Where are they now? - Geoff Downes

This page last updated: 1 Nov 2024

YES and projects with several Yesmen
Jon
Anderson
Steve
Howe

Geoff
Downes
Chris Squire
Alan White
Billy
Sherwood

Jon
Davison

Rick
Wakeman

Patrick
Moraz

Trevor
Rabin

Trevor
Horn

Tony
Kaye

Oliver Wakeman
Jay Schellen
Igor
Khoroshev

Bill
Bruford

Peter Banks
Benoît David
Asia
Arc of Life
CIRCA:
Yes ft. Anderson Rabin Wakeman
Others associated with the band

On this page: Solo - DBA - Zorbonauts - Other projects

On other pages: Yes - Asia - With Trevor Horn

Geoff Downes' official sites: Official site; Official online store; MySpace page; Twitter; Official Facebook; Official Fan Page on Facebook

Asia & Yes
Downes remains busy in Yes (see main page for their activity). He continues to lead Asia, touring the US in summer 2024 (details are on the Asia page). In a Jun 2023 interview, Downes said, "I still keep in close touch with Trevor Horn, with Carl Palmer, with YES and with Steve [Howe]. Those three bands [The Buggles, Asia and Yes] have really never got away far from my career. I'm still able to go out and still involved with those three bands." In a Mar 2021 podcast, asked what was next for him, Downes talked about The Quest (then unnamed) and finishing off the last Asia tracks written with John Wetton, before saying, "I've still got my solo career that I, er, fish out from time to time". In a May 2021 interview (conducted Apr), he talked about currently working on The Quest, but also how, "I have been quite occupied, doing other smaller projects here and there." As for the future, he talked about the 2021 Yes tour, then added, "And if there are any opportunities for the DBA, ASIA, or even The Buggles, I would be up for it."

Downes appeared at the Aug 2023 memorial concert for John Wetton: see main page for details.

Downes Braide Association
The Downes Braide Association (DBA; Facebook, Twitter) is Downes and Chris Braide (ex-Producers, This Oceanic Feeling, written for Trevor Horn, Sia, Paloma Faith, Lana Del Rey, David Guetta, Cheryl Tweedy, Clay Aiken, Will Young, Kylie Minogue, S Club 7). In early May 2024, Doug Curran reported that they have been recording their sixth studio album. In an Aug 2023 YMP interview, Downes also said, "We've already started looking at the 6th album", while in a Sep 2023 interview, Braide said, "DBA 6 is actually written". Braide described the album, "there's definitely more progressive". He talked about one song, "Naked Memories", saying, "that's really a big, long, like a "Skyscraper Souls" type [...] whole side [...] So far, but who knows? It could change."

Their fifth studio album, Celestial Songs was released 8 Sep 2023 on Cherry Red, with art by Roger Dean. The title continues the band's love of alliteration. On 6 Apr 2023, the band's Facebook account shared a short clip. Formats include a limited edition box set with CD, vinyl and exclusive signed art print (DBABOX06); a gatefold Digipak CD (DBACD06); a gatefold 2LP (DBALP06); and digital. Downes is credited with piano, keys and programming, while Braide is credited with vocals, piano, keys and programming. The album was produced by Braide and Downes, and mixed by Braide. It was mastered by Jason Mitchell. The album is dedicated to Alan White and David Longdon. Tracks (67:40 total duration), all tracks by Braide/Downes except where indicated otherwise (spoken word segments by Ashton-Bullock):

  1. "Look What You Do" (6:17), third single (video); opens with a short spoken word by Ashton-Bullock
  2. "Clear Light" (5:00), first single (video)
  3. "Keep on Moving" [Braide/Dunnery/Downes] (6:36), second single (video), also on a digital sampler album available through Prog issue #142 (Aug 2023)
  4. "Darker Side of Fame" (3:56), announced as a subsequent single instead of "Keep on Moving" in the original online trailer to go up, that was soon replaced by the current trailer; side B begins on vinyl edition
  5. "Hey Kid" (3:28), opens with a short spoken word by Ashton-Bullock
  6. "Will to Power" (6:23)
  7. "Heart Shaped Hole" (9:06); side C begins
  8. "Dear Petra" (3:56), opens with a short spoken word by Ashton-Bullock
  9. "On the Run" (5:09), described by Braide as influenced by the band Talk Talk
  10. "Goodbye to You (Sister Shame)" [Braide/Partridge/Downes] (7:30), the song is "about trying to find love before you die", Braide said in an Aug 2023 band interview, with Downes on Hammond at the end; side D begins
  11. "Beyond the Stars" (10:19), with spoken word by Ashton-Bullock, Braide said in another Aug 2023 band interview that "it's about how everything must pass [...] but it's not maudlin"

The album made #7 in the UK rock & metal albums chart, #10 in the indie breakers album chart (albums by artists who have not yet made the top 40), #27 in the indie album chart, #63 in the album sales chart, and #60 in the physical albums chart.

