Asia are an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1981. The most commercially successful lineup was its original, which consisted of four members of different progressive rock bands who had enjoyed great success in the 1970s: lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton, guitarist Steve Howe (Yes), keyboardist Geoff Downes and drummer Carl Palmer. Their self-titled debut album released in 1982, remains their best-selling album and went to number one in several countries. Billboard listed it as the top album in the U.S. in 1982. The lead single from the album, "Heat of the Moment", remains their top charting and best-known song, reaching the top 40 in over a dozen markets. It peaked at #4 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
John Kenneth Wetton was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Although he was left handed, he was known as a dexterous right handed Bass player and had a booming Baritone voice. He joined the band Family in 1971 for a short time before joining King Crimson in 1972. After the breakup of King Crimson at the end of 1974, Wetton was in progressive rock and hard rock bands including Roxy Music (1974–1975), Uriah Heep (1975–1976), U.K. (1977–1980), and Wishbone Ash (1980–1981).
William Wyman Sherwood is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, record producer and mixing engineer. He is best known for his tenures in the English progressive rock band Yes as guitarist and keyboardist in 1994 and from 1997 to 2000 and as bassist since 2015, following the death of original bassist Chris Squire. He is also known for working with former and current Yes members on other projects.
Silent Nation is the ninth studio album by British rock band Asia, released in 2004. It was the last album with longtime vocalist and bassist John Payne, prior to the reunion of the original line-up in 2006.
Erik Norlander is an American musician known for his work in the progressive rock genre. From 2007 to 2014, he was the touring and recording keyboardist for Asia Featuring John Payne.
Guthrie Govan is a British guitarist and guitar teacher, known for his work with the bands the Aristocrats, Asia, GPS, the Young Punx and the Fellowship, as well as his solo project Erotic Cakes. More recently, he has collaborated with Steven Wilson and Hans Zimmer. He is a noted guitar teacher, working with the UK magazine Guitar Techniques, Guildford's Academy of Contemporary Music, Lick Library, and formerly the Brighton Institute of Modern Music. Govan was named "Guitarist of the Year" by Guitarist magazine in 1993.
Jay Schellen is an American drummer who is the current drummer of the English progressive rock band Yes, having toured with the band as an additional drummer since 2016 before becoming an official member in 2023, following the death of longtime drummer Alan White. Schellen has also worked with a number of other heavy rock and progressive rock bands, including with Hurricane, Asia, World Trade, Circa, and Unruly Child.
Aqua is the fourth studio album by British rock supergroup Asia, released in 1992. It was the first album with longtime vocalist and bassist John Payne.
Qango were a short-lived progressive rock band, a spin-off from Asia. In 1999, an attempt was made at a partial reunion of the progressive rock supergroup Asia involving John Wetton, Carl Palmer (drums) and Geoff Downes (keys), with Dave Kilminster to be on guitar. However, Downes withdrew from plans, choosing to stick with John Payne in their Asia line-up. Wetton and Palmer instead formed Qango with Kilminster and John Young on keys. The band's live set was based on songs by Asia and Palmer's former band Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
GPS were a progressive rock group formed in 2006 by John Payne, Guthrie Govan (guitars) and Jay Schellen. These three had been working together in Asia, specifically on an album to have been called Architect of Time, when the fourth member of Asia, Geoff Downes, joined a reunion of the band's classic line-up, dissolving the then current line-up. Payne, Govan and Schellen announced the formation of a new band in February 2006 to be called One. However, after discovering another rock act with the same name, the band changed its name to GPS, from the initials of the three founders.
The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) Part II was a British-American rock band formed by Electric Light Orchestra drummer and co-founder Bev Bevan. The band also included former ELO bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt, and violinist Mik Kaminski for most of its career, along with conductor Louis Clark, who toured as a guest with ELO in its later years; ELO cellist Hugh McDowell likewise briefly performed with the group in 1991. Alongside these ELO personnel, Part II rotated through several ELO-unaffiliated frontmen during its lifetime, with singer-songwriter and keyboardist Eric Troyer the only one to retain constant membership.
Archiva is a two-volume collection of out-takes and previously unreleased tracks by British progressive rock band Asia. The volume one, designated as Archiva 1, was released on 3 September 1996 by Resurgence.
Return to the Dark Side of the Moon is a tribute album organised by Billy Sherwood, and released in 2006 on Purple Pyramid. It is a re-creation of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, and a sequel to Sherwood's Back Against the Wall, itself a re-creation of Pink Floyd's The Wall. Return to the Dark Side of the Moon, in addition includes an original piece composed by Sherwood in the style of the original album.
Asia featuring John Payne is a British–American rock group band formed in 2007 following a schism in the lineup of Asia. The band is a continuation of singer and bassist John Payne's career as the band's frontman from 1991 to 2006, performing songs recorded before and during this time. In December 2017, Payne and keyboardist Erik Norlander formed a new group, Dukes of the Orient, with various members and ex-members of Asia featuring John Payne as collaborators. Asia featuring John Payne remains active as a touring stage show.
XXX is the twelfth studio album by British rock band Asia, released in 2012. It is the fifth and final studio album with the original line-up due to guitarist Steve Howe's departure the following year and vocalist/bassist John Wetton's death in 2017.
Jeffrey "Jeff" Kollman is an American guitarist and occasional bassist from Toledo, Ohio, best known for his work with Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats, Glenn Hughes, UFO offshoot Mogg/Way, progressive rock trio, Cosmosquad, and his 90s progressive metal band, Edwin Dare.
Topographic Drama – Live Across America is a double live album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 24 November 2017 by Rhino Records.
Dukes of the Orient are an English and American AOR and progressive rock band formed in 2017 by lead vocalist, guitarist and bassist John Payne and keyboardist Erik Norlander. Payne and formerly Norlander had worked together in Asia Featuring John Payne, an offshoot of British progressive rock group Asia of which Payne was a member from 1991 to 2006, when Asia's original lineup reunited. Following Asia lead singer John Wetton's death on 31 January 2017, Payne and Norlander formed Dukes of the Orient as a vehicle to release new material, both out of respect for Wetton, and to distinguish themselves from Payne's former band. Asia Featuring John Payne remains active in a touring capacity, and members and former members of the group; Jay Schellen, Bruce Bouillet, Guthrie Govan, Jeff Kollman and Moni Scaria, have contributed to Dukes of the Orient's debut album.
"Go" is a song by British rock band Asia, released as the lead-off single from their third studio album Astra. A 7-inch single with "After the War" as the B-side was issued in the United States and the United Kingdom in November 1985 by Geffen Records. Additionally, remix and instrumental versions made by keyboard player Geoff Downes were issued as a 12-inch single in the United Kingdom.
