Yes, “You Can Be Saved” from ‘Tormato’ (bonus track, 1978): YESterdays

“You Can Be Saved” may not be the best composition by Yes bass maestro Chris Squire, but it deserved to have been completed.

The song, later found on the extended deluxe edition of 1978’s Tormato, is only of demo quality. But it has solid melodic underpinnings, a hook and seems to have a vocal structure that would have suited Squire and Yes frontman Jon Anderson.

“You Can Be Saved” uses synthesizers, presumably by Rick Wakeman, and Squire’s bass and bass pedals as the main foundation. One can almost hear space for Steve Howe’s Les Paul Jr. guitar, as well as a 3/4 time Alan White drum pattern. Anderson and Squire’s vocals, while tentative, serve as a good guide for a finished product.

It’s unclear why the song wasn’t finished for Tormato or added to a future Yes, Conspiracy or Chris Squire Experience project. Such speculation is the joy of being a Yes fan.

YESterdays is a multi-writer, song-by-song feature that explores the unforgettable musical legacy of Yes. Click here for an archive of the series, which was founded by Preston Frazier.

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Preston Frazier

Preston Frazier is a bass-playing lawyer living in Atlanta. He is the author of 'Toto: The Band, Not the Dog,' a look at his favorite band. Frazier hosts the music-focused Slang of Ages Podcast and regularly writes about his favorite music on slangofages.com. He can be reached at [email protected]; follow him on Twitter: @slangofages.

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