John Payne (born 29 September 1958 in Luton, England) is an English musician, best known as the lead singer and bassist of
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
from 1991 to 2006, then from June 2007, with
Asia featuring John Payne
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, which lasted from 1991 unt ...
. He also is now in Dukes of the Orient but continues to tour with The Rock Pack and also Asia Featuring John Payne.
John Payne became the frontman of Asia in 1991 at the invitation of founder member
Geoff Downes
Geoffrey Downes (born 25 August 1952) is an English keyboardist who gained fame as a member of the new wave group The Buggles with Trevor Horn, the progressive rock band Yes, and the supergroup Asia.
Born in Stockport, Downes moved to London ...
, replacing vocalist/bassist
John Wetton
John Kenneth Wetton (12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Known for his dexterous bass playing and booming baritone voice, Wetton first gained fame in the early 1970s.
Wetton was the singer and p ...
. During Payne's tenure, Asia released eight studio albums, several live albums and toured internationally. He is a founding and current member of modern progressive rock band
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
. He is also a guitarist, photographer, composer, recording engineer and record producer. Until recently, Payne was co-creator and part of the Las Vegas production ''
Raiding the Rock Vault
''Raiding the Rock Vault'' is a jukebox musical based on classic rock songs, featuring a cast of musicians from well-known rock bands. Since its debut in 2012, the show has appeared mainly at casinos in the Las Vegas area.
History
The concept ...
'' at the
Las Vegas Hotel.
Biography
His first band were called Moonstone.
They toured the UK in the late seventies, opening for well-known groups such as
Argent
In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...
.
In 1986, he recorded a silver selling record with the band CCCP in Scandinavia. CCCP was a group that featured John on lead vocals with
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
's stepdaughter
Carlene Carter
Carlene Carter (born Rebecca Carlene Smith; September 26, 1955) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband, Carl Smith.
As of 2020, since 1978, Carter has recorded 12 album ...
sharing vocal duties.
He provided backing vocals on several solo albums by
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the Rock music, rock band The Who.
Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Ge ...
, including ''
Under a Raging Moon'' (1985) and ''
Can't Wait to See the Movie'' (1987).
Back in England, he and keyboardist
Andy Nye
Andy Dane Nye (born 8 April 1959 in London, England) is an English musician, songwriter and author, as well as being a producer and agent. He was a member of the rock band The Michael Schenker Group at their peak in the 1980s and has also played k ...
(from the
Michael Schenker Group
The Michael Schenker Group (often abbreviated as MSG) are a guitar-oriented hard rock band, formed in London in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker. In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Schenke ...
) formed The Passion, enlisting the services of drummer Clive Burr (
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
), bassist Mel Gabbitas and the ex-
Mike Oldfield
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...
guitarist Ant Glynne.
Payne was considered for a position in
ELO Part II
ELO Part II were a band formed by Electric Light Orchestra drummer and co-founder Bev Bevan. The band also included former ELO bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt, and violinist Mik Kaminski for most of its career, along with conductor Louis ...
on guitar and vocals. For a year prior to joining Asia in 1991, he was chosen to replace
Jeff Lynne
Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder of the rock music, rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970. As a songwriter, h ...
as the lead vocalist in
ELO, later to be named ELO Part II, but left because of protracted negotiations over the name.
Asia
After the departure of
John Wetton
John Kenneth Wetton (12 June 1949 – 31 January 2017) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Known for his dexterous bass playing and booming baritone voice, Wetton first gained fame in the early 1970s.
Wetton was the singer and p ...
,
Geoff Downes
Geoffrey Downes (born 25 August 1952) is an English keyboardist who gained fame as a member of the new wave group The Buggles with Trevor Horn, the progressive rock band Yes, and the supergroup Asia.
Born in Stockport, Downes moved to London ...
invited Payne to join the band as lead singer,
bassist, co-writer and co-producer. Payne and
Geoff Downes
Geoffrey Downes (born 25 August 1952) is an English keyboardist who gained fame as a member of the new wave group The Buggles with Trevor Horn, the progressive rock band Yes, and the supergroup Asia.
Born in Stockport, Downes moved to London ...
continued together as Asia for 15 years, with several line-ups around them, until they stuck with
Guthrie Govan
Guthrie Govan (; born 27 December 1971) is an English guitarist and guitar teacher, known for his work with the bands the Aristocrats, Asia, GPS, the Young Punx and the Fellowship, as well as his solo project Erotic Cakes. More recently, he ha ...
