Where are they now? - Asia
and related projects

This page last updated: 29 Jul 2010
 
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Asia
CIRCA:
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On this page: Reunion - Touring - Asia Featuring John Payne


Asia  Official website; MySpace page; authorised fan club
The original Asia line-up are back together—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). They have been touring extensively and released Phoenix (Frontiers Records). Due Apr/May is their next album, Omega (Frontiers Records, FRCD-455), and they are touring in 2010. Management is by Martin Darvill.

New album and through 2010
Asia have released their latest studio album, Omega (12 tracks, ~60 min.s duration), out in Europe, the US and Japan (on King Records, KICP1470). Samples are available here. It was produced by Mike Paxman (ex-Judie Tzuke, worked with Uriah Heep, Status Quo, Nick Kamen) with Steve Rispin returning as engineer and Roger and Martyn Dean returning to do art (shown here), which references the Chinese Year of the Tiger. Tracks:
  1. "Finger on the Trigger" (remake of the Icon song on Rubicon—in Wetton's words, "Fact:Finger On The Trigger is Frontier's Boss Serafino Perugino's favourite Wetton/Downes song EVER by a country mile.I think we do it well, but I'm biased."; free download available)
  2. "Through My Veins"
  3. "Holy War"
  4. "Ever Yours"
  5. "Listen Children"
  6. "End of the World"
  7. "Light the Way"
  8. "Emily" (bonus track with first pressing DigiPak only)
  9. "Still the Same"
  10. "There was a Time"
  11. "I Believe"
  12. "I Don't Wanna Lose You Now"
The Japanese release omits "Emily", but has an additional piece, "Drop a Stone", after "There was a Time". "Through My Veins" and "Light the Way" are by Howe/Wetton and "Drop a Stone" is by all four members, with the rest of the album by Wetton/Downes. Details in the Yescography. Note the digital versions of the album all appear to mistakenly move "I Don't Wanna Lose You Now" to the beginning of the album.

The band entered the Japanese chart at #29 (#8 on the foreign albums chart), the German chart at #56 and the Swedish chart at #47. It has made #158 in France (2 May). It entered the top 60 in Switzerland and entered the Norwegian chart too. It made #13 in the UK indie chart.

On 13 Jan 2010, Downes tweeted: "In the studio with Steve Howe today (& tomorrow), laying down some axes on the new album. Sounding good right now..." Wetton has also continued with updates through Jan, including this rather odd message on 25 Jan:

I can tell you this-I've never felt so detached from a record, ever. That's not pointing any fingers, but between record company and producer, I feel almost no connection with this album, despite having injected a fairly considerable slice of myself into its fabric. It's like it is evolving by other hands, and it's a weird feeling.

Followed by:

I'm not trying to scare-monger, or point fingers at all----Mike Paxman is working incredibly hard on this record (as is our tireless engineer,Steve Rispin), I'm just expressing my lack of connection with the recording, the distance between myself and what's happening, and the fact that I will never record like this again.

He explained further on 27 Jan: "Oh, it will be good, alright---I don't want you to get the impression that there are any bad vibes, there aren't. Everyone is working super hard, engineer, producer, band, management, but I'm saying I've never felt so detached from an album, which really should have been put to bed by Xmas." Downes tweeted on 27 Jan: "In studio putting final final keys parts on new Asia album." He had tweeted on 15 Jan that "Album gotta b done by 21.02.09!" On 1 Feb, Wetton described the album and explained the name:

it is the natural balance to Alpha---the yin and yang now complete, nearly three decades later. Despite the title of  one of the lead tracks, it's a very up, optimistic  record----but then, so is Alpha. For anyone who thinks it means the last one, I would say "-but then  Alpha was not the first".
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Mixing began on 8 Feb. A Feb 2010 report described Howe as "VERY enthusiastic" about Omega.

In promo for the album, Wetton said:

Asia is an English prog-rock band with a pop edge, always has been, and hopefully always will be. Accessible, melodic, anthemic songs with great playing, luxuriating in a bed of lush orchestration, with lyrics that strike a sympathetic chord in even the most cynical heart. There you have it, Omega is a themed album in Asia's fine tradition, without the millstone of a concept.

The songs always have a message, hopefully positive. My songs are almost always autobiographical, so there is hope and experience in there, too. The lyric will never leave you on a negative thought.

The title 'Omega' [...] no more means 'final' than 'Alpha' means 'the first' (which it wasn't). It's a great sounding/looking word, and a bookend to 'Alpha'. In many ways, musically and conceptually, the two albums share commonality.

With Downes saying: "We were looking to create something different with Omega [...] the sound of the 4 band members of Asia will always have a certain hallmark when we play together [...] But we approached the song writing with a mind to getting a degree of variety into these compositions. Hence, you will hear areas of textures where arguably we have never gone before."

In the aforementioned 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 [original] four anymore, I would no longer want to do it."

