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John Wetton

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Not to be confused with John Whetton (runner).

John Wetton
Background information
Birth nameJohn Kenneth Wetton
Born(1949-06-12)12 June 1949
Willington, Derbyshire, England
OriginBournemouth, Dorset, England
Died31 January 2017(2017-01-31) (aged 67)
Bournemouth, Dorset, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instruments
  • Bass
  • vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Years active1965–2017
Labels
Formerly of

John Kenneth Wetton (12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter.[1] Although he was left-handed, he was known as a skilled right-handed bass player and had a booming baritone voice.[2] He was a member of the band Family in 1971 for a short time, before joining King Crimson in 1972.[3] After the breakup of King Crimson at the end of 1974, Wetton played in a number of progressive rock and hard rock bands, including Roxy Music (1974–1975), Uriah Heep (1975–1976), U.K. (1977–1980), and Wishbone Ash (1980–1981).[1]

In 1981, he co-founded Asia as lead vocalist and principal songwriter, which was considered to be a supergroup.[1] Their debut, self-titled album was released in 1982, selling ten million copies worldwide and becoming Billboard magazine's number one album of 1982.[4] Wetton later formed the duo Icon with his Asia bandmate and songwriting partner Geoff Downes, and he also had a successful solo career.

Life and career

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Early life and musical beginnings

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Wetton was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth, Dorset, where he attended Bournemouth School. His elder brother Robert was a classical organist and choirmaster.[5] While practising organ, Robert would have John play the bass parts on a piano, since their home organ did not have a pedalboard. John recalled that during the practices, "I got to like bass lines, because Bach bass lines are incredibly interesting. So I thought, this is good, I like bass lines, that's me."[2] Though an enthusiast of classical music since childhood, he opted to go into rock and roll instead in order to avoid being compared to his brother.[2] He played bass and sang in a number of bands with Richard Palmer-James, including the Corvettes, the Palmer-James Group, Tetrad, and Ginger Man.[6] A key early band he was in was the jazzy Mogul Thrash. After live work with Renaissance, he joined Family and also was in various recording sessions.[1]

Breakthrough: King Crimson

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Wetton's big break came when his fellow Dorset native Robert Fripp invited him to join King Crimson in late 1972. The band's lineup also included violinist David Cross, former Yes drummer Bill Bruford, and percussionist Jamie Muir. Being in the band solidified Wetton's skills as a lead singer and writer. His friend Palmer-James also worked with the band as their primary lyricist. Wetton remained with King Crimson until Fripp unexpectedly disbanded it in 1974.[7][8]

After the dissolution of King Crimson, Wetton continued to work on various projects, including a tour with Roxy Music[9] and two albums with Uriah Heep, for whom he occasionally provided vocals as well as bass parts—examples of his vocal style can be heard on the 1976 album High and Mighty.[10] While still with King Crimson, Wetton had been asked by Roxy Music to sit in on their auditions for a replacement bass player and give his recommendations. Dissatisfied with all the applicants, he offered to do the 1975 tour with the group himself so as to give them time to find a good bassist.[2] In 1977, after failed attempts to reunite King Crimson and to create a new band with Rick Wakeman,[11] Wetton formed U.K. with Bill Bruford. Wetton recruited Curved Air and Roxy Music keyboardist/violinist Eddie Jobson;[1] Bruford brought in guitarist Allan Holdsworth from his solo group.

First solo music; Asia

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After U.K.'s breakup in 1980, Wetton released his first solo album, Caught in the Crossfire, also in 1980. Later that year, he had a brief stint with Wishbone Ash, appearing on their 1981 album, Number the Brave. In late 1981, he had a meeting with Geffen Records' president John Kalodner, who took him to task for playing bass in Bryan Ferry's backing band, feeling he should be fronting a group himself. At Kalodner's insistence, Wetton started writing with former Yes guitarist Steve Howe, with a view to forming their own band. Joined by keyboardist Geoff Downes and drummer Carl Palmer (of Emerson, Lake & Palmer), the band became Asia.[1] Their self-titled, debut album sold over ten million copies worldwide, making them a household name. Wetton worked with Asia until 1983, when he was fired (at the insistence of Geffen Records) for then-unknown reasons, but at least in part due to lower-than-expected sales of 1983's Alpha. He returned to Asia in 1985 (with Mandy Meyer replacing Steve Howe on guitar), completing the band's third album, Astra.[12]

In 1986, a collaboration between Wetton and Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera was released as Wetton/Manzanera. Around that time, Wetton began working with Downes and Palmer to restart Asia. Some of the material they recorded was featured on 1990's Then & Now, including the radio hit "Days Like These".