The band on the album are Downes, Braide, Ash Soan (ex-Trevor Horn Band/Producers, Rick Wakeman, worked with Dua Lipa, Adele, Will Young, Seal; drums on all tracks with drums, except 1), Andy Hodge (worked with Gary Husband; fretted and fretless bass) and Dave Bainbridge (Iona; electric & acoustic guitars, madonlin, bouzouki). Tim Weller also plays drums on "Look What You Do" and additional drums on "Goodbye to You" and "On the Run". Marc Almond (Soft Cell, worked with Chris Braide, Trevor Horn) guests singing on "Darker Side of Fame"; he appeared on the band's previous studio album, Halcyon Hymns. Also returning is Barney Ashton-Bullock (worked with Andy Bell, Giorgio Moroder, Dusty Springfield). Francis Dunnery (It Bites, ex-The Syn, worked with ABWH) guests with additional vocals and guitar on "Keep on Moving", which also features a keyboard solo from Bainbridge. In an interview with Prog magazine, Braide explained that Dunnery had come in to work on another project of Braide's, but his guitar contributions didn't fit. However, Braide said, "I thought they were great. So Geoff and I wrote the song around that lick, and it really makes the song." There are also songwriting credits for Andy Partridge (ex-XTC), who guested with DBA previously. Partridge helped finish the lyrics for "Goodbye to You (Sister Shame)". In an Aug 2023 interview with Yes Music Podcast, Downes said Celestial Songs is not a concept album, but that there is "a continuity" to the lyrics. Downes described "Darker Side of Fame": "It tells a story, a theme that a lot of people, and a lot of musicians, can relate to – certainly musicians that have had any kind of success. The lyric is very poignant, whilst you have all the glory, the accolades and the adulation, it can go away and you're left with nothing. It reflects life in general, I think, as people go through all kinds of ups and downs throughout their careers and throughout their lives." About the album generally, he said, "There's a lot of variety on the album [...] We were aiming to get quite a bit more dynamics into this album because there were some very quiet pastoral moments." Braide described the album: "As we were writing the songs for the album, they started to become thematic in emotion and feeling[.] More classic rock than the predecessor Halcyon Hymns. The songs were about life and death, time, love, nostalgia, spirituality." He said about "Beyond the Stars" that it "was a tune that began in 2015 and really shaped the way the artwork was to develop. Something bigger than us, something astral and heavenly, it grew from a 3-minute ditty to an 11-minute epic." He also said they came up with the album title in 2020.

On Facebook, Braide said he had the verse melody for "Clear Light" and nearly all of the lyric in 2015, but no chorus. Downes then came up with a chord progression in a "weird" time signature. The lyric is about "ego and how it can blind you to the beauty of things". "Beyond the Stars" is another song begun in 2015. In a later Facebook post, Braide talked about "Will to Power", saying the verses and more were written during the writing of Skyscraper Souls, but they felt the song didn't fit on Skyscraper Souls or Halcyon Hymns. He also said the middle section of "Heart Shaped Hole" was by Downes, while the rest of the song, he said in another interview, he wrote some years ago. "Dear Petra" is based on a piano melody from Downes; Braide's lyrics were originally about child abuse, but were then re-written to be about the war in Ukraine.

The band finished making the album in Apr 2022. The band's Twitter account said 31 Mar 2022, "We have just had the mix and master back from our engineer." Reports had had the album possibly coming out in Mar 2023, but it was delayed. In Jan 2023, the band shared pictures of test pressings of the vinyl album. On 22 Feb 2023, they announced:

Thank you all for being so patient for updates on the next DBA album.

We have moved the release date towards the end of the year [2023], but pre-orders will be available in a few months time.
We will also be releasing some extra special products for you all.

