John Payne je najbolj znan kot dolgoletni pevec in basist skupine Asia. Ko je Geoff Downes ponovno združil zasedbo iz osemdesetih, je Payne nadaljeval s svojo različico Asie, hkrati pa je ustanovil tudi GPS. Kakšna je torej druga Asia (ali pa prva, odvisno kako na to gledate) in kašni so načrti?
Rockline: Gospod Payne, najprej naj rečem, da si štejem v čast, da imam lahko intervju z enim od najboljših vokalistov v rocku.
John Payne: Si rekle enim od najboljših? Mislim da ne. Jaz sem priden fant, ha ha. Lepo je govoriti s tabo in z vsemi, ki spremljajo rockline.
Rockline: Mi lahko poveste nekaj o vaših začetkih? Kako ste z glasbo začeli?
John Payne: Kot mladenič sem bil izpostavljen glasbi, ki je slonela na kitari: Purple, Zep, Hendrix, Trower, Sabbath, Tull. Odraščal sem v odličnem obdobju. Ko sem bil star sedem let, mi je stric kupil prvo električno kitaro. S prijatelji smo sedeli v moji garaži in igrali zraven albumov teh skupin. Ko sem bil star 13, sem imel svojo prvo skupino. Bil sem glavni kitarist. Sploh nisem igral akordov, le nekaj sem zraven igral. A to me je navdušilo in mi dalo zagon.
Rockline: Skupaj z Andyjem Nyem sta veliko delala. Vajino sodelovanje se vidi tudi na nekaterih Asia albumih. Še obstajajo kakšni drugi albumi razen Asia, na katerih sta delala skupaj in ali si želite v prihodnje še kdaj delati z njim?
John Payne: V življenju sem spoznal le tri ljudi, s katerimi sem lahko resnično dobro skladal. Andy je eden izmed teh. Ostala sta Geoff Downes in Erik Norlander. Andy je zelo talentiran in skupaj sva veliko posnela. Voiceprint bo kmalu izdal album arhivskih pesmi, ki sva jih napisala skupaj. Trenutno je težava v razdalji in času, a sva še vedno v kontaktu. Če bi se kdaj skupaj usedla okrog klavirja, ne dvomim da nama ne bi uspelo kaj napisati.
Rockline: Kako ste kasneje prišli v navezo z Geoffom Downesom?
John Payne: Spoznal sem ga, ko je produciral GTR album. Basist Phil Spaulding je bil moj prijatelj in z njim sem tudi sodeloval. Nekaj časa zatem, leta 1990, me je Geoff prosil naj pojem na nekaterih pesmih. Potem pa me je leta 1991 iznenada prosil, če bi se pridružil Asii.
Rockline: Osebno mislim, da je bila nova Asia precej drugačna od tiste iz 80ih. Sta se z Geoffom želela distancirati od tistega zvoka in sta želela narediti nekaj novega?
John Payne: Mislim, da je bilo tako najbolj prav. Nisem mogel oponašati Johna Wettona, Geoff pa mi je pustil, da pojem s svojim lastnim glasom. Jaz sem bil iz bolj rockerskega ozadja, a želel sem ohraniti veličastne harmonične napeve.
Rockline: Ste takrat z Asio poskušali priti na lestvice?
John Payne: Vedno skušamo priti na lestvice. 'Who will Stop the Rain' je bil na veliko promoviran v ZDA in na Japonskem, kjer so ga tudi dosti vrteli. Aqua je zasedla tretje mesto na lestvici in je bila uspešna v Nemčiji. Na žalost pa je v devetdesetih izginilo veliko rock radijskih postaj povsod po svetu, a to me nikoli ni ustavilo.
Rockline: Mislim, da je vaš glas skrajno primeren za AOR, kot na primer na albumu Aria. Je kaj možnosti, da boste v prihodnosti posneli kaj v tem slogu?
John Payne: Obožujem AOR. Preden sem se pridružil Asii, sta mi bili skupini Journey in Foreigner bolj všeč. Aria mi je bila osebno izjemno všeč, a ni bila tako uspešna kot Aqua. Nova zgoščenka od skupine Asia featuring John Payne je v AOR stilu, a boš nanjo moral počakati. Vsekakor pa bo izdana letos.
Rockline: Na albumu Different Worlds prihaja večina komadov iz albuma aAura. Se vam zdi ta album poseben ali gre le za naključje?
