Asia are an English progressive rock supergroup, founded in 1981 by lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton (King Crimson and U.K.), guitarist Steve Howe (Yes), keyboardist Geoff Downes (Yes and the Buggles) and drummer Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer). The bands current line up included Downes (a consistent member, save for a brief period in 1989), guitarist John Mitchell, bassist and vocalist Harry Whitley and drummer Virgil Donati (all since 2024).
Another version of the band is led by John Payne, who was lead vocalist and bassist between 1991 and 2006. This formation was founded in 2007 following a reunion of the original members, with then current members Payne, Guthrie Govan (guitar) and Jay Schellen (drums) joining keyboardist Erik Norlander as Asia featuring John Payne, their current line-up includes guitarists Jeff Kollman and Moni Scaria (both since 2012), keyboardist Jamie Hosmer and drummer Johnny Fedevich (both since 2017).
Asia began in early 1981 after the apparent ending of Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, two of the founding bands of British progressive rock. After the breakup of King Crimson in 1974, various plans for a supergroup involving bassist John Wetton had not been successful, including the abortive British Bulldog project with Bill Bruford and Rick Wakeman in 1976. In 1977 Bruford and Wetton were reunited in U.K., augmented by guitarist Allan Holdsworth and keyboardist/violinist Eddie Jobson.
In early January 1981, Wetton and former Yes guitarist Steve Howe were brought together by A&R man John Kalodner and Geffen Records to start writing material for a new album. [1] They were eventually joined by drummer Carl Palmer and finally by Howe's fellow member of Yes, keyboardist Geoff Downes. Asia's debut album Asia , released in March 1982. Asia's second album Alpha was released in July 1983. [2]
In October 1983 Wetton left the group after the comparatively disappointing sales of Alpha. The band says that Wetton quit; Wetton stated that he was fired by phone. There is no universally agreed version of what happened. In December 1983 ex-King Crimson and ELP lead singer and bassist Greg Lake replaced Wetton for a few concerts in Japan.
Following Lake's departure, Wetton was asked to return to Asia after his three-month absence; [3] he returned on the condition that Steve Howe was ousted from the band. For a while, the group considered continuing as a three-piece without a permanent guitarist, inviting guest guitarists such as Jeff Beck and David Gilmour into the studio. Geffen Records suggested recruiting Krokus guitarist Mandy Meyer, who got on well with the band and was offered a permanent position.
The third Asia album was tentatively titled Arcadia, but during production it was discovered that that name was being used by a forthcoming spin-off project from Duran Duran. The retitled Astra , released in November 1985. The band charted another single with "Go" (No. 46), featuring Meyer's guitar work as a primary element. The music video was another hit with MTV but in 1986 this Asia lineup folded, bringing the group to an end for the time being. Wetton is quoted as saying "[Astra] did really well in Sweden ... but Swedish sales aren't that large." [4]
Wetton and Palmer reunited the band for tours of Europe in the summer and autumn of 1989. Downes (working on a project with Greg Lake) was not available, so keyboards were played by John Young. Guitars on the tour were handled by Alan Darby (replaced by German guitarist Holger Larisch); and Zoe Nicholas and Susie Webb were brought aboard to provide back-up vocals. Unlike Wetton's later anger at Asia continuing without him in the 1990s, this lineup was viewed favourably by other Asia band members.
Asia returned to the studio in 1990 with Downes, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather and other studio musicians and released Then & Now (August 1990), a best-of with four new tracks. "Days Like These" from the disc received substantial airplay during the summer of 1990 on AOR radio stations and re-sparked some interest in the band. Pat Thrall joined Downes, Palmer and Wetton on tour and they performed classic material, including King Crimson and U.K. songs. Wetton left the group in April 1991 after a South American tour, discouraged by Asia's lack of success in the United States.
After Wetton's departure, vocalist/bassist John Payne joined the band and, together with Downes, enlisted new musicians and led Asia through to 2006. The first album with this lineup was Aqua , released in June 1992. In addition to Downes and Payne, the album featured Howe, Palmer, and guitarist Al Pitrelli (of Danger Danger, Megadeth and Alice Cooper). Howe returned during the sessions having just left Yes again, but Palmer would leave soon, committing to an ELP reunion, and was able to play on just three songs. Drummers Simon Phillips and Nigel Glockler then completed the sessions.
