An insider’s take on the evolution and enduring legacy of the music that rocked the twentieth century.
Memphis 1954. New Orleans 1957. Philadelphia 1959. Liverpool 1962. San Francisco 1967. Detroit 1969. New York, 1975. London 1977. Los Angeles 1984 / Norway 1993. Seattle 1991.
Rock and roll was birthed in basements and garages, radio stations and dance halls, in cities where unexpected gatherings of artists and audience changed and charged the way music is heard and celebrated, capturing lightning in a bottle. Musician and writer Lenny Kaye explores ten crossroads of time and place that define rock and roll, its unforgettable flashpoints, characters, and visionaries; how each generation came to be; how it was discovered by the world. Whether describing Elvis Presley’s Memphis, the Beatles’ Liverpool, Patti Smith’s New York, or Kurt Cobain’s Seattle, Lightning Striking reveals the communal energy that creates a scene, a guided tour inside style and performance, to see who’s on stage, along with the movers and shakers, the hustlers and hangers-on–and why everybody is listening.
Grandly sweeping and minutely detailed, informed by Kaye’s acclaimed knowledge and experience as a working musician, Lightning Striking is an ear-opening insight into our shared musical and cultural history, a magic carpet ride of rock and roll’s most influential movements and moments.
He’s been hailed as one of Canada’s most culturally conscious songwriters of the 70s’ but Murray McLauchlan’s sympathetic song portraits of ordinary folk have appealed to our social conscience for more than five decades. The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) is pleased to announce the Induction of singer-songwriter Murray McLauchlan, composer of more than 35 hit singles including the SOCAN Classics Farmer’s Song, Down by the Henry Moore, and Try Walkin’ Away.
Marking its first in-person songwriter induction ceremony since the pandemic, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame is partnering with Mariposa Folk Festival to recognize McLauchlan on Saturday, July 9 on the Festival’s main stage. Since 2018, the CSHF began partnering with music events and festivals across the country to connect with fans and celebrate the songs and songwriters to their musical roots. McLauchlan will be officially inducted at Mariposa by long-time friend and CSHF Inductee Gordon Lightfoot and honoured with a special tribute performance by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
“I am honoured to join my respected friends Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, and so many others in the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame,” says McLauchlan.
Murray McLauchlan was born in Scotland, and raised in Toronto ON, where he studied art and began singing in coffeehouses at age 17. He frequented Yorkville’s The Riverboat, a hub for the folk-rock music scene in the 70s where fellow singer-songwriters Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, and other Canadian icons would play – that was also a favourite tour stop for American artists including Simon and Garfunkel, and folksinger Tom Rush. McLauchlan would play his bittersweet compositions Old Man’s Song and Child’s Song on the backsteps of The Riverboat for Tom Rush, who became the first artist to record one of McLauchlan’s insightful songs. Child’s Song was recorded by Tom Rush in 1970; and would later garner McLauchlan three JUNO Awards for Folk Single, Country Single, and Songwriter of the Year.
In 1971, McLauchlan signed with True North Records and recorded his debut album, “Song from the Street,” that reached Top 40 in Canada. His first Top 10 single came from The Farmer’s Song which drew attention to the industrial forces decimating family farms, while earning him his first JUNO Awards for Best Songwriter, Folk Single, and Country Single. His follow up album “Sweeping the Spotlight Away” earned him a JUNO for Best Country Vocalist; and his homage to Toronto, Down by the Henry Moore, became his first No. 1 hit to cross over on both pop and country charts.
McLauchlan’s first gold record came with the 1976 album “Boulevard,” which included the hit single On the Boulevard. Through the 1980s, McLauchlan enjoyed further success with hit singles like Do You Dream of Being Somebody?, Somebody’s Long Lonely Night, Little Dreamer, and Never Did Like That Train. He rounded out the decade with the anthem If the Wind Could Blow My Troubles Away,participation in Tears Are Not Enough, and his JUNO-nominated album “Swingin’ on a Star.”
His most recent endeavors include his 2012 hit albums “Human Writes” and “Love Can’t Tell Time.” and 2021’s Hourglass that has made numerous Top 10 lists in Canada, the U.S. and throughout the world. He was won 11 JUNO Awards throughout his esteemed career and is among the Top 20 most-winning JUNO artists of all time.
