Rick Wakeman Bowie's offer and played his final gig with Strawbs for a BBC recording for John Peel's radio show. Wakeman then reappeared on the front cover of "Melody Maker", his second in a year, regarding his move to Yes. His earnings increased from £18 to £50 per week. Towards the end of 1971, Wakeman signed a five album solo recording contract with A&M Records. Yes made "Fragile" in five weeks to help finance a new set of keyboards for Wakeman. Wakeman recorded "Cans and Brahms", an adaptation of the third movement of Symphony No. 4 in E minor by Johannes Brahms.
Rick Wakeman next album, "Relayer", stressing he could no longer contribute to the material the band were developing for it. Later that day, A&M called him with the news that "Journey" had entered the UK charts at No. 1, the label's first to do so. Wakeman called it "a day I will never forget for as long as I live". "Journey" also reached No. 3 in the US, and earned Wakeman an Ivor Novello Award The album went on to sell 14 million copies worldwide. On 27 July 1974, Wakeman headlined the Crystal Palace Park Garden Party concert, performing selections from "Six