White Car

The Zoo Crew is spinning the hauntingly brief "White Car" by Yes from their 1980 album Drama, a track that’s as enigmatic as it is fleeting. Clocking in at just 1:22, the song was crafted by Geoff Downes, who used a Fairlight CMI synthesizer to simulate an orchestral sound. Downes recorded it in a single afternoon during the Drama sessions, experimenting with the then-cutting-edge digital sampler’s “crunch factor” due to its narrow bandwidth. He layered a vocoder and Trevor Horn’s vocals, creating a dreamy, atmospheric interlude. Fans on Reddit have noted its role as a soothing breather after the intense “Machine Messiah,” though many lament its abrupt end, wishing for a longer exploration of its ethereal vibe. Intriguingly, during the Drama tour, Downes transformed this short piece into a sprawling 20-minute live suite, turning a studio experiment into an epic prog moment, as shared on SongMeanings. The lyrics, evoking a ghostly figure in a white car, are deliberately ambiguous, with fans debating whether it’s a symbolic mystery or simply an abstract image, adding to its cult allure among Zoo Freaks.

Yes formed in London in 1968, born from the creative spark of vocalist Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire. The two met at a Soho nightclub, bonding over their love for harmony-driven bands like Simon & Garfunkel and complex rock like The Beatles. Anderson, a former milkman with a knack for soaring vocals, and Squire, a choirboy-turned-bassist, recruited drummer Bill Bruford, keyboardist Tony Kaye, and guitarist Peter Banks to complete the lineup. Their early gigs in clubs like the Marquee showcased a blend of original songs and inventive covers of rock, pop, blues, and jazz, as detailed on their Wikipedia page. Their self-titled debut in 1969 and Time and a Word in 1970 laid the groundwork, but it was the arrival of guitarist Steve Howe and later keyboardist Rick Wakeman that propelled Yes into progressive rock stardom with albums like Fragile (1972) and Close to the Edge (1972). Their intricate compositions and virtuosic musicianship, paired with Roger Dean’s iconic artwork, cemented their legacy as prog pioneers.

You can keep up with Yes through their vibrant online presence. Their official website, yesworld.com, offers tour dates, discography, and news, including details on their recent Close to the Edge Super Deluxe Edition. On Facebook, their official page boasts over 844,000 likes, sharing updates and nostalgic posts about their 50-year career. Their Instagram, @yesofficial, features tour photos and archival gems, while their X account, @yesofficial, engages fans with real-time updates. For Zoo Freaks looking to dive deeper, fan communities thrive online. The r/yesband subreddit is a hub for discussions, with threads dissecting tracks like “White Car.” Fan sites like ProgArchives offer detailed discographies and reviews, while Facebook groups like YesFans connect devotees sharing concert memories and trivia, perfect for any Zoo Crew listener hooked on Yes’s progressive legacy.