Multi-platinum selling English supergroup ASIA announce they are to release ASIA In Asia – Live At The Budokan, Tokyo, 1983, as a Deluxe box set containing: 2LP, 2xCD, 40 page 12″ book, Blu-ray video, printed memorabilia and more, through BMG Records on 10th June 2022. Also available are a 2LP Gatefold, 1CD and Digital Format.
Pre-order here: https://asiaband.lnk.to/budokanPR
ASIA, Geoff Downes (Buggles & YES, keyboards & vocals), Steve Howe (YES, guitars & vocals) and Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer, drums) with special guest Greg Lake (ELP bass & lead vocals), visited Japan to promote their phenomenally successful debut album (1982) and Alpha (1983). The second of three shows at the Budokan arena on 6th December 1983, would make history as first live broadcast between Japan and MTV. Featured are some of ASIA’s most memorable hits: Time Again, Only Time Will Tell, Sole Survivor, Wildest Dreams and Heat Of The Moment.
Greg Lake stepped in, on short notice, following the sudden departure of ASIA’s John Wetton ahead of the Japanese dates. Despite a short period for Lake to learn the songs the Japanese shows were hailed a great success.
Carl Palmer was proud of his former ELP bandmate for performing exceptionally. “Greg Lake did a great job jumping into John’s shoes. So many songs to sing, he did it so well.” For Downes, the release stands as a testament to ASIA’s resilience. “It deserves its place in the Asia catalogue. It demonstrates the level of professionalism that we have always striven to bring to the ASIA name.”
This newly packaged box set includes: colored vinyl; CDs; a BluRay DVD of the Budokan show; The Road To Budokan documentary; a 40 page book with rare photos, memorabilia and extensive new liner notes.
ASIA was a true rock ‘supergroup’ bringing together John Wetton, Carl Palmer, Geoff Downes and Steve Howe who had already amassed tens of millions of record 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 and their 1982 debut spent an incredible 9 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
SOURCE Pilato Entertainment
