| John Wetton | |
| Birth Name: | John Kenneth Wetton |
| Birth Date: | 12 June 1949 |
| Birth Place: | Willington, Derbyshire, England |
| Origin: | Bournemouth, Dorset, England |
| Death Place: | Bournemouth, Dorset, England |
| Years Active: | 1965–2017 |
| Website: | Official website |
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 dexterous right handed bass player and had a booming baritone voice.[2] He joined 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 was in progressive rock and hard rock bands including Roxy Music (1974–1975), Uriah Heep (1975–1976), U.K. (1977–1980), and Wishbone Ash (1980–1981).
In 1981 he co-founded Asia as lead vocalist and principal songwriter, which was considered to be a super group.[1] Their debut album Asia which was released in 1982 sold 10 million copies worldwide and was Billboard magazine's number one album of 1982.[4] He later formed the duo "Icon" with his Asia bandmate and songwriting partner Geoff Downes and had a successful solo career.
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 with his brother.[2] He played bass and sang in a number of early 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.
Wetton's big break came when his fellow Dorset native Robert Fripp invited him to join King Crimson in late 1972. The incarnation of the band also included violinist David Cross, former Yes drummer Bill Bruford, and percussionist Jamie Muir. Being in the band solidified his ability as a lead singer and writer. Wetton's friend Richard Palmer-James also worked with the band as their primary lyricist. Wetton remained with the band until Fripp unexpectedly disbanded it in 1974.[7] King Crimson maintained their interest in improvisation throughout this period, but moved away from the classical, jazz and English folk leanings of their earlier work. The period of 1972–1974 featured a more aggressive fusion/avant-rock sound, led by Wetton's thunderous, melodic bass lines–whose "roaring and crunching" sound (enhanced with effects pedals and a rotating Leslie speaker cabinet, the latter of which was traditionally used with a Hammond organ) often verged on heavy metal.[8] [9] Fripp once compared playing onstage with Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford to working with "a flying brick wall".[9]
After the dissolution of King Crimson, Wetton continued to work on various projects, including a tour with Roxy Music[10] and two albums with Uriah Heep.[11] 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,[12] Wetton formed U.K. with his King Crimson rhythm section partner Bill Bruford. Wetton recruited Roxy Music keyboardist/violinist Eddie Jobson; Bruford brought in innovative guitarist Allan Holdsworth from his solo group. U.K. adopted a more composition-driven approach than King Crimson, per Wetton's preference.[2]
After the break-up of U.K., Wetton released his first solo album, Caught in the Crossfire (1980). Later in the year he had a brief stint in Wishbone Ash, appearing on their album Number the Brave (1981). 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 and they produced one of the bestselling albums of the 1980s. Their self-titled debut album Asia sold over 10 million copies worldwide, making the band a household name across the globe. 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 the Alpha (1983) album. He returned to Asia in 1985 (with Mandy Meyer replacing Steve Howe on guitar) completing Astra (1985).[13]
In the late 1980s, a collaboration between Wetton and Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera was released as Wetton/Manzanera (1986). 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 CD, including a radio hit in "Days Like These".
In the 1990s Wetton focused on his solo career. In 1999, an aborted attempt to reform Asia resulted in Wetton and Carl 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.In the early 2000s, Wetton reunited with Geoff Downes for Icon. In 2006, a reunion of the original Asia line-up (Wetton, Downes, Howe, Palmer) finally occurred. A studio album titled Phoenix (2008), 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.[14] The original line-up released 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 of 2014.
In 2013, Wetton guested on the album Grandine il vento with Renaissance, with whom he had played live 42 years before. In the same year, he toured with American Idol finalist Leslie Hunt's District 97 which was based in Chicago, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the King Crimson album Larks' Tongues In Aspic.
Wetton worked extensively as a session musician with musicians including Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry, and Ayreon.
Wetton died in his sleep from complications of colorectal cancer at the Macmillan Unit at Christchurch Hospital in Christchurch, Dorset, on 31 January 2017, at the age of 67.[2] He was survived by his wife Lisa, son Dylan, brother Robert, and mother Margaret (Peggy).[15] [16] [17]
Geoff Downes:
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 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. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 18 May 2019 .
