Geoffrey Downes - Evolution (Japan Edition) (1994)

- Born 1952-08-25 (Stockport, UK)

Geoffrey (sometimes shortened Geoff) Downes is probably best known for his involvement with YES and ASIA, and before that with Trevor Horn in the Pop duo of The Buggles. After having enjoyed massive success with their 1979 debut single Video Killed The Radio Star and released their first album called The Age Of Plastic in 1980, both Downes and Horn were asked to join Yes to replace Rick Wakeman and Jon Anderson respectively. This resulted in the excellent album Drama, also released in 1980. The line-up did not prove to be stable, however, and Yes disbanded in 1981.

This opened up the opportunity for Downes and Steve Howe to form Asia together with John WETTON (ex-King Crimson and UK) and Carl Palmer (ex-Emerson, Lake & Palmer). Asia enjoyed big success with their self-titled debut album released in 1982. Alpha followed the next year but there were line-up changes ahead with Howe and then Wetton leaving the group. Geoff would go on with Asia as the band's only stable member and produce many further albums with that band.

In 1986 Geoff would record his first solo album, the instrumental The Light Program for which he adopted the moniker of The New Dance Orchestra. This was followed by Vox Humana in 1992, a vocal album of a more Pop Rock nature. A few further albums using the New Dance Orchestra tag have since appeared including The World Service in 1999 and most recently Electronica in 2010.

Outside of Asia, Geoff has worked with John Wetton and the two of them have released several albums as a duo including three albums that went under the titles of Icon I, II, and III. These albums are listed under John Wetton's discography.

In 2011, Downes rejoined Yes again, more than 30 years after his original stint with that band! This resulted in the album Fly From Here, the title suite of which was based on a song that Downes had developed with Trevor Horn back in the early 1980's. A demo version of the song was recorded by The Buggles and has since been released (in two separate parts) as bonus tracks on that group's second album Adventures In Modern Recording. The song was performed live by Yes during the Drama period and a live recording of the song from New York 1980 appears in the box set The Word Is Live.