Now, Downes and Asia are revisiting probably the most necessary chapters of their historical past. The band’s new dwell launch, Dwell in England, captures a efficiency of Asia’s landmark 1982 debut album performed in its entirety – an album that produced a number of hits and have become probably the most profitable debuts in rock historical past. The recording additionally showcases the present Asia lineup – carrying ahead the band’s legacy following the passing of vocalist/bassist John Wetton.
Within the following dialog with AllMusic, Downes discusses the origins of the brand new dwell album, the evolution of Asia’s lineup, recollections of working with Wetton, and reflections on pivotal moments in his profession – from the early days of MTV to his time in Sure and the Buggles.
Let’s focus on Dwell in England. How did the concept come about to do a dwell album with Asia at this level?
“Properly, I feel it was a few years in the past, we did a tribute for John Wetton and I put collectively a band, and we did a complete lot of Asia music. And it actually felt nice. And I feel that from that time on, it was actually a case of considering, ‘Properly, the lineup that carried out that night time is just about the one that we have got now, apart from Virgil [Donati] on drums’.”
“However I feel it was a pleasant factor to do, to truly have a look at that these first three albums. I imply, the one popping out now’s the unique Asia album in its entirety. So it is sort of a pleasant factor to revisit. And I at all times felt that Asia’s music was one thing that ought to proceed. And I take pleasure in doing it, and I do know individuals take pleasure in listening to it and watching us play, so that basically spurred me on to do it.”
How does this line-up of the band examine to the traditional line-up?
“We had been a really fascinating band that shaped out of Sure, ELP, and King Crimson. So it was, I suppose, in some ways, to place this lineup collectively, I felt that these parts had been nonetheless carrying by way of. Definitely John Mitchell, the guitarist, had labored with John Wetton and myself on different tasks.”
“And Virgil had labored with John in UK, truly the final lineup of UK. So it was very nice to truly comply with that up. And I feel that discovering Harry [Whitley], who’s the vocalist and bass participant, actually provides a complete new dimension to it. So, it is nice to hold on the legacy, I feel.”
Why is Steve Howe now not concerned in Asia?
“Properly, I feel once we reformed in 2006, we spent 5 – 6 years along with the unique lineup, recorded three albums. And I feel at the moment, Steve was very a lot concerned with a variety of work with Sure. And so he successfully stated, ‘Look, I’ve actually received an excessive amount of occurring.’ He is additionally received solo materials, as effectively. So, I feel that that is once we received Sam Coulson, and we carried on, we did one other album.”
“Steve could be very…he is nonetheless very linked with Asia, in a variety of methods. After which actually, on the brand new album we recorded [to be released later in 2026], Steve’s going to be taking part in on a observe he carried out with us in 2019, once we had Billy Sherwood and Bumblefoot.”
“So Steve’s nonetheless received his foot within the Asia camp to a point, however clearly he is received a variety of issues occurring – not simply Sure, as a result of he is received his personal Steve Howe Trio and the stuff that he does. So, it is probably not something greater than the truth that he felt that he needed to dedicate his time to different issues.”
John Wetton I really feel is a extremely underrated singer. Along with Asia, I notably loved his work with King Crimson, particularly the Crimson album – which was nearly like a heavy steel album.
“Properly, I feel the good factor was once we put Asia collectively within the first place, John and I actually had an ideal understanding, and we wrote most likely the majority of Asia’s materials by way of that early interval. And I feel that we simply hit it off as a writing partnership. And clearly very unhappy when John handed away, about 9 years in the past now. I believed I might misplaced my nice writing associate. John’s skills had been unbelievable.”
“As you talked about, the King Crimson album Crimson, and occurring to UK and coming into Asia. I feel Asia…the factor that he actually wished to do, he wished to be the bass participant and lead singer. And I feel that I introduced one thing to the desk, that he acknowledged that we might truly work collectively and create all this music, which we did.”
“And I feel that the good factor is that with this album developing, shortly earlier than John handed away, we had numerous concepts for one more album, and among the sketches, they weren’t notably closely developed. However I feel by the point I kind of settled that for plenty of years, I simply felt it was good to revisit a few of that stuff. And so we have just a few tracks on the brand new album that I wrote with John. I feel he’d be very happy with the truth that it truly did come into fruition, and we did truly file a few of that materials.”
Did Asia’s huge success in 1982 come as a shock?
“Yeah. I imply, I do not assume anybody might have predicted that it might be as profitable because it was. I feel once we completed recording it, we felt we would executed a extremely nice album. However industrial success shouldn’t be one thing you possibly can truly predict. I imply, we had an ideal file label. We had been the primary band on Geffen Information. So, yeah, it was a shock that it snowballed as quick because it did.”
“And I feel that lots of people stated, ‘Oh, they only put collectively a supergroup, and that is what got here out.’ However there was truly a variety of work beforehand – I feel we had been in rehearsal for six months, shaping all these concepts. And I feel from Carl [Palmer] and Steve and John as effectively, they arrive from extra of the ’70s progressive rock bands. And I had a barely totally different background, in that though I might been in Sure within the ’80s, previous to that, I used to be identified extra for the Buggles and pop data and that sort of factor.”
“So, I used to be the odd man out, in a method, as a result of I did not have that ’70s profession behind me by way of taking part in these massive stadiums in America and doing all of that. So I feel my very own standpoint was that I introduced one thing to the equation that they acknowledged they wished to do one thing totally different. And my a part of my affect I feel helped to steer it in a sure method.”
