Noooo! RIP John Wetton.

[HaphAsSard]

Here is a (just) pre-Crimson Wetton with Family. Not the best quality video but Wetton is rocking!
I believe John replaced Rick Grech in this band when he was enticed to join Blind Faith.
Wetton is featured on at least a couple of Family albums. Worth seeking out. Great band with the inimitable Roger Chapman on lead vocals.

I love Fearless and Bandstand.
Here's him featured prominently on the opening track from Mogul Thrash (with James Litherland of the original Colosseum steering the ship on lead vocals and guitar, the future AWB horns and Brian Auger producing):

 

[Basshappi]

Sadness.
Saw him with UK on their Danger Money tour. I cut class to get the first Asia album the day it was released. Great player, great voice.
Rest In Peace Mr. Wetton and thanks for all the great music.

 

[bucephylus]

RIP

A huge influence on my playing at the time with KC, and one of my reference P Bass tones. He was a cat.

 

[maverick49]

One my heroes.

 

[JimK]

RIP...

 

[CryingBass]

Just cranked Great Deceiver ( Starless and Bible Black ).

He lives!

RIP JW

 

[Lownote38]

Gonna crank Red this evening in surround sound. RIP Mr. Wetton. You will be missed greatly!

 

[4001]

Looks like 2017 is going to suck too, for SO many reasons.

As will 2018, and 2019 and a lot more years after that too. It kind of all seemed to start when Ronnie Dio passed a few years ago and we've been on this ride ever since. Chris Squire's passing still tears me up.

R.I.P. John Wetton.

 

[ultra60]

Did not really know of him until the first UK record in the 70's. Still love that one today.

 

[Deleted member 264575]

Goodbye John. Rest in Peace.

 

[Dark Red Moon]

R.I.P. Mr. Wetton, and thanks for all the great music! you will be sorely missed!

 

[JOE EDO]

I met John when I was 19 years old (1982). I was on my college concert board and insisted we blow our years budget to get Asia at our school. We did and I remember shaking John's hand and telling him this and he replied, " well then, we better make this memorable for you boys!" I'll never forget when he walked up to me after the show and we talked a bit about basses, music, and being on the road. I was just awestruck with his talent, intelligence and the fact that he was a genuine /kind soul. I saw him again on the Asia reunion tour in 2007 ...so glad I did.
Man, this one stings quite a bit. I just hope his family and friends know how much he meant to so many. I would tell them all, " No one truly dies unless they are forgotten." I have no doubts that John will live on forever.

 

[Dark Red Moon]

" No one truly dies unless they are forgotten." I have no doubts that John will live on forever.

well said.

 

[andawun]

UK Night After Night live. Great live concert album. John Wetton an amazing talent.

 

[Richbass101]

so sad, I just loved his work. One of my favs was King Crimson live at Asbury Park 1974 not the usa album but the untouched version. Him and Bruford were incredible together. Robert Fripp had descibed them two as a flying brick wall. John Wetton - you will be missed, never forgotten

 

[FaithNoMan]

Damn it, man. And Greg Lake last month

His Red era Crimson work and UK was some of my favorites

 

[rtav]

Horrible, sad news. RIP.

 

[AztecViking]

I really like his bass and vocal work on the somewhat under-publicized live Steve Hackett release titled The Tokyo Tapes. They do a lot of the Peter Gabriel era Genesis material on that. There's also a great version of Court Of The Crimson King.

Wetton really surprised me on the new "jam" section of Firth of Fifth they added ( at about 3:10 ) by using a decently funky tone. Never heard him make bass sounds like that before.

RIP John and I'm sure you'll still be there in spirit for the upcoming Progfest at sea Cruise To The Edge.
Cruise to the Edge 2017 | Cruise to the Edge - Feb 7 - 11, 2017

 

[Snaxster]

Years ago, I was talking with a good friend and brilliant musician (he is still both) about John Wetton's work in King Crimson, and I described the persona of Wetton's singing as a "sensitive brute". I think of it as such to this day.

To me, John Wetton’s bass playing very much existed in a time capsule; that of the three greatest King Crimson albums, “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic”, “Red”, and “Starless and Bible Black”. I was turned on to them during my three years of high school, two to three years after their release. A few friends and I listened to those albums fairly constantly back then. For whatever reason, the UK and ASIA material never caught my attention.

Wetton on “Red”, characteristic of the album as a whole and all its aspects, attained a directness and ferocity of raw electric bass guitar sound that I suspect he never again would match, and I believe that few others did since.

John, I wish you peace and good luck. Thank you for helping me get through school and beyond, and for your example then, which would become a foundational piece of my early concept of bass guitar sonics and of instrumental expression.

 

[Jefff]

^ This. I was a young man in 1982 and I thought Asia was a cash grab and I never really cared for it. But who am I to tell someone else what to do with their music and career.

Now I think any player deserves to make at least a decent living and "selling out" is a BS phrase used by people who have money, but no soul.