Downes said in a May 2022 interview with Yes Music Podcast that the release would be around Sep/Oct 2022. He also said there would be less spoken word than on Halcyon Hymns. In a late Jun 2022 tweet, he said they were looking at Oct 2022 for a release, with no live dates yet planned. Bainbridge said in a 2022 new year's update that he is "continuing to record guitar parts on a whole host of great new tracks with Chris Braide and Geoff Downes, which will become the fifth Downes Braide Association studio album." He said to Doug Curran in Jul 2022 that the release would be Oct/Nov and that 2 music videos are planned. He explained vinyl manufacturing backlogs were causing a delay. Curran later reported that the release has been delayed to Mar 2023, because of vinyl manufacturing delays.

The band's Twitter account wrote on 31 Jan 2022 that, "Chris and Geoff are back in the studio adding the finishing touches to some amazing DBA tracks. Roger Dean is being kept busy too." Hodge said on Facebook on 12 Apr 2022:

The latest DBA album is nearly ready! The title and release dates will be announced soon so please watch this space.
I’m overjoyed to be playing bass on yet another fabulous collection of songs [...] this time deploying even more basses including: Fender Precision, Warwick Thumb V, Musicman Stingray 4-string fretted and 5-string fretless, and Squier Jazz fretless all make appearances; Rotosound strings, EBS MicroBass 3, various Boss pedals, and a smattering of Avid plug-ins all engineered by my good self in the comfort of my home studio.

Dean did live sessions painting the cover on Facebook, from 1 Feb 2022; he finished the cover on 15 Mar 2022. His design is on his 2023 calendar.

Asked in an Aug 2023 band interview about touring, Braide said, "The live thing is always [...] the elephant in the room" for the band with both himself and Downes busy with other projects. He continued: "We just wait for our time in the [...] limelight [...] it will happen, y'know. It's just a case of when and how we do it." The Prog interview has that Downes "promises to fit in some new gigs around his commitments to Yes." It then quotes Downes: "Until now we haven't really had the opportunity, but next year [2024] we hope to travel around the country [presumably the UK] and take our music out there". In a Sep 2023 interview, Braide says touring "depends on schedules" and that Yes "comes first" in terms of live work, but that they would "love to do it". He continued, "I only want to do it if we can do it properly". He also said that he and Marc Almond will perform "Darker Side of Fame" at a joint live show in Nov 2023, and possibly further material from the album. In another Sep 2023 interview, he said they would also do "Warm Summer Sun".

On their fourth studio album, Halcyon Hymns (Cherry Red), they were joined by Bainbridge (guitar, mandolin), Hodge (bass) and Ash Soan (drums), with Ashton-Bullock providing 4 spoken word segments. Braide played some acoustic guitar and a bit of electric guitar, while Bainbridge played all the guitar solos and more. The musicians recorded their parts seperately during the pandemic. Backing vocals were by Joe Catcheside and Braide's children, Elijah and Sascha, while guesting were Almond and the late David Longdon (Big Big Train) on 1 track each. Roger Dean live-streamed his painting of the cover artwork. The songs are intended to reflect a bucolic, halcyon summer. Braide was the main lyricist. The album is organised around its 4 LP sides; tracks:

