Permanent bassist Yes - Chris Squire

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

If we translate the well-known expression "the theater begins with a hanger" into the language of the music industry, it will turn out - "rock begins with the bass". The bass guitar is the foundation on which the keys, vocals, guitar and drums are laid as bricks, forming a single whole of a musical rock composition. Musician Chris Squire, whose biography and work is associated with the legendary band Yes, is truly one of the great bass players.

Biography and facts from personal life

Christopher Russell Edward Squire (1948-04-03 - 2015-27-06) was born in Kingsbury, UK, in a very simple family of a housewife and a taxi driver. From childhood, he sang in the church, then the school choir, and even then his absolute pitch and excellent musical taste were noted. Unlike colleagues who came to music after various colleges and music schools, Chris Squire did not have a musical education, and for the sake of his passion he dropped out of school altogether.

Hewas a fan of the world-famous British four The Beatles, was amazed at the playing of bassist Paul McCartney. Like his idols, Chris grew his hair long, for which the teacher once suspended him from classes and sent him to get a haircut. He took money for a haircut, but never returned to school. At the age of 16, he got a job in a musical instrument store, where he bought his first guitar at a discount. Chris Squire devoted himself completely to endless musical training and the development of a virtuoso game, developed his own individual style.

Since 1965, he has performed in several groups. His first team was the rhythm and blues group The Selfs, then The Syn, Mabel Greer's Toyshop. The real creative ascent began in 1968, when he met John Anderson and they created a joint project Yes.

Musician Chris Squire, whose biography is filled with bright moments, was distinguished by a passion for music. He was constantly late for concerts and tours, the group went without him, and Squire was already catching up along the way. Was seen using drugs, but his first exposure to LSD ended up in a hospital bed from an overdose.

Chris was married three times:

• Nikki Squire (1972 - 1987).
• Melissa Morgan (1993 - 2004).
• Scotland (Scotland) Squire (2005 - 2015)

Has four children, was a caring father and loving husband with a calm disposition.

In June 2015, he was treated for leukemia in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. However, the musician failed to overcome the disease, he died2015-27-06 at the age of 67 years. The farewell memorial service was attended by the entire Squire family, colleagues and many famous musicians.

Creative activity

Chris Squire had an excellent stage temperament, good vocal abilities (he performed the second part of Jon Andersen), amazing playing technique and his own melodic, dynamic, aggressive style of performance. He was the most demanding musician, always striving for accuracy and purity of sound, heard the slightest falseness, clung and found fault, for which he became famous among his colleagues as a person with intelligence, power, musical pressure, was considered "a great musical bore". Chris stayed in the studio the longest, checking every detail.

Yes was his main brainchild. For a long time of existence, there were many disagreements, but Chris always played the role of a link, he was the main support of the team. Fans called him "the keeper of the hearth" for this. Despite his lifelong commitment to Yes (1968 - 2015), he did not set limits for himself. Successfully developed experiments:

• With Led Zeppelin rep J. Page, had several demos in 1981
• With Cinema, 1982 - 1983
• With Conspiracy, 1994
• In 1997 - 2004 he founded the project together with Sherwood. 2 albums released.
• Founded the Squackett project with Steve Hackett, recorded 1 album.
• Recorded 2 solo albums: Fish out of Water - 1975, Chris Squire's Swiss Choir - 2007
• Released a single with Alan White,1981 Run with the Fox.
• Participated on The Syn, The Buggles, Rick Wakeman albums and more

Yes

Vocalist Jon Anderson and Chris Squire met in 1967 at the La Chasse club. It was at that moment that the group Yes was founded. From the day of his first concert in the group in 1968, Squire remained the undisputed leader and permanent bass player of the group. Even when Anderson, Wakeman, Howe left in the early 80s, he insisted that the group was alive. He never stopped saying that Yes is where he is, and in the end he got his way. The original line-up has been restored: Squire, Anderson, Howe, Weckman, White.

In the team, the individuality of each played a dominant role:

• John Anderson - main lyricist;
• Chris Squire, Steve Howe - most of the music stuff.

Chris has been featured on 21 Yes albums. Not a single concert took place without him. This is his main and main element. On stage, with a guitar in my hands, I felt like a fish in water. In the final part, Chris was given the first role and about 10 minutes of time to enjoy the game of the master.

Just shortly before his death, Chris Squire took a break for he alth reasons, asking Billy Sherwood, who once played with the band, to play the tour in his place. This was the 1st tour in Yes history that Squire did not participate in.

Musician and his instrument

Chris' lead guitar is a cream colored Rickenbacker RM1999, owned by him since 1965. tool with warm,"growl" sound. It has been repeatedly repaired, sanded, repainted, due to which the guitar has become much lighter than the original factory version over time.

The uniqueness of this instrument in two-channel amplification technology: high frequencies on one channel, low frequencies on another channel. Squire decided to feed the signals to different amplifiers. Bass frequencies to the bass, and high frequencies to the guitar amplifier, which allowed us to separate the tonal layering and get the signature Squire sound. Chris did not take lessons, he studied and mastered the instrument himself, constantly experimenting with sound.

Like any great artist, Squire's collection includes dozens of basses from a variety of makes and models, including custom-made ones.

Rock legend Chris Squire, whose photos have appeared on the covers of all music publications, continues to live in the hearts of his friends, relatives and fans. Mark Fuller, owner of the Sanctum, placed a plaque on the wall of a London hotel and renamed Squire's room 401 in honor of the musician, giving it the name "Aquarium".