McLauchlan’s songwriting, whether in his earlier narrative style or his later impressionistic one, has definite grassroots appeal. And the visual sense he developed while studying art as a youth still inspires his songwriting: “I always try to write visually, to put someone into their context,” he explains.
His love for songwriting and art came together in 2021’s “A Thomson Day”, a tribute to the work of Group of Seven painter Tom Thomson that resulted in a collaboration with the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Recently, Child’s Song was featured in the hit NBC TV show “This Is Us;” and Widespread Panic recorded a hit rock cover of McLauchlan’s dark ode Honky Red. Others to cover McLauchlan’s work over the decades include Bonnie Dobson, John McDermott, Renée Claude, David Wiffen, George Hamilton IV, Waylon Jennings, Kathy Mattea, David Bromberg, The Ennis Sisters, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, R. Harlan Smith, Walter Ostanek, Bob Neuwirth, 3’s a Crowd, Melanie Safka, and Junkhouse.
The 2022 Mariposa Folk Festival takes place July 8 – 10 in J.D. Tudhope Memorial Park, Orillia ON.
YG Entertainment has announced that BLACKPINK will make their long-awaited return this Summer. Currently in the final stages of recording a new album, BLACKPINK’s new music in August starts a continuous large-scale project which will extend through the second half of the year.
On the announcement, YG Entertainment stated, “a lot of BLACKPINK-esque music has been prepared over a long period of time. On top of new music and large-scale projects, BLACKPINK will also go on the largest world tour in the history of a K-pop girl group by the end of the year to expand their rapport with fans worldwide.”
Prior to the release of their first full album ‘THE ALBUM’ in 2020, BLACKPINK gained steady popularity with their pre-release single “How You Like That” and their special collaboration with Selena Gomez “Ice Cream”. Despite the restrictions due to COVID-19 pandemic, BLACKPINk drew a record-breaking explosive response from global fans with only their music. ‘THE ALBUM’, which catapulted to number 2 on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and UK Official Chart, also featured standout track “Lovesick Girls”, which sold over 1.4 million copies worldwide, making BLACKPINK the first K-pop girl group to sell over a million units.
Western Canada, their neighbours to the east, and friends from overseas will be heading to Calgary, Alberta from September 28 to October 2 for BreakOut West 2022! Together with partners from Wales, Sweden, Iceland, the Nordics and other countries from across Europe, international artists will take to Calgary stages for the music festival this fall.
This marks the first year (and second time in 2022!) that BreakOut West has partnered with Future Echoes – Sweden’s new showcase festival, which kicked off in February 2022 – and Nordic Bridges (supported by Iceland Air), an initiative to support Nordic creative industry and artists from Nordic countries performing in Canada throughout 2022.
Aimed at raising the profile of Nordic culture abroad and strengthening the interaction between Nordic cultural sectors and the rest of the world, Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre is curating a series of unique experiences that highlight contemporary Nordic arts and culture. This year, performing artists include Kid Vicious (Sweden), Kitka (Sweden), BSÍ (Iceland) and The Magnettes (Sweden).
BreakOut West continues to build their six year-long partnership with FOCUS Wales, which sees western Canadian artists showcasing each year in Wales, and Welsh artists, in turn, showcasing at BreakOut West, thanks to FOCUS Wales, Wales Arts International and the Welsh Consulate. The organizations will bring their Welsh artists, including N’famady Kouyate, Seazoo, Adwaith and Eadyth to perform and will also host a reception. In turn, BreakOut West will exchange their artists to participate and connect through programming, performances and events.
In partnership with the Welsh Government, BreakOut West will soon be announcing Indigenous programming highlighting the start of the UNESCO International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2023). More information on this program will be announced soon.
This is the fourth event at which BreakOut West will welcome East Coast artists as part of their East Meets West partnership with the East Coast Music Association (ECMA) – an initiative which aims to unite the far coasts of Canada, to open new markets for artists touring the country.
As part of BreakOut West’s ongoing commitment to gender parity at the annual conference and festival, their partnership with KeyChange – presented by PRS Foundation, FACTOR and SOCAN Foundation – launches the second edition of three in their program featuring performances by The Magnettes of Sweden (also on the Nordic Bridges lineup), Arya (Italy), The Rodeo (France) and Cell7 (Iceland).
