Added: 02/28/2006 |
The Asia Band is Actually From EnglandThis article is about the group "Asia". There is Asia history and cultural references in it. Asia band is from Great Britain. The participants of the group had worked for other groups before. Steve Howe and Geoff Downes were the lead guitarist and keyboard players for the mega-progressive-rock band "YES", Carl Palmer was the drummer for "Emerson, Lake and Palmer" and also played in "The crazy world of Arthur Brown", "Atomic war" and "Yelp", John Wetton was a former participant of "Uriah Heep", "King Grimston" and "Roxy Music". Before Asia band every participant had had many projects, for example, Carl Palmer had a group "PM". But "Asia" was also a solo project.
When YES disbanded in 1980, it didn't take too long for YES guitarist Steve Howe and keyboard player Geoff Downes to think about forming a new group. In 1981, Howe and Wetton began to create a new material for a new project, which transferred into the Asia band.
In 1982, the first album "Asia" appeared. It was the start of a long history of Asia albums and singles. The single "Heat of the Moment" was in it, too. It had unbelievable success. In the American charts on "Billboard" magazine, the group "Asia" had been on the first place for three months. The group's tour had success, too. The income from discs and concert tickets was so high that musicians had to live for some time out of England in order to avoid the tax payments which in England as it is known is ninety per cent from all income. So, the Asia band members lived not far from Montreal. There they created a new album.
The album "Alpha" appeared in 1983 and it was more popular in England than in the USA. But the success was great, too. Two clips were released "Don't Cry" "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes". Tours were continued. But the success of this album was not as big as the previous one.
On the tenth of September in 1983 John Wetton suddenly told the band that he was going to leave the group. And in December in a special program MTV "ASIA in Asia" a new group member -- Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer -- was shown. But this choice was not good and the group members decided to make Wetton come back. He agreed and Greg Lake had to go away. In 1985, the third album "Astra" appeared at last. All this influenced the group's creation. After their fourth Album failed to generate much interest, the band cancelled its tour and the group went on hiatus.
In 1986, the album "Aurora" was created. It contained the song "Too Late" from the album "Astra".
Some time later Wetton, Gorhem, Sturgis and Downs decided to restore "Asia". But there were some problems with the contract.
In 1989, the group "Asia" appeared again. The group got a contract with the company Geffen again. But Wetton was not satisfied with "a new Asia" and after the tour left the group. The structure of the group changed and new members began to work at a new album "Aqua" which appeared in 1992. The world tour was successful. The structure of the group changed again and it was not for the last time. The album "Arena" was found the best by the critics. But they decided not to make a tour.
In 1993, to support the album "Aqua" the group made a tour. They traveled about Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and others. Then "Asia" had a break from its touring.
In 1994, the album "Aria" appeared. So the summer was full of festivals.
In 1996, the album "Arena" was created.
In 2001, a new album "Aura" was created. Then there was a world tour.
In late 2005, the original members of the band - Howe, Downes, Wetton and Palmer decided to get back together to produce a reunion album that celebrates the bands 25th anniversary. The as-yet-unnamed-disk will come out in mid 2006 and a massive world tour is scheduled to follow.
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