Oooh, they cut out a big chunk out of this song. There's another version of this song, apparently taken from the actual broadcast, after Greg calls out "Here we go!", there's an extended guitar solo from Howe which rides out a bit before they come back for the final chorus, which I guess they edited out for the commercial video release. There's also a great shot where it looks like the camera who was on Geoff literally spun the camera around, which is also absent from this version. :p
reniett - What you said is easy to believe, really, because John Wetton is the singer now » as he was, up to 3 months before this show. Greg Lake was brought in, and I regard it as a career blunder on his part ... He showed the world he flat-out could not replace John Wetton. However, this is interesting piece of rock history. Great song
You must be a youngin' then. Back in the early days of MTV you couldn't have possibly have missed this with all the promotion they gave it. That's right kids -- there was a time when MTV actually broadcast concerts.
Padarack1 - Greg never tried to replace Wetton. Wetton by his own admission was dealing with alcoholism at the time. Wheather he quit or was fired from the band has been a point of contention. Gregg had to jump in at the last minute. You have to remember there was alot of animosity toward Wetton at the time, which is why Howe quit after Alpha. It was unfortunate, but now 30 years later they are back together and making music.
It looks like he runs over, hits a footswitch, then runs back to whichever keyboard he needed next. Most of that keyboard rig was really for show. He could have done the whole concert with a Yamaha CP-70 piano, a Fender Rhodes, a Prophet-10, the Fairlight and one or two Mini-Moogs. The reason they dropped the second verse of the song might have been because this was broadcast live to the US, and they probably had to cut the song short to avoid going over the allotted time.
Asia In Asia was a decent show. Certainly good for having been the only pro-shot live footage of the early years. Does Geoff nearly miss a cue as he runs back and forth at 1:11? It almost seems like he forgot which keyboard to be at. The man has the biggest setup I've ever seen. Even more than Wakeman at his peak. I wonder why they dropped the second verse and went straight to the bridge...
@Padarack1 Greg did this as a favor to Carl. He was never trying to replace him. Not sure where you're getting your info. Wetton kicking Steve out of the band killed Asia. Astra was pretty much a complete flop, although there are some good songs on that album, it never had the comercial success the other albums did.
What was the real reason Wetton kicked Steve out after John's return in '84? I read an interview from Steve somewhere that they were getting along for great for about two weeks, and one day Wetton just called a band meeting and told Steve he couldn't work with him. Never got the real reason, seems they just weren't getting along?
@bmbell71 Agree w/ lotta stuff you said, but Lake would have LOVED to outright replace Wetton, in Asia, are you kidding? They were (BEFORE the televised Asia In Asia concert) still one of the biggest bands in the world. But everyone realized the commercial value of John's voice and called him back ... In my opinion notwithstanding John's drinking Steve, over jealousy was the one who really got him kicked out of the band anyway. So John wouldn't work with him, in 84, and then Steve was gone.
@bmbell71 And yes they are back together, (as I've said) and had a great tour this year .. And it's a silly debate in a way, and you're obviously a huge Howe fan but I'm not gonna let you have your fantasy, sorry ... If you were tuned in at the time, I mean the week after the show at school most people were like "What the hell was that all about?", and more casual music fans were like "Yeah that was kool, but ... the lights were great and the music was great but the singer sucked, bigtime"
@Progrocker70 Probably nobody knows but them (the folks on the inside, at the time). And probably better left that way. What can be said irrefutably is the Greg Lake Asia didn't work. It was a money payout and ego-trip on Greg's part, and a mistake on Asia and their management's part ... as they underestimated the value of Wetton's voice, and powerful bass playing. But, these clips are good, in terms of an interesting (though unfortunate) twist of music history. The original 4 guys back now :)
@ObSunVid .. Gimme a break of course Greg's ego (every musician has one) played a role in what was a bad decision, on his part ... "Greg was a good choice for a quick replacement" -- The notion there's such thing as a *quick replacement* for John Wetton WAS THE PROBLEM, here ... There isn't. Shitty decision, by all involved; the moment as a whole ruined the band. .. Along with Wetton's personal troubles, and record label pressure to give Alpha a more fluffy sound than ASIA, on 1/2 the songs
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Oooh, they cut out a big chunk out of this song. There's another version of this song, apparently taken from the actual broadcast, after Greg calls out "Here we go!", there's an extended guitar solo from Howe which rides out a bit before they come back for the final chorus, which I guess they edited out for the commercial video release. There's also a great shot where it looks like the camera who was on Geoff literally spun the camera around, which is also absent from this version. :p
reniett - What you said is easy to believe, really, because John Wetton is the singer now » as he was, up to 3 months before this show. Greg Lake was brought in, and I regard it as a career blunder on his part ... He showed the world he flat-out could not replace John Wetton. However, this is interesting piece of rock history. Great song
you just gotta hit the high melody note at the end of each verse for this song to sound right
Thank you, someone needs to say it
You must be a youngin' then. Back in the early days of MTV you couldn't have possibly have missed this with all the promotion they gave it.