(guitar) and
Chris Slade
Chris Slade (born Christopher Slade Rees; 30 October 1946) is a Welsh musician, best known for playing for the Australian rock band AC/DC. He drummed for the band from 1989 to 1994, performing on their 1990 album '' The Razors Edge'' along with ...
(drums) in 1999. This line-up persisted through 2005, when Slade departed to be replaced by
Jay Schellen
Jay Schellen (born May 20, 1960) is an American drummer who is best known as a member of the hard rock band Hurricane. Schellen has also worked and currently working with a number of other heavy rock and progressive rock bands, including with A ...
.
Asia featuring John Payne
In 2009, Govan was replaced by Mitch Perry and North American touring has continued through 2010. Work began on a studio album, originally called ''Architect of Time'', but this would eventually be released under the new band name of Dukes of the Orient. A live album ''Extended Versions'' by Asia featuring John Payne, was released in fall 2007, drawn from a December 2005 live show in Sweden with Downes, Schellen, Payne and Govan.
An EP entitled ''Military Man'' was released with re-recordings of Payne-era Asia tracks: "Military Man" and "Long Way from Home", plus an Erik Norlander solo composition, "Neurosaur". Tracks were performed by Govan, Payne, Norlander and Schellen.
In 2014, a CD entitled ''Recollections'' was released, a cover album of UK progressive rock songs. As well as producer, vocalist and bassist, Payne played most of the keyboards and some guitars. He was joined by Moni Scaria, Jeff Kollman and Jay Schellen. The video for the first single "Eye in the Sky" was shot in Vegas and includes an appearance from Alan Parsons.
Dukes of the Orient
Around 2017, Payne and Norlander reunited to form the group Dukes of the Orient as a new band name for the material that had been 10 years in the making as an Asia Featuring John Payne project. Their self-titled debut was released in February 2018 via
Frontier Records
Frontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Sun Valley, Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of Bomp! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways.
History
Frontier Records first ...
, featuring Scaria and Kollman on guitars from Asia Featuring John Payne, plus former members Bouillet, Govan (guitar) and Schellen (drums). The album features the former single, "Seasons Will Change," originally released by Asia Featuring John Payne in 2012. Following the death of singer John Wetton and for clarity with the Downes-led Asia, Payne and Norlander decided these recordings should be as a new band. Their second album, ''Freakshow'', was released on 7 August 2020.
TV, film and stage
In 2007, Payne played the part of Parson Nathaniel in the touring production of ''
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
''Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds'' is a studio double album by American-born British musician, composer, and record producer Jeff Wayne, released on 9 June 1978 by CBS Records. It is an album musical adapted from the sci ...
''. In 2016, Payne began composition of original work for Steve Gustafson. This work is in support to Gustafson's creation, via his
Experience Based Learning
Experience Based Learning, also known as EBL, is an Illinois-based Zip-line tour and installation company founded in 1993 by Steven Gustafson. Gustafson served on the board of directors for the standards developer for zip-lines, the Professional ...
zipline business, of an independent Reality TV show surrounding the zip line adventure tourism market entitled ''Zip Away!''
The Rock Pack
In January 2014, Payne created the touring show "The Rock Pack". In this show Payne interviews iconic rock singers from major classic rock bands and performs their hits with them. It included vocalists past and present from such bands as Foreigner, Cheap Trick, Journey, Santana, Toto, Kansas and The Tubes.
Discography
Asia
Studio albums
*''
Aqua
Aqua is the Latin word for water. It is used in many words which relate to water, such as aquatic life. In English, it may also refer to:
Arts
* Aqua (color), a greenish-blue color
Business
* Aqua (skyscraper), an 82-story residential skysc ...
'' (1992)
*''
Aria
In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
'' (1994)
*''
Arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
'' (1996)
*''
Archiva 1'' (1996)
*''
Archiva 2
''Archiva'' is a two-volume collection of out-takes and previously unreleased tracks by British progressive rock band Asia. The volume two, designated as ''Archiva 2'', was released on 17 September 1996 by Resurgence.
Background
In late 1995, ...
