Well, this comes out in the new year, and I am excited to hear this! Saw the band when they played in Niagara Falls last year, and thought they sounded great. *Check out my interview with Harry Whitley from the beginning of his time with the band. Here is the press release, new video, artwork, track-listing, etc….
Today, legendary English rock supergroup ASIA are thrilled to announce their upcoming live album, ‘Asia – Live In England,’ due out on March 13, 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl. To celebrate the announcement, the band unveils the live version of their hit song “Heat Of The Moment,” alongside an official live video, available to view below.
Geoff Downes comments: “’Heat Of The Moment’ has an interesting story behind it. It was actually the final track John and I wrote for the ASIA album, and it ended up being the opening track and lead-off single. We threw it together in one afternoon. I had the verse, John had the chorus, although this was a guitar picking country-style piece in 3/4 time. We straightened it all out and bingo, there it was!”
He continues, “A couple of days later we wrote the middle 8 section, rehearsed it in the studio and recorded it straight down with band. Ironically, it still remains our most famous track to this day. Without it, I doubt the album would have been as big as it was, so I am very grateful to have been a part of the creation of HOTM. It’s still a really fun track to play live, and I hope it will bring back memories, and give pleasure to the listeners and fans all over the world for many years to come.”
Harry Whitley adds: “Playing ‘Heat Of The Moment’ live is always such an incredible experience, it’s always electrifying and this recording was no different – it was such an exciting night and a thrill to revisit all of ASIA’s catalog over the three nights. We’re really looking forward to fans hearing this whole live album and the others to follow…”
“This song carries decades of history – every note, every moment – and we hope listeners feel the same passion we pour into it night after night,” Virgil Donati states.
John Mitchell also expresses his love for this track: “’Heat Of The Moment’ is a very dear song close to my heart. Having performed it a vast number of times over the years both previously with the John Wetton solo band and with John and Geoff in Icon, from the quiet introspective acoustic version at The Borderline to the full band amped up version in front of 12000 strong in St Petersburg, it is both an uplifting anthem and a quiet tonic for the soul which never fails to bring warmth to the many.”
ASIA are back and roaring in their new, exhilarating line-up! Recorded live on the first of three unforgettable nights at Trading Boundaries in Sussex in April 2025, this release captures the band performing their iconic 1982 debut album ‘ASIA’ in full, along with a selection of their greatest hits.
Featuring Geoff Downes (keys), Virgil Donati (drums – ex-Planet X), John Mitchell (guitars – Arena, It Bites etc.) and the astonishing Harry Whitley (on bass and vocals), this fresh incarnation of ASIA brings both reverence for the classics and a thrilling new energy to the stage. The setlist includes fan favorites like “Heat Of The Moment,” “Only Time Will Tell,” “Sole Survivor,” “One Step Closer” and “Time Again,” alongside video-era and bonus tracks such as “Ride Easy,” “Video Killed The Radio Star,” “The Heat Goes On” and “Daylight” (video exclusive).
Geoff Downes shares: “Revisiting the entire first ASIA album brought all the great memories flooding back from 43 years ago. In the studio with John, Steve, Carl and, of course, the great Mike Stone at the production helm. I think at the time we knew we’d made a good album but could not have predicted the enormous success that followed, that made the band a household name across the world, and particularly in America. That said, it was a result of much hard work and effort from everyone involved. So, when I had the opportunity to put together the live album with the current and fantastic line-up of ASIA and in collaboration with Frontiers Music, it was really a no-brainer.”
“I was reminded of what a collection of great songs and performances made up the album – variety and musical dynamics to the fore. When we recorded it again earlier this year, I was drawn to some of the less featured tracks and realized how much they played an important part of overall album, in addition of course to the signature tracks such as ‘Heat Of The Moment,’ ‘Only Time Will Tell’ etc.”, he continued. “We did this for you, the fans, and hope you really enjoy hearing these songs in the live setting performed in their entirety once again and enjoy it as much as we did creating and performing it”.
TRACKLIST:
1. Heat Of The Moment
2. Only Time Will Tell
3. Sole Survivor
4. One Step Closer
5. Time Again
6. Wildest Dreams
7. Without You
8. Cutting It Fine
9. Here Comes The Feeling
10. Ride Easy (Bonus track)
11. Video Killed The Radio Star (Bonus track)
12. The Heat Goes On (Bonus track)
With ASIA’s legacy spanning over 40 years – from multi-million selling albums like ‘ASIA,’ ‘Alpha,’ and ‘Astra’ to defining the sound of the MTV era – this new line-up proves that the Year of the Dragon is bringing the legendary songs to life for a whole new generation of fans.
This is just the first of three live releases from Trading Boundaries, each capturing a full classic album from their initial trilogy in concert in audio and video. Experience the magic of ASIA, live, where past and present collide in a spectacular display of musicianship and passion.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/asiatheband/
https://www.instagram.com/asiatheband/?hl=en
Outsider Rock 