BreakOut West is thrilled to welcome international KeyChange innovators, who will be bringing their expertise to the conference on panels and in one-on-one sessions. Participating international innovators are Sofie Søndervik Sæther of JM Norway and Aslı Kaymaz of AZLAY with many other international industry delegates to be announced leading up to the festival.
In February, BreakOut West returned to festival programming with an at-home winter edition, which can be experienced online here. The annual music festival and conference with be safely returning to live this fall, with events taking place in Calgary, AB from September 28 to October 2. Acts from all across western Canada will perform at venues throughout the city, along with special international guests. The annual Western Canadian Music Awards will be given out during BreakOut West. In addition, the Western Canadian Music Alliance will present the Western Canadian Music Awards during BreakOut West. Nominees were announced in June – find a complete list here.
Registration is available now. More performers will be announced soon and a full schedule of events will be available at breakoutwest.ca.
No stranger to constantly sold out headline shows and tours, it may come as a surprise to some that little over two years ago Australian songstress Tash Sultana was busking on the streets of her home city of Melbourne, creating her own buzz with a DIY spirit and determination. The dynamic young performer then went viral when a homemade performance video that garnered one million views in five days, marking her as a rising star of the indie scene.
All photos by Joanna Roselli. You can find Joanna on Instagram, and through her website.
Capturing the spirit of the great ballads of the 90’s, “Say Goodbye” is the brand-new single from award-winning rockers WILDSTREET, and is available now.
Upon a backdrop of eerie strings and cranked-up hard rock guitars, the song clues us in on the end of a very sick and twisted relationship.
The fourth single WILDSTREET have released via Golden Robot Records, the song was co-written and produced by Todd Long (Ghosts Of Sunset), mixed by Jon Wyman (The Pretty Reckless), and mastered by Howie Weinberg.
WILDSTREET is a band that began in 2006 and released their self-titled debut album on Retrospect Records in 2009.
Having spent the next four years touring nonstop and performing at US festivals — including Rocklahoma (five consecutive years), SXSW, M3 Rock Festival, and more, WILDSTREET rocked alongside Black Veil Brides, Vains of Jenna, The Bouncing Souls, The Last Vegas, Twisted Sister, Michael Monroe, Crashdiet, Diemonds, Kix, LA Guns, and then some.
The band have also won the Best Buy/Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands for Rockstar Energy’s Uproar Festival and opened for Avenged Sevenfold, Sevendust, and Three Days Grace in Camden, NJ.
In 2011, the band released Wildstreet II..Faster..Louder! to widespread critical acclaim, making an appearance on The Jimmy Fallon show, and licensing songs to TV shows on E!, MTV, VH1, Oxygen, TBS, and a THQ Video game. Later that year, the band released the official music video for “Poison Kiss” which included a cameo by Don Jameson of The Metal Show.
WILDSTREET now had the attention of rock fans worldwide and, in 2012, released the single “Easy Does It” and its official music video; it went viral on YouTube, adding to their 5+ Million views and 8,000+ subscribers on that platform alone.
After taking a two-and-a-half year break, and dodging rumors of a band breakup, WILDSTREET exploded back onto the NYC scene in 2016 — headlining Gramercy Theatre with a new line-up.
In early 2017, the band rocked NYC with Faster Pussycat and Biters, and headed to Rocklahoma for the sixth time before beginning work on their single, “Raise Hell.” Released in December 2017, the track ushered in a new period for the band; they headlined Irving Plaza for the single’s release party and were handpicked by Dorothy to open for her New York City tour date at The Bowery Ballroom.
Following the single’s video release, WILDSTREET spent the remainder of 2018 in the studio recording Wildstreet III — which was released in the summer of 2021.
They’ve continued to perform regional tour dates/festival dates, including opening for Sebastian Bach & Escape The Fate, selling out The Knitting Factory Brooklyn, and heading out on their first tour in Europe — playing 10 shows in Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany, including Sleaze Fest 2019 in Bochum, Germany.
WILDSTREET’s massive album ‘III’ has racked up over 1.8+ million streams on Spotify since its release in June 2021. After spending most of the year on tour in the US (100+ shows including Rockfest), the band also toured Europe, bringing their music to fans in Switzerland and France for the first time ever. They concluded the year by releasing their cover of “Mrs. Sleazy,” originally recorded by The 69 Eyes back in the 90s.
WILDSTREET includes Eric Jayk, Jimmie Marlowe, Don Berger, and Dan Whitelock, and have their third studio album in the works.
