Musicians:
Jon Anderson: vocals (A-J, L-W)
Chris Squire: bass, vocals (A-N, P-W)
Peter Banks: guitars (A-B)
Bill Bruford: drums, percussion (A-F, O-P)
Tony Kaye: keyboards (A-C, L-N, P-Q)
Steve Howe: guitars, vocals (C-K, O-P, R-W)
Rick Wakeman: keyboards (D-G, I-J, O-P, R-S)
Alan White: drums, percussion (F-N, P-W)
Patrick Moraz: keyboards (H)
Trevor Horn: vocals (K)
Geoff Downes: keyboards (K)
Trevor Rabin: guitars, vocals (L-N, P-Q)
Billy Sherwood: guitars, keyboards, vocals (T-V)
Igor Khoroshev: keyboards (T-V)

A: Yes, B: Time and a Word, C: The Yes Album, D: Fragile, E: Close to the Edge, F: Yessongs, G: Tales from Topographic Oceans, H: Relayer, I: Going for the One, J: Tormato, K: Drama, L: 90125, M: 9012Live: The Solos, N: Big Generator, O: Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe, P: Union, Q: Talk, R: Keys to Ascension, S: Keys to Ascension 2, T: Open Your Eyes, U: The Ladder, V: House of Yes: Live From The House of Blues, W: Magnification
 

Original recordings produced by Yes, Paul Clay [UK version only], Tony Colton, Eddie Offord, Trevor Horn, Trevor Rabin, Paul DeVilliers, Jonathon Elias [US version only], Bruce Fairbairn, Tim Weidner [US version only]
Remixed by Paul Fox (UK 18, US 21)

[US 27-29, 31]
Produced by Yes
Mixed by Tim Weidner
Engineered by Patrick MacDougall, Dave Dysart, Kam Dahlin
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA, Oct 2003

[US 30]
Produced & engineered by Steve Howe
Assisted by Oliver Wakeman
 

Compilation produced by Yes & Mario Warner & David McLess [UK], Yes & David McLees [US]
Sound produced by Bill Inglot
Remastering: Dan Hersch & Bill Inglot
 

Cover painting by Roger Dean
Yes logo designed by Roger Dean, © Roger Dean, Steve Howe, Yes LLC. 2003
Digital work: Martyn Dean
Layout & additional design: www.mentalblock.co.uk
Editorial supervision: Cory Frye
Management: Allen Kovac [UK version only], Jordan Berliant, Jeff Varner, Laure Dunham [UK version only]
        10th St. Management
Liner notes: Chris Welch
 

Tracks [UK]:
disc 1
1. Yours is No Disgrace [Anderson/Howe/Squire/Kaye/Bruford] from The Yes Album
2. Survival [Anderson] from Yes
3. Roundabout [Anderson/Howe] from Fragile
4. Then [Anderson] from Time and a Word
5. I've Seen All Good People from The Yes Album
    a. Your Move [Anderson]
    b. All Good People [Squire]
6. Heart of the Sunrise [Anderson/Squire/Bruford] from Fragile
7. Starship Trooper from The Yes Album
    a. Life Seeker [Anderson]
    b. Disillusion [Squire]
    c. Würm [Howe]
8. Ritual [Anderson/Howe/Squire/Wakeman/White] from Tales from Topographic Oceans

disc 2
9. Siberian Khatru [Anderson/Howe/Wakeman] from Close to the Edge
10. Long Distance Runaround [Anderson] from Fragile
11. Wonderous Stories [Anderson] from Going for the One
12. And You and I [Anderson/Bruford/Howe/Squire] from Close to the Edge
    I. Cord of Life
    II. Eclipse [Anderson/Bruford/Squire]
    III. The Preacher The Teacher
    IV. Apocalypse
13. Soon (Single Edit) [Anderson/Howe/Moraz/Squire/White] from Relayer
14. Going for the One [Anderson] from Going for the One
15. Don't Kill the Whale [Anderson/Squire] from Tormato
16. Owner of a Lonely Heart [Rabin/Anderson/Squire/Horn] from 90125
17. Leave It [Squire/Rabin/Horn] from 90125
18. Big Generator (Remix) [Rabin/Kaye/Anderson/Squire/White] (3:39)
19. The Calling (Single Edit) [Rabin/Anderson/Squire] (4:43) from Talk
20. Homeworld (The Ladder) (Radio Edit) [Anderson/Howe/Sherwood/Squire/White/Khoroshev] (4:41)
21. Awaken [Anderson/Howe] from Going for the One
 