Return to solo work

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In the 1990s, Wetton focused on his solo career. In 1999, an aborted attempt to reform Asia resulted in him and Palmer forming a short-lived progressive group dubbed Qango, with John Young and Dave Kilminster. Qango performed several shows in the UK and recorded a live album, Live in the Hood, before disbanding.

John Wetton (left) and Geoff Downes performing in 2005

In the early 2000s, Wetton reunited with Downes, and the duo released several albums. In 2006, a reunion of the original Asia lineup (Wetton, Downes, Howe, Palmer) finally occurred. A studio album titled Phoenix, the original band's first since 1983's Alpha, was released in April 2008 and peaked at No. 73 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States.[13] They issued two more studio albums, Omega (2010) and XXX (2012), before Howe departed in January 2013 to focus on Yes. With new guitarist Sam Coulson, Asia released Gravitas in March 2014.

In 2013, Wetton guested on the album Grandine il vento by Renaissance, with whom he had played live 42 years before. In the same year, he toured with American Idol finalist Leslie Hunt's group District 97, based in Chicago, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the King Crimson album Larks' Tongues in Aspic.

Wetton also worked extensively as a session musician with musicians including Brian Eno ( appearing on Here Come the Warm Jets), Bryan Ferry, and Ayreon.

Death

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Wetton died in his sleep from complications of colorectal cancer at the Macmillan Unit of Christchurch Hospital in Christchurch, Dorset, on 31 January 2017, at the age of 67.[2] He was surrounded by his wife, son, brother, and mother.[14][15][16]

Geoff Downes:

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have to report we have lost my dearest friend, brother, bandmate and long term musical collaborator [...] He will be remembered as one of the world's finest musical talents, and I for one of many was wholly blessed by his influence [...] Life will not be the same without him. And words are not really enough to describe the loss I feel right now.[17]

Billy Sherwood, who was Wetton's producer, co-songwriter, and co-performer on his 2011 solo album, Raised in Captivity, replaced him in Asia. On 17 June 2017, Asia performed a special concert in Wetton's memory, titled An Extraordinary Life (full title: An Extraordinary Life – An Interactive Celebration of the Life & Music of John Wetton), in reference to the eponymous song from the 2008 Asia album, Phoenix; fan-submitted performances were shown on a large video screen above the stage. Some King Crimson songs were also performed at the event.[18]

Asteroid 72802 Wetton, discovered by Marc Buie at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona in 2001, was named in his memory.[19] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 18 May 2019 (M.P.C. 114955).[20]

Influence

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Artists who have cited Wetton as an influence or have expressed their admiration for him include Billy Sheehan,[21] Juan Alderete of the Mars Volta and Racer X,[22] Michael Sweet of Stryper,[23] Ron Anderson,[24] and Joseph D. Rowland of Pallbearer.[25] After Wetton's death, Eric Clapton published a short instrumental tribute entitled "For John W."[26]

Band timeline

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Discography

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Solo

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Studio albums

Year Title Label
1980 Caught in the Crossfire E'G / Polydor Records
1987 Wetton/Manzanera (with Phil Manzanera) Geffen Records
1994 Voice Mail / Battle Lines Pony Canyon / Magnetic Air Records
1997 Arkangel Eagle Records
1998 Monkey Business 1972–1997 (with Richard Palmer-James) Blueprint
Chasing the Deer (soundtrack EP)
2000 Welcome to Heaven / Sinister Avalon Records
2003 Rock of Faith Giant Electric Pea
2011 Raised in Captivity Frontiers Records

Live albums

Year Title Label
1995 Chasing the Dragon (Live in Japan) Eclipse Records
1996 Akustika: Live in America Blueprint
1998 Live in Tokyo 1997
Hazy Monet (Live in New York City USA, May 27, 1997)
1999 Nomansland (Live in Poland) Giant Electric Pea
Sub Rosa (Live in Milan July 5, 1998) Blueprint
2000 Live at the Sun Plaza Tokyo 1999
2002 One Way or Another (with Ken Hensley) Classic Rock Legends
More Than Conquerors (with Ken Hensley) (CD/DVD)
2003 Live in Argentina 1996 Trade Mark of Official Quality
Live in Stockholm 1998 Blueprint
Live in Osaka 1997 Trade Mark of Official Quality
Live in the Underworld (CD & DVD) Classic Rock Legends
2004 Amata Metal Mind Records
Agenda
2009 Amorata (DVD)
2014 One More Red Night – Live in Chicago (with District 97) Primary Purpose
2015 Live via Satellite
New York Minute (with Les Paul Trio)

