Keyboardist Geoff Downes will forever be able to claim that he was in the first video aired on MTV. That was when Downes was a member of The Buggles. Like many progressive rockers, Downes’ history with various bands is complex, but his mainstays are Yes and Asia.
Downes and Horn both joined Yes for the band’s “Drama” album. The title couldn’t have been more appropriate as the band dealt with some backlash when they brought in two new-wavers to replace Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman. In spite of the controversy, “Drama” is an album that has held up very well over the years.
Downes was instrumental in the forming of the super group Asia and stayed with the band through a litany of lineup changes. Currently, Downes does double duty in Yes and Asia. In this interview, Geoff talks about the band’s preparation for their upcoming tour where they will be performing three classic Yes albums in one night. He also talks about Asia’s new guitarist.
We would like to thank Aaron Feterl of MSOPR for setting up the interview with Geoff. For more information on the upcoming YES tour, please go to: YES. For more information on Geoff’s other band ASIA, please go to: ASIA. For more information on Geoff himself, please visit: Geoff Downes.
