XYZ

XYZ was one of the first "supergroups" of the 1980s. The name XYZ is taken from eX-Yes Zeppelin. The group consisted of Jimmy Page on guitar, Chris Squire on bass guitar and keyboards, and Alan White on drums. Page believed the band needed a strong vocalist and sought out Robert Plant, however after one rehearsal, Plant's pursuit for his own solo career led Page to eventually shelve the project.

Since the late 1980s, a number of bootleg tracks have surfaced, originally recorded by XYZ at Chris Squire's home studio at New Pipers, in Virginia Water, Surrey, during April 1981. They are believed to have been sourced from demo tapes stolen from Jimmy Page's house at Cookham, Berkshire, in 1987.

Of what is known to have been recorded in 1981, one song later became the basis of The Firm's "Fortune Hunter", another as Yes's "Mind Drive", and two other's are known as "And Do You Believe It?" and "Telephone Secret", both with Chris Squire handling vocals, the other tracks being all instrumentals. Squire and White later released a single called "Run With the Fox", based on an XYZ melody, in December 1981, before forming Cinema with guitarist Trevor Rabin and keyboardist Tony Kaye.

Personnel

• Jimmy Page - Lead guitar
• Chris Squire - Bass guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Alan White - Drums