  1. "Love Among the Ruins" (6:23), first single, with a video directed by Paolo Marchetti; Downes in one interview said this was the original planned title for the album; in another interview, Braide said this was his favourite on the album
  2. "King of the Sunset" (6:36)
  3. "Your Heart will Find the Way" (5:19), second single; began with a verse pattern and riff from Downes, Braide added the chords in the chorus; lyric video
  4. "Holding the Heavens" (7:53), Downes in another interview and another said this was the original planned title for the album, while in the former interview, he said this was another title considered; side 2 begins
  5. "Beachcombers" (3:30)
  6. "Warm Summer Sun" (4:33); Downes identified this as one of his favourites; began with some chords from Downes
  7. "Today" (6:58), third single, lyric video; side 3 begins
  8. "Hymn to Darkness" (2:58), which began with an idea by Downes he played on piano
  9. "She'll be Riding Horses" (4:34)
  10. "Late Summer" (2:23), side 4 begins
  11. "Remembrance" (11:43)
  12. "Epilogue" (0:35)
In Dec 2020 comments, Braide explained how, as the pandemic struck: "Marc Almond suggested I 'get stuck into another DBA record' to lift the malaise[.] Somehow [i]t was hard to muster any enthusiasm for it. We had all been so upbeat at the recent [live] shows and now here we were in a collective, creative void. [...] I opened up a folder of new DBA ideas Geoff had sent to me a while back and which I'd listened to briefly [...] I can't say why it happened but one day in the studio as I listened to the bits and pieces of ideas suddenly the songs started tumbling out as if by magic. I'm not exaggerating [...] These new songs sounded like personal reflections, they just wrote themselves." Downes commented, "It was so great to witness Chris's creativity making my fundamental ideas come alive. He took the bare bones of melodies, harmonies and textures I sent him, and somehow crafted these into something way beyond my expectations or imagination." Downes had sent his initial ideas towards the end of 2019, he said in Better Way of Life Jan 2021 interview. In another Jan 2021 interview, Braide said, "with the virtual shutdown of the industry and tours being cancelled etc. it was very much a case of 'right what can I do now then?'. This album came out of that period, Geoff had sent me some ideas and I got to work on them. I chose to look at the world as it was when I was younger, the endless summer days, cycling around everywhere, pure rose tinted nostalgia for a world that had been but suddenly was not available to us now." Although Downes said in another Jan 2021 interview that the album would probably have been made and in a similar way without the pandemic. He also described how he talked to Braide about wanting to draw more on classical and English church music influences, and the album as "more acoustic". In the former Jan 2021 interview, Downes said of the album, "I think it's [...] got quite a lot of influences. It's got classical undertones [...] there's a lot of pathos in the album. There's optimism in a lot of the titles [...] even though there's an air of nostalgia [...] there's a lot of depth of influence from, say, English church music [...] and the classical music I was trained at music college for [...] It's progressive pop, for want of a better term". In a Feb 2021 interview, Braide talked about the album having specifically northern English roots, not just English roots. In another Feb 2021 interview, Downes talked of "Love Among the Ruins" beginning with a "classical part" from him; and of "Holding the Heavens" being the first song Braide worked on and sent back to him. In a joint Feb 2021 interview, Braide said "Your Heart will Find the Way" was the first song he finished writing on, followed by "Love Among the Ruins". More generally, Downes said in a May 2021 interview: "Chris is really the lyricist. I feed him the musical ideas and I even hint at the melodies. That's where he creatively puts the words to the music. But he also contributes a lot musically and production-wise as well. So this is only one side of him." He also discussed working with Barney Ashton-Bullock: "He has freedom. He is a poet. Sometimes when you work with people you are better off letting them be themselves rather than saying this is what you should be doing. I am not the one to tell him to make poetry. That is not my gig. So if you bring someone in, you have to let them roll with the ball. In the case of Barney, we said here are the songs titles, some of the mood and the music, see what it says to you."
 
On 26 Jun 2020, DBA tweeted that they were working on their fourth studio album, Hodge tweeted the same day in response, "DBA 4th album is being recorded right now". Ashton-Bullock replied the next day, "Some of lockdown has been spent shaping poetic verse & dramatic speeches for our all new @TheRealDBAMusic album [...] A fusion of pop, prog & poetry." In an Oct 2020 interview, Downes said the album is "pretty well finished now". In a Nov 2019 interview, asked about a new studio album, Downes had said, "Yes, although we mainly work remotely as Chris is in LA and I'm in sunny Wales, but we will be working on ideas and putting something new together before too long I hope." In another Nov 2019 interview, Downes had said, "We're talking about it [...] It's really down to scheduling [...] I imagine [...] over the next year or two, there should be another collaboration in the works." Braide said of "Your Heart will Find the Way" that it "has an almost Yes like quality [...] It's also a great example of how Geoff and I will sometimes write. Geoff sent me the verse chord progression and the riff and then I added the chorus chord progression and the melody just fell out on top of those two elements. The brooding verse and majestic riff coupled with the uplift of the chorus dictated the lyric which is about listening to your inner voice and trusting your gut instinct to navigate you out of adversity…It's a positive self-affirmation of a song." Downes said of it, "It has become something of a feature of mine and Chris's songwriting where the verse (in the minor key) sets the mood of the piece only to climax into an upbeat chorus (in the major)."