The 1992–93 tour featured Downes, Howe, Payne, guitarist Vinny Burns and drummer Trevor Thornton. Before a European festival tour in late 1993, Howe and Burns left and were replaced by guitarist Keith More. The group released Aria in May 1994, which featured lead guitarist Al Pitrelli once again, who would leave Asia during the short Aria tour. The Aria album did not fare well commercially and the ensuing tour was limited to four concerts. Ex-Simply Red guitarist Aziz Ibrahim took over during the tour. Aria also introduced new drummer Michael Sturgis, who had been involved during the band's aborted 1987 reunion and had appeared on some of the sessions for Aqua. Aria was not released in the United States until May 1995.
Next, Arena , released in February 1996, featured Downes, Payne, Sturgis, Ibrahim and guest guitarist Elliott Randall (ex-Steely Dan, and Randy Crawford). The group's lone promotional performance in conjunction with the album occurred on 19 April 1996, when Downes and Payne appeared with guitarist Elliott Randall on the Virgin FM radio programme Alive in London to play the song "Never".
An all-acoustic album, Live Acoustic, was recorded by the group at Stadthalle, Bruchsal, Germany on 21 September 1997 (and released in December 1999) that featured a lineup of Downes, Payne, Ibrahim, and drummer Bob Richards. Also in 1997, a best of album Anthology , featuring songs from the past six albums was released. However, a lawsuit from Wetton meant that songs from the first three albums needed to be re-recorded.
In 1999 there was talk of a reunion of the original lineup minus Howe. The original proposition included Dave Kilminster on guitar, who had previously toured and recorded with Wetton. While Howe was interested in participating, he was unable to because of his busy schedule with Yes. This reunion did not take place and John Payne continued to carry on Asia with Downes uninterrupted. Wetton and Palmer did, however, get together to form Qango, which included Kilminster and John Young, although the band was short-lived. Kilminster went on to work with Roger Waters.
Also in 1999, Rare , Asia's seventh studio album was released on Resurgence. It was made up of the instrumental music, which Downes and Payne had composed for the soundtrack for David Attenborough's documentary nature film Salmon: Against the Tides (tracks 1–16) and for an unreleased CD-ROM video game (tracks 17–22). [5]
2001's Aura featured three different session guitarists, including Ian Crichton (of Canadian progressive rock band Saga) who'd briefly joined Asia in 1998–1999. Aura took a more progressive rock form, but still did not recapture the commercial success of the first album. Former members Howe, Thrall, Sturgis and Elliott Randall also made guest appearances. The single "Ready to Go Home" was barely distributed. Asia then signed with Recognition Records. 2001 did see the band with a stable lineup, achieved during the Aura sessions featuring Downes, Payne, guitarist Guthrie Govan and ex-Manfred Mann's Earth Band/The Firm/Uriah Heep/Gary Numan/AC/DC drummer Chris Slade (who had first joined Asia in 1999, briefly).
In August 2005 Slade left Asia to be replaced by drummer Jay Schellen. The new band started work on an album, tentatively entitled Architect of Time, which was originally planned for release early in 2006, though subsequent developments would cause this project to be shelved. Half of this material ended up being released on the album Window to the Soul in August 2006 under the new band name of GPS, which was an acronym for the three players involved: Govan, Payne and Schellen. After this, the three continued on as Asia Featuring John Payne in 2007.
In early 2006, Downes left for a reunion of the original band lineup under the Asia name, a breakup that Payne described as "painful". [6] The existing lineup (minus Downes) continued for a short while before morphing into the aforementioned GPS.
Following Downes' departure, on 9 May 2006, John Payne, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Carl Palmer and Steve Howe contractually agreed that John Payne could continue his 15-year period with Asia as Asia Featuring John Payne. Asia featuring John Payne debuted in 2007 with Payne on vocals/bass, Guthrie Govan on guitar, Erik Norlander on keyboards and Jay Schellen on drums. Downes, Wetton, Palmer and Howe continued to perform and record as Asia thereafter.
In mid-2007, all four original members (Wetton, Downes, Howe and Palmer) went into the studio to record a new album, marking the first recorded material from all four original members since 1983's Alpha. [7] The band continued to tour until major heart surgery for Wetton in the second half of the year saw remaining tour dates rescheduled for 2008. The new studio album, entitled Phoenix , was released on Frontiers Records on 14 April 2008 (via EMI/Capitol on 15 April in North America [8] ).
