Jump to content

Geoff Downes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Geoff Downes
Downes performing in 2024
Downes performing in 2024
Background information
Birth nameGeoffrey Downes
Born(1952-08-25)25 August 1952(age 71)
Stockport,Cheshire,England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instrument(s)Keyboards
Years active1974–present
Labels
Member of
Formerly of
Websitegeoffdownes

Geoffrey Downes(born 25 August 1952)[1]is an English keyboardist who gained fame as a member of thenew wavegroupthe BuggleswithTrevor Horn,theprogressive rockbandYes,and thesupergroupAsia.

Born inStockport,Downes moved to London to pursue a music career. In 1977, he formed the Buggles with Horn and enjoyed success with their first albumThe Age of Plastic(1980) which included the worldwide hit single "Video Killed the Radio Star".[2]In May 1980, Downes joined Yes with Horn and recordedDrama(1980). After Yes disbanded in 1981, Downes helped Trevor Horn to produce a second Buggles album,Adventures in Modern Recording(1981) although he was only primarily involved for half of it, and co-founded Asia with ex-Yes fellow musicianSteve Howe.He left Asia in 1986, rejoined in 1990, and has been a part of the lineup since then; he released several solo albums and produced for several artists, includingMike Oldfieldand theThompson Twins.

In 2006, Downes reunited the original Asia lineup and rejoined Yes in 2011; he is currently a member of both groups. Since 1998, he has reunited with Horn on special occasions to perform songs from the Buggles. Downes entered theGuinness Book of Recordsfor performing with a record 28 keyboards on stage in a single performance.[3]

Early life

[edit]

Downes was born atStepping Hill HospitalinStockport,Cheshire,the son of musical parents. His father was a churchorganistand his mother apianist.He also took up thekeyboardsand played in a succession of local bands. He attendedStockport Grammar Schoolbefore studying atLeeds College of Music.[4]After graduating he moved toLondon,where he played sessions and composed advertisingjingles.

Career

[edit]

Early career, the Buggles, and Yes (1975–1981)

[edit]

In the mid-1970s, Downes was a member of She's French, playing aFender Rhodeselectric piano and aHammond organ.The band also includedJamie West-Oramon guitar and Hoagy Davies, the son ofRupert Davies,onMinimoogsynthesizer. He played keyboards for a theatre production ofThe Womblesin 1975.[5]He played inGary Boyle's band in 1977.[6]

In 1976, Downes metTrevor Hornwhile auditioning for pop singerTina Charles' backing band, for which Horn produced a single calledDon't come backin 1977, which was published under the name "Fallen Angel and the Tina Charles Band". Then they formed the short-lived Chromium, withAnne DudleyandHans Zimmerand recorded an albumStar to Starin 1978. Then they continued to work together, eventually formingthe Buggles,recording a worldwide hit single "Video Killed the Radio Star"in 1979. It wasIsland Records' first number 1 in the UK, and the video of the song subsequently became the first ever to be played at the launch ofMTVon 1 August 1981.

The success of the Buggles led to Downes and Horn joiningYesfor theDramaalbum and theassociated tourin 1980. Downes was the first member of the band to have completed a music degree.

Asia and other projects (1981–2006)

[edit]

Yes split at the beginning of 1981, and Downes subsequently joined forces with guitaristSteve Howe(from Yes), bassist/vocalistJohn Wetton(fromKing Crimson) and drummerCarl Palmer(fromEmerson, Lake & Palmer) to formAsia.Despite being out of the band between 1989 and 1990, Downes is the longest-serving member of the band and the only one to appear on every album released by them. Asia was an immediate worldwide success upon the recording of "Heat of the Moment"and the release of theirself-titled debut albumin 1982; the album remained at number 1 on theBillboardalbum charts for a record 9 successive weeks.

In 1989, Downes was involved in the remake ofDeep Purple's 1972 song "Smoke on the Water"to raise funds for the Spitak earthquake victims. In 2009, Downes along withTony Iommi,Ian Gillanand the former Wimbledon tennis championPat Cash,went to Armenia, and were presented with state medals from the President of Armenia for their efforts in the Rock Aid Armenia project.

In addition to recording and touring with Asia through more than three decades, Downes has also recorded a number of solo albums and collaborated with many other artists such as former bandmateJohn Wetton,former Deep PurpleGlenn HughesandTrapezefor a tour that produced the live albumWelcome to the Real World,Ride the Tiger withGreg Lake,and a brief appearance onKate Bush's "Sat in Your Lap".In 2005, he joined Yes drummerAlan White's eponymous band,White,on their debut album.

Downes has continued to release sporadic solo albums over the years, mainly under the name The New Dance Orchestra. They include the critically acclaimed 1986double albumThe Light Programme,in addition toVox Humana(1992),Shadows & Reflections(2003), along with a few others. He performed a sold outone-man showin 2003 atSt Cyprian's Churchin London, which was recorded usingambisonicstechnology.[citation needed]

He has also worked extensively as a producer with such acts asMike Oldfield,Thompson TwinsandGTR.As a songwriter, he has written forAgnetha FältskogofABBA.He is also credited as a co-writer onAnderson Bruford Wakeman Howealbum (made up of former members ofYesin 1989); he is credited due to Howe re-using some musical ideas from Asia.

In recent years, Downes has teamed up with Wetton in a separate project under the nameIcon.They have released three studio albums:Icon(2005),Icon II: Rubicon(2006), andIcon 3(2009) and live album from their 2005 tour.

