Time and a Word

The band recorded between shows at Advision from the end of 1969 with the producer Tony Colton, a friend of Anderson. Eddy Offord was brought in to assist Colton and became a key figure in the band's history in the 1970s. A discussion between Squire, Anderson and Colton led to orchestral arrangements by Tony Cox, played by session brass and string students from the Royal College of Music.

Banks opposed the orchestra, arguing it only copied what Deep Purple and the Nice had done, and said his guitar was buried in the mix. During a UK tour in April 1970 he was fired and Steve Howe replaced him. The American cover used a band photograph, which put Howe on an album he did not play on. The album opens with Richie Havens' "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed", includes Stephen Stills' "Everydays", and the original songs are credited to Anderson, in some cases with Squire or David Foster. It became the first Yes release to enter the UK chart, peaking at 45, and it did not chart in the United States.