Asia featuring John Payne toured the US through 2008. In 2009, the band released an EP entitled Military Man. The band has continued to tour the US since 2008, performing songs from the entire history of Asia, both before and during Payne's time in the band. In 2009 Govan was replaced by Mitch Perry, a session musician with experience touring with major acts including Cher, Michael Schenker and Edgar Winter. [9] In August 2011, the band played summer tour dates in the US with a new guitarist, Bruce Bouillet. [10] In 2012, the band announced that Bouillet had left to pursue solo work, replacing him with a dual guitar lineup of Moni Scaria and Jeff Kollman. [11] In 2014, Norlander was replaced [12] by Ryo Okumoto from GPS. Schellen stopped working with the band in 2016, and started filling in for Alan White in Yes alongside Geoff Downes. [13]
On 10 January 2013, Steve Howe announced his retirement from the band to focus on other projects, [14] including Yes, bringing an end to the reunion of the original lineup. Asia in turn announced they would be continuing with new guitarist Sam Coulson, with a new album in the works entitled Gravitas . [15] [16] [17] The new lineup performed live in 2013. [18]
On 11 January 2017, Wetton released a statement that, due to receiving another round of chemotherapy, he would be unable to perform on the 12 dates announced for the Journey tour, and that he would be substituted by Billy Sherwood, one of Downes' Yes bandmates, and Wetton's own co-writer and producer of the album Raised in Captivity . [19] The band originally wanted to cancel the tour altogether, but Journey's management and agents refused, forcing them to pick Sherwood as last-minute replacement. [20]
Wetton died on 31 January 2017 at the age of 67; [21] [22] Palmer later stated "So, we used Billy and we had a phenomenal time. It was a great experience all 'round, and I'm pleased we did it. John would have loved to be on that tour, so I'm pleased we did it for him, anyway." [20] On 17 June 2017 Asia performed a show in homage to Wetton, titled An Extraordinary Life. [23] The show was an interactive celebration of Wetton's music and life. Fan dedications were sent into management and shown on a large projection screen above the stage.
Material by Payne and Norlander for the Asia featuring John Payne album to be called Americana, including the single "Seasons Will Change", was then released under the name Dukes of the Orient instead in 2018. [24] Payne and Norlander described this decision as coming out respect for the passing of John Wetton, also citing this material was written by them and not under Asia. [25] Asia featuring John Payne (without Norlander) has continued as a live act.
After Wetton's death, Downes stated that the duo had been working on another Asia album and stated that he hopes to eventually finish and release it as a final testament to Wetton. It is unclear whether Wetton had recorded any parts, or if the album had only been in the songwriting process. [26] In August 2017, Palmer stated that there were no immediate plans for Asia to continue, as it was too soon to make any decisions and the band members would be busy on other projects in the meantime. [20]
On 2 April 2019, the band announced it would join Yes, John Lodge, and Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy as part of The Royal Affair Tour, a 26-date Summer 2019 North American joint tour, with founding guitarist Steve Howe rejoining the band for a portion of the set. The band also confirmed that Sam Coulson had amicably left Asia to focus on solo projects and that he'd be replaced as guitarist by Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, specifically for the tour also took over lead vocals, with Sherwood remaining on bass but moving to backing vocals. Coulson confirmed his departure on Twitter the same day. [27] [28] [29]
In 2022, Asia announced a 40th Anniversary Tour, with Marc Bonilla on guitar and vocals. [30] However, the tour was later cancelled due to Alan Parsons, the band's opening act, backing out in order to undergo surgery. Following the cancellation, Palmer said in February 2023 that there were no plans for any activity for the rest of the year. [31]
At a memorial concert to the late John Wetton on 3 August 2023, a line-up played Asia songs based on Geoff Downes, John Mitchell, Harry Whitley, Jay Schellen and Billy Sherwood. A new line-up was then announced for a 2024 summer tour of Geoff Downes (keys), Virgil Donati (drums), John Mitchell (guitar) and Harry Whitley (bass, vocals). [32]
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Geoff Downes |
|
| all releases | |
John Mitchell |
|
| none | |
Harry Whitley |
| |||
Virgil Donati | 2024–present |
|
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Carl Palmer |
|
|
| |
Steve Howe |
|
|
| |
John Wetton |
|
|
| |