That's right kids -- there was a time when MTV actually broadcast concerts.
Padarack1 - Greg never tried to replace Wetton. Wetton by his own admission was dealing with alcoholism at the time. Wheather he quit or was fired from the band has been a point of contention. Gregg had to jump in at the last minute.
You have to remember there was alot of animosity toward Wetton at the time, which is why Howe quit after Alpha. It was unfortunate, but now 30 years later they are back together and making music.
It looks like he runs over, hits a footswitch, then runs back to whichever keyboard he needed next. Most of that keyboard rig was really for show. He could have done the whole concert with a Yamaha CP-70 piano, a Fender Rhodes, a Prophet-10, the Fairlight and one or two Mini-Moogs.
The reason they dropped the second verse of the song might have been because this was broadcast live to the US, and they probably had to cut the song short to avoid going over the allotted time.
@miamigroove Exactly. Geoff's keyboards sure are awesome though!
Asia In Asia was a decent show. Certainly good for having been the only pro-shot live footage of the early years.
Does Geoff nearly miss a cue as he runs back and forth at 1:11? It almost seems like he forgot which keyboard to be at. The man has the biggest setup I've ever seen. Even more than Wakeman at his peak.
I wonder why they dropped the second verse and went straight to the bridge...
@bmbell71 But yes, somehow got back together ... and have been on a bit of a roll, lately
@Padarack1 Greg did this as a favor to Carl. He was never trying to replace him. Not sure where you're getting your info.
Wetton kicking Steve out of the band killed Asia. Astra was pretty much a complete flop, although there are some good songs on that album, it never had the comercial success the other albums did.
What was the real reason Wetton kicked Steve out after John's return in '84? I read an interview from Steve somewhere that they were getting along for great for about two weeks, and one day Wetton just called a band meeting and told Steve he couldn't work with him. Never got the real reason, seems they just weren't getting along?
@bmbell71 Agree w/ lotta stuff you said, but Lake would have LOVED to outright replace Wetton, in Asia, are you kidding? They were (BEFORE the televised Asia In Asia concert) still one of the biggest bands in the world. But everyone realized the commercial value of John's voice and called him back ... In my opinion notwithstanding John's drinking Steve, over jealousy was the one who really got him kicked out of the band anyway. So John wouldn't work with him, in 84, and then Steve was gone.
@bmbell71 And yes they are back together, (as I've said) and had a great tour this year .. And it's a silly debate in a way, and you're obviously a huge Howe fan but I'm not gonna let you have your fantasy, sorry ... If you were tuned in at the time, I mean the week after the show at school most people were like "What the hell was that all about?", and more casual music fans were like "Yeah that was kool, but ... the lights were great and the music was great but the singer sucked, bigtime"
@Progrocker70 Probably nobody knows but them (the folks on the inside, at the time). And probably better left that way. What can be said irrefutably is the Greg Lake Asia didn't work. It was a money payout and ego-trip on Greg's part, and a mistake on Asia and their management's part ... as they underestimated the value of Wetton's voice, and powerful bass playing. But, these clips are good, in terms of an interesting (though unfortunate) twist of music history. The original 4 guys back now :)
@ObSunVid .. Gimme a break of course Greg's ego (every musician has one) played a role in what was a bad decision, on his part ... "Greg was a good choice for a quick replacement" -- The notion there's such thing as a *quick replacement* for John Wetton WAS THE PROBLEM, here ... There isn't. Shitty decision, by all involved; the moment as a whole ruined the band. .. Along with Wetton's personal troubles, and record label pressure to give Alpha a more fluffy sound than ASIA, on 1/2 the songs