AsiaOfficial website; MySpace page; authorised fan club
The original Asia line-up—namely Geoff
Downes
(keys),
Steve
Howe (guitar),
John Wetton
(MySpace page; ex-King
Crimson, ex-UK; bass, vocals) and Carl
Palmer (ex-Emerson, Lake & Palmer; drums)—have
re-united. The band have been touring extensively and released Phoenix (Frontiers
Records), a new
studio album. The
Phoenix tour has ran in
2008/9 and the band are
supporting
Yes on a US tour until 2 Aug 2009—see details
on the main
Yes
page. Their set on the second night was [SPOILERS—highlight
to read] "Wildest Dreams", "Only Time will
Tell", "An Extraordinary Life", "Video Killed the Radio Star" (originally by The Buggles), "In the Court of the Crimson King" (King
Crimson), "The Smile has Left Your Eyes" (semi-acoustic),
"Don't Cry"
(semi-acoustic),
"Fanfare
for the Common Man" (ELP's
arrangement, with Palmer drum solo), "Sole Survivor", "Heat of
the Moment". Activity
into 2010 is planned.
Management is by Phil
Carson and Martin Darvill.
Touring Touring in support of Phoenix
continues in 2009; the band are
represented by the William Morris agency in negotiations with promoters.
A European
tour ran 19 Mar-7 Apr,
covering Russia, Bulgaria
(3750 capacity crowd in Sofia), Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Poland,
the Czech
Rep. and the Netherlands, and was followed by 7
UK dates
16-24 Apr. The Stuttgart set list
(27 Mar) was [SPOILERS—highlight
to read] "Only Time
will Tell", "Wildest Dreams", "Never Again", "Roundabout", "Time
Again", "Bolero" (Downes' solo based on an extract from "Cutting It
Fine"), "Theme from Winter/Clap" (Howe solo), "Book of Saturday"
(Wetton solo), "The Smile has Left Your Eyes"
(semi-acoustic by Wetton on
vocals/acoustic guitar and Downes on piano), "Don't
Cry" (semi-acoustic), "Daylight", "Open Your Eyes", intermission,
"Fanfare for the Common Man", "Without You", "An Extraordinary Life",
"In the Court of the Crimson King", "Here Comes the Feeling", "Video
Killed the Radio Star", "The Heat Goes on"/drum solo, "Heat of the
Moment", encore: "Sole Survivor". The UK dates were under
the title A
Night at the
Theatre: Phoenix UK Tour 2009. Some
changes were made to the set
list on UK shows, with "Here
Comes the Feeling" and "Daylight" dropped and "Heroine"
(from Phoenix)
and "My Own Time (I'll Do What
I Want)"
(from Alpha
and
never previously played live) included, plus "Living
in the
Plastic Age" substituting for "Video Killed the Radio Star".
Asia are supporting Yes
for a 24 date US summer tour (26 Jun-2 Aug)—see
discussion on main page. The press release for
the tour talks of Asia playing "many songs" from Asia,
while a May
Billboard article has them focusing on Asia and Phoenix. Asia are
then headlining two UK festival
dates. First is the Memories
of Woodstock Festival at The West Midlands Showground on 8 Aug, and
all four members are playing the same festival on 7 Aug (Downes and
Wetton as iCon, Steve Howe solo and the Carl Palmer Band; Alvin Lee
headlining). Then is the Cambridge
Rock Festival
on 9 Aug with support from Focus among others. iCon's Dave
Kilminster (MySpace page; Roger
Waters, ex-John
Wetton, ex-Qango,
ex-Keith Emerson)
is also appearing at the Cambridge Rock Festival in his duo with Murray
Hockridge. They are playing a free
show in Hamm, Germany on 29 Aug, sharing a bill with Mia.
With respect to further touring,
manager Martin Darvill said this to Wetton's website on 8 Jun 2009:
In response to disappointment from
certain areas in the fan base, Asia has no boundaries as to where it
will visit to play. [...]