Greg Lake | 1983–1984 (died 2016) |
| Enso Kai - Live At The Budokan, Tokyo 1983 (2001) | |
Mandy Meyer | 1984–1986 |
|
| |
Pat Thrall | 1990–1991 |
| ||
John Payne | 1991–2006 |
| all releases from Aqua (1992) to Silent Nation (2004), except Now: Live in Nottingham (1997), The Very Best of Asia: Heat of the Moment (1982–1990) (2000), Alive in Hallowed Halls (2001), Enso Kai - Live At The Budokan, Tokyo 1983 (2001), Quadra - Live Througout The Years (2001), Bedrock in Concert (2002), Live In Buffalo (2003), Dragon Attack (2003), Live In Hyogo (2003) and Live In Massachussettes `83 (2004) | |
Al Pitrelli |
| guitar | ||
Mike Sturgis |
|
|
| |
Chris Slade |
|
| ||
Guthrie Govan | 2000–2006 |
| ||
Jay Schellen |
|
| none | |
Sam Coulson | 2013–2018 |
| Gravitas (2014) | |
Billy Sherwood | 2017–2023 (guest 2004) |
| Silent Nation (2004) | |
Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal | 2019–2021 |
| none | |
Marc Bonilla | 2022 |
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
John Young | 1989 |
| none | |
Zoe Nicholas | backing vocals | |||
Susie Webb | ||||
Alan Darby | guitar | |||
Holger Larisch | ||||
Steve Lukather | 1990 |
| ||
Trevor Thornton | 1992–1994 | drums |
| |
Vinny Burns | 1992–1993 |
|
| |
Keith More | 1993 | none | ||
Aziz Ibrahim | 1994–1998 |
| ||
Elliott Randall | 1996 | guitar |
| |
Bob Richards | 1997 | drums |
| |
Ian Crichton | 1998–1999 | guitar | Aura (2001) | |
Tony Levin | 2001 | bass |
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
John Payne | 2007–present |
| all releases | |
Jeff Kollman | 2012–present |
|
| |
Moni Scaria | ||||
Johnny Fedevich | 2017–present |
| none to date | |
Jamie Hosmer |
|
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jay Schellen | 2007–2016 |
|
| |
Erik Norlander | 2007–2014 |
|
| |
Guthrie Govan | 2007–2009 |
| Military Man (2009) | |
Mitch Perry | 2009–2011 | none | ||
Bruce Bouillet | 2011–2012 | guitar | Recollections: A Tribute to British Prog (2014) | |
Ryo Okumoto | 2014–2017 | keyboards | none |
Yes are an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by lead singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye, and drummer Bill Bruford. The band has undergone numerous lineup changes throughout their history, during which 20 musicians have been full-time members. Since February 2023, the band has consisted of guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Geoff Downes, bassist Billy Sherwood, singer Jon Davison, and drummer Jay Schellen. Yes have explored several musical styles over the years and are most notably regarded as progressive rock pioneers.
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 debut album, Asia, 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.
Asia is the debut studio album by English rock supergroup Asia, released in 1982. According to both Billboard and Cashbox, it was the #1 album in the United States for the year 1982. It contains their biggest hit "Heat of the Moment", which reached #4 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
U.K. were a British progressive rock supergroup originally active from 1977 to 1980. The band was founded by bass guitarist John Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford, formerly the rhythm section of King Crimson. The band was rounded out by violinist/keyboardist Eddie Jobson, and guitarist Allan Holdsworth. Bruford and Holdsworth left in 1978, and Bruford was replaced by drummer Terry Bozzio. Jobson, Wetton and Bozzio reformed U.K. for a world tour in 2012.
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.
John Timothy Payne is an English musician, best known as the lead singer and bassist of Asia from 1991 to 2006 before subsequently spinning off into Asia featuring John Payne. Additionally, he is a member of Dukes of the Orient, The Rock Pack, and formerly GPS.
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.
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.
Back Against the Wall is an album released in 2005 by Billy Sherwood in collaboration with a number of (mostly) progressive rock artists as a tribute to Pink Floyd's album The Wall. A year later, Sherwood followed it with the release of Return to the Dark Side of the Moon, a tribute to Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon.
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.
Geoffrey Downes is an English keyboardist who gained fame as a member of the new wave group the Buggles with Trevor Horn, the progressive rock band Yes, and the supergroup Asia.
Circa is a progressive rock supergroup founded by four musicians associated with Yes: former Yes members Alan White (drums), and Tony Kaye, current Yes members Billy Sherwood and Jay Schellen (drums), and guitarist Jimmy Haun, who played on the Yes album Union.
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.
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.