John Payne: Vsekakor mislim, da ta plošča ni imela dovolj dobre promocije.
Rockline: Zakaj ste se na Auri odločili za toliko gostov?
John Payne: Geoff in jaz sva bila v nekaki Steely Dan fazi, tako da sem začel telefonirati okoli in poklical sem kopico izvrstnih glasbenikov.
Rockline: Poleg Asie ste sodelovali tudi z drugimi izvajalci, med drugim tudi z ELO 2. Imate na te plošče lepe spomine?
John Payne: Čeprav sem z Bev Bevanom in producentom Jimom Steinmanom res sodeloval, nisem z ELO posnel nič drugega kot demote. Takrat sem se pa tudi že pridružil Asii. Imel sem solo albume, sodeloval sem z Rogerjem Daltreyem (The Who), na Norveškem pa sem imel uspešno ploščo s CCCP. Bilo je zabavno delati tovrstno glasbo.
Rockline: Asia je bila ustanovljena kot prog rock super skupina, ki je igrala bolj dostopno glasbo. Ste imeli radi prog, ko ste prišli v zasedo, ali pa je do tega prišlo kasneje?
John Payne: Zdi se mi čudno, da so jih označili za prog rock. Mislim da niso bili morda bolj pop/aor/prog.
Rockline: Se mislite v prihodnje bolj posvečati solo karieri ali bolj skupinskim projektom (Asia, GPS)?
John Payne: Solo kariera mi trenutno ne pomeni veliko. Letos še moram končati albuma za GPS in Asio in to mi veliko pomeni.
Rockline: Kje so zdaj vaše prioritete? Pri GPs ali Asii?
John Payne: Ha ha, pretkano vprašanje! Trenutno sta mi oba projekta zelo pomembna in sta tudi zelo različna. Nov GPS CD zveni zelo prog metalsko, nov Asia album je bolj v AOR stilu z neverjetnimi simfoničnimi aranžmaji na klaviaturah Erika Norlanderja.
Rockline: Imate napisanih že kaj skladb za GPS ali Asio?
John Payne: Oba albuma sta že skomponirana. Zadnjih nekaj mesecev smo bili zelo zaposleni. Ta mesec bomo izdali tudi EP v dobrodelne namene. Vsi zaslužki bodo šli za USO – dobrodelno ustanovo za ameriške vojake in njihove družine. Niti približno ne gre za politično organizacijo. Na www.devgel.com že sprejemamo prednaročila.
Rockline: Imate v prihodnje kakšne načrte za žive nastope?
John Payne: Pred kratkim smo z GPS igrali na Rosfestu v ZDA in odigrali smo tudi nekaj koncertov kot Asia featuring John Payne. Več datumov bo kmalu objavljenih na www.theasiaband.com and www.musicbygps.com
Rockline: Še enkrat hvala.
John Payne: Bilo mi je v veselje.
Intervju vodil: Rok Podgrajšek
-------------------------------------------------------------English Version-----------------------------------------------------------------
John Payne is best known as the long time singer and bass player for Asia. When Geoff Downes reunited with the 80s line-up, Payne continued with his own version of Asia and also formed GPS. So, what is the second Asia like (or first, depends on how you look at it) and what are the future plans? John Payne was able to fill in some blanks.
Rockline: Mr. Payne, first I'd like to say it is a great honour to have an interview
with one of the greatest voices in rock.
John Payne: Did you say greatest voices in rock? I think not sir, I'm a good boy :->
However it's a pleasure to talk to you and all the followers of Rockline
Rockline: Can you tell me something about your beginnings, how you got involved with
music?
John Payne: As a kid I was exposed to much guitar driven music, Purple, Zep, Hendrix,
Trower, Sabbath. Tull. What a great time to grow up. By the time I was seven, my
Uncle had bought me my first electric guitar, and me and a couple of friends
use to sit in my garage and play along to them. I joined my first band at 13 as
lead guitarist although I just widdled through every song and played no
chords! But that gave me the bug
Rockline: You did a lot of writing with Andy Nye, some of which can be seen on a few
Asia albums. Are there any releases available besides Asia and do you want
to work with him in the future as well?
John Payne: I have found only three people in my career that I could really write with
and Andy was one of them (Geoff Downes and Erik Norlander being the other two).