"Love Among the Ruins" made #1 on the United DJ Radio's Heritage chart in the UK for 2 weeks running in Jan/Feb 2021. The album made #23 in the UK Indie album chart and #7 in the Indie album Breakers chart for artists who have not yet made the full top 40 (12 Feb). It was #83 on the physical sales chart and #84 on the sales chart, but did weaker on streaming, thus not making the overall top 100 in the UK, although it did make #96 in Scotland. It was as high as #10 on Amazon UK's Hot New Releases chart.

In a Nov 2019 interview, on the topic of more live dates, Downes said they would like to do them, but it's "down to timing". He said, "it's not on the backburner" and that they would definitely try to do something if the opportunity arises. Asked Mar 2017 about the possibility of DBA touring, Downes had  replied, "Not yet, but certainly not out of the equation." On Nickey Radio in Nov 2017, asked about touring, Downes said, "I think at the moment it's very much an album album", but that "I'm looking forward to it [touring], if it's going to be possible". He noted that a tour is "not an easy concept", citing a poor appetite from promoters, but said that "if we were offered some nice dates somewhere", they would consider it. In one of the previously mentioned Nov 2017 interview, asked about touring, Downes replied, "We have discussed it, it's not something that has been discounted. Initially, when we only had one album, it would have been a struggle to have a tour but we decided it might be nice potentially now that we have more material. It would take some careful planning because we both have a lot of things going but certainly something we would consider." Braide also replied: "In [or]der to really make it work we would have to devote a lot of time to it and my schedule and Geoff's are pretty hectic at the moment. I haven't taken one week off this year [2017] which I'm certainly not complaining about. [...] Having said all that, no one would like to hear the DBA songs played live more than me. [...] It may happen." Braide also confirmed a desire to go on making albums together. In Downes' Dec 2017 interview, he said, "We've discussed [touring]. Chris is very-very busy with all of his projects [...] I'm also touring quite extensively [...] But when a little time comes up, I think we'd certainly be looking at maybe doing a few gigs, but not a full-blown tour." To the Feb 2018 issue of Prog, Downes demurred, pointing to a busy 2018 touring schedule with Yes and possible Asia and The Buggles, as well as Braide being busy, but he ended, saying, "But we've built up a nice catalogue of music and it would be great to take it out live." He made similar comments in a Mar 2018 interview: "We've talked about doing a couple of live shows. We wouldn't discount the idea. It's just getting a run of dates that you can do as just doing one or two dates would be impractical so it's just getting the time to be able to do it. If someone offered us a nice run of dates we'd look seriously at doing it."

In commemoration of the murder of 6 year old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, Braide was moved to write lyrics. DBA released the resultant song, "Dear Arthur (Arthur Labinjo-Hughes)", on YouTube on 7 December 2020. The song is credited to Downes and Braide and was performed by them and Andy Hodge.

The band is with at QEDG Management.

Barney Ashton-Bullock's narration for DBA was released in a book, "Bucolicism – Alt-Lite Lyric Verse for a Post-Pastoral England". The books re-sets his contributions to DBA albums in their original longer form works and includes further writings that "plough the same idioms of nostalgia, misplaced or otherwise, that seek to express the illusive golden age 'bucolics' of a nation going through rapid change and, seemingly, often ill-at-ease with itself." The limited edition book is available through Cherry Red. Marc Almond's 2022 Things We Lost includes Braide, Hodge and Soan, with liner notes by Ashton-Bullock. It includes Almond's version of the DBA song, "Skin Deep" (which he also sang on).

With Trevor Horn
The Buggles news is under Horn. Some years back, the pair were working together on new material, and there has been talk of a possible tour and musical. Horn toured as The Buggles without Downes in 2023, as support on a tour by Seal. Latest news here.

Zorbonauts
Downes has guested on many projects by Jersualem and their side projects, based around Lynden Williams (vocals) and Ollie Hannifan (guitars), and produced/engineered by Rob Aubrey (worked with Wetton/Downes). Zorbonauts was a somewhat more serious bands, while Deckchair Poets was a humorous project, and Zebras Don't Smoke was for covers albums. However, in summer 2022, they decided to just use the Zorbonauts name going forwards, with the band given as Williams, Hannifan, Downes (keys), Nick D'Virgilio (Big Big Train, ex-Spock's Beard, works with Dave Kerzner, worked with Genesis, Mystery; drums, percussion), Dave Meros (Spock's Beard, ex-Iron Butterfly; bass) and Rachael Hawnt (vocals).

