GTR (band) GTR (band) GTR were a British rock band founded in 1985 by former Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe and former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. Though the band's leaders were known as progressive rock musicians, GTR appealed to album-oriented rock radio stations. The band lasted for two years and one album. Hackett subsequently criticized the project, though not necessarily the other musicians involved in it. The band's name came from an abbreviation of "guitar" used by recording studios for labelling guitar tracks. After Steve Howe left Asia in 1985, he and former Yes manager Brian Lane discussed forming a new
Steve Howe (musician) but the label went out of business shortly before its release. The label had also promised the group film roles and visits to the US but they never materialised and they disbanded. Howe released the tracks for the proposed album after he obtained the recordings and remixed them himself as "The Bodast Tapes" (1981). He then played with members of the progressive rock band The Nice as a potential new member, but decided it was not for him, and left the next day. In April 1970, the rock band Yes sought a new guitarist following the departure of Peter Banks.