The only limits are imposed by
promoters who decide whether or not they are sufficiently financially
comfortable to offer a deal to Asia's agents.
Asia employs one of the world's
largest agencies, messrs William Morris, to negotiate with
promoters. The band is travelling many thousands of miles from
home to the venues, and between venues, and it is a precondition that
promoters are financially robust, have status, and are capable of
delivering upon commitments to enable us to bring an Asia production
from the UK to USA, Europe, Japan, South America or anywhere else in
the world.
We are sorry that some territories
have been omitted from the forthcoming Yes Asia tour. This is
because promoters have been unable to reach agreement with our agents,
or because the timing was unfortunate regarding availability of venues,
or feasibility of routing.
On the other hand, we're pleased
to be visiting new regions and look forward to meeting those of you who
will be supporting the shows.
We also confirm that the band is
already planning international activity for 2010, so if you wish to
lobby your local promoters, please go ahead.
As for set list changes, Howe has floated the possibility
of
performing
GTR's "When the Heart
Rules
the Mind".
On tour, Asia have
been promoted
as "All Four Original Members of Asia" in order to clearly define who
is
appearing; the four now jointly own the Asia name. Paul Silveira
(worked with Yes, Rick Wakeman,
Anderson
& Wakeman) was the tour manager; Tim Stark was the
guitar
tech and Ricky Nelson, keyboards tech.
2010 plans
The band are planning further ahead.
Asked by Classic
Rock
Presents... Prog (issue 1, Mar 2009) whether the reunion
line-up is back for good, Palmer answered: "I think so. [...] We're
even looking at an idea of mine called Asia: Family and Friends for
next year." In Jun 2009, Wetton said on his
forum of this plan, "Carl has come up with an excellent and viable
idea (which he does frequently) for next year which has been greeted
positively and with much enthusiasm", and then explained it would be a
UK/European joint tour featuring Asia, iCon, the Steve
Howe Trio and the Carl Palmer
Band.
In the CRP...P article, Howe
answered: "There's such a harmonious feeling, so long
as time is put aside for the other things and there are still happy
faces in the audience, this could continue for quite some time." Downes
answered: "I've reached the conclusion that if it wasn't the
[originaly] four anymore, I would no longer want to do it." In his Jan 2009 NftE interview, Howe, in passing,
acknowledges the possibility of a new Asia album. A May
Billboard article reports:
Though
[Howe] insists specific plans are "hypothetical" at the moment, he
[...] [says] Asia is "hot on the trail of another
record" after a "pleasant" experience making "Phoenix"[...] and tends
to be "more prepared and jumps at things more quickly."
In a Jul
article,
Howe said, "I can't really make an announcement like this is going to
happen and that's going to happen, but let's just put it this way: both
bands [Yes and Asia] are working towards recording projects being
realized."
Phoenix Phoenix
(duration: 64 min.s)
is out
in Europe on Frontiers
Records; in North
America on
CD and digitally through EMI America Records;
and in Japan through King Records. (Distribution
in other countries is detailed
here.) Tracks: "Never Again" (written by
Wetton/Downes), "Nothing's Forever"
(Wetton),
"Heroine" (Wetton/Downes),
"Sleeping Giant/No Way Back/Reprise" (Downes, Wetton/Downes, Downes
respectively),
"Alibis" (Downes/Howe/Palmer/Wetton;
a development of the
piece "Jodie" rehearsed by Asia in
1982), "I will Remember You" (Wetton/Downes),
"Shadow of a
Doubt" (Wetton/Downes),
"Parallel Worlds/Vortex/Déyà" (Wetton, Downes, Wetton
respectively),
"Wish I'd Known All Along" (Howe), "Orchard of Mines" (Fayman/Pursey;
cover of
Globus song—see under Larry Groupé
for details), "Over and Over" (Howe), "An Extraordinary
Life" (Wetton/Downes). There is a limited edition, alternate European
release with a bonus track of an acoustic version of "An Extraordinary
Life", while a Japanese release
has a bonus track of an acoustic "I will Remember You". The album was
produced by Asia and co-produced by Steve Rispin. Hugh McDowell (ex-ELO,
iCon;
'cello) guests
on two tracks.
