The Calling (Yes song)

"The Calling" is a song by the progressive rock band Yes, from their 1994 album Talk. It was a rock radio hit for the band, reaching number 3 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Background

In 1992, eight current and former members of Yes toured to support their 1991 album Union. Following the completion of the tour, guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Rick Wakeman and drummer Bill Bruford left the band, leaving the five members who had performed as Yes during the 1980s: singer Jon Anderson, guitarist Trevor Rabin, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White and keyboardist Tony Kaye.^[1]:235

"The Calling" was written by Rabin, Anderson and Squire, with Rabin producing. As with the other tracks on Talk, "The Calling" was recorded and mixed digitally, rather than on tape as was done with previous Yes recordings.^[1]:237 The song has been described as featuring a modern sound, with heavy focus on Rabin's guitars,^[1]:237 and a three-part vocal harmony featuring Anderson, Rabin and Squire.^[2]:100

According to Anderson, the song's lyrics were inspired by the concept of "local history", the current three-thousand year window of history, outside of which mankind has little visibility or understanding.^[2]:99–100

Chart performance

"The Calling" was a number-three Mainstream Rock hit for the band in 1994, their last (as of 2010) top-ten hit on that chart. Yes had two subsequent Mainstream Rock hits: 1994's "Walls" (also from Talk) and 1997's "Open Your Eyes" from the album of the same name.^[3]

"The Calling" has appeared on several Yes compilations. The 2002 boxed set In a Word: Yes (1969–) included the album-length version, and the 2003 greatest hits package The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection included the single edit.^[4]

References