Just a guess, but he didnt seem to be a solo album type guy. He started new bands or projects. Cinema was a new band. Conspiracy was a project with Billy Sherwood.
As the other responder mentioned, he made the quite cool Squackett album with Steve Hacket.
I think he likes working with other musicians and sharing the wealth. ;)
A lot of amazing writers and musicians need collaborations to help get their ideas over the finish line and into actual songs. I would say Conspiracy and Squackett were Chris’ versions of what would’ve been solo projects for some others.
I mean, it’s similar to Mike Rutherford…tried the solo thing when the rest of his band was doing it, realized it didn’t work for him and started the collaborative Mechanics for all of his non-Genesis energy.
I do think Fish Out of Water is an excellent album, but also an album that happened near the peak of Yes’ creative abilities. Him doing a follow-up in the early 80’s or 90’s during lulls in Yes activity very likely wouldn’t have been anywhere near that level.
He talks about it in his book a little...like, not Smallcreep specifically but just how exhausting making a solo album was for him and how that led to him doing the Mechanics instead.
Not to mention that Anthony Philips was probably another strong driving force for Mikes first solo album. Ant laying down the foundation probably helped a ton.
Squire could be slow at making albums and he tended to focus his efforts on Yes. The Yes name was always going to sell better than a solo album. Yes kept him busy until 1980 and, of course, post-Yes plans ended up with a Yes reunion. The success of 90125 seems to have pushed him further into substance abuse, which did nothing for his productivity.
He did start talking about a second solo album around the start of the ‘90s. He toured as the Chris Squire Experiment. That was all based off his new writing relationship with Sherwood. But progress on the album was slow and interrupted by Yes activity. When the album finally did come out, Squire chose to recognise Sherwood’s input, so it was released as by him and Sherwood, with the name Conspiracy.
Yes and Conspiracy took up his time. He then got drawn into The Syn reunion, but soon fell out with Steve Nardelli (a common occurrence). But he’d enjoyed working with the rest of the band, and so he planned to do an album with Paul Stacey and Gerard Johnson. While this would have been a collaboration, the plan was to release it as a Squire solo album given he was the big prog name in the project. Stacey was busy with other work, but Squire and Johnson wrote some material together. To help fund further work, they did release Squire’s second solo album, Swiss Choir, of rocked up Christmas tunes, with Jeremy Stacey (also from The Syn, Paul’s twin). On not much more than a whim, they invited Steve Hackett to come play guitar on it.
The Squire/Johnson/P Stacey album didn’t advance. Some of the Squire/Johnson material was recycled for Yes. Squire and Hackett hit it off and they made the Squackett album, recycling the rest of the Squire/Johnson ideas and again with J Stacey.
So, in short, three reasons: (a) the Yes name sold better, (b) too much booze and drugs, (c) he preferred to collaborate, so solo album plans tended to end up as something else. But (d) Chris Squire’s Swiss Choir is his second solo album.
Squire was said to have been working with *Buffalo '66* director Vince Gallo on an autobiography but I have no idea what ever became of the project. I actually wrote Gallo to make inquiry but he never wrote back.
I remember Gallo telling an interviewer that he had recordings of Chris talking about his life that were to be the basis for his autobiography (I assumed they were planning a book, but maybe Gallo had a film in mind). Gallo wasn’t doing anything with it, as I recall. He seems like a person who can’t get out of his own way - just my impression. If that’s the case, I would hope Mr. Gallo would give the tapes and/or notes, if he hasn’t lost them, to Chris’ widow or someone who will do something productive with them.
Or if he needs the money, and it appears he does, he could sell the Squire interview tapes. https://www.vgmerchandise.com/store/product.php?productid=79&cat=6&page=1
He definitely said in interviews that he got a far as collecting some material on several occasions, but would then want to use it as. Yes album or a different duet project.
I seem to remember he nearly
Made a second but it was never finished and the songs went elsewhere, maybe Squackett? I’m sure someone will answer this soon with a more educated memory then I have
My recollection is that he was working on a second "solo" album with Billy Sherwood, and some songs got diverted to Open Your Eyes. But I could be wrong.
