John Wetton

Uh, the vocals and the bass in Asia link together.

They're coming from, you know, one soul, you know, from John Wetton, and they connect.

Uh, but to do the vocals and the guitar, you have to be two different people, for sure.

And then I started really doing homework and, and checking out their first tour, videos from that, and everything throughout the years, seeing how they did things live and what they sounded like and the approach to things.

And I realized that I'm more of like a high-range metal singer with a lot of vibrato, and [inhales], and John Wetton was this full-chested, throaty, no vibrato, just, you know... [inhales] It was the opposite.

Great voice, though.

Yeah.

No, no.

Yes, and John.

Yeah, John Wetton, yeah.

Yep.

And, um, I went off of prog for a few years, but what got me back into it was finally seeing Yes, I think in '78, and an album by a band called UK.

"Red" from the album Red, 1974.

"The Great Deceiver" from Starless and Bible Black, also '74.

And from '73, from Larks' Tongues in Aspic, "The Talking Drum." All, of course, with Bill Bruford and John Wetton.

Okay, well, in 1978, Bill released an album by his band Bruford entitled Feels Good to Me, so we'll hear a track from that, and then a track from another album of his in '78 as well by the band UK.

Didn't do quite as well.

Steve Howe got pushed out for the third one, even though John Kolodner begged him and offered him $75,000 to just do overdubs on it, even after John Whetton had kicked him out.

He said no.

And so I think Geffen might have said, okay, we can make it Asia 2 with Steve and Steve.

Mack, your thought on The Hunter.

Yeah, I think I'm with you there, Sonny.

I mean, I think part of why Clive signed them is because he knew that Jeff Downs had had a lot of success in Asia, and he'd written some great songs with John Whetton.

So he figured not only could he produce it, but he could write them some songs.

Right.

Um, but then John Wetton w- the late singer and, and bass player, he was in King Crimson and A- um, UK.

And then, um, who was the drum- oh, Carl Palmer from Em- Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

So yeah, when Yes broke up in, um, '80, uh, yeah, Chris Squire and, and, uh, Alan White were looking to put together another project.

you know when you're in north jersey manhattan is just of the you know looming in the horizon beckoning there and i was reading my New York rock scene magazines religiously and, you know, just dying to get out to play, right? And I had been growing up with, like, the likes of King Crimson and Van de Graaff Generator.

These were my bands, and Alice Cooper, and not being able to play John Whetton until...

And then... suddenly finding that i i was able to play a ramones song you know so yeah it happened it happened quite quickly you know i was able to be playing maxis in the mud club really soon and i just who wouldn't want to be there when that was going on you know of course it was get me get me to manhattan and uh yeah, it was great fun.

So saying that you grew up listening to King Crimson Van de Graaff generator, and then you brought up the Ramones.

Yeah.

John Wetton's on it.

John Wetton's on it.

Ch- hearing John Wetton and Eddie Jobson, so pre-UK.

Yeah.

But it's kind of funny with the...

So I was like, well, let me talk to the, ta- talk to the singer.

And, I mean, this singer sounds exactly like John Wetton.

Yeah, he does.

When you listen to the album, especially when you listen to the album, it's one thing to hear a song-

The only person who has stuck around for more than one album is, ironically, Bill Bruford.

And John Whetton stuck around for a couple of records, but they never had the same lineup, right? People were coming and going.

But when they made the 80s lineup with Adrian Ballou, who, again, he played with Zappa, Bowie, Talking Heads, Nine Inch Nails.

Then you got Tony Levin, who did all of the Peter Gabriel stuff.

King Crimson, with the album Red, their last album of the 70s.

And off that rather wonderful, incredible album, this is one more Red Nightmare, featuring the much-loved, dearly departed John Whetton.

Convinced that I don't care Safe as hell, as I swear Adjusted in using The virtues of cruising When altitude dropping My ears started popping One more red nightmare ¶¶ ¶¶ Thank you.

Thank you.