Cover art by Roger
Dean. See details in Yescography.
There was a contest hosted
by QuickTime
to 'Make Your Own ASIA
Video' for "An Extraordinary Life".
Live releases and past touring
Having
toured the UK into Mar 2008 (read
my review of the 16 Mar 2008
London
show here), the band
played
the US in
Apr/May 2008. Several dates sold out. The Phoenix, AZ show had an
audience of
over 1000. They then toured Japan in May
(including 2 sold out shows in
Tokyo, one at the
International Forum with a 4900 capacity). A European tour
followed in late May 2008.
The set list was close to that in 2007, but with some changes:
new to the set were the
two Phoenix songs, "Daylight"
and "Voice of
America". On their
final US date of 5 May, they
altered the set somewhat, playing a first set with the covers and songs
from Alpha and Phoenix, and then a second set
consisting of
all of the debut album Asia.
It seems Japanese dates may have followed this latter set too. As part
of an Official Bootleg
series, there have been multiple live releases from the band: 5 have
been announced through The Store for Music Limited (dist.:
Plastic Head Music Distribution):
announced as SFMCD150, but that number has already
been used by Live in San Francisco
Out in UK & on iTunes
"Never Again", "Roundabout",
"Time Again", "Bolero", "Clap", "Book of Saturday", "The Smile has Left
Your Eyes" (acoustic), "Open Your Eyes", "Fanfare for the Common Man",
"Without You", "An Extraordinary Life"
"In the Court of the Crimson
King", "Video Killed the Radio Star", "The Heat Goes on"/drum solo,
"Heat of the Moment", "Don't Cry", "Sole Survivor"; bonus tracks:
"Daylight", "Only Time will Tell", "Wildest Dreams"
Out in UK and available in US; on iTunes; a
branded
USB
bracelet containing the evening's performance as MP3s was available
shortly after the show too
"Daylight", "Never Again", "In
the Court of the Crimson King", "Video Killed the Radio Star",
"Roundabout", "Fanfare for the Common Man", "Clap", "Voice of America",
"The Smile has Left Your Eyes" (acoustic), "An Extraordinary Life",
"The
Heat Goes on"/drum solo
"Heat of the Moment", "Only Time
will Tell", "Sole Survivor", "One Step Closer", "Time Again", "Wildest
Dreams", "Without You", "Cutting It Fine"/"Bolero", "Here Comes the
Feeling", "Open Your Eyes"
"Time Again", "Wildest Dreams",
"One Step Closer", "Roundabout", "Without You", "Cutting It
Fine"/"Bolero", "Clap", "Fanfare for the Common Man", "The Smile has
Left Your Eyes", "Don't Cry"
"In the Court of the Crimson
King", "Here Comes the Feeling", "Video Killed The Radio Star", "The
Heat Goes on", "Only Time will Tell", "Sole Survivor", "Ride Easy",
"Heat
of the Moment"
"Daylight", "Only Time will
Tell", "Wildest Dreams", "Never Again", "Roundabout", "Time Again",
"Bolero", "Clap", "Voice of America", "The Smile has Left Your Eyes",
"Ride
Easy"
"Open Your Eyes", "Fanfare for
the Common Man", "Without You", "An Extraordinary Life", "In the Court
of the Crimson King", "Video Killed the Radio Star", "The Heat Goes
on"/drum solo", "Heat of the Moment", "Don't Cry", "Sole Survivor"
"Daylight", "Only Time will
Tell", "Wildest Dreams", "Never Again", "Roundabout", "Time Again",
"Bolero", "Clap", "Voice of America", "The Smile has Left Your Eyes"
(acoustic)", "Ride Easy" (acoustic)", "Open Your Eyes"
"Fanfare for the Common Man",
"Without You", "An Extraordinary Life", "In The Court of the Crimson
King", "Video Killed the Radio Star", "The Heat Goes on"/drum solo",
"Heat of the Moment", "Don't Cry", "Sole Survivor"
Despite the variations in
labelling, I believe all the performances of "The Smile has Left Your
Eyes" and "Ride Easy" were acoustic-style (Wetton on
12-string guitar, Howe on lap steel or electric guitar respectively,
Downes on synth piano and Palmer
on drums), and all the performances of "The
Heat Goes on" included a drum solo. "Voice of America" was a solo by
Wetton on 12-string. "Bolero" is Downes' solo based on "Cutting It
Fine".