The roller derby rock star from Toronto is blowing out the speakers with the latest entry in her arsenal; Siobamm’s new single “Meat Machine” is available now.
Acquiring management by Canada’s rock darling Bif Naked and Peter Karroll, Siobamm continues to blast her own path in the music community with her powerhouse vocals and undeniable songwriting and production skills.
Siobamm’s musical career was birthed from isolation caused by the pandemic, and the Roller Derby enthusiast found herself with the time to focus her attention on writing, recording and producing. By 2021, she had fully completed her self-produced debut EP, Gloom Patrol. Comprised of goth alternative undertones, laced with rock and roll and pop melodies, the four-song-strong album set the course for Siobamm’s foray into becoming music’s newest, and brightest success story.
“After my long-distance relationship ended in late 2020, I decided to focus on myself and my own creative goals for the remainder of the pandemic,” Siobamm explains. “I far prefer meeting people in person, and online dating can be really stressful and hard, so I swore off dating and sex until I finished my creative projects for myself.”
“Meat Machine” lands as a “post-punk story of a bisexual woman emerging from quarantine, on the prowl for physical connection.” It drives out of the gates with pulsating percussion, matched solely by the vulnerabilities in Siobamm’s authentic lyricism, sung in her ubiquitous vocal prowess. The song is equal parts rock, as it is sexy and alluring.
Referring to “Meat Machine” as her “horny hymn,” Siobamm says the song is a prose on feeling prepared to give dating another try. “I wrote it in the summer of 2021 when I started to seek out physical and emotional intimacy again in a post-vaccinated Toronto,” she reveals. “Interacting with men again in intimate and sexual ways after not doing so for a while was a bit of a mental adjustment. Even though I’m queer, engaging in heterosexual culture is strange. This track is me owning my bisexual thirstiness, while also accepting my physical insecurities. The best sex happens when participants are vulnerable, so I created a song reflecting on some of my weird body fixations and asking ‘who wants to fuck?’. I feel like years of being very forward in gay relationships has made me very blunt and not afraid to ask for what I want.”
And on the musical forefront, Siobamm continues to deliver on what her audiences are yearning for: good, old-fashioned rock and roll, flexed by modern flair and matched with smart lyrics and exciting vocals.
The track acts and reacts threefold: getting the sound you want, with the narrative you understand, while coercing you to fist bump and air guitar the entire track through.
All in all, Siobamm dares you to fire up the “Meat Machine” once and for all.
A song that can take listeners on a joyous, uplifting journey is needed more than ever these days and, if you can do it without singing a single word, that’s an amazing feat. Toronto virtuoso guitarist, songwriter, and producer Jeff Gunn has accomplished just that with his buoyant and brilliantly performed new single, “Vitality.”
Fresh from his newly released third album Momentum, “Vitality” showcases Gunn’s astounding technical prowess and unique use of harp harmonics for the guitar melodies throughout the piece. It’s a fast, exciting ride up and down the frets as Gunn’s fingers and palms race toward the two-and-a-half-minute finish line.
“Vitality” follows up the fall 2021 release of “Spirituous Momentous (Never Give Up Opus 2)”, an epic piece featuring collaborations from violinist Koi Anunta and Mike Sleath (drummer, Shawn Mendes) that sets the beatific tone that permeates throughout Momentum.
“‘Spiritus Momentous’ — and the album as a whole — are a journey that reveals the power, beauty, and versatility of the guitar,” Gunn notes. “At its heart is sonic storytelling, and finding inspiration in challenging times…”
Other stellar collaborators on the new album include guitar guru Antoine Dufour, saxophone player Dennis P (Arkells, Northern Soul Horns), and flutist Ron Christian.
The percussive, symbiotic dance of rhythm and melody on “Vitality” is a hallmark for the whole forthcoming collection with its waves of Momentum that come and go and elevate us to new stages in life. From the first notes and throughout, the sonic possibilities of the nylon string guitar are evident. Momentum will be Gunn’s first full-length release since 2019’s Sonic Tales — and his 2020 singles, “Blinding Lights” and “For the Ages (Medieval Wedding Song)”. In 2017, he released his first album All the Roads We Take.