'' (1996)
*''
Rare'' (1999)
*''
Aura'' (2000)
*''
Silent Nation
''Silent Nation'' is the ninth studio album by British rock band Asia, released in 2004. It was the last album with longtime vocalist and bassist John Payne, prior to the reunion of the original line-up in 2006.
Production
''Silent Nation'' was ...
'' (2004)
Live albums
* ''Live at the Town & Country''
* ''Live Acoustic''
* ''Live in Philadelphia''
* ''Live in Osaka''
* ''Live in Köln''
* ''America: Live in the USA''
Live DVD
* "America: Live in the USA" (2003)
Asia featuring John Payne
Live albums
* ''
Extended Versions'', also released as ''Scandinavia'' (2007)
Studio albums
* ''Military Man'' (EP) (2009)
* ''Recollections: A Tribute to British Prog'' (2014)
Dukes of the Orient
*''Dukes of the Orient'' (2018)
* ''Freakshow'' (2020)
Roger Daltrey
* ''
Under a Raging Moon'' (1985)
* ''
Can't Wait to See the Movie'' (1987)
* ''
Martyrs & Madmen'' (1997)
* ''Just a Boy''
* ''Gold''
Intelligent Music Project III
* ''Touching The Divine'' (2015)
Intelligent Music Project IV
* ''Sorcery Inside'' (2019)
Intelligent Music Project V
* ''Life Motion'' (2020)
Intelligent Music Project VI
* ''The Creation'' (2021)
John Payne
* "Fly Away" b/w "Coming Home" 45 RPM single, Arrival Records (1984)
* "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got" (1984)
* "Ride the Storm" (''American Way'' film soundtrack, film also titled ''Riders of the Storm'' in some countries), released as a single b/w "Take the Money" (1987)
* ''Different Worlds'' cd compilation of solo work and work with ASIA and GPS, Voiceprint (2007)
* "Decoding the Lost Symbol" part of the Architects of Time project, CD EP (2009)
GPS
* ''Window to The Soul'' (2006)
* ''Two Seasons: Live in Japan, Volume 1'' Live release (2012)
* ''Two Seasons: Live in Japan, Volume 2'' Live release (2012)
The Passion (with Andy Nye)
* ''The Passion'' Voiceprint (2007)
Geoff Downes NDO
* ''Vox Humana'' (1993)
* ''World Service'' (1999)
CCCP
* ''Let's spend the Night Together'' (1986, reissued on cd 2007)
Lunatica
* ''Edge of Infinity'' (2006)
* ''Farewell My Love'' (2009)
Lisa LaRue
* ''Transformation 2012'' (2009)
* ''World Class'' (2009)
* ''Fast and Blue'' (2011)
Other Collaborations
* "That's When The Crying Starts" with the band Stringer, Arrival records (1982)
* "The Secret Affair" with the band Jupiter Red (1983)
* "Baby Won't Phone" with the band Quadrascope (1983)
* ''Bite The Bullet'' with the band Bite the Bullet (1989)
* "Dark Horse" with the band That'll Be The Day (2002)
* "Killer on the Loose" with
Billy Sherwood
William Wyman Sherwood (born March 14, 1965) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, record producer and mixing engineer. He is best known for his tenures in the English progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes as guitarist and ke ...
, part of the ''A Tribute to Thin Lizzy'' project (2008)
* "Beyond the Horizon" with the super-group project Roswell Six from
Kevin J. Anderson
Kevin James Anderson (born March 27, 1962) is an American science fiction author. He has written spin-off novels for ''Star Wars'', ''StarCraft'', ''Titan A.E.'' and ''The X-Files literature#Novels, The X-Files'', and with Brian Herbert is the ...
and ProgRock_Records (2009)
* "Firewolfe" – Debut album (2011). Mixing and mastering.
* "The Mystic Technocracy" and "Loving the Alien" (a David Bowie cover), part of ''The Mystic Technocracy – Season 1: The Age of Ignorance'' album by Docker's Guild (2012)
* "Lucky No. 7" – album by Ted Wulfers (2012). Backing Vocals on "Jade In My Pocket" and "Stars."
References
External links
Official Asia featuring John Payne websiteDukes of the Orient official web pageRoswell Six official web page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Payne, John
English bass guitarists
English male guitarists
Male bass guitarists
English male singers
English rock singers
Asia (band) members
English expatriates in the United States
Living people
1958 births
People from Luton