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"Los Angeles, California – AOR/Prog rockers ASIA Featuring John Payne are set to make the music industry stand up and listen with their first single release “Seasons Will Change” now available as a digital single on iTunes and other mainstream online media outlets. Co-written by John Payne and Erik Norlander, “Seasons Will Change” is the first track unveiled from the band’s forthcoming album “Americana”, scheduled for release by Sony Music Japan in 2013. To promote the single, ASIA Featuring John Payne has released a promotional video for “Seasons Will Change”.
Joined: December 09 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 4574
Posted: January 20 2013 at 12:15
As much as I like the original Asia, this is much better in every regard IMO. The original Asia sounds tired and this sounds fresher. The songwriting, like with the original Asia is not great, but the music is much better.
Joined: December 09 2006
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 4574
Posted: January 20 2013 at 18:27
Asia with John Payne as lead vocalist was together longer than the original Asia!! I think he was given short shrift when Asia reformed and Geoff Downes et al took the name with them!!
Joined: June 29 2008
Location: Close To The...
Status: Offline
Points: 1952
Posted: January 21 2013 at 03:20
Again from the official website:
"ASIA Featuring John Payne has been touring North America since 2008 and playing to enthusiastic fans across the USA and from Canada down to Mexico. A high-powered spinoff of the original ASIA group formed in 1981, ASIA Featuring John Payne consists of John Payne (lead vocals, bass), Jay Schellen (drums), Erik Norlander (keyboards), Moni Scaria (guitar) and Jeff Kollman (guitar). While Payne, Schellen and Norlander have been working together since the band’s inception, the current lineup with guitarists Scaria and Kollman was finalized just this year in 2012.
John Payne became the frontman of the supergroup ASIA in 1992 at the invitation of keyboardist Geoff Downes, replacing vocalist/bassist John Wetton. With John Payne fronting the band, ASIA released 8 stunning studio albums, several live albums, a live DVD, and toured the world extensively for 14 years.
In 2006, Geoff Downes left the band to reform the 1982 line up for their 25th anniversary. On the 9th of May 2006, John Payne, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Carl Palmer and Steve Howe contractually agreed that John Payne would continue his 14 year legacy with ASIA as “ASIA Featuring John Payne."
Joined: June 29 2008
Location: Close To The...
Status: Offline
Points: 1952
Posted: January 21 2013 at 15:31
richardh wrote:
Cliched as heck.
Sure, but there is good cliché and bad cliché, and this is the good variety. I agree with some the above posters that this is much more fresh and vibrant than the "original" Asia (who are not all that original anymore, since Steve Howe has left). I have always preferred Payne over Wetton, and Erik Norlander is a brilliant keyboard player and composer. Jay Schellen is a great drummer too.
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 28674
Posted: January 22 2013 at 14:32
SouthSideoftheSky wrote:
richardh wrote:
Cliched as heck.
Sure, but there is good cliché and bad cliché, and this is the good variety. I agree with some the above posters that this is much more fresh and vibrant than the "original" Asia (who are not all that original anymore, since Steve Howe has left). I have always preferred Payne over Wetton, and Erik Norlander is a brilliant keyboard player and composer. Jay Schellen is a great drummer too.
not sure what is 'fresh' about it , sounds to me a bit like something the band Europe would have churned out in the eighties.
Joined: June 29 2008
Location: Close To The...
Status: Offline
Points: 1952
Posted: January 23 2013 at 12:09
Well, maybe I'm being optimistic, but I still hope that Norlander is able to inject some progressive spirit into the band (like Ryo Okumoto did in GPS). The above song is after all a single, and it is usually the album tracks that are the most proggy.
I also hope they will have the great Rodney Matthews to do the cover art (as he did for the Aqua and Arena albums).
Edited by SouthSideoftheSky - January 23 2013 at 12:11
Joined: November 13 2005
Location: Shrewsbury, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 33
Posted: January 29 2013 at 13:50
Thoroughly enjoyed hearing this - a long time since I've heard from JP. I remember going to see the 'Silent Nation' tour at Wolverhampton Civic and being blown away, my only regret was there was no live material released from this tour. As I've been unable to find any material from the Asia feat, JP since the split and I will definitely be looking out for this release. I, for one, will remember the JP period as well as the JW period wth equal delight and am more than happy to see that both versions are flourishing (even though SH has departed once again!)
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Asia featuring John Payne, new single and album
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