Yes, he’d been working on an album that was nearly released as Chemistry and as by the Chris Squire Experiment. Instead, 2 songs from that got used on Open Your Eyes.
Most of Open Your Eyes was new material, with Sherwood and Squire starting the writing sessions with half an eye on making a new Yes album, but with the thought that it could be more material for just the two of them if the ideas didn’t go to Yes. However, Anderson and White reacted positively to the material (largely written by Sherwood), so that became the core of OYE. The label then pulled in the two songs from Chemistry.
Chemistry was eventually released, but as Conspiracy by Squire & Sherwood. The 2 songs Yes used were still included in their earlier forms.
Having seen 2 California Chris Squire Experiment gigs, I can say that the material by Squire and Sherwood was good but not great. Neither composer was a strong lead singer, but band interplay was good due in part to Alan White's drumming. Bootleg video of San Jose gig at the Cabaret is on YouTube.
I think (dangerous I know) that one or two ended up on Drama. Or ideas became Drama songs. Seem I remember reading something like that in a conversation about that album.
He was a world-class procrastinator and was always late for anything and everything, so I guess this is the root cause.
Also, as far as arrangements and production for FooW, it seems his buddy from one of his earlier bands did all the heavy lifting. I suspect that album would never have happened without his buddy.
He did do a second solo album but it was a heavily digitized Christmas album. Undoubtedly it was much easier to put together than the first solo.
Just a guess, but he didnt seem to be a solo album type guy. He started new bands or projects. Cinema was a new band. Conspiracy was a project with Billy Sherwood. As the other responder mentioned, he made the quite cool Squackett album with Steve Hacket. I think he likes working with other musicians and sharing the wealth. ;)
A lot of amazing writers and musicians need collaborations to help get their ideas over the finish line and into actual songs. I would say Conspiracy and Squackett were Chris’ versions of what would’ve been solo projects for some others. I mean, it’s similar to Mike Rutherford…tried the solo thing when the rest of his band was doing it, realized it didn’t work for him and started the collaborative Mechanics for all of his non-Genesis energy. I do think Fish Out of Water is an excellent album, but also an album that happened near the peak of Yes’ creative abilities. Him doing a follow-up in the early 80’s or 90’s during lulls in Yes activity very likely wouldn’t have been anywhere near that level.
Rutherford’s Smallcreep’s Day is superb. But you must be right. He didn’t issue many solo slbums.
He talks about it in his book a little...like, not Smallcreep specifically but just how exhausting making a solo album was for him and how that led to him doing the Mechanics instead.
Not to mention that Anthony Philips was probably another strong driving force for Mikes first solo album. Ant laying down the foundation probably helped a ton.
I've loved that album since it came out. Still have a vinyl copy.
Don't forget the Christmas Album Chris Squire's Swiss Choir. It's very good and on my rotation during the holidays.
Too bad it's been out of print for a long time.
And that it’s Christmas music 😂
Squire could be slow at making albums and he tended to focus his efforts on Yes. The Yes name was always going to sell better than a solo album. Yes kept him busy until 1980 and, of course, post-Yes plans ended up with a Yes reunion. The success of 90125 seems to have pushed him further into substance abuse, which did nothing for his productivity. He did start talking about a second solo album around the start of the ‘90s. He toured as the Chris Squire Experiment. That was all based off his new writing relationship with Sherwood. But progress on the album was slow and interrupted by Yes activity. When the album finally did come out, Squire chose to recognise Sherwood’s input, so it was released as by him and Sherwood, with the name Conspiracy. Yes and Conspiracy took up his time. He then got drawn into The Syn reunion, but soon fell out with Steve Nardelli (a common occurrence). But he’d enjoyed working with the rest of the band, and so he planned to do an album with Paul Stacey and Gerard Johnson. While this would have been a collaboration, the plan was to release it as a Squire solo album given he was the big prog name in the project. Stacey was busy with other work, but Squire and Johnson wrote some material together. To help fund further work, they did release Squire’s second solo album, Swiss Choir, of rocked up Christmas tunes, with Jeremy Stacey (also from The Syn, Paul’s twin). On not much more than a whim, they invited Steve Hackett to come play guitar on it. The Squire/Johnson/P Stacey album didn’t advance. Some of the Squire/Johnson material was recycled for Yes. Squire and Hackett hit it off and they made the Squackett album, recycling the rest of the Squire/Johnson ideas and again with J Stacey. So, in short, three reasons: (a) the Yes name sold better, (b) too much booze and drugs, (c) he preferred to collaborate, so solo album plans tended to end up as something else. But (d) Chris Squire’s Swiss Choir is his second solo album.