Touring
Asia are touring this year. They played 15 European dates until 9 May. Planned initial dates in Finland and Russia were cancelled following the disruption to air travel over northern Europe from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, with Steve Howe and crew members unable to get to the planned shows. Asia's official website announced the tour set list as [SPOILERS—highlight to read] "Finger on the Trigger", "Only Time will Tell", "Holy War", "Never Again", "Through My Veins", "Don't Cry", Howe solo, "The Smile has Left Your Eyes" (parts 1 and 2, including a Howe/Palmer instrumental jam), "Open Your Eyes", "I Believe", "Time Again", "An Extraordinary Life", "The Heat Goes on", "End of the World", "Here Comes the Feeling", "Sole Survivor", "Go", "Heat of the Moment", as was played at their first German date (2 May, Asschaffenburg), which sold out. The set has had slight modifications elsewhere, e.g. 24 Apr in Rome: "I Believe", "Only Time will Tell", "Holy War", "Never Again", "Through My Veins", "Don't Cry" (Wetton and Downes only), Howe solo (including "Mood for a Day"), "The Smile has Left Your Eyes", "Open Your Eyes", intermission, "Wildest Dreams", "Finger on the Trigger", "Time Again", "An Extraordinary Life", "The Heat Goes on" (including Palmer solo), "End of the World", "Here Comes the Feeling", "Sole Survivor"; encore: "Go", "Heat of the Moment". An earlier set list is shown here and additionally includes "Days Like These", but it is shown crossed out. The 4 May show in Basel, Switzerland was recorded in HD for international broadcast under a working title of "Asia's Omega Tour Live in Switzerland". The show's intro music is the final part of Saint-Saëns' 3rd Symphony.

They then played five dates in May in Japan. Asia next played the High Voltage Festival (London, 24 Jul) at which the band plan to play [SPOILERS—highlight to read] Asia in its entirety. Their set was introduced by Roger Dean and is available as a ConcertLive release. An exclusive deal with the Festival means there are no other UK dates in the short term, but Wetton has suggested there are plans for UK tour towards the end of the year too. They then play three German dates 29-31 Jul, before doing 29 US dates from 2 Aug-8 Sep.

Discussing one aspect of set lists in an Apr 2010 interview (forthcoming in French magazine Big Bang) with Aymeric Leroy, Howe said:

[when] Yes came back, so it was Yes/Asia/trio/solo. So the solo became part of my performance with each group, you know - I'd play a solo spot, which kept me in touch with my solo compositions for the guitar. Which is very, very important to me. So that's the only [...] saving grace for my solo work was that I could also do a spot

Later in the interview is the following exchange:

Leroy: With both Yes and Asia, sometimes the issue comes up about whether or not to play some material from eras when you weren't in the band. Usually you sit out of those...

Howe: I did. But now I don't. Now I've shown that I don't do that [...]


Leroy: With Asia, you've never played anything from Astra...

Howe: [...] We're doing "Go" now. We also do know "Days Like These" as well - we're not playing it at the moment, but we have practised that. So I opened it up a bit, and said yeah, I mean I don't mind, you know... One or two...

Leroy: But generally your thinking is, "I wasn't a part of creating this song, so..."

Howe: Generally, but I think that's a little restrictive, so... to open up the bands

There was touring in support of Phoenix in 2009; the band were represented by the William Morris agency. Asia supported Yes on a US tour Jun-Aug—see details on the main Yes page. The typical set was "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". At the three shows 28-31 Jul, Ian McDonald (ex-King Crimson, ex-Foreigner, 21st Century Schizoid Band) joined the band on flute and backing vocals on "In the Court of the Crimson King". In his blog, ELP archivist Tony Ortiz described filming the 28 Jul show for a future DVD release. He manned one of three digital cameras used. Asia next headlined the Cambridge Rock Festival in Aug 2009. Set: "Wildest Dreams", "Only Time will Tell", "Time Again", "An Extraordinary Life", "My Own Time", "Open Your Eyes", "Fanfare for the Common Man", "Here Comes the Feeling", "Never Again", "The Heat Goes On", "Sole Survivor", "Don't Cry" (normal, electric version), "Heat of the Moment". The show was recorded in HD 5.1 for future, as yet unspecified, use. They played a free show with a very similar set 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 in 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.

On Rockline (US radio) in Jul 2009, Palmer described Asia and Yes touring together as "a blueprint for the future". Asked by Classic Rock Presents... Prog (#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 [2010]." In Jun 2009, Wetton said on his forum of this plan, "Carl has come up with an excellent and viable idea [...] for next year [2010] 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. However, it appears these plans have not come to fruition, and note also Wetton saying in Feb 2010 that "There is no plan for any more Yes/Asia shows." Note also that in the Sep 2009 article, Palmer discussed plans for ELP to reform in 2010, an idea that had been abandoned in 2009 because of Keith Emerson's medical problems with playing. On 8 Oct, Palmer said more to Classic Rock:

[Emerson] hasn’t been able to play more than a 35- or 40-minute set. [...]

“The last I heard [...] [Emerson and Greg Lake] were doing some writing together and thinking of making an album together. I’ve got so much on my plate, but am ready to look at any situation [...]