Fantasia—Live in Tokyo (Eagle Rock
Entertainment)
is a live CD (Eagle Records, EDGCD359) and DVD (Eagle Vision, EREDV634)
mixed by the band (with a few studio
overdubs
recorded in early Apr 2007); mixing engineer was Steve Rispin. Bonus
material on the DVD includes interviews with the four band
members. A Blu-ray
version of the DVD followed in 2009.
Other news
Wetton and Downes are also continuing
with
their Icon project in parallel to Asia with a third album due and live
dates—see
details
under Downes. Live sets
include Asia material. Wetton was also
doing Asia, King Crimson and UK material with the Paul Green's School
of Rock All-Stars on Mar 2009 US dates.
Prior Asia line-up & Asia Featuring John Payne The prior Asia line-up
had consisted of Downes (keys), John
Payne (bass, vocals, guitars), Guthrie
Govan (guitars) and
Jay Schellen
(CIRCA:, AKA, ex-Conspiracy,
Billy
Sherwood, ex-World Trade, ex-Peter Banks;
drums, backing vocals). In early 2006, Downes and Payne dissolved their
partnership,
and
Payne/Govan/Schellen formed
GPS, joined by Ryo
Okumoto (Spock's
Beard) on keys. GPS released a 10-track album, Window
to the Soul (InsideOut
IOMCD
247), all music credited to Payne/Schellen/Govan. In May
2007,
Payne, Govan and Schellen announced the formation of Asia Featuring
John Payne (MySpace
page), with Erik
Norlander
(ex-Ayreon) later announced as the band's keyboardist. Both
these groups play Wetton-era and Payne-era Asia material live. The Asia
Featuring John Payne name was
contractually agreed with the reunion band in May 2006.
In late 2005/early 2006,
Downes/Payne/Govan/Schellen had been working on a new Asia album for
InsideOut to be
called
Architect
of Time, with tracks including "City of Lost Angels" (described in
a Nov 2005 press release as "an up tempo 6 minute proggy track"),
"Written
on the Wind", "I Believe in Yesterday" and "Since You've Been Gone". Some of this material was
recycled
for Window to the Soul (although
Downes was not credited on that
album). For example, the last three of
those
songs appear on the GPS debut. In an Apr
2007 interview, Payne said:
Interviewer:
Were
some of the songs on ‘Window To The Soul’ originally planned as Asia
songs?
Payne: Yes, some of
the songs
were originally written for Asia. If they had been recorded as Asia
songs,
they would have been shorter with bigger harmonies and smoother
production.
We decided that, with a few days rehearsal, these songs could be made
to
sound very different to Asia songs. About 50% of the songs were
actually
written for ‘Architect Of Time’.
Interviewer: If it
had been
completed, how would ‘Architect Of Time’ have sounded?
Payne: It would have
been
basically in the style of previous Asia albums but we had made an
attempt
to stretch the songs a bit longer and to make the sound more retro, a
bit
more seventies. The actual track ‘Architect Of Time’ was completed with
Ryo playing keyboards, though I don’t know if it will ever be released.