I interviewed you just a few years again for the e-book MTV Dominated the World: The Early Years of Music Video. How a lot did MTV play within the success of Asia, and in addition, consideration for the Buggles just a few years after “Video Killed the Radio Star” was a success?
“Properly, I feel to me it was very a lot an afterthought. As a result of the unique single [of ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’] got here out in 1979 and it had been a success the entire world, after which, it died away. And by that point, I might already gone into Sure or shaped Asia. So, by the point MTV got here up in August 1, 1981 and it was the primary video opened MTV up at the moment, MTV was solely actually only a Cable channel in sure cities in America. So, nobody actually knew how massive it was going to be.”
“However clearly, that simply took off in a giant method. I feel it was essential for lots of the file labels, as a result of it ballooned across the States notably. I feel that the file labels noticed it as an ideal method of selling that artist. And so, you understand, you had all of the all of the bands like Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet and all that kind of British new wave period there initially of the ’80s.”
“I feel that it was actually one thing that basically opened up a variety of doorways for lots of bands. As a result of rapidly, as an alternative of counting on radio, it was bands had been being ‘made’ by MTV. I feel that is why the file labels actually, actually embraced it and poured huge quantities of cash into making these movies, in order that they’d hopefully see it because the ‘excellent store window’ for lots of a variety of their artists.”
Did the 2005 film The 40-Yr-Previous Virgin assist introduce “Warmth of the Second” and Asia to a brand new viewers?
“I feel it most likely helped. It isn’t the be all finish all of every little thing, nevertheless it was good to have that recognition, revisiting the truth that Asia was a band that had a variety of affect on individuals. It did not relaunch the band, notably, though it did deliver again recollections, it introduced again recognition for the for the band as a complete.”
“Properly, I feel by the point that was out, we would already reformed the unique band again in 2005/2006. So it sort of, it was across the identical kind of time. And so I undoubtedly assume it helps. And, you understand, it is an ideal, nice second has nearly a excessive level of the movie, actually. So it is at all times good to get your music in movies, as a result of it does assist to lengthen it. It helps to usher in new individuals, new followers.”
Once I noticed Sure dwell just a few years again, I used to be happy to listen to the band carry out “Machine Messiah.” Is that Sure’ heaviest music?
“Properly, actually, I feel that it is the strongest songs on the Drama album. I feel that when Trevor Horn and myself joined Sure, it actually catapulted them into a brand new technology. Which was into the ’80s. Which manifested itself extra so I feel on the 90125 album, which got here out I feel a 12 months after the primary Asia album.”
“And issues had been altering so much, then. If you consider a variety of these bands that had been round within the ’70s began to reinvent themselves when it was the ’80s. And I feel that when Trevor and I joined Sure, we introduced a complete new dimension into the music. On the time, the true diehard Sure followers had been pretty reticent to purchase into it, as a result of they noticed Trevor and myself as a few ‘pop guys’ getting into this revered world of progressive music that had been within the ’70s.”
“However I feel as time has passed by, I feel a variety of the Sure followers have actually come to heat to the album and take into account it to be one thing of a milestone and a turning level in Sure’ profession.”
Do you take into account Drama to be an underrated Sure album?
“Properly, I feel that it is grow to be increasingly more ‘rated’ over a time frame. And a variety of followers say to me, ‘It is considered one of my favourite Sure albums.’ And I feel on the time, there was a variety of suspicion about who these guys had been coming in, and the path. I feel we modified the path fairly a bit. As a result of Sure was at all times identified for these very kind of pastoral epic items that had been, y’know, impressed by rivers and mountains and all the remainder of it. A kind of bucolic panorama.”
“I feel once we got here in, we had been speaking about machines and pylons and really kind of technological lyrics that Trevor was notably good at developing with. And utilizing a variety of trendy synthesizers. I used to be utilizing samples and stuff like that – which was nearly remarkable. And Sure had by no means used stuff like that earlier than. So, it nonetheless had the weather of Sure, however I feel we had this kind of technological feeling, bringing it into a brand new technology – which was clearly the ’80s, the place a variety of bands modified.”
“In case you have a look at a band like Genesis, as an example, they modified from being this kind of related sort of progressive band within the ’70s to being the a lot kind of more durable edge, nearly pop rock band. So, the ’80s did change lots of people, as a result of I feel primarily the ’70s, individuals thought, ‘Properly, they’ve executed that. They’ve executed the ’70s. We have performed the good, massive, lengthy, epic items. The good, the revolving levels, and all the remainder of it. And rapidly, issues began to vary. Music began to vary.”
What makes Trevor Horn distinctive as a producer and artist?
“Properly, I used to be very fortunate to satisfy Trevor, as a result of he actually gave me my first massive break. Within the mid ’70s, I simply moved to London from a music school up within the north of England, and I answered an advert in Melody Maker – which was the Bible for getting musicians work. And Trevor was placing collectively this pop band for a disco singer known as Tina Charles. And I went to the audition, and he stated, ‘You’ve got received the job.’ So I believed, ‘Okay, that is nice.’ However once we began working collectively, we realized we had so much in widespread. And Trevor is a tremendous, superb man. My profession wouldn’t be the identical had I not met Trevor Horn.”
Click on right here to buy Asia’s Dwell in England.
