Asia- Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes, the late John Wetton

Asia was the 1980s’ first “supergroup”, including (from left) Emerson Lake and Palmer drummer Carl Palmer, former King Crimson/Roxy Music /UK singer/ bass player the late John Wetton, Buggles vid-kid Geoff Downes on keyboards, and YES virtuoso guitarist Steve Howe. Their March  1982 debut rose to #1 in America on both the album sales  and  singles charts for “Heat of the Moment”, plus additional hits “Only Time Will Tell”, “Wildest Dreams”, “Sole Survivor”, and “Here Comes the Feeling”. At year’s end when the figures were tabulated, Asia‘s nine weeks at #1 contributed continental-sized sales, which resulted in it being the #1 seller for the year 1982!

Asia debut sales have exceeded four million in the US, with worldwide estimates close to ten million. Palmer, Downes, and Wetton (who died at the end of January 2017 ) joined me In the Studio to admit that none of them imagined that sort of reception in their “wildest dreams”.- Redbeard