve Howe – electric and acoustic guitars, lap steel guitar, backing vocals
- Supporting musicians
- Tony Levin – bass guitar, Chapman stick, backing vocals (album recordings and European tour)
- Jeff Berlin – bass guitar, backing vocals (U.S. tour substitute following Levin’s illness)
- Milton McDonald – rhythm guitar (album sessions and touring), backing vocals (tour)
- Matt Clifford – keyboards, programming, orchestration, backing vocals (album)
- Julian Colbeck – additional keyboards, backing vocals (tour)
- Deborah Anderson, Tessa Niles, Carol Kenyon, Francis Dunnery, Chris Kimsey – backing vocals (album)
- Emerald Isle Community Singers from Montserrat – backing vocals
- Joe Hammer – percussion programming
Discography and video releases
- Studio albums
- Singles
- "Brother of Mine" / "Themes" (1989) [UK chart position #63]
- "Order of the Universe" / "Fist of Fire" (1989) [UK chart position #93]
- "I'm Alive" / "Let's Pretend" (Germany/USA 1989)
- Live albums
- An Evening of Yes Music Plus (1993)
- Live at the NEC – Oct 24th 1989 (2010)
- Video releases
- In the Big Dream (1989)
- An Evening of Yes Music Plus (1993)
- Music videos
- "Brother of Mine" (1989)
- "Order of the Universe" (1989)
- "I'm Alive" (1989)