Reformed Asia, projects, and return to Yes (2006–present)

[edit]
Downes performing with Asia, 2006

In 2006, Downes reunited with the original members of Asia for a series of tours that continued into 2008, releasing a new album of studio material,Phoenix(2008), with more shows performed through Spring 2009. Later in 2009, the original Asia toured the US supporting Yes, with him and guitarist Steve Howe doing double duty performing with both bands nightly.

In the autumn of 2009 the band went into the studio again to record another album. The Asia albumOmegawas released in April 2010, the band has embarked on a six-week US tour through August and September. A song, "Extraordinary Life" from their previous album,Phoenix(2008), was chosen as the trailer for US's biggest reality TV showAmerica's Got Talent.Since 2011, Downes shares his time between YES and Asia, touring and recording with both bands.

In 2012, Downes teamed up withChris Braideunder the name DBA (Downes Braide Association). The result was an album,Pictures of You,released summer 2012 on Plane Groovy Records.[7]Since then, they have released three more studio recordings (Suburban Ghostsin 2015,Skyscraper Soulsin 2017 andHalcyon Hymnsin 2021), and a live album (Live in Englandin 2019).

While active with the original Asia, he has also finished three albums with Wetton on their side project Icon, and recorded a live DVD in 2009 to promote the release of their third studio album. The project included guitaristDave Kilminster,Pete Riley, andHugh McDowell.In addition, Downes is also working on television, film and production music for a London West End film production company, Original Production Music Ltd.

He released a further New Dance Orchestra (NDO) album in 2010 entitledElectronicawith vocals fromAnne-Marie Helder.It features Downes' orchestral style of keyboard playing.[8]

On 28 September 2010, he reunited withBruce Woolleyand Trevor Horn as the band the Buggles, performing "The Lost Gig" to raise funds for the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability.

On 22 March 2011, he performed at the Roundhouse, London with Trevor Horn andProducers,along withSpandau BalletandAlison Moyetto raise funds for a music charity for underprivileged children. The event raised over half a million pounds on the night.

On 31 March 2011, he was confirmed as participating in the recording of the new Yes albumFly from Here(2011), reuniting with them formally for the first time since 1980 and rejoining the band for an upcoming tour.[9]In May 2011, he rejoined Yes as the full-time keyboard player. In 2012, the band appointed a replacement vocalist,Jon Davison.The new Yes album,Heaven & Earthwas released in July 2014.

Downes has also worked with Asia on a 30th Anniversary album,XXX,released in 2012. Downes co-composed 7 of the 9 original compositions on the album with Wetton, and the remaining two with Wetton and Howe.

Influences and style

[edit]

In an interview conducted December 2006,[10]Downes said the three players who had inspired him wereRick Wakeman(Yes),Keith Emerson(Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and especiallyDave Sinclair(Caravan). In the same interview, he identified his favourite Asia tracks as "Only Time Will Tell", "Wildest Dreams", "Open Your Eyes" and "Voice of America". In an August 2015 interview, Downes said his favourite British band isKing Crimson,withJourney,KansasandForeigneras his favourite American bands.[11]

Asked on Twitter in 2018 which album in his career he is most proud of, Downes replied, "Drama – no doubt."[12]

Personal life

[edit]

Downes has been married three times and divorced twice. He has two daughters, Christina and Alexandra (died 2013), from his first wife, Norwegian former modelWenche Steen[no],who wasMiss Norwayin 1973.

Downes lives in South Wales with his third and current wife Martine and step-son Louis. He is a supporter of the football clubCardiff City.

Discography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^Gregory, Andy.International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002.p. 143. Routledge, 2002.ISBN978-1-85743-161-2
  2. ^Peel, Ian (1 January 2010)."From the Art of Plastic to the Age of Noise".Trevorhorn.Archived fromthe originalon 11 November 2013.Retrieved19 May2013.
  3. ^Johnson, Brent (8 September 2011)."Interview: Geoff Downes of Yes".Pop-break.Archived fromthe originalon 10 July 2015.Retrieved29 June2014.
  4. ^Chris Welch (2009).Close to the Edge: The Story of Yes.Omnibus Press.p. 261.ISBN9780857120427.Retrieved21 January2018.
  5. ^Downes, Geoffrey (13 January 2018)."The Wombles theatre production in 1975! I generally keep that one under wraps as you can imagine. PS Happy birthday for the other day".Twitter.Retrieved21 December2018.
  6. ^"BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – 22/08/1977 Gary Boyle".BBC.
  7. ^"DBA – Sunday News radio edit Geoff Downes and Chris Braide".Archivedfrom the original on 14 December 2021.Retrieved29 June2014– viaYouTube.
  8. ^"The official web site for Geoff Downes".Geoffdownes.Retrieved29 June2014.
  9. ^"Heavy Rock – the playlist!: Yes: New Album" Fly From Here "Out in July".Heavyrocktheplaylist.blogspot.31 March 2011.Retrieved3 January2012.
  10. ^"Geoff Downes – Asia Interview".19 April 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 19 April 2008.Retrieved29 June2014.
  11. ^"A Q&A with Geoff Downes of Yes, Asia and The Buggles".Bizjournals.Retrieved9 October2017.
  12. ^Downes, Geoffrey (23 November 2018)."Drama – no doubt".Twitter.Retrieved21 December2018.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toGeoff Downes.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Geoff_Downes&oldid=1234445515"