Tracks [US]:
disc 1
1. Time and a Word [Anderson/Foster] from Time and a Word
2. Starship Trooper from The Yes Album
    a. Life Seeker [Anderson]
    b. Disillusion [Squire]
    c. Würm [Howe]
3. Yours is No Disgrace [Anderson/Howe/Squire/Kaye/Bruford] from The Yes Album
4. I've Seen All Good People from The Yes Album
    a. Your Move [Anderson]
    b. All Good People [Squire]
5. Roundabout [Anderson/Howe] from Fragile
6. Long Distance Runaround [Anderson] from Fragile
7. Heart of the Sunrise [Anderson/Squire/Bruford] from Fragile
8. South Side of the Sky [Anderson/Squire] from Fragile
9. And You and I [Anderson/Bruford/Howe/Squire] from Close to the Edge
    I. Cord of Life
    II. Eclipse [Anderson/Bruford/Squire]
    III. The Preacher The Teacher
    IV. Apocalypse
10. America (Single Edit) [Paul Simon] Atlantic single (17 Jul 1972)
11. Wonderous Stories [Anderson] from Going for the One

disc 2
12. Siberian Khatru [Anderson/Howe/Wakeman] from Close to the Edge
13. Soon (New Edit) [Anderson/Howe/Moraz/Squire/White] from Relayer
14. Going for the One [Anderson] from Going for the One
15. Don't Kill the Whale [Anderson/Squire] from Tormato
16. Tempus Fugit [Downes/Horn/Howe/Squire/White] from Drama
17. Owner of a Lonely Heart [Rabin/Anderson/Squire/Horn] from 90125
18. Leave It [Squire/Rabin/Horn] from 90125
19. It Can Happen (Single Edit) [Squire/Anderson/Rabin] from 90125/Atlantic single
20. Rhythm of Love [Kaye/Rabin/Anderson/Squire] from Big Generator
21. Big Generator (Remix) [Rabin/Kaye/Anderson/Squire/White] from Big Generator/Atco [promo] 12" single (Jul 1988)
22. Lift Me Up [Rabin/Squire] from Union
23. The Calling (Single Edit) [Rabin/Anderson/Squire] from Talk/Victory single (Mar 1994)
24. Open Your Eyes [Anderson/Howe/Sherwood/Squire/White] from Open Your Eyes
25. Homeworld (The Ladder) (Radio Edit) [Anderson/Howe/Sherwood/Squire/White/Khoroshev] from The Ladder/Beyond single (Oct 1999)
26. Magnification [Anderson/Howe/Squire/White] from Magnification

disc 3
27. Roundabout (Acoustic) [Anderson/Howe] (4:20)
28. Show Me [Anderson] (3:38)
29. South Side of the Sky (Acoustic) [Anderson/Squire] (4:27)
    I. South Side of the Sky [Anderson/Squire]
    II. South Side Variations [Wakeman]
30. Australia (Solo Acoustic) [Howe] (4:12)
31. New World Symphony [Squire, based on Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E minor] (3:32)
 

Notes: The credits above are as given in the liner notes. For discussion of them, see pages for the original albums. The album comes with a fold-out poster of the Roger Dean cover. Liner notes are on the reverse, including a discography as above and a short essay by Chris Welch (revised for the US release).

This budget-priced compilation followed on from In a Word and the Rhino expanded & remastered series. The UK version sold well following TV, radio and magazine advertising, entering the UK chart at #10 (rock chart #3), the band's best performance since Union. The UK version then saw release in Japan and Australia/New Zealand. The North American version (including a third bonus disc recorded since the UK release) was released on the same day as the "YesSpeak" DVD. The Ultimate Yes and "YesSpeak" saw a quite extensive marketing campaign in the US, including TV and in-store appearances by the band, as well as advertising. However, the album only entered the US chart at #131.

The initial pressing of The Ultimate Yes released in the UK only erroneously used the alternate version of this song from the remastered & expanded Close to the Edge rather than the familiar version.

The US release of the album came with a bonus third disc, what Anderson described as a "fifth side" of material. The acoustic "Roundabout" thereon was released to US radio stations. "Show Me" is an acoustic recording, a studio version of Anderson's solo spot on touring in 2002 and 2003 with additional backing from the band. "Australia", Howe's solo, is a new acoustic arrangement of the piece from Beginnings, without vocals, which Howe was inspired to do when the band toured Australia in 2003 and he visited his brother (who emigrated there many years ago, the inspiration for the original). On Howe's tour with his Remedy band in Mar 2004, Howe played this arrangement in a solo acoustic set. Squire's "New World Symphony" is a solo performance based on the main theme of the second movement (largo) of A. Dvorák's Symphony #9 in E minor, opus 95, subtitled "From the New World". (This melody is also familiar as the basis for the spiritual "Goin' Home".)

Yes recorded the new material (US 27-29, 31) while in the Los Angeles area for a live show on 4 Oct 2003, with a few recording days before and after the show. Talking about the new material in a Feb 2004 radio interview, Anderson described how the band did "four or five songs and kept three of them". It is unclear what these extra songs are, new material or more acoustic re-arrangements, but this could fit in with the first reports at YesWorld about the material that stated Yes were recording two new pieces, of which "Show Me" was presumably one, implying another was dropped. That second piece may have been Anderson's "This Is". A report around the time of the recording sessions said Anderson favoured the use of a chorus on a piece recorded by the Millikan Middle High Choir (from Billy Sherwood's old middle school) on 27 Sep. That piece, of course, did not appear on The Ultimate Yes, but the choir recording was then used as a backing track when Anderson did "This Is" at his solo shows in Jan 2004. Both "Show Me" and "This Is" were previously planned for a solo release by Anderson to be called The Big If. (HP, 7 Mar 04)