Listen to Yes’ Demo for ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’

No. 1 single brought '70s prog-rock band back from irrelevance.

Listen to Yes’ Demo for ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’

By Will Levith
Listen to the Original Demo for Yes' 'Owner of a Lonely Heart'
(left to right): In the ’80s, Yes was Alan White, Trevor Rabin, Jon Anderson, Tony Kaye, and Chris Squire (Ebet Roberts/Redferns)

 

Newly inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Yes are maybe best known for their ’70s prog-rock gems like “Roundabout” and “I See All Good People“—and those songs were among a strong body of work that got them enshrined in Cleveland.

But by the early ’80s, the band was all but over, notes Rolling Stone. That is, until a journeyman guitarist, Trevor Rabin, started looking for a permanent home in L.A.—and the remnants of Yes came calling. Rabin brought with him a demo for a song that would end up resurrecting the band and reaching No. 1.

It was called “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” and you can hear it in two ways below. First, the original demo, which features Rabin humming through the verses (though, it’s clear he’s got the hook-y chorus down). Then, the final version, which appeared on 1983’s 90125, the band’s 11th album.

—RealClearLife

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