It’s a very long track, about eight or nine minutes long. Maybe one day
it will be released.
[...] [Schellen] was very
keen to
play in different time signatures. Jay is very influenced by UK, so I
imagine
‘Architect Of Time’ would have been a mixture of classic Asia and UK.
After the split with Downes, it was initially
announced
that Payne/Govan/Schellen were continuing to work on Architect of
Time
for a possible release on InsideOut,
but
probably not under the Asia name. In a Mar 2006 message, Payne said, "I
hope to eventually get the AOT tracks out at some
stage but at the moment the new band is my priority". Subsequently, Architect
of Time material was used for the GPS album and no more was heard
about
an Architect of Time release for a period. In
Sep 2007, it emerged that Payne s planning to release Architect of
Time under the Asia Featuring John Payne name.It is unclear how a
release now of Architect of Time will
handle
the use of material on Window to the Soul, or whether Downes
will receive any credit. In a Nov 2007 press release, the band said
they had
"commenced recording" Architect of
Time. In early
Feb 2008, it was reported that
Payne has been writing with Norlander.
Recording on Architect of
Time and the next GPS album has continued through 2008/9. In Jun
2008,
Schellen reportedly told a fan that they were just about done recording
Architect of Time,
but still with a few things to finish up. Later that month, GPS
webmaster Michael Milbourn
said, "Work on the new album is still progressing, but John [Payne]
says there is a lot of work to be done. I believe all the songs are
written. Now they are being record[ed] and will need to be mixed and
mastered after that." Later in Sep 2008,
Payne said they had completed three tracks for Architect of Time and were currently
working on recording another, entitled "Strange Days". In Sep 2008,
Payne
said
it would not be out until after the second GPS album and it appears
both may now be out in late 2009. In Mar 2009,
Payne said the album is
expected late Aug/early Sep. Rodney
Matthews is to return to do the cover. AFJP have signed to Sony in
Japan and to another label (to be announced) in the US.
In Jul 2008, it was announced that GPS are about to
begin recording their second album (Dreamscape),
possibly as a trio without Okumoto.
The album will also be released on
InsideOut, probably in 2009. GPS continues
as a
separate entity and added Asia numbers to their live set with
two Oct 2007 dates in Japan including both Payne-era songs ("Silent
Nation", "Military Man", "The Longest Time", "Long Way from Home") and
Wetton-era songs ("Only Time will Tell", "Heat of the Moment"). GPS
played RoSfest
(Phoenixville, PA) in May with
Norlander standing in for Okumoto and a set including Asia numbers (e.g. "Military Man").
As for
future plans as Asia Featuring John Payne, Milbourn explained
in another post in Sep
2007:
"Asia featuring John
Payne"
leaves the door open for John to do anything under that designation .
If
he wants to release an album under than name, he can. Same with
touring,
regardless of who is in the band (which means it doesn't have to
include
Guthrie, Jay, etc.). None of this implies there will or will not be
much
of either, or that the band line-up would change if they toured. All it
means is that if he wants to go out and play his material under tha[t]
name,
and avoid brand confusion with the originial line-up, there's and
avenue
available to him.
In an Apr
2008 interview, Norlander's comments suggested a long-term future
was planned for Asia Featuring John Payne:
John
Payne emailed me late [2007] and told me that he had parted ways
with Geoff Downes, but that he still wanted very much to continue with
ASIA. John asked if I would like to join the band as keyboardist and
co-writer. [...] John and I have been writing songs for the new album,
and I'm very excited about what we've come up with -- this is some very
quality stuff. Very high energy and compelling music with both nice
melodic and symphonic elements. There is so much great ASIA from the
past, from both John Payne's era and from the 80s, I feel very
privileged to carry on with this band and hopefully move it forward
into a new era. We have a lot to say, musically, and we're all excited
to get this new music out there very soon. Tour dates are in the works
Payne himself said in Jun 2009:
ASIA
FJP want to tour all over the world but where we play is not under my
control. I would be happy touring 11 months of the year. However
touring is really expensive, flights alone for the band and
crew can cost thousands and then agents, management and promoters need
paying. Also gone are the days where record companies gave tour support
money, in fact they now try to get a percentage of the concert fee.