A critically acclaimed guitarist, songwriter, and producer, he co-wrote and co-produced Emmanuel Jal’s JUNO Award-nominated album, The Key (Gatwitch/Universal). On the more academic side of things, he is also the author of the Hidden Sounds: Discover Your Own Method on Guitar (Mayfair Music Publications) and a regular “guitar tips” contributor in print and film with Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Guitar World, Canadian Musician, Overdrive (Thailand), and The Guitar Mag (Thailand). He co-wrote the song “Scars” with Jal and Nelly Furtado for the film The Good Lie (Warner Brothers 2014) and The Black Prince (Rukus Avenue 2017) soundtrack.
A sought-after collaborator and contributor with an impressive A-list of artists, Gunn has recorded with Emmanuel Jal, Nelly Furtado, Bibi McGill, Mark Pellizzer, Kae Sun, Domanique Grant, James Bryan, Rayzak, performed with DMC, Swizz Beatz, Tanika Charles, and has served as musical director for Jal opening for such acts as Nico & Vinz, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt, Angelique Kidjo, Xavier Rudd, Mumford & Sons, and Ellie Goulding.
Gunn has also taken his top-notch performing abilities to notable international stages and high-profile gigs including Glastonbury, the JUNO Songwriters’ Circle, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Ringo Starr’s Birthday Concert at Capitol Records, United Nations, GRAMMY Museum Concert Series in Honour of Bob Marley, Jimmy Kimmel’s Annual Italian Festival, and the Dalai Lama One World Concert. He has appeared on CBC, CTV Canada AM, Good Day New York, Fox TV, Ted Talks, and The Travel Channel (Thailand) and has also been a guest speaker at UCLA, University of London, University of Oxford, Thammasat University, the University of Hawaii and more. Gunn is endorsed by Godin Guitars, D’Addario Canada, Levy’s Guitar Straps, Planet Waves, Gravity Guitar Picks, and G7th Capos.
SiriusXM announced today that its SXM App, which delivers more than 425 SiriusXM channels of the best in audio entertainment – Howard Stern, (and my show @ThatEricAlper), ad-free music, sports and more – is now available to tens of millions of Comcast customers nationwide on Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex and XClass TV, giving its subscribers a new way to experience SiriusXM programming at home.
With the SXM App, customers can stream Howard Stern’s two exclusive channels, more than 330 channels of ad-free music from virtually every musical genre, curated to match the mood or create the perfect vibe, plus podcasts, live sports and sports talk, entertainment, news, comedy and more.
Future enhancements to the SXM App experience on Comcast’s platforms are expected to include access to SiriusXM’s expansive video library. SiriusXM Video offers more than 11,000 pieces of content, including must-see moments and interviews from The Howard Stern Show, exclusive music performances, plus shows, interviews and clips from across the SiriusXM programming lineup.
“We’re thrilled that the SXM App is now live across Comcast’s entertainment platforms, enabling its customers to easily get our great streaming features and our full lineup of audio entertainment,” said Joe Verbrugge, Chief Commercial Officer, SiriusXM. “For over two decades SiriusXM has been the perfect soundtrack for listeners in their cars. The SXM App on Comcast also delivers the perfect atmosphere for our subscribers when they are at home, whether that’s playing the right music for any kind of party, laughing along with our comedy channels, or getting world, sports or entertainment news from one of our many channels while working around the house. SiriusXM gives everybody at home something to enjoy.”
“SiriusXM offers an extensive array of content and is a great addition to the growing catalog of apps available across our entertainment platforms,” said Sudhir Muralidhar, Vice President, App Ecosystem, Comcast. “With today’s launch across X1, Flex and XClass TV, our customers can now enjoy all their favorite music channels, podcasts, live news and more from SiriusXM on the biggest screen in their home, seamlessly integrated alongside all their other entertainment.”
Eligible Comcast customers can activate a free 3-month SiriusXM subscription offer by going to www.SiriusXM.com/Xfinity.
Comcast customers can access SiriusXM on X1, Flex or XClass TV by saying “SiriusXM” into their voice remote, or by finding it within each device’s app section. Comcast’s entertainment products and experiences, including Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex and XClass TV, seamlessly combine voice search, discovery, apps and interactive features into one intuitive experience.
Existing SiriusXM customers can sign in with their credentials and enjoy a seamless listening experience between Comcast’s devices and the SXM App on their mobile device, allowing them to access their favorites and pick up listening where they left off on either device.
