| John Wetton |
John
Wetton in concert
|
| Background
information |
| Born |
June 12, 1949 (1949-06-12) (age 58)
 Willington, Derby, Derbyshire,
England |
| Genre(s) |
Rock, Progressive
rock |
| Instrument(s) |
bass, guitar |
| Years active |
1965 - present |
Associated
acts |
Mogul
Thrash, Family, King
Crimson, Roxy Music, Uriah
Heep, UK, Wishbone
Ash, Asia, Phenomena,
solo |
| Website |
Official
website |
John Kenneth Wetton (born 12 June 1949, Willington,
Derby, Derbyshire,
England)
is an English
singer, bassist and guitarist.
|
Contents
- 1 Biography
- 2 Solo
discography
- 3 References
- 4 External
links
|
Biography
Overview
Born in Derbyshire, Wetton grew up in Bournemouth,
Dorset.
He has been a professional singer/songwriter/musician since the late 1960s as a member of
such progressive rock bands
as Mogul
Thrash, Family, King
Crimson (working with childhood friend Robert
Fripp), Roxy
Music/Bryan Ferry band, Uriah
Heep, UK and Wishbone
Ash. Wetton found worldwide fame in 1982 with the explosion
of the band, Asia, whose self-titled debut album sold millions
and became Billboard Magazine's #1 album of
1982.
Wetton achieved an original bass guitar sound utilizing a 1961 Fender Precision
Bass amplified
through tubes. The sound is overdriven, powerful and very aggressive.
This style and approach is particularly evident during his stint with
King Crimson from 1972 until 1974.
Whilst Wetton was initially known for his powerful bass guitar
sound, his tremendous vocal and songwriting abilities garnered greater
attention once Asia was unleashed to the public.
Early recorded highlights include King Crimson's Larks' Tongues In Aspic
(1973), Starless and Bible Black
(1974), Red
(1974), UK's
self-titled album (1978)
and Asia's
self-titled album (1982),
the last being the biggest seller of his career. In 1986 he contributed
also to Phenomena II and had a number 1 hit
with the single "Did it all for Love" in South
America. Since the early 1990s, Wetton has released four solo albums (Voice
Mail/Battle Lines, Arkangel, Sinister/Welcome
to Heaven, and Rock of Faith), and a
number of live recordings from his solo tours around the world. Wetton
also created the ICON project with fellow Asia bandmate Geoff
Downes. The duo
recorded two studio
albums of original material (ICON and ICON II/Rubicon) and one live album
(Never in a Million Years) from their ICON European
tour. Wetton has struggled with alcoholism in the past but has overcome
this problem.
He has also worked as a session
musician for many artists, playing on such well-known albums
as Only Visiting This Planet
by Larry
Norman
and Here Come the Warm Jets
by Brian
Eno.
Wetton rejoined the other original members of Asia (Downes,
Steve Howe and Carl Palmer) in early 2006 to announce a 25th
anniversary world tour. This line-up performed a series of dates in the
United
States in September 2006, and in the United
Kingdom in November/December 2006. The band will also spend much of
2007 on the road, with shows already scheduled for North
and South America, Europe
and, of course, Asia.
A new Asia studio album, the original band's first since 1983's Alpha
is currently being recorded.
Solo discography
Albums
- Caught in the Crossfire, 1980,
E'G/Polydor Records
- King's Road, 1972-1980, 1987,
E'G/Virgin
Records
- One World (with Phil
Manzanera), 1987, Geffen
Records
- Battle Lines, 1994,
Eclipse Records
- Chasing the Dragon (Live), 1995,
Eclipse Records
- Akustika (Live), 1996,
Blueprint Records
- Arkangel, 1997,
Eagle
Records
- Chasing the Deer (film soundtrack), 1998,
Blueprint Records
- Hazy Money Live in New York, 1998,
Blueprint Records
- Live in Tokyo, 1998,
Blueprint Records
- Monkey Business (with Richard Palmer-James),
1998,
Blueprint Records
- Sub Rosa Live in Japan, 1998,
Blueprint Records
- Nomansland Live in Poland, 1999,
Giant Electric Pea Records
- Welcome to Heaven, 2000,
Avalon Records
- Sinister, 2001,
Giant Electric Pea Records
- Live in Argentina, 2002,
Blueprint Records
- Live in Stockholm 1998, 2003,
Blueprint Records
- Rock of Faith, 2003,
