After his period with King Crimson, Wetton formed UK, and later he was the frontman and principal songwriter of the supergroup Asia, which proved to be his biggest commercial success. Their self-titled debut album sold eight million copies worldwide and was Billboard magazine's No. 1 album of 1982. He later formed the duo Icon with Geoff Downes (ex-Yes, ex-Buggles), and since the 1990s had a successful solo career releasing a large number of studio and live albums.
He had a long career as an in-demand session bass player, and collaborated with many members of progressive rock bands such as Yes (including Steve Howe, Bill Bruford, Geoff Downes, Alan White, Billy Sherwood and Peter Banks), Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry, and Genesis (Steve Hackett).
Wetton grew up in Bournemouth and was in a number of early bands with Richard Palmer-James, on bass and vocals, including, The Corvettes, The Palmer-James Group (formed with Alec James), Tetrad, and Ginger Man.[2] A key early band was Mogul Thrash; after live work with Renaissance, he joined Family and also did various sessions.
Wetton's first big break came when he joined Wimborne, Dorset, musician Robert Fripp in his new line-up of King Crimson in 1972, allowing Wetton to come to the fore as a lead singer and composer. Palmer-James also worked with the band as a lyricist. Wetton remained with the band until Fripp unexpectedly disbanded it in 1974. Wetton continued to work on various projects, including a tour with Roxy Music and two albums with Uriah Heep. In 1977, after failed attempts to reunite King Crimson and create a new band with Rick Wakeman, Wetton and Bruford formed U.K.. Wetton brought into UK keyboard/violin wizard Eddie Jobson, while Bruford brought in guitarist Allan Holdsworth. Upon Bruford and Holdsworth's departure, American percussionist Terry Bozzio joined, making U.K. a threesome a la Emerson, Lake and Palmer. This version of U.K. released the studio album Danger Money and toured in support of Jethro Tull.
Wetton released his first solo album, Caught in the Crossfire, in 1980 after the break-up of U.K. Later that same year, he had a brief stint in Wishbone Ash, contributing bass and vocals to Number The Brave. In 1981, at the urging of Geffen Records' John Kalodner, Wetton started working and writing with Steve Howe, who had most recently been in Yes. They went on to form Asia. with whom Wetton worked until 1983. In that year, Wetton was fired from Asia at the insistence of Geffen Records, ostensibly because of less-than-expected sales of the Alpha album. Wetton was brought back to Asia in 1985, with Mandy Meyer replacing Steve Howe, to complete Astra.
In the late 1980s, Wetton's collaboration with former Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera was released as Wetton/Manzanera, with drums provided by Yes's Alan White. Also around this time, Wetton began working again with Geoff Downes and Carl Palmer in an attempt to restart Asia without Steve Howe. Some of the material by this incarnation of Asia made its way onto 1990's Then & Now CD.
The 1990s saw Wetton mostly out of Asia and focusing on a solo career. In 1999, another attempt to reform Asia resulted in Wetton participating in the short-lived progressive rock group Qango with Carl Palmer, John Young, and Dave Kilminster. The group performed several shows in the U.K. and recorded one live album, Live in the Hood, before disbanding when Wetton and Palmer returned to their solo projects.
In the early 2000s, he reunited with Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes for iCon. In 2006, an official reunion of the original Asia line-up (Wetton, Downes, Howe, and Palmer) finally occurred. The studio album titled Phoenix, the original band's first since 1983's Alpha, was released in April 2008 and peaked at No. 73 on the North American Top 200 albums charts. The original line-up released two more studio albums, Omega and XXX before Howe departed in January 2013. With new guitarist Sam Coulson, Asia released Gravitas in March 2014.
In 2013 he guested on the album Grandine il vento with Renaissance, with whom he had played live 42 years before.
Wetton also did extensive work as a session musician with acts such as Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry and Phil Manzanera.
Wetton died on 31 January 2017, from colon cancer.
Band timeline
Mogul Thrash (1971)
Gordon Haskell (1972)
Family (1971-1972)
Larry Norman (1972)
King Crimson (1972-1974)
Uriah Heep (1975-1976)
U.K. (1977-1980, 2011-2015)
Jack-Knife (1979)
Wishbone Ash (1980)
John Wetton (1980–2017)
Asia (1981–1983, 1984–1986, 1989–1991, 2006-2017)
Qango (1999-2000)
Icon (Wetton/Downes) (2002, 2005-2009)
Heart of Darkness
John Wetton Lyrics
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Must admit that I was riding for a fall
Can't explain how, I'm not a quitter
Still it seems sometimes I have no luck at all
Ain't it funny how time can change things
Now I know it was worth all the waiting
In the heart of darkness there's a golden light
In the depth of sadness, in the dead of night
In the heart of darkness, there's a golden light
In my lifetime, there's been trouble
When I was young I knew that things were gonna change
Now it's my time, those days are gone forever
I can realize there's only me to blame
Ain't it funny how time can change things
Now I know it was worth all the waiting
In the heart of darkness there's a golden light
Like a silent witness, it's burning bright
In the depth of sadness, in the dead of night
In the heart of darkness, there's a golden light
The lyrics of "Heart of Darkness" by John Wetton convey a message of perseverance and hope. The singer acknowledges that they have faced difficulties and setbacks in their life, admitting that they were "riding for a fall" at one point. However, they refuse to give up and explain that despite feeling like they have no luck at times, they have come out the other side feeling better. The line "Ain't it funny how time can change things, now I know it was worth all the waiting" embodies the idea that things may not always be easy, but it's important to keep pushing forward and eventually things will turn around.
The chorus of the song speaks to the idea that in the midst of darkness and sadness, there is still a glimmer of hope. The line "In the heart of darkness there's a golden light" represents the idea that even in the darkest of times, there is still a light shining, symbolic of hope and perseverance. The "silence witness" burning bright represents an unwavering, powerful force that keeps us going despite the challenges we face. Overall, the song encourages the listener to persevere through difficult times and to search for the little bits of hope that may be hidden within.
Line by Line Meaning
Doing fine now, I'm feeling better
I am currently doing well and my mood has improved.
Must admit that I was riding for a fall
I acknowledge that I was heading towards failure.
Can't explain how, I'm not a quitter
I am unsure how, but I am determined and refuse to give up.
Still it seems sometimes I have no luck at all
Despite my efforts, there are times when things do not go my way.
Ain't it funny how time can change things
It is interesting how the passage of time can alter circumstances.
Now I know it was worth all the waiting
I understand that the patience I showed was worthwhile.
In the heart of darkness there's a golden light
Amidst the difficult times, there is hope and positivity.
Like a silent witness, it's burning bright
This hope is strong and unwavering, despite being unseen.
In the depth of sadness, in the dead of night
Even when one is at their lowest point and alone.
In the heart of darkness, there's a golden light
There is always hope, even in the darkest of situations.
In my lifetime, there's been trouble
Throughout my life, I have faced difficulties.
When I was young I knew that things were gonna change
I always anticipated that life would not remain the same.
Now it's my time, those days are gone forever
It is now my turn to determine my future, and the past is behind me.
I can realize there's only me to blame
I understand that I am responsible for my own successes and failures.
Writer(s): John Wetton, James Douglas Vallance
Contributed by Carson P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.