ASIA.
The pretensions of the group seems to compete with the extensive of the continent Asia. Asia ('82) and Alpha ('83) are the first two albums from this super joined-venture and probably the most interesting two:
Geoffry Downes - guitar and vocals (who played in the Buggels and Yes,
Steve Howe - guitar,
Carl Palmer - drums, (from Emmerson-Lake & Palmer),
John Wetton - vocals and bass.
On Astra ('85) is Mandy Meyer (ex-Krokus) the lead-guitarist instead of Steve Howe.
Then and Now ('87):
Geoffry,
Carl,
John,
Steve, with;
Steve Lukather (Toto) and another few sessionplayers.
Mockba live in Russia ('91):
Geoffry,
Carl,
Pat Thrall - guitar,
John. with;
Aqua ('92):
Geoffry,
Carl,
John Payne - vocals and bass,
Steve, with;
All Pitrelli - guitar (ex-Alice Cooper).
Aria ('94):
Geoffry,
Michael Sturgess - drums (ex-21 Guns),
John Payne - vocals and bass,
All Pitrelli.
Arena ('96):
Geoffry,
Carl,
John Payne - vocals and bass,
Steve, with;
All Pitrelli - guitar.
Azic Ibrahim - guitar (Simply Red),
Elliott Randall - guitar (steely Dan),
Michael Sturgess - drums,
Louis Jardim - percussion,
Hotei Tomayasa - guitar.
Live in Montreal and Koln and ... ('97):
Geoffry - guitar,
Carl - drums,
Pat Thrall - guitar,
John Wetton - vocals and bass.
The show keep running with Axioms ('99) and Aura (2001):
Geoffry,
John Payne - vocals and bass,
with additional musicians;
Ian Crichton (from Saga),
Vinnie Colaiuta - percussion,
Louis Jardim - percussion,
Steve Howe - guitar,
Elliott Randall - guitar,
Guthrie Govan - guitar,
Pat Thrall - guitar,
Tony Levin - bass,
Gary Liederman - bass,
Niel Lockwood - backing vocals (from Alan Parsons '94- 1999),
Simon Phillips - drums (Toto and more),
Michael Sturgess - drums,
Chris Slade - drums,
Andrew Gold &
Graham Gouldman - songwriters (ex-10cc and Wax).
Asiaworld reports that the live Asia release called Quadra ('02) does
not have the support of either Geoff Downes or most of the original lineup of Asia.
The Silent Nation tour 2005 brings the boys to Europe and not to Asia. The line-upp
is the same as from the studio album ('04).
Geoff Downes,
John Payne,
Guthrie Govan (he works with Dave Kilmister aswell),
Chris Slade.
Without the covers of Roger Dean
it becomes very boring...
Summer 2006.
25 Aniversery of Asia with: Wetton, Howe, Downes & Palmer on tour and they
will record a cd and probably a DVD!
Fantasia: Live In Tokyo (Released on CD and DVD) ('07)
Phoenix ('08)
With Hugh McDonnald on cello, and Geoff, Steve, Carl and John.
And again 2 live albums, one from the USA and one recorded in Japan.
Asia is in 2009:
Geoff Downes -keyboardist
Steve Howe
- guitarist
Palmer, Carl
- drummer
John Wetton
- bassist/vocalist
High Voltage Festival 2010 London Victoria Park 24-25 July:
Confirmed: Emmerson Lake & Palmer, ZZ Top, Asia, Foreigner, Uriah Heep,
Focus, Wisbone Ash, Pendragon,
Touchstone & The Reasoning!
Tourdates 2010.
John Payne collected a few friends and started to tour too; Asia featuring John Payne.
Yeah live can be complicated.
John Payne - Vocals, Bass, Guitars
Guthrie Govan - Guitars
Jay Schellen - Drums
Erik Norlander - keyboards (Lana-Lane)
SESSION/ SOLO
GEOFF DOWNES.
A new solo album Shadows & Reflections is on it's way (scheduled for April 22nd 2003) and this
is what he had to say about it:
(...) it consists of only two extended tracks, and they can best be described as 'ambient' in
terms of feel. For those of you who may have been disappointed with the shorter tracks of
World Service a few years back, I think you will find that this one more satisfying, as the
musical ideas as much more developed. As Geoff describes in his liner notes, it is
"along the lines of a 'stream of consciousness' sentiment".
The Collection should be out on May 27th.Session for:
Steve Thorne ('05)
CARL PALMER.
Carl Frederick Kendall Palmer was born in Birmingham, England, on March 20th, 1950.
Played in several bands wenn he was really young;
The Mecca Dance Band (14 years), the Motown influenced King Bees along with Richard King on guitar, Len Cox on bass and Jeff Brown on lead vocals.
The band would later be known as The Craig. Palmer moved on to join Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds which also featured guitar great Albert Lee
(and was produced by Mick Jagger!).
The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown ('68- '69),
Atomic Rooster,
Emerson, Lake & Palmer ('70- '80),
Asia ('81- now),
Robert Berry, 3, ('88 with Keith Emerson),
Status Quo live ('02).
Do Ya Wanna Play, Carl ('91), is an double disc with the best of Carl, from Asia till Atomic Rooster and rare live recordings with Mike Oldfield and others.
And he released another album called Working live ('02).
Symfo-Index.
Updated April 2009 by Nick.
Shine On!