“It came on the radio. None of us knew it had been edited. We all sat up and said, ‘What’s going on?’”: Yes’ record label hacked an eight-minute track into a three-minute single without telling them. Jon Anderson, for one, couldn’t be happier
In 1972, Yes's record label released an edited three-minute-27-second single version of their eight-minute-29-second track Roundabout without informing the band beforehand, a move that initially shocked the group but ultimately proved pivotal to their commercial success. Singer Jon Anderson has since credited the unsanctioned edit with helping secure the band's future at a time when their prospects were uncertain, calling it one of the best things to happen to them.
The single went on to reach number 13 in the US charts and later won a BMI songwriting award. Anderson made the comments while reflecting on his career after being named Prog God 2016 at the Prog Awards, describing the era as a "dream world" in which he was developing the band's distinctive, classically-influenced compositional structure alongside guitarist Steve Howe.
- Yes's label secretly edited Roundabout into a 3:27 single in 1972
- The unauthorised edit hit US chart number 13 and won a BMI award
- Jon Anderson later called it a turning point for the band