“I also have the idea that maybe we could get guests singers and musicians to play with Asia, people who have connections to the individuals in the band.

“It’d be kind of a family rock tree, putting a show together that way. Justin Hayward would be great, or one of the guys from Supertramp. I mean, Justin Hayward singing Nights In White Satin with Steve Howe backing him on guitar – wouldn’t that be marvellous?

“I thought that might be a situation where Keith Emerson could play, and we’d have Greg Lake as well. So we’d have those two on stage and Asia. We could play things like Fanfare For The Common Man and Lucky Man. [...]

[...] I don’t know if Emerson would do it, as he has an ego the size of Wembley football stadium.


ELP have since played a one-off reunion for a London festival in Jul 2010 and Asia also appeared.

Wetton is planning work on a new solo album (produced by Billy Sherwood) from around Sep 2010, indicating a break in Asia activity. However, he has also said the band will be doing another album.

Phoenix
2008's Phoenix was released in Europe on Frontiers Records; in North America on CD and digitally through EMI America Records; and in Japan through King Records. See details in Yescography. Early versions of "Wish I'd Known All Along" and "Over and Over" from the album can be heard on Howe's Homebrew 4 release.

Other news

Greg Lake's From the Underground Vol. I and From the Underground Vol. II—Deeper Into the Mine are being re-released by Cherry Records' Lemon label on 17 May. The former includes "Heat of the Moment" from Lake's brief period in Asia in 1983, with Downes, Howe and Palmer. The latter includes three tracks by Lake's Ride the Tiger project with Downes, including "Love Under Fire", which Asia re-recorded for Aqua.

Wetton has talked to Alan Simon about participating again on the latter's third Excalibur album. On his guestbook in May 2010, Wetton said, "I have the song in question, as usual,it is very good, and I would be delighted to perform it, should he so require. I believe that one or two of my band-mates would also be welcome to also, er,.... jouer, if they are so inclined. Nous voyerons, n'est-ce pas?"

Wetton and Downes are also continuing with their iCon project in parallel to Asia—see details under Downes.


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, with Ryo Okumoto (Spock's Beard) on keys. GPS released Window to the Soul, all music credited to Payne/Schellen/Govan, and are working on a second album. They have occasionally played Asia material (both Payne-era and Wetton-era) live.

In May 2007, Payne/Govan/Schellen announced the formation of Asia Featuring John Payne (MySpace page), with Erik Norlander (ex-Ayreon) later announced on keys. 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", "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 the album for a possible release on InsideOut, but probably not under the Asia name. 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 is planning to release an album under the Asia Featuring John Payne name of that name, but it has been unclear how a release now of this album 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"the album and in early Feb 2008, it was reported that Payne has been writing with Norlander. By Jun 2008, 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]". In Sep 2008, Payne said they had completed 3 tracks for the album and were currently working on recording another, entitled "Strange Days". Rodney Matthews is to return to do the cover. AFJP have signed to Sony in Japan and to Favored Nations in the US, with release now due Jun/Jul. In Oct 2009, it was announced that the new album was to be called Arcana instead, with Payne using the 'Architect of Time' name for an unrelated solo project, although Payne has since said he may use another name.

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


An EP has been recorded with new recordings by the band; tracks: "Military Man (2009 version)", "Long Way from Home (2009 version)", "Neurosaur (2009 version)" (composition originally on Norlander's solo album Threshold), "Military Man (radio edit)", "Long Way from Home (radio edit)". Artist recording royalties are benefitting the USO. Release through Payne's DevGel label (on Voiceprint) has been long delayed, but the EP is now out. 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. A 14 Nov show was attended by Billy Sherwood, Tony Kaye and Keith Emerson. Govan left the band in 2009. AFJP played 12 US dates Jul-Sep 2009, with Mitch Perry (worked with Aerosmith, Cher) now on guitar. Set on 14 Jul: "Long Way from Home", "Only Time will Tell", "Who will Stop the Rain?", "Silent Nation", "Days Like These", "Desire", "Go", "Time Again", "Neurosaur"/Schellen drum solo, "Don't Cry", "Different Worlds", "Military Man", "Heat of the Moment", "Sole Survivor". Official tour promo video here. Payne also performed a few Asia songs ("Desire", "Who will Stop the Rain?") while guesting live with Norlander's the Rocket Scientists in Mar 2009. 2010 North American dates from Apr-Jul have been announced, with more expected. A May show had an audience of ~300.
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YES and projects with several Yesmen
Jon
Anderson
Chris
Squire
Steve
Howe
Alan
White
Rick
Wakeman
Bill
Bruford
Tony
Kaye
Peter
Banks
Patrick
Moraz
Trevor
Horn
Geoff
Downes
Trevor
Rabin
Billy
Sherwood
Igor
Khoroshev
Anderson & Wakeman
Asia
CIRCA:
Yoso
Oliver Wakeman
Benoît David
Others associated with the band

Any news, additions or corrections, please e-mail Henry Potts. Thanks.