Asia biography
Asia has recently annouced a U.S. summer tour 2009 with Yes.
Asia Featuring John Payne
Payne, Govan and Schellen continued working together after Downes' departure for the aforementioned reunion. This included continuing work on what had been planned as the next Asia album,
Architect of Time. They began to work under the name GPS with Ryo Okumoto of Spock's Beard on keys. Their debut release,
Window to the Soul (2006), included material developed for
Architect of Time.
In May 2007, Payne, Govan and Schellen announced the new band name, "Asia Featuring John Payne", adding Erik Norlander on keys. The name had been contractually agreed between Payne, Downes, Wetton, Howe and Palmer on the 9th of May 2006. The first release under this name at the end of 2007 was a live recording of the late 2005 Asia line-up of Downes, Payne, Govan and Schellen, entitled Extended Versions in the US and Scandinavia in the UK.
In June 2008, the band has announced the release of an EP entitled "Military Man" with a royalties being donated to the USO. The band is also planning to release a completed Architect of Time , with all songs written by Payne and Norlander. The band are touring in 2009 under the Asia Featuring John Payne name, and currently playing festivals and small venues, performing songs from the entire history of Asia, including "Heat of the Moment".
In late 2008 they signed a three album deal with Sony Music Japan with Architect of Time to be released in 2009. A summer tour sees Mitch Perry replace Govan on guitar.
Personnel
Many musicians participated through the years, especially during the 1990s, when the band consisted essentially of Geoff Downes and John Payne plus an ever-changing set of guests.
Current members of Asia are:
- Geoff Downes - keyboards, backing vocals (former member of Yes and The Buggles) - founding member
- John Wetton - lead vocals, bass, guitar (former member of King Crimson, UK, Uriah Heep , Roxy Music and Family) - founding member
- Steve Howe - guitar, mandolin, backing vocals (also a member of Yes and GTR) - founding member
- Carl Palmer - drums, percussion (former member of Emerson, Lake & Palmer) - founding member
Current members of
Asia Featuring John Payne are:
- John Payne - lead vocals, bass, guitar (also in GPS)
- Guthrie Govan - guitar (also in GPS)
- Jay Schellen - drums and percussion (also in GPS)
- Erik Norlander - keyboards
Previous members of
Asia are:
- John Payne - lead vocals, bass, guitar (now in GPS and "Asia Featuring John Payne")
- Guthrie Govan - guitar , backing vocals (now in GPS and "Asia Featuring John Payne")
- Jay Schellen - drums, percussion (former member of Hurricane, World Trade and Conspiracy, now in GPS and "Asia Featuring John Payne")
- Greg Lake - lead vocals, bass (former member of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer). Heard on Asia in Asia and "Heat of the Moment" (live) is on Lake's From the Underground... the Official Bootleg album (1998).
- Mandy Meyer - guitar, backing vocals
- Pat Thrall - guitar, backing vocals
- Al Pitrelli - guitar (former member of Danger Danger, Savatage and Megadeth and current member of Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
- Mike Sturgis - drums, percussion (former member of 21 Guns, later a member of Wishbone Ash, The Untouchables and Psycho Motel)
- John Young - keyboards, backing vocals
- Alan Darby - guitar
- Zoe Nicholas - backing vocals
- Susie Webb - backing vocals
- Vinny Burns - guitar, backing vocals
- Trevor Thornton - drums
- Keith More - guitar, backing vocals
- Aziz Ibrahim - guitar, backing vocals
- Holger Larish - guitar
- Elliott Randall - guitar
- Bob Richards - drums
- Ian Crichton - guitar
- Chris Slade - drums, percussion (former member of AC/DC, Uriah Heep, and The Firm)
Certain musicians have joined and left after a short time without recording any studio material with the group. The most notable collaboration of this kind was the participation of Greg Lake in the "Asia in Asia" concert in bass guitar and lead vocals. Yet more musicians have played as session or guest artists without formally joining Asia. Some of these names include: Simon Phillips, Steve Lukather, Luis Jardim, Ant Glynne, Tomoyasu Hotei, Kim Nielsen-Parsons, Ron Komie, Francis Dunnery, Scott Gorham, Tony Levin and Vinnie Colaiuta.
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