Giant Electric Pea Records
- Live in Osaka, 2003,
Blueprint Records
- From the Underworld, 2003,
Classic Rock Legends
- One Way or Another (with Ken
Hensley), 2003, Classic Rock Legends
- Amata, 2004,
Metal Mind Records
- Icon (with Geoff
Downes), 2005, Frontiers Records/UMe Digital
(US)
- Acoustic TV Broadcast (with Geoff
Downes), 2006, Frontiers Records
- Icon II: Rubicon (with Geoff
Downes), 2006, Frontiers Records (US)
EPs
- Heat of the Moment '05 (with Geoff
Downes), 2005, Frontiers Records
References
External links
|
King
Crimson |
| Current members |
Robert
Fripp ·
Adrian Belew ·
Tony Levin ·
Pat Mastelotto |
| Former members |
Greg
Lake ·
Michael
Giles ·
Ian McDonald ·
Peter Sinfield ·
Mel
Collins ·
Gordon Haskell ·
Andy McCulloch ·
Boz
Burrell ·
Ian Wallace ·
John Wetton ·
Jamie
Muir ·
Bill
Bruford ·
David Cross ·
Richard Palmer-James ·
Trey
Gunn |
| Original studio
albums |
In the Court of the
Crimson King ·
In the Wake of Poseidon ·
Lizard ·
Islands ·
Larks' Tongues in Aspic ·
Starless and Bible Black ·
Red ·
Discipline ·
Beat ·
Three of a Perfect Pair ·
THRAK ·
The ConstruKction of Light ·
The Power to Believe |
| Singles and EPs |
"Cat
Food/Groon" ·
"Atlantic
Sampler" ·
"The Night
Watch/The Great Deceiver" ·
"Epitaph/21st
Century Schizoid Man" ·
"Matte
Kudasai" ·
"Elephant Talk" ·
"Thela Hun Ginjeet" ·
"Heartbeat" ·
"Three
of a Perfect Pair/Man With an Open Heart" ·
"Sleepless" ·
VROOOM ·
"Dinosaur" ·
"People" ·
"Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream" ·
Level Five ·
Happy With
What You Have to Be Happy With |
| Live albums |
Earthbound ·
USA ·
The Great Deceiver ·
B'Boom: Live in Argentina ·
THRaKaTTaK ·
Epitaph ·
The Night Watch ·
Absent Lovers: Live
in Montreal ·
Cirkus:
The Young Persons' Guide to King Crimson Live ·
Live in Mexico City ·
The ProjeKcts ·
The
Deception of the Thrush: A Beginners' Guide to ProjeKcts ·
The
Beginners' Guide to the King Crimson Collectors' Club ·
Heavy ConstruKction ·
VROOOM VROOOM ·
Ladies of the Road ·
EleKtrik: Live in Japan ·
The Power to Believe
Tour Box ·
Déjà VROOOM (live DVD) |
| Compilations |
A Young
Person's Guide to King Crimson ·
The Compact King Crimson ·
Heartbeat:
The Abbreviated King Crimson ·
Frame by
Frame: The Essential King Crimson ·
Sleepless: The
Concise King Crimson ·
The
21st Century Guide to King Crimson - Volume One - 1969-1974 ·
The
21st Century Guide to King Crimson - Vol. 2 - 1981-2003 |
| Side projects |
ProjeKct
One ·
ProjeKct
Two ·
ProjeKct Three ·
ProjeKct
Four ·
ProjeKct
X ·
ProjeKct
Six |
| Related bands |
Giles, Giles and Fripp ·
McDonald and Giles ·
21st Century Schizoid Band ·
Crimson Jazz
Trio |
| See
also |
Elephant
Talk (King Crimson xbx) Songs |
| v • d • e Uriah Heep
|
| Bernie
Shaw • Mick Box • Trevor Bolder • Phil
Lanzon • Russell
Gilbrook
Ken
Hensley • David
Byron • Gary Thain
• Lee
Kerslake • John Lawton •
John Wetton • Paul Newton •
Ian Clarke •
Keith Baker •
Peter
Goalby • John
Sloman • Bob
Daisley • John Sinclair •
Gregg
Dechert • Chris
Slade • Mark Clarke •
Nigel
Olsson • Alex Napier •
Steff
Fontaine
Discography
Studio
albums: Very 'eavy... Very 'umble
(1970) • Salisbury
(1971) • Look
at Yourself (1971) • Demons &
Wizards (1972) • The Magician's Birthday
(1972) • Sweet
Freedom (1973) • Wonderworld
(1974) • Return
to Fantasy (1975) • High and Mighty
(1976) • Firefly
(1977) • Innocent
Victim (1977) • Fallen
Angel (1978) • Conquest
(1980) • Abominog
(1982) • Head First
(1983) • Equator
(1985) • Raging
Silence (1989) • Different
World (1991) • Sea
of Light (1995) • Sonic
Origami (1998)
Live
albums: Uriah
Heep Live (1973) • Live at Shepperton '74
(1986) • Live in
Europe 1979 (1986) • Live in Moscow
(1988) • Spellbinder Live
(1996) • King
Biscuit Flower Hour Presents In Concert (1997) •
Future
Echoes Of The Past (2000) • Acoustically Driven
(2001) • Electrically
Driven (2001) • The Magician's
Birthday Party (2002) • Live in the USA
(2003) • Magic Night
(2004) • Between
Two Worlds (2005)
Songs:
"The Wizard" •
"Sweet
Lorraine" • "Stealin'"
Related
articles: The
Gods • Spice
• Colin
Wood
|
