Songfacts®:

• The twenty-first studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes originated from a conversation between producer Trevor Horn and Yes bassist Chris Squire, who re-discovered the song "Fly From Here" and realized that it had never been recorded in a studio. "Chris and I were talking one evening about the song 'Fly From Here' that we never recorded," explained Horn. "I said I was prepared to spend two weeks with Yes recording that song. When I arrived in America to record it, I was taken prisoner by the band and only allowed my freedom again in return for producing the whole album. It was an offer I couldn't refuse!"
• The song is the band's eleventh epic piece, clocking in at nearly 25 minutes.
• The first recording sessions for Fly From Here took place between October 3 - November 12, 2010 at SARM West Coast Studios in Los Angeles, before resuming in the first week of January 2011. Horn produced the album using the digital audio workstation software Pro Tools. Keyboardist Geoff Downes, who originally joined the band for 1980's Drama, re-united with Yes for the record. The other band members on Fly From Here are guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White, and Canadian lead singer Benoit David, who replaced longtime member Jon Anderson. David is also the lead singer of the Canadian band Mystery, whom he joined in 1999. Rick Wakeman's son Oliver is also credited with additional keyboards.
• The artist Roger Dean, whose dreamy, other-worldly scenes has adorned many Yes album covers, linked up with the band again for Fly From Here. His design for the cover is a painting that he started in 1970, but which remained uncompleted.