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Description
John Wetton
June 12, 1949-January 31, 2017

In the world of prog and rock, John Wetton was without peer. From Mogul Trash to Family, King Crimson to U.K., all the way to fronting Asia and everything in between, John had seen it all and done it all.

Born in Derby and raised in Bournemouth, John’s first taste of music came from his brother, an accomplished organ player and choirmaster. As a result of the home organ lacking a pedal board, John would play the bass lines while his brother played all his classical pieces. With that interest in bass sparked, John was set on his musical path. Beginning his career in a variety of bands, many featuring future songwriter collaborator Richard Palmer-James, his first major band would be the progressive/jazz rock outfit Mogul Thrash, also featuring ex-Colosseum guitarist James Litherland and future Average White Band horn players Roger Ball and Malcolm Duncan. Though only one album would come out of the group, said album turned out to be a very strong slice of progressive jazz rock showing a great deal of promise on the musicians’ part.

Mogul Thrash came to an end, and Wetton would offer his talents to a variety of artists, be it on the road with Renaissance, Edwards Hand, ex-Yes guitarist Peter Banks, Christian rock pioneer Larry Norman, Gospel beat group Malcolm & Alwyn, fellow Derby native Gordon Haskell, and Brian Eno on his solo debut Here Comes The Warm Jets. In between his session work, Wetton would serve a stint with progressive rock pioneers Family. Appearing on Fearless and Bandstand, Wetton was there for but a year but made his impact quite meaningful. His bass propelled the band in a way it hadn’t been before, giving them a certain power. Besides his bass playing, he always showed himself a very solid guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist, and with these talents he provided the kind of depth and multi faceted skills that a band such as Family requires. Though the direction was perhaps more accessible and, dare I say it, commercial than previous efforts, the talent and musicianship was there as ever. And as an interesting side note, Wetton’s two records are the only two Family albums to chart in the US. How much of that is due to Wetton is debatable, but they clearly didn’t suffer with Wetton on board.

In 1972, King Crimson had been in the wilderness after the original lineup folded, going through various reinventions to see what worked and what didn’t work as well. With Peter Sinfield and the then current rhythm section of Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace departing, Robert seized the opportunity to construct an entirely new lineup that could reinvigorate the band. With Wetton’s talent, it’s no surprise that Fripp would seek out his old schoolmate for the new band. Fripp would then round out the lineup with violinist/keyboardist David Cross, avant garde percussionist Jamie Muir, and former Yes drummer Bill Bruford, and the so called “European improvisers” were ready to go.

Larks’ Tongue In Aspic, Starless And Bible Black, Red. Three records that truly redefined King Crimson as we know them. At a time when it seemed to most that pro-underground rock could not go any further, here we saw King Crimson create something totally new and fresh- the same exploration we know and love them for, yet with hints towards European classical, particularly contemporary forms, as well as the free jazz hinted at on Lizards and Islands. Wetton’s bass truly growls on record and on stage, possessing the power and tenacity of a Trojan army. Mix that in with Bruford’s drums and, at least initially, Muir’s unorthodox percussion coloring, and you had an immense presence that few bands could compete with. In addition, his bass had such a grit and metallic edge that he really pushed Fripp’s guitar into new territory, laying a template for what we now know as progressive metal.

Besides his bass excellence, Wetton also revealed himself to be a talented lead singer and songwriter. Along with Fripp and old writing partner Richard Palmer-James, Wetton served as principal writer during this time. You hear a song like “Book Of Saturday”, this really pretty, subdued little ballad not unlike something an artist like Jeff Buckley would do much later on. And as time goes on, Wetton would get better and better as a singer and writer, culminating in “Starless”. A haunting, atmospheric epic, John’s vocal is gut wrenching, a vocal that proves him a worthy successor to Greg Lake and shows him truly coming into his own, with a whole new world of possibilities.

Then King Crimson came to an end. No matter, John Wetton was too talented to stay down for too long. Having become friendly with members of Roxy Music, Wetton offered some assistance in helping them find a new bassist. And he did, by playing bass with them on tour, as heard on Roxy Music’s Viva! Though not a proper member, he would give them that extra boost as he always did, then did the same for Uriah Heep. Coming in when Uriah Heep was in a hard spot with losing Gary Thain to addiction and David Byron facing the same fate, John would contribute to two albums in Return To Fantasy and High and Mighty. The former turned out to be a very strong addition to the band’s canon, and whatever faults the latter has, John isn’t among them.

