RIP John Wetton

[amptech]

RIP wetton, great player indeed.

[gweimer]

I saw them at the Chicago Auditorium from the first row of the first balcony. It was one of the most memorable concerts I have seen.

I was at that show, too.  Amazing show, and it was Bill Bruford's immense kit (and the space it took) that wowed me.  I think he had to inherit/combine both his kit and the stuff Jamie Muir left behind.  Bruford was getting a workout that night.

[gearHed289]

I only saw John live twice - the first ASIA tour, and the UK reunion with Bozzio and Jobson in like 2012. I was pleasantly surprised at how great his voice was on the reunion tour. Funny how a band (UK) with only 2 studio and 1 live album have had such an enduring legacy. Just this past Saturday I received the UK Ultimate Collectors' Edition. Yes, it's expensive and yes, it's overkill, but I had to have it. Disc 18 was a last minute add as the package was coming together. It's a radio broadcast of the final show by the 3 piece recorded in Nijmegen, Netherlands 12/17/79. Man, the bass tone is loud and RAW! Weird mix - bass is to the left, Taurus pedals to the right. He was really something.

[uwe]

Is that box worth the investment? I'm being pulled ...

[godofthunder]

    Another great gone. I remember during Asia tours he had Marshall 100 bass amps in a rolling road case, as I was playing a 78 100 watt Bass at the time I admired his choice.  At the time I was taking lots of crap for using a Marshall,  he gave me courage to persevere.

[Pekka]

    Another great gone. I remember during Asia tours he had Marshall 100 bass amps in a rolling road case, as I was playing a 78 100 watt Bass at the time I admired his choice.  At the time I was taking lots of crap for using a Marshall,  he gave me courage to persevere.

I believe he switched to Marshall during his stint with Heep. He advertised Marshall in 1976, I have a full page ad somewhere taken from Melody Maker. He used Marshalls also with UK and indeed in a rolling roadcase. In an Melody Maker interview he stated that he used Ampeg SVT's powering big Vega bass bins and with Hiwatts "on full treble" behind them with Heep (before changing to Marshall). With Crimso it was of course Hiwatts w/4x12"s and the infamous Vega.

[Pekka]

I only saw John live twice - the first ASIA tour, and the UK reunion with Bozzio and Jobson in like 2012. I was pleasantly surprised at how great his voice was on the reunion tour. Funny how a band (UK) with only 2 studio and 1 live album have had such an enduring legacy. Just this past Saturday I received the UK Ultimate Collectors' Edition. Yes, it's expensive and yes, it's overkill, but I had to have it. Disc 18 was a last minute add as the package was coming together. It's a radio broadcast of the final show by the 3 piece recorded in Nijmegen, Netherlands 12/17/79. Man, the bass tone is loud and RAW! Weird mix - bass is to the left, Taurus pedals to the right. He was really something.

He apparently used his Ibanez RS-800 during those final gigs.

[Highlander]

rip...

[gearHed289]

He apparently used his Ibanez RS-800 during those final gigs.

Interesting. It's an odd sound. I thought it was just the recording (radio broadcast). That sure didn't last long as it was right back to the white P Bass for Asia's first tour.

[Pekka]

Interesting. It's an odd sound. I thought it was just the recording (radio broadcast). That sure didn't last long as it was right back to the white P Bass for Asia's first tour.

12/16/1979

[uwe]

I only saw John live twice - the first ASIA tour, and the UK reunion with Bozzio and Jobson in like 2012. I was pleasantly surprised at how great his voice was on the reunion tour. Funny how a band (UK) with only 2 studio and 1 live album have had such an enduring legacy. Just this past Saturday I received the UK Ultimate Collectors' Edition. Yes, it's expensive and yes, it's overkill, but I had to have it. Disc 18 was a last minute add as the package was coming together. It's a radio broadcast of the final show by the 3 piece recorded in Nijmegen, Netherlands 12/17/79. Man, the bass tone is loud and RAW! Weird mix - bass is to the left, Taurus pedals to the right. He was really something.

I finally succumbed too and made Eddie Jobson, Terry Bozzio as well as - hopefully - the estate of John Wetton a little wealthier. Bought the box - the remaster of Danger Money has finally done away with the inherent middishness of that particular album both on vinyl or initial CD (which always marred the listening experience to me, it sounded really nasty in places). Now it's full, phat and - yes! - organic panoramic. An organic-sounding Danger Money, who'd have thought!