Artists who have cited Wetton as an influence or have expressed their admiration for him include Billy Sheehan,[19] Juan Alderete of The Mars Volta and Racer X,[20] Michael Sweet of Stryper,[21] Ron Anderson,[22] and Joseph D. Rowland of Pallbearer.[23] After Wetton's death, Eric Clapton published a short instrumental tribute entitled, "For John W."[24]
| Years | Titles | Labels | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Years | Titles | Labels |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | No Mans Land (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) |
| Years | Bands | Titles | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Mogul Thrash | Mogul Thrash | ||
| 1971 | 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 | |
| 2012 | Larks' Tongues in Aspic – 40th Anniversary edition – box set | |||
| 1992 | The Great Deceiver | Live, Recorded 1973–1974 | ||
| 1997 | The Night Watch | Live, Recorded 23 November 1973 | ||
| 1974 | Starless and Bible Black | UK No. 28, US No. 64 | ||
| 2014 | Starless – 40th Anniversary edition – box set | |||
| 2013 | The Road to Red – 40th Anniversary edition – box set | |||
| 1974 | Red | UK No. 45, US No. 66 | ||
| 1975 | USA | Live, Recorded June 1974 | ||
| 1975 | Uriah Heep | Return to Fantasy | UK No. 7, US No. 85 | |
| 1976 | High and Mighty | UK No. 56, US No. 161 | ||
| 1976 | Roxy Music | Viva! | UK No. 6, US No. 81 | |
| 1978 | U.K. | U.K. | UK No. 43 | |
| 1999 | Concert Classics, Vol. 4 | Live, recorded 1978 | ||
| 1979 | Danger Money | US No. 45 | ||
| 1979 | Night After Night | US No. 109 | ||
| 1979 | Jack-Knife | I Wish You Would | ||
| 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 | ||
| 1987 | Over the Top - 'Gypsy Soul | Soundtrack | ||
| 1990 | Then & Now | US No. 114 | ||
| 1991 | Live in Moscow 1990 | Live | ||
| 2000 | Qango | Live in the Hood | Live | |
| 2002 | Icon (Wetton/Downes) | Wetton Downes (Demo Collection)/Icon Zero (2017 Reissue) | Stallion Records/Epicon Records (2017 Reissue) | |
| 2005 | Icon | Frontiers Records/UMe Digital (US) | ||
| 2005 | Heat of the Moment '05 EP | Frontiers Records | ||
| 2006 | Icon II: Rubicon | Frontiers Records | ||
| 2006 | Icon Live: Never in a Million Years | Frontiers Records | ||
| 2006 | Icon: Acoustic TV Broadcast | Frontiers Records (also released as DVD) | ||
| 2007 | Asia | Live | ||
| 2008 | Phoenix | US No. 73 | ||
| 2009 | Icon (Wetton/Downes) | Icon 3 | Frontiers Records | |
| 2009 | Icon: Urban Psalm | Live CD&DVD, Asia Icon Ltd. | ||
| 2012 | Icon: Heat of the Rising Sun | Live, The Store for Music | ||
| 2010 | Asia | Spirit of the Night – Live in Cambridge 09 | Live | |
| 2010 | Omega | |||
| 2012 | Resonance – The Omega Tour 2010 | Live, Recorded 2010 | ||
| 2014 | High Voltage – Live | Live, Recorded 2010 | ||
| 2013 | U.K. | Reunion – Live in Tokyo | Live CD&DVD, Recorded 2011 | |
| 2012 | Asia | XXX | US No. 134 | |
| 2015 | Axis XXX Live San Francisco | Live, Recorded 2012 | ||
| 2017 | Symfonia: Live in Bulgaria 2013 | Live, Recorded 2013 | ||
| 2015 | U.K. | Curtain Call | Live CD&DVD, Recorded 2013 | |
| 2014 | Asia | Gravitas | US No. 159 | |
| 2016 | Icon (Wetton/Downes) | Action Moves People United - 'The Wake Bhind | Various artists | |
| 2016 | U.K. | UK: Ultimate Collector's Edition |