Asia featuring John Payne

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Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Asia featuring John Payne is a British–American rock group band formed in 2007 following a schism in the lineup of Asia. The band is a continuation of singer and bassist John Payne's career as the band's frontman from 1991 to 2006, performing songs recorded before and during this time. In December 2017, Payne and keyboardist Erik Norlander formed a new group, Dukes of the Orient, with various members and ex-members of Asia featuring John Payne as collaborators. Asia featuring John Payne remains active as a touring stage show.[1][2]

History

Asia before John Payne

Asia are a supergroup formed in 1981 by John Wetton (formerly of King Crimson and U.K.), Steve Howe (formerly of Yes), Carl Palmer (formerly of Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and Geoff Downes (formerly of Yes and the Buggles). The group had a successful career with their eponymous debut album, released in March 1982, receiving considerable commercial success, spending nine weeks at number one in the U.S. album chart and selling over 4 million copies in the U.S. alone. Wetton and Downes became the core songwriters in the band. Howe had left before the band released their third album, while Wetton left the band in 1991.[3]

John Payne in Asia

File:Asia in 2001.png
Asia in 2001 (L-R: Geoff Downes, John Payne, Chris Slade and Guthrie Govan).

In 1991, Downes invited John Payne to join a new lineup of the band,[4] and together they enlisted new musicians. The first album with this lineup was Aqua, released in 1992. In addition to Downes and Payne, the album featured guest appearances by Palmer and a returning Howe. Palmer, committed to an Emerson, Lake & Palmer reunion, was able to play on just three songs and left the band before touring. The live shows also featured Howe (whose presence was heavily promoted) who took the stage after the fifth song. Howe did not continue with the band after Aqua.

Downes and Payne continued as Asia, releasing multiple albums, but they struggled to maintain a stable lineup around them. 2001's Aura featured multiple guitarists, including another guest appearance from Howe and a new player Guthrie Govan. Among the drummers on the album was Chris Slade, who had briefly worked with the band in 1999. A stable touring lineup now emerged of Payne, Downes, Govan and Slade.[5] This lineup went on to release Silent Nation in 2004. In August 2005, Slade left the group to be replaced by Jay Schellen (who had helped on some writing sessions for Silent Nation).[6] After a short period of further touring, the new band started work on an album, tentatively entitled Architect of Time,[7][8] which was originally planned for release in 2006.

The split

In early 2006, the partnership between Downes and Payne was dissolved when Downes left for a reunion of the original band lineup under the Asia name,[9] a breakup that Payne described as "painful".[10] The existing lineup minus Downes, i.e. Payne, Govan and Schellen, continued working together. They recruited Ryo Okumoto on keyboards to form new band GPS, using some of the material planned for Architect of Time on their debut album, Window to the Soul (2006).[11]

On May 9, 2006, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Carl Palmer and Steve Howe contractually allowed John Payne to continue as "Asia Featuring John Payne,".[4] Payne also took a significant portion of the rights to the 'Asia' band name following Downes' departure.[12] Payne regrouped ex-members of Asia and formed the new band Asia Featuring John Payne in May 2007 with Payne on vocals/bass, Guthrie Govan on guitar and Jay Schellen on drums. Later that year, Erik Norlander was announced on keyboards.[8][9]

The first release under this name at the end of 2007 was a live recording of the late 2005 Asia lineup of Downes, Payne, Govan and Schellen, entitled Extended Versions in the U.S. and Scandinavia in the UK.[13]

Touring and studio work

Asia featuring John Payne toured the US through 2008. In 2009, the band released an EP entitled Military Man. The band has continued to tour the US since 2008, performing songs from the entire history of Asia, both before and during Payne's time in the band. In 2009 Govan was replaced by Mitch Perry, a session musician with experience touring with major acts including Cher, Michael Schenker and Edgar Winter.[4] Payne, Govan, and Schellen are also continuing work as GPS.

The band signed a three album deal with Sony Music Japan.[14] A studio album, originally called Architect of Time (the name ultimately used for a Payne side project instead) and then Americana,[15] was underway and expected for release late in 2012,[16] but was delayed. A digital single and video "Seasons Will Change" was released in late 2012.[17]

In August 2011, the band played summer tour dates in the US with a new guitarist, Bruce Bouillet.[18] In 2012, the band announced that Bouillet had left to pursue solo work, replacing him with a dual guitar lineup of Moni Scaria and Jeff Kollman.[19] Also in 2012, the group released a live album "Risen Sun" on Sony Japan, which was the third release of Extended Versions with a different title.[20] On April 15, 2014 the group released an album of covers called Recollections: A Tribute to British Prog.[21]Template:Primary source inline

In 2014, Norlander was replaced[22] by Ryo Okumoto from GPS. Schellen stopped working with the band in 2016, and started filling in for Alan White in Yes alongside Geoff Downes.[9]

Dukes of the Orient and future plans

Material by Payne and Norlander for the Asia featuring John Payne album to be called Americana, including the single "Seasons Will Change", was then released under the name Dukes of the Orient instead in 2018.[1] Payne and Norlander described this decision as coming out respect for the passing of John Wetton, also citing this material was written by them and not under Asia.[23] Asia featuring John Payne (without Norlander) has continued as a live act.