Uriah Heep came to an end as well, and after an attempt at reuniting King Crimson, John and Bruford decided to put together their own group. John brought in Eddie Jobson, Bruford brought in some guitar player named Allan Holdsworth, and the group adopted a more composition-based approach per Wetton’s wishes, and U.K. was born. And for one album with this lineup and then a sophomore with just Wetton, Jobson, and Jobson’s fellow Zappa alumni Terry Bozzio taking Bruford’s place, the band really delivered the goods and proved quite satisfying for prog fans. Between all of that and a brief stint with Wishbone Ash for Number The Brave, John had truly seen it all and done it all.

Having already made a name for himself as a prog icon, John no longer had to prove himself. So with his fellow prog brethren Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, and Carl Palmer, he formed Asia. More pop oriented than many expected or perhaps hoped for, it finally gave John a chance to be recognized as a singer and songwriter rather than a bass player who happens to sing and write. And with the first album alone, John finally got to truly enjoy the fortunes that a man of his talent and stature deserves. Rather or not it was good prog or not, it was certainly very solid AOR that nicely stands out in that field. “Heat Of The Moment”, with its structure evocative of the classic Spector girl groups, mixed in with some more fresh and contemporary touches, is easily as good an 80s pop rock song as you’ll find. Even as a prog lover, I can’t really help but love it.

John Wetton was a man of immense talent and accomplishment. Through his musical gifts, he walked through so many settings in his wide ranging career and always made any and all groups just a little bit better with his talents. So much of his work feels as fresh as ever, can still knock you out with its boldness, it’s muscle, and it’s sense of adventure. Musicians like John Wetton don’t come around often, and though I can’t help but miss him as any fan or loved one does, I also can’t help but be amazed by the life he had. So here’s a late happy birthday to a great man and artist.

Description
John Wetton
June 12, 1949-January 31, 2017

In the world of prog and rock, John Wetton was without peer. From Mogul Trash to Family, King Crimson to U.K., all the way to fronting Asia and everything in between, John had seen it all and done it all.

Born in Derby and raised in Bournemouth, John’s first taste of music came from his brother, an accomplished organ player and choirmaster. As a result of the home organ lacking a pedal board, John would play the bass lines while his brother played all his classical pieces. With that interest in bass sparked, John was set on his musical path. Beginning his career in a variety of bands, many featuring future songwriter collaborator Richard Palmer-James, his first major band would be the progressive/jazz rock outfit Mogul Thrash, also featuring ex-Colosseum guitarist James Litherland and future Average White Band horn players Roger Ball and Malcolm Duncan. Though only one album would come out of the group, said album turned out to be a very strong slice of progressive jazz rock showing a great deal of promise on the musicians’ part.

Mogul Thrash came to an end, and Wetton would offer his talents to a variety of artists, be it on the road with Renaissance, Edwards Hand, ex-Yes guitarist Peter Banks, Christian rock pioneer Larry Norman, Gospel beat group Malcolm & Alwyn, fellow Derby native Gordon Haskell, and Brian Eno on his solo debut Here Comes The Warm Jets. In between his session work, Wetton would serve a stint with progressive rock pioneers Family. Appearing on Fearless and Bandstand, Wetton was there for but a year but made his impact quite meaningful. His bass propelled the band in a way it hadn’t been before, giving them a certain power. Besides his bass playing, he always showed himself a very solid guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist, and with these talents he provided the kind of depth and multi faceted skills that a band such as Family requires. Though the direction was perhaps more accessible and, dare I say it, commercial than previous efforts, the talent and musicianship was there as ever. And as an interesting side note, Wetton’s two records are the only two Family albums to chart in the US. How much of that is due to Wetton is debatable, but they clearly didn’t suffer with Wetton on board.