Andy is a talented chap and we were very prolific. In fact, Voiceprint are
soon to release an album of songs from the vaults that we wrote together. Time
and distance are a problem at the moment, but Andy and I are still in contact.
However if we sat around a piano together, I'm sure we could come up with
something.
Rockline: How did you later get in touch with Geoff Downes?
John Payne: I met GD whilst he was producing GTR. Phill Spaulding, the bassist was a
friend of mine and we had worked together. Shortly after this around 1990, Geoff
had asked me to sing some songs for him. Then out of the blue in 1991, he
asked me to join ASIA.
Rockline: Personally, I feel that the vibe of the new Asia was very different to the
Asia from the 80s. Did you and Geoff want to distance yourselves from the
80s sound and try to just do something on your own?
John Payne: I think it had to be. I wasn't there to emulate Wetton and GD gave me total
freedom to be my own voice. I had a more rock background, but we still wanted
to retain the big harmony choruses.
Rockline: Was there any attempt at chart success with Asia at that time?
John Payne: There always was and is. 'Who will Stop the Rain' got a lot of promo and
airplay in the USA. In Japan, Aqua got to no. 3 on the charts and did very well in
Germany. Unfortunately, the begriming of the 90's saw the disappearance of
much Rock Radio around the globe, but that has never deterred me.
Rockline: Personally, I think that your voice is really suited for AOR, like on the
Aria album. Is there any chance we will hear you in a similar AOR
environment in the future?
John Payne: I love AOR. Before joining the band I preferred Journey and Foreigner to
ASIA! Aria was a favorite of mine but did not do as well as AQUA. The new ASIA FJP
Cd is very AOR, but you will have to wait till later this year to hear it.
Rockline: On the Different Worlds compilation, the most songs come from the Aura
album. Is that a special album for you, or is it just a coincidence?
John Payne: I sort of answered that one above. I just felt that CD did not get the
promotion it deserved
Rockline: Why did you decide to use so many guests on the Aura album?
John Payne: GD and myself were sort of going through a Rock Steely Dan phase and I just
got on the phone and called all these superb musicians.
Rockline: Speaking of the Different Worlds record, when was the song Different
Worlds written? I have all of Asia's studio efforts and it was not there,
however I did notice it on a live album with the same name.
John Payne: We did an Anthology CD in the late 90's where I re-recorded some of the 82's
line up songs. Ill send you one! If anyone wants to get it, it's available at
www.devgel.com - our official merch site.
Rockline: Besides Asia, you also worked with several other artists and you were in
fact a member of ELO 2. Do you have fond memories of those records?
John Payne: Although i worked with Bev Bevan and producer Jim Steinman, none of the
tracks ever went further than demo stage with ELO. it was also at this stage I
joined ASIA. I had done solo stuff, worked with Roger Daltrey, and had a hit CD in
Norway with CCCP. It was all fun, it's music?
Rockline: Asia was first started as a prog rock supergroup playing more accessible
music. Were you a fan of prog rock when you joined the band, or did you
pick it up later?
John Payne: It's strange how they were tagged prog rock. I don't really think they were,
perhaps more pop/aor/prog.
Rockline: Do you have any plans to focus more on your solo career in the future or
are you committed to the band projects (Asia, GPS) you have going at the
moment?
John Payne: My solo career is of little importance to me at present. I have a GPS and an
ASIA FJP album to finish this year, that's very important to me.
Rockline: Where do your priorities lie now? With GPS or Asia?
John Payne: Ha Ha the trick question! Both are very important but very different. The new
GPS CD is sounding very prog metal and the ASIA CD will be AOR with the
amazing symphonic keys of Erik Norlander.
Rockline: Do you have any new material with either GPS or Asia written?
John Payne: Both are now written. It's been a busy few months. We have a charity EP
coming out soon this month. All the artist royalties are to be donated to the USO -
a charity for the US troops and their families. Its not a political
organization, far from it. The EP is available to pre-order at www.devgel.com
Rockline: Do you have any live dates planned for the near future?
John Payne: We recently played Rosfest in the States with GPS and also did a couple of
concerts wiith Asia featuring John Payne. Some more dates will be announced soon
on www.theasiaband.com and www.musicbygps.com
Rockline: Thanks again.
John Payne: My pleasure.
Interview conducted by: Rok Podgrajšek
na vrh