Compilations

Year Title Label
1987 King's Road, 1972–1980 E'G / Virgin Records
2001 Anthology NMC
2002 ...Caught in the Crossfire... Digimode Entertainment UK[a]
2015 The Studio Recordings Anthology

As band member

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Years Bands Titles Notes
1971 Mogul Thrash Mogul Thrash
Family Fearless UK No. 14, US No. 177
1972 Bandstand UK No. 15, US No. 183
1973 King Crimson Larks' Tongues in Aspic UK No. 20, US No. 61
1974 Starless and Bible Black UK No. 28, US No. 64
Red UK No. 45, US No. 66
1975 USA Live, recorded June 1974
1992 The Great Deceiver Live, recorded 1973–1974
1997 The Night Watch Live, recorded 23 November 1973
2012 Larks' Tongues in Aspic (box set)
2013 The Road to Red (box set)
2014 Starless (box set)
1975 Uriah Heep Return to Fantasy UK No. 7, US No. 85
1976 High and Mighty UK No. 56, US No. 161
Roxy Music Viva! UK No. 6, US No. 81
1978 U.K. U.K. UK No. 43
1979 Danger Money US No. 45
Night After Night US No. 109
1999 Concert Classics, Vol. 4 Live, recorded 1978
2013 Reunion – Live in Tokyo Live CD & DVD, recorded 2011
2015 Curtain Call Live CD & DVD, recorded 2013
2016 UK: Ultimate Collector's Edition'
1979 Jack-Knife I Wish You Would [b]
1981 Wishbone Ash Number the Brave UK No. 61
1982 Asia Asia UK No. 11, US No. 1
1983 Alpha UK No. 5, US No. 6
1985 Astra UK No. 68, US No. 67
1990 Then & Now US No. 114
1991 Live in Moscow 1990 Live
2007 Fantasia: Live in Tokyo Live
2008 Phoenix US No. 73
2010 Spirit of the Night – Live in Cambridge 2009 Live
Omega
2012 Resonance – The Omega Tour 2010 Live, recorded 2010
XXX US No. 134
2014 High Voltage – Live Live, recorded 2010
Gravitas US No. 159
2015 Axis XXX Live San Francisco Live, recorded 2012
2017 Symfonia: Live in Bulgaria 2013 Live, recorded 2013
2000 Qango Live in the Hood Live
2002 Wetton/Downes Wetton Downes/Icon Zero (2017 reissue) Stallion Records/Epicon Records (2017 reissue)
2005 Icon Frontiers Records/UMe Digital (US)
Heat of the Moment '05 EP Frontiers Records
2006 Icon II: Rubicon Frontiers Records
Icon Live: Never in a Million Years Frontiers Records
Icon: Acoustic TV Broadcast Frontiers Records (also released as DVD)
2009 Icon 3 Frontiers Records
Icon: Urban Psalm Live CD & DVD, Asia Icon Ltd.
2012 Icon: Heat of the Rising Sun Live, the Store for Music

Session work

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with Gordon Haskell
  • It Is and It Isn't (1971) Wetton plays organ, bass, keyboards, vocals, classical guitar, and vocal harmony.
with Larry Norman
with Malcolm and Alwyn
  • Fool's Wisdom (1973)
with Peter Banks
with Brian Eno
  • Here Come the Warm Jets (1973): Wetton plays bass on track 3 ("Baby's on Fire") and track 5 ("Driving Me Backwards")
with Peter Sinfield
with Bryan Ferry
with Phil Manzanera
  • Diamond Head (1975)
  • K-Scope (1978)
  • "Round in Circles" / "Talk to Me" (singles) (Limited Edition vinyl) (2020)
with Duncan Mackay
with Atoll
  • Rock Puzzle (1979)
with Roger Chapman
with Phenomena
  • "Did It All for Love" (single) (1987)
with David Cross
  • Exiles (1997)
with Steve Hackett
  • Genesis Revisited (1997): Wetton sings on tracks 1 ("Watcher of the Skies") and 5 ("Firth of Fifth") and also plays bass on track 5.
  • The Tokyo Tapes (1998)
  • Genesis Revisited II (2012): Wetton sings and plays guitar and bass on the track "Afterglow".
  • Genesis Revisited: Live at Hammersmith (2013): Wetton sings on the track "Afterglow".
  • Genesis Revisited: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2014): Wetton sings on the track "Firth of Fifth".
with Martin Orford
  • Classical Music and Popular Songs (2000): Wetton sings lead vocals on track 2 ("A Part of Me").
  • The Old Road (2008): Wetton sings lead vocals on tracks 4 ("Take It to the Sun") and 8 ("The Time and the Season") and plays bass on tracks 4 and 6 ("The Old Road").
with Galahad
  • Year Zero (2002): joint lead vocals on "Belt Up" and "Take a Deep Breath and Hold on Tight"
with Daniele Liverani
  • Genius A Rock Opera – Episode 1 (2002)
with Billy Sherwood
  • Back Against the Wall (2005): Wetton sings lead vocals on "Mother" and "Hey You".
  • Return to the Dark Side of the Moon (2006): Wetton sings lead vocals on "Us and Them".
with Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash
  • Argus Through the Looking Glass (2008)
with Alan Simon
with Eddie Jobson
with Ayreon
with Renaissance