In 2019, AFJP toured on a bill with former Foreigner singer Lou Gramm, also acting as his back-up band.

In 2022, Payne announced a new Asia featuring John Payne album titled Aviana is in the works, and stated the album cover had already been done by Rodney Matthews.[24]

New line-up (2025)

On January 31, 2025, Asia featuring John Payne performed a show in Uncasville, Connecticut (at Wolf Den @ Mohegan Sun) with a new line-up made of John Payne on vocals, bass, guitar; Mark Cole on guitar, bass; Walter Ino on Keyboards and Aaron Olson on drums.[25]

Personnel

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  • John Payne - lead vocals, bass, additional guitar (2007–present)
  • Jeffrey Kollman - guitar, backing vocals (2012–present)[26]
  • Moni Scaria - guitar, backing vocals (2012–present)
  • Jamie Hosmer - keyboards, backing vocals[27] (2017–present)
  • Aaron Olson - drums, percussion (2022–present)

Former members

Timeline

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 id:lvocals    value:red         legend:Lead_vocals,_bass,_additional_guitar
 id:guitar     value:green       legend:Guitar
 id:keyboards  value:purple      legend:Keyboards
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 id:bvocals    value:pink        legend:Backing_vocals
 id:studio     value:black       legend:Studio_album
 id:ep         value:gray(0.5)   legend:EP
 id:bars       value:gray(0.9)

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BarData = 

 bar:JohnP    text:John Payne
 bar:Guthrie  text:Guthrie Govan
 bar:Mitch    text:Mitch Perry
 bar:Bruce    text:Bruce Bouillet
 bar:Jeff     text:Jeff Kollman
 bar:Moni     text:Moni Scaria
 bar:Erik     text:Erik Norlander
 bar:Ryo      text:Ryo Okumoto
 bar:Jamie    text:Jamie Hosmer
 bar:Jay      text:Jay Schellen
 bar:Johnny   text:Johnny Fedevich

PlotData= 

 width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,4)
 bar:JohnP      from:01/01/2007  till:end         color:lvocals
 bar:Guthrie    from:01/01/2007  till:09/30/2009  color:guitar
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 bar:Mitch      from:09/30/2009  till:08/17/2011  color:guitar
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 bar:Jeff      from:07/16/2012  till:end  color:guitar
 bar:Jeff      from:07/16/2012  till:end  color:bvocals width:3
 bar:Moni      from:07/16/2012  till:end         color:guitar
 bar:Moni      from:07/16/2012  till:end         color:bvocals width:3
 bar:Jay        from:01/01/2007  till:01/01/2016         color:drums
 bar:Jay        from:01/01/2007  till:01/01/2016         color:bvocals width:3
 bar:Johnny        from:01/01/2017  till:end         color:drums
 bar:Erik       from:01/01/2007  till:07/16/2014         color:keyboards
 bar:Erik       from:01/01/2007  till:07/16/2014         color:bvocals width:3
 bar:Ryo       from:07/16/2014  till:12/01/2017         color:keyboards
 bar:Jamie       from:12/01/2017  till:end         color:keyboards
 bar:Jamie       from:12/01/2017  till:end         color:bvocals width:3

LineData = 

layer:back
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</timeline>

Discography

Albums

  • 2014: Recollections: A Tribute to British Prog

EPs & singles

  • 2009: Military Man (EP)
  • 2012: "Seasons Will Change" (digital single and video, later re-released on Dukes of the Orient’s debut album)

Live albums

  • 2007: Extended Versions/Scandinavia (re-released as Risen Sun in 2012)

References

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  6. ↑ Silent Nation CD liner notes, InsideOut Music, 2004
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  9. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:CbignoreTemplate:Dead Youtube links
  18. ↑ "ASIA Featuring John Payne Welcomes Grammy®-Winning Guitarist Bruce Bouillet on Summer Live Dates", Asia Featuring John Payne press release, August 9, 2011
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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