Since the split of GD and myself there have been legal issues that are
now resolved but it has taken a while to get back up to speed and
thankfully we have a run of exciting dates this summer. We are about
to sign a worldwide deal with an incredible record company run by a
very famous switched on guy and I wont announce it until pen hits paper.
[...] records will come out as soon as they are finished and when we
feel it is a piece of work worthy of your continued support.
The band were to play at
the 4 Jul 2008
Concert for the Troops
in California, but the show was indefinitely postponed. An EP
has been recorded with new recordings by the band; tracks: "Military
Man (USO mix)",
"Military Man (radio edit)", "Long Way from Home", "Long Way from Home
(radio edit)",
"Neurosaur"
(composition originally on Norlander's solo album Threshold). Artist
recording royalties are benefitting the USO.
Release through Payne's DevGel
label (on Voiceprint) has been long delayed, but the EP was in
production in May 2009 and is due soon.
Asia Featuring John Payne play live with a set list covering both the
Payne and Wetton-eras of Asia,
although in comments to a fan in
Jun 2008, the band indicated they plan to
phase out the Wetton-era material in future.
Their first ever show under this name was in Jun 2008; set: "Long Way
from Home", "Who will Stop the Rain", "Silent Nation", "Only Time will
Tell",
"Desire", "Days Like These", "Different Worlds", "Heat of the Moment",
"Military
Man", "Go", "Sole Survivor", "Free". A Sep 2008 show had the set: "Long
Way from Home", "Who will Stop the
Rain", "Silent Nation", "Only Time will Tell", "Desire", "Neurosaur"
(duet between Norlander &
Schellen), "Days Like These", "Different
Worlds", Govan guitar solo, "Go", "Heat of the Moment", "Sole
Survivor", Schellen drum solo, "Military Man", "Free". A
late
Sep show had Moni Scaria filling in for Govan and had a similar set.
More US
dates in Oct/Nov 2008 followed, plus a German date in Nov.
The 14 Nov show was attended by Billy
Sherwood, Tony Kaye and Keith
Emerson. Payne has also been performing a
few Asia songs ("Desire", "Who will Stop the Rain?") while guesting
live with Norlander's the Rocket Scientists in Mar 2009. 12 US dates have been announced from 5
Jul to 12 Sep, with Mitch
Perry (worked with
Aerosmith, Cher)
temporarily standing in on
guitar. The set list is billed as including "many of Asia's hit songs
plus new material from their upcoming release "Military Man"" (the
latter presumably a reference to "Neurosaur").
The last album released by Asia with Payne was
2004's Silent Nation, recorded with Chris
Slade (ex-Uriah Heep, ex-The
Firm, ex-AC/DC) on drums. In Aug 2005, Schellen replaced Slade
and
the band continued touring in support of Silent Nation in
Nov/Dec
2005. A live set by this
band—Downes/Payne/Govan/Schellen—was the
first
release under the Asia Featuring John Payne name.
In the US, it was part of Sony/BMG's Extended
Versions series, while it was out in the UK on Voiceprint as Scandinavia. Vocieprint are no
longer distributing Scandinavia
following a request from
Downes' management, although it is still available digitally.
Tracks:
"Time Again", "Only Time will Tell",
"Wildest
Dreams", "Here Comes the Feeling", "Silent Nation", "Long Way from
Home",
"Cutting It Fine", "What About Love", "Sole Survivor", "Heat of the
Moment". On to CIRCA: and related projects news On to Amazon.com
aStore Return to Where are they now? front page Return to alt.music.yesFAQ RSS feed
.