Writing

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with David Cassidy

Notes

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  1. ^ Not to be confused with Wetton's 1980 debut solo album. 17 tracks from various Wetton projects, including Wetton/Manzanera (1987) and Battle Lines (1994).
  2. ^ Jack-Knife was a project in which John Wetton and his Tetrad bandmate W.J. Hutcheson visited Richard Palmer-James at his home in Munich, Germany. As Jack-Knife, they recorded an album with German drummer Curt Cress, titled I Wish You Would.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Dancha, Kim (1997). My Own Time: The Authorized Biography of John Wetton. Northern Line Publishers. ISBN 9780965484718.
  2. ^ a b c d e Curtiss, Ron; Weiner, Aaron (3 June 2016). "John Wetton (King Crimson, U.K., Asia): The Complete Boffomundo Interview". YouTube. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  3. ^ Slotnik, Daniel E. (February 2017). "John Wetton, Rocker with King Crimson and Asia, Dies at 67". The New York Times.
  4. ^ "The Billboard 200 – Year-end albums – 1982". Billboard. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009.
  5. ^ "John Wetton's Family: 5 Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. 31 January 2017.
  6. ^ "Biography". Johnwetton.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  7. ^ Eder, Bruce. "King Crimson Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
  8. ^ Smith, Sid (20 March 2017). "An extraordinary life: John Wetton, 1949-2017". Prog. LouderSound.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  9. ^ Stump, Paul – Unknown Pleasures: A Cultural biography of Roxy Music, Thunder's Mouth Press, New York, 1998, pps. 72, 154
  10. ^ Kirk Blows. "Uriah Heep Story p.6". Uriah-heep.com. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  11. ^ "U.K. Humbled in the U.S.A.", Rolling Stone, 21 September 1978
  12. ^ "Asia: Continental Drift?", CREEM Magazine, April 1986
  13. ^ Billboard magazine, April 2008
  14. ^ "Asia frontman, ex-King Crimson bassist John Wetton dies – NME". NME. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  15. ^ "John Wetton dies aged 67". Prog. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  16. ^ Robbins, Josh (31 January 2017). "John Wetton, frontman for Asia and key prog rock figure, dies aged 67". Ibtimes.co.uk.
  17. ^ "Geoffrey Downes Official". Facebook.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  18. ^ ""An Extraordinary Life" Celebration". Originalasia.com. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  19. ^ "72802 Wetton (2001 FT192)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  20. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  21. ^ Bosso, Joe (21 November 2015). "Billy Sheehan: 10 Live Albums That Changed My Life". TeamRock.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2017. [...] John Wetton is the singer here, and man, what a voice he has. And his bass tone! I love John Entwistle's tone – I got a lot from him, and from Jack Bruce, too – but John Wetton is what I was going for. I remember playing a couple of gigs with Marshalls, and I thought, 'Yeah, this is John Wetton's tone'.
  22. ^ Murphy, Bill (2008). "Juan Alderete | Slouching Towards Bedlam". Bass Player. [...] On the funk-flavored screamer "Ilyena", he dials in a distortion-kissed tone that lies somewhere between the Jesus Lizard's David Sims and Brit Legend John Wetton (he acknowledges both as influences) [...]
  23. ^ "Michael Sweet's Facebook". Facebook. 19 May 2017. Archived from the original on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  24. ^ Anderson, Ron (31 January 2017). "Remembering John Wetton King Crimson's Greatest Bass Player" (video). YouTube. Brooklyn, New York. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  25. ^ Lawrence, Dan (14 August 2014). "Interview: Joseph D. Rowland (Pallbearer)". Invisible Oranges. Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017. [...] John Wetton from King Crimson and Asia is another person that I really look up to as a player. [...]
  26. ^ Lifton, Dave (3 February 2017). "Eric Clapton Releases Song for John Wetton". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
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