In 1972, King Crimson had been in the wilderness after the original lineup folded, going through various reinventions to see what worked and what didn’t work as well. With Peter Sinfield and the then current rhythm section of Boz Burrell and Ian Wallace departing, Robert seized the opportunity to construct an entirely new lineup that could reinvigorate the band. With Wetton’s talent, it’s no surprise that Fripp would seek out his old schoolmate for the new band. Fripp would then round out the lineup with violinist/keyboardist David Cross, avant garde percussionist Jamie Muir, and former Yes drummer Bill Bruford, and the so called “European improvisers” were ready to go.

Larks’ Tongue In Aspic, Starless And Bible Black, Red. Three records that truly redefined King Crimson as we know them. At a time when it seemed to most that pro-underground rock could not go any further, here we saw King Crimson create something totally new and fresh- the same exploration we know and love them for, yet with hints towards European classical, particularly contemporary forms, as well as the free jazz hinted at on Lizards and Islands. Wetton’s bass truly growls on record and on stage, possessing the power and tenacity of a Trojan army. Mix that in with Bruford’s drums and, at least initially, Muir’s unorthodox percussion coloring, and you had an immense presence that few bands could compete with. In addition, his bass had such a grit and metallic edge that he really pushed Fripp’s guitar into new territory, laying a template for what we now know as progressive metal.

Besides his bass excellence, Wetton also revealed himself to be a talented lead singer and songwriter. Along with Fripp and old writing partner Richard Palmer-James, Wetton served as principal writer during this time. You hear a song like “Book Of Saturday”, this really pretty, subdued little ballad not unlike something an artist like Jeff Buckley would do much later on. And as time goes on, Wetton would get better and better as a singer and writer, culminating in “Starless”. A haunting, atmospheric epic, John’s vocal is gut wrenching, a vocal that proves him a worthy successor to Greg Lake and shows him truly coming into his own, with a whole new world of possibilities.

Then King Crimson came to an end. No matter, John Wetton was too talented to stay down for too long. Having become friendly with members of Roxy Music, Wetton offered some assistance in helping them find a new bassist. And he did, by playing bass with them on tour, as heard on Roxy Music’s Viva! Though not a proper member, he would give them that extra boost as he always did, then did the same for Uriah Heep. Coming in when Uriah Heep was in a hard spot with losing Gary Thain to addiction and David Byron facing the same fate, John would contribute to two albums in Return To Fantasy and High and Mighty. The former turned out to be a very strong addition to the band’s canon, and whatever faults the latter has, John isn’t among them.

Uriah Heep came to an end as well, and after an attempt at reuniting King Crimson, John and Bruford decided to put together their own group. John brought in Eddie Jobson, Bruford brought in some guitar player named Allan Holdsworth, and the group adopted a more composition-based approach per Wetton’s wishes, and U.K. was born. And for one album with this lineup and then a sophomore with just Wetton, Jobson, and Jobson’s fellow Zappa alumni Terry Bozzio taking Bruford’s place, the band really delivered the goods and proved quite satisfying for prog fans. Between all of that and a brief stint with Wishbone Ash for Number The Brave, John had truly seen it all and done it all.

Having already made a name for himself as a prog icon, John no longer had to prove himself. So with his fellow prog brethren Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, and Carl Palmer, he formed Asia. More pop oriented than many expected or perhaps hoped for, it finally gave John a chance to be recognized as a singer and songwriter rather than a bass player who happens to sing and write. And with the first album alone, John finally got to truly enjoy the fortunes that a man of his talent and stature deserves. Rather or not it was good prog or not, it was certainly very solid AOR that nicely stands out in that field. “Heat Of The Moment”, with its structure evocative of the classic Spector girl groups, mixed in with some more fresh and contemporary touches, is easily as good an 80s pop rock song as you’ll find. Even as a prog lover, I can’t really help but love it.

John Wetton was a man of immense talent and accomplishment. Through his musical gifts, he walked through so many settings in his wide ranging career and always made any and all groups just a little bit better with his talents. So much of his work feels as fresh as ever, can still knock you out with its boldness, it’s muscle, and it’s sense of adventure. Musicians like John Wetton don’t come around often, and though I can’t help but miss him as any fan or loved one does, I also can’t help but be amazed by the life he had. So here’s a late happy birthday to a great man and artist.