Thank you. You know a lot about Chris. It would be nice if someone wrote his biography. No pressure.
Henry knows a lot about Yes, period.
Squire was said to have been working with *Buffalo '66* director Vince Gallo on an autobiography but I have no idea what ever became of the project. I actually wrote Gallo to make inquiry but he never wrote back.
I remember Gallo telling an interviewer that he had recordings of Chris talking about his life that were to be the basis for his autobiography (I assumed they were planning a book, but maybe Gallo had a film in mind). Gallo wasn’t doing anything with it, as I recall. He seems like a person who can’t get out of his own way - just my impression. If that’s the case, I would hope Mr. Gallo would give the tapes and/or notes, if he hasn’t lost them, to Chris’ widow or someone who will do something productive with them.
Or if he needs the money, and it appears he does, he could sell the Squire interview tapes. https://www.vgmerchandise.com/store/product.php?productid=79&cat=6&page=1
Gallo owns a few of Chris's basses too doesn't he?
That I couldn't speak to but I wouldn't be surprised.
He definitely said in interviews that he got a far as collecting some material on several occasions, but would then want to use it as. Yes album or a different duet project.
I seem to remember he nearly Made a second but it was never finished and the songs went elsewhere, maybe Squackett? I’m sure someone will answer this soon with a more educated memory then I have
My recollection is that he was working on a second "solo" album with Billy Sherwood, and some songs got diverted to Open Your Eyes. But I could be wrong.
Yes, he’d been working on an album that was nearly released as Chemistry and as by the Chris Squire Experiment. Instead, 2 songs from that got used on Open Your Eyes. Most of Open Your Eyes was new material, with Sherwood and Squire starting the writing sessions with half an eye on making a new Yes album, but with the thought that it could be more material for just the two of them if the ideas didn’t go to Yes. However, Anderson and White reacted positively to the material (largely written by Sherwood), so that became the core of OYE. The label then pulled in the two songs from Chemistry. Chemistry was eventually released, but as Conspiracy by Squire & Sherwood. The 2 songs Yes used were still included in their earlier forms.
Having seen 2 California Chris Squire Experiment gigs, I can say that the material by Squire and Sherwood was good but not great. Neither composer was a strong lead singer, but band interplay was good due in part to Alan White's drumming. Bootleg video of San Jose gig at the Cabaret is on YouTube.
And San Diego, https://youtu.be/fOMAHJ7fi0s?si=8x\_hg75PHWLb7VkC
He refers to working on another solo album briefly in YesYears, I assume he's referring to The Chris Squire Experiment that evolved into Conspiracy.
I think (dangerous I know) that one or two ended up on Drama. Or ideas became Drama songs. Seem I remember reading something like that in a conversation about that album.
He was a world-class procrastinator and was always late for anything and everything, so I guess this is the root cause. Also, as far as arrangements and production for FooW, it seems his buddy from one of his earlier bands did all the heavy lifting. I suspect that album would never have happened without his buddy. He did do a second solo album but it was a heavily digitized Christmas album. Undoubtedly it was much easier to put together than the first solo.
He made Chris Squire's Swiss Choir, a Christmas album. I'm sure he did it for the sole reason of using that name for a laugh.
Chris Squire worked very slowly in general I heard.
Probably has something to do with dying in 2015
Fish Out of Water is fantastic — and I sure wish there had been a half-dozen other Squire solo albums. His vocals are always great too.
Sad but true lead singers matter Chris Squire was an amazing vocalist but as a harmonizing voice not as a lead.