Vale John Wetton

[Pies4shaw]

I was saddened by the news from my son this morning that John Wetton passed away on 31 January at 67 from colon cancer. Chances are you will have heard John play and sing: he had a long career in a number of important groups and as a widely-recorded session musician. Probably his biggest commercial success came with Asia but his greatest moments were, sadly, less well-known.

John was, with Bill Bruford, the rhythm section (and lead singer) for perhaps the most important musical venture (of any genre, anywhere) in the 1970s. King Crimson's music from Lark's Tongues in Aspic through Red was some of the most remarkable, violent and beautiful music ever committed to recording tape.

Sadly, because Robert Fripp (the leader of that great ensemble through all of its incarnations, before and after John) closely guards (not that I blame him but it does restrict access to the wonder that was King Crimson) the copyright to KC's ground-breaking music, it is difficult to measure John Wetton's greatness by surfing YouTube. If anyone who has not heard that music would like to hear some of it, I strongly recommend buying and listening to Lark's Tongues, Starless & Bible Black and Red.

As a kid, I didn't understand how Easy Money and The Great Deceiver were not the biggest-selling singles of 1972 and 1973. Relistening to them today, I still don't. Admittedly, this was challenging music but it was also so catchy that it should have had wide appeal. Although I don't like lists and identifying things as "best", that wordless sung riff introduction to Easy Money (Dee-da-Dee-ow-Dow-de-Dee-ee-ow-dow-ow-de-Dee-ooh) is one of the most infectious sounds ever. Once you hear it, it gets in your head in a really serious way. Partly, as a piece of music, because it demands to be repeated forever - a riff that has no proper ending, save to start it over again and which anyone can (and eventually must) sing

As for his bass-playing, it is fair to say that John's fuzzed, Wah-pedal bass may have been the single hardest sound ever committed to record. When he struck his bass seriously, the results left metal-Giants like Ellefson and Burton sounding like light-relief. But his singing could be haunting. Lament, Exiles, Book of Saturdays and more are gloriously beautiful and heart-rending songs.

Vale John Wetton.

[Mountains Magpie]

I heard about this a few days ago. Red was Kurt Cobain's favourite album. The title track is a masterwork of dystopia and Bruford's finest hour for mine.

Been a few shuffle off in January P4S. Butch Trucks, Pete Watts and Peter Sarstedt to name just three.

I think yer spell checker might have put Aspect instead of Aspic

MM

[Pies4shaw]

Christ! It did. Thanks, MM.

[HAL]

Is that so.

[Pies4shaw]

Here's some tributes:

http://teamrock.com/feature/2017-01-31/john-wetton-a-personal-tribute

http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2017/01/tributes-for-late-john-wetton.html

And here's the full text of Geoff Downes' tribute:

"It is with great sadness and a heavy heart, that I have to report we have lost my dearest friend, brother, bandmate and long term musical collaborator, John Wetton, who has passed away after a long and tenacious battle with cancer. He will be remembered as one of the world’s finest musical talents, and I for one of many was wholly blessed by his influence. It was a massive privilege for me to have worked with this genius so closely on our numerous projects together over the years. His bass playing was revolutionary. His voice was from the gods. His compositions – out of this world. His sense of melody and harmony – unreal. He was literally a ‘special one’.
But John was much more than a gigantic and unique musical talent. He was a supremely intelligent man, marked with his great observations and wisdom about life; all couched within his wicked sense of humour. The wit was dark and deep, only fully perceptible to those on his same wavelength. I was fortunate enough to be able to be on that wavelength, and discover that we had much in common. Many of his personal life experiences were reflected in his lyrical contributions to the songs. His heart was always in the music. That was John, through and through. It was always about – the music.
As a person, he was fiercely loyal, loving and generous, particularly to those he cared about. But he could be as stubborn as a mule or as gracious as a nobleman, depending on the mood that grabbed him on any particular day. There were some who couldn’t read his brilliant mind and complex personality. Some found him charming, others infuriating. But however you found John, there was no denying his rare talent as a musician and songwriter was second to none.
Both of us having been brought up with similar backgrounds in provincial England, we shared a love of many things – sport, and in particular – football, English church music, current affairs, comedy, literature, you name it….pretty much everything that 2 kids from the sticks were exposed to in our youth.
Our planets seemed to be immediately in alignment when we first met in early 1981. There was a laddish camaraderie that grew between us as we became as close as two non-related brothers could be. He was an avid reader and film enthusiast, something he pursued with great interest. This helped inspire him to some wonderful lyrics to the literally hundreds of songs we composed together. Back then, we immediately hit the ground running as we composed much of the debut ASIA album together and forged a formidable partnership which lasted right up until now. It was a wholly natural process for us, whereby we could knock out 2 or 3 songs in an afternoon. They were always greeted with our gentlemanly handshake and smiles once we had wrapped up another one in the bag.
Above all else though, his passion for life was to the fore. The battles he endured throughout were immense and well documented. Firstly with alcohol, which he so resolutely overcame, then open heart surgery and finally cancer, which sadly was to take his life in the end. He once observed to me that this disease is a “merciless assassin”. Just another example of his perception and the descriptive language that he was so richly blessed with. He took all of these battles on board with great bravery and almost a ‘laissez-faire’ attitude, tinged with his inimitable wry wit.
To say I will miss my him greatly is beyond understatement. He was such an inspiration to me. We were planning another album, but sadly he was not well enough to complete it. I feel heartbroken about this, as I knew John thought it was to be one of our finest albums to date. I remain as proud as ever of our Wetton/Downes writing partnership. I am hoping one day that I will be able to finish it, and that it will be appreciated by all those who loved his and our music, and most importantly, a legacy he would have been proud of.

Life will not be the same without him. And words are not really enough to describe the loss I feel right now, and the many friends and fans all over the World will also be feeling. It is the end of an era for all of us. But we will soldier on – the music of John Wetton needs to be heard loud and clear from the rooftops.
Dearest John, may you rest in peace brother.
X
Geoffrey
Please join me in sending our sincerest thoughts and prayers to Lisa, Dylan and the entire Wetton family at this difficult time.”


Read More: King Crimson / Asia Legend John Wetton Dies at 67 | http://loudwire.com/john-wetton-dies/?trackback=tsmclip

[Mountains Magpie]

Thanks for posting P4S.

The one thing that resonated with Geoffrey's tribute was "English church music".

In October 2015 I (and Mrs MM) sat in the Durham cathedral for Evensong, something neither of us had experienced. To say we were greatly moved by just the sound of the human voice would be a gross understatement. And all without an autotune device in sight

MM

[Pies4shaw]

Here's a lovely live performance of John Wetton singing "In the Court of the Crimson King", one of Greg Lake's signature songs from the first King Crimson album - and with the wonderful Ian McDonald back playing the flute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_MSK_zt-nM

[Pies4shaw]