In Search Of - XYZ

Two of the biggest rock bands of the 70's were Led Zeppelin and Yes.

Led Zeppelin were the kings of rock in 1980 when their drummer, Jon Bonham died. The band broke up with singer Robert Plant starting a solo career and guitarist Jimmy Page forming The Firm.

Yes broke up at about the same time. Long time Yes singer Jon Anderson left the band before the 1980 Yes album Drama. After Drama, Yes guitarist Steve Howe and Yes keybord player Geoff Downes left Yes to joined the Supergroup Asia.

Throughout the 80's, I had always heard "tales" of a Supergroup that almost was, comprised of ex-members of both Yes and Zeppelin appropriately named XYZ.

Is XYZ fact or fiction?
Did it ever really exist?
Who, exactly was in XYZ?
Most importantly, did XYZ record and any music and does it still exist?

Here are the answers:

XYZ was the proposed name for an abortive supergroup. The name XYZ is taken from eX-Yes-&-Zeppelin as the group consisted of ex-Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, along with ex-Yes members Chris Squire (bass guitar, vocals, keyboards) and Alan White (drums).

Page believed the band needed a strong vocalist and sought out former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant — Plant did attend one XYZ rehearsal in 1981 but decided not to join the group, citing his dislike for complex progressive rock.

Without a commitment from Robert Plant, the project was shelved shortly thereafter.

Since the mid 1990s, a number of bootleg tracks have surfaced, originally recorded by XYZ at Chris Squire's home studio at New Pipers, in Virginia Water, Surrey, during April 1981. They are believed to have been sourced from demo tapes stolen from Jimmy Page's house at Cookham, Berkshire, in 1987.

These consist of four pieces: two instrumentals (the riff from one of which was used on The Firm's "Fortune Hunter"; the other was later incorporated into the 1997 Yes song "Mind Drive"), plus vocal numbers known as "Telephone Secrets" and "And (Do) You Believe It" (The latter track was recorded by Yes in 2001 and released as "Can You Imagine" on Magnification)

Of course I have a bootleg of all four XYZ songs. 2 of the songs are instumentals and Chris Squire sings on the other 2. It is clearly Jimmy Page playing on all 4 songs.

Let me know and I will burn you a copy of this interesting music that represents an interesting time in Rock almost-history.