Music on SiriusXM is expertly curated and delivers an exceptionally wide array of audio choices for listeners. Covering every genre across many decades, channels feature popular tracks and deep cuts from popular artists, as well as introduce listeners to new and emerging musicians and bands. Artist-branded channels from Hall of Fame and iconic talent feature exclusive content that can’t be heard anywhere else. SiriusXM’s concept-based channels such as Road Trip Radio and Yacht Rock Radio, or its many activity and mood-based channels, are designed to deliver a more personalized music experience that fits the moment.
Subscribers can also create their own personalized Pandora Stations within the SXM App that utilize Pandora’s listener personalization technology. Users create these stations based on their favorite artists and can thumbs up, thumbs down or skip songs to give them more control over what they’ll hear on that channel.
SiriusXM channels deliver an extensive schedule of live professional and college sporting events, plus two dozen dedicated sports talk channels; news from around the country and the world from many sources and political perspectives; the scoop on the latest from the world of entertainment; hours of stand-up by the funniest comics; and advice on life, health, faith and more.
Listeners can also access a wide-ranging and expanding collection of acclaimed and award-winning podcasts on the SXM App, including Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Comedy Gold Minds with Kevin Hart, Office Ladies, 99% Invisible, Freakonomics Radio, Pod Save America, series from Marvel Entertainment, and much more.
For more on all the programming available on SiriusXM, go to SiriusXM.com. SiriusXM content available on Comcast will mirror what is available to subscribers streaming on the SXM App, based on their subscription.
Multi-platinum supergroup ASIA soon will announce an extensive US tour set to promote the 40th Anniversary of its multi-platinum debut album and a new ASIA IN ASIA box set. The tour, originally set for August as a co-bill with Alan Parsons Live Project, has been rescheduled for early 2023 to accommodate a medical procedure needed by Mr. Parsons. Dates will be announced shortly.
ASIA IN ASIA, has finally been released, featuring both Carl Palmer and Greg Lake from Emerson Lake & Palmer; within the band with YES”s Steve Howe and YES/ Buggles keyboardist Geoff Downes during their historic tour of Japan in 1983 and the first ever worldwide satellite broadcast on MTV. The current line up of the band will tour in early 2023 with The Alan Parsons Project.
ASIA IN ASIA, has finally been released, featuring both Carl Palmer and Greg Lake from Emerson Lake & Palmer; within the band with YES”s Steve Howe and YES/ Buggles keyboardist Geoff Downes during their historic tour of Japan in 1983 and the first ever worldwide satellite broadcast on MTV. The current line up of the band will tour in early 2023 with The Alan Parsons Project.
This will be the ASIA’s first tour since 2019 with founding members Carl Palmer (drums); Geoff Downes (keyboards, bkg vocals); with Billy Sherwood (bass, bkg vocals); and new member guitarist and lead vocalist Marc Bonilla.
“We were hoping to be out this August, however moving the tour to early next year so we can remain on a co-bill with The Alan Parsons Project will be well worth it,” said Carl Palmer. “I am so thrilled that ASIA has finally been able to perform after three years off the road due to the pandemic. We have much to celebrate.”
“ASIA has been through a lot during these last four decades,” adds Geoff Downes, “but the music has always endured. The fans have never left us, nor we them. This tour will be historic.”
In addition to its 40th Anniversary, the band will promote ASIA In Asia – Live At The Budokan, Tokyo, 1983, a deluxe box set containing: 2LP, 2xCD, 40 page 12″ book, Blu-ray video, memorabilia and more, through BMG Records. Also available are LP, CD and digital formats.
ASIA, Geoff Downes (Buggles & YES), Steve Howe (YES) and Carl Palmer (ELP) with special guest vocalist and bassist Greg Lake (ELP), visited Japan to promote their phenomenally successful debut album (1982) and Alpha (1983). Their performance at the Budokan Arena on December 6th, 1983, made history as first live simulcast on MTV. Lake stepped in on short notice, replacing John Wetton due to illness.
ASIA was a rock ‘supergroup’ bringing together Wetton, Palmer, Downes and Howe who had already amassed tens of millions in sales with their collective bands of the 70s. Leaving behind their progressive roots, ASIA embraced the commercial FM rock sound that dominated US airwaves and took the new MTV video channel, by storm. The single Heat Of The Moment was a world-wide monster smash while its debut album spent 9 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts becoming the biggest selling LP of 1982.