The last release was Inflatable Noise under the Zebras Don't Smoke label, out digitally Mar 2022. There are 4 Zorbonauts albums known to be finished, but release dates are unknown. Finished by Sep 2023 was Pink Curlers with Downes (keys), Williams (vocals), Hannifan (guitar, mandolin), D'Virgilio (drums, percussion), Meros (bass), Hawnt (vocals), Aubrey (effects) and Bob Cooke (keys on 14). The album was produced, engineered and mastered by Aubrey, and executive produced by Williams. Artwork, graphic and design by Cooke. Tracks:
  1. "Pretty Women" [Hannifan/Williams]
  2. "You Can Die" [Hannifan/Williams]
  3. "We are Stardust" [Hannifan/Williams]
  4. "Ulcers" [Hannifan/Williams]
  5. "Andromeda's Coming" [Hannifan/Williams]
  6. "Everyday" [Hannifan/Williams]
  7. "Play the Twat" [Hannifan/Williams]
  8. "I Don't Need" [Hannifan/Williams]
  9. "Hoodie Craw" [Hannifan/Williams]
  10. "Sundays with the Kid" [Cooke/Williams]
  11. "Slime Devine" [Hannifan/Williams]
  12. "Hey Mister!" [Neil Innes], cover
  13. "Milk Cow Blues" [Kokomo Arnold], cover
  14. "Fangs for the Mammary" [Cooke/Williams], instrumental
Finished by Dec 2022 was also Ringo Ate My Flying Saucer with Downes (keys), Williams (vocals, kazoo), Hannifan (guitar), Meros (bass), D'Virgilio (drums, percussion), Hawnt (vocals), Will Wilde (harmonica on 20), Rachel Hall (violin on 20), Ash Cutler (backing vocals) and Aubrey (credited as UFO pilot). The album was produced, engineered and mastered by Aubrey, and executive produced by Williams. Artwork, graphic and design by Cooke. Tracks:
  1. "Toilet" [Williams]
  2. "Brown Trousers" [Hannifan/Williams]
  3. "Washing Machine" [Hannifan/Williams]
  4. "Human Pie" [Hannifan/Williams]
  5. "One Ugly Child" [Larry Bright], cover
  6. "Buddha in the Nude" [Hannifan/Williams]
  7. "You're So Square (Baby I Don't Care)" [Leiber/Stoller], cover
  8. "Sunshine" [Hannifan/Williams]
  9. "Silverfish" [Hannifan/Williams]
  10. "Walking in a Crocodile" [Hannifan/Williams]
  11. "Whipsnade Escapees" [Hannifan/Williams]
  12. "Elephants, Not Ivory" [Hannifan/Williams]
  13. "Crem'" [Hannifan/Williams]
  14. "You'll Never Catch This Boy" [Hannifan/Williams]
  15. "Wicked Annabella" [Ray Davies], cover
  16. "Refrigerator" [Hannifan/Williams]
  17. "Sunset Strip" [Hannifan/Williams]
  18. "Pink Foam Shrimps" [Hannifan/Williams]
  19. "A Legal Matter" [Pete Townsend], cover
  20. "Hobgoblins and Fiends" [Cooke/Williams]
Also due is One Flew Outta the Cuckoo's Nest with Downes (keys), Williams (vocals), Hannifan (guitar, mandolin), Meros (bass), D'Virgilio (drums, percussion), Hawnt (vocals, dog whistling), Wilde (harmonica on 11), Ray Drury (keys on 11), Hall (violin on 6), Cutler (backing vocals on 6), Sarah-Jane Szikora (credited with aliens) and Aubrey (credited with elephants). The album was produced, engineered and mastered by Aubrey, and executive produced by Williams. Artwork, graphic and design by Cooke. This was finished by Nov 2022.

Cannibals on a Health Kick Only Eat Vegetarians was finished by Aug 2022. The album again has Downes (keys on 1, 2, 5, 6, 8-10, 12, 14, 16-19), Williams (vocals), Hannifan (guitars), Meros (bass), D'Virgilio (drums, percussion), Hawnt (vocals), Drury (keys on 1, 3, 4, 6-8, 11, 14, 15, 17), Hall (violin on 10, 19), Aubrey, Ash Cutler (backing vocals on 6, 10, 13), Dave Desmond (trombone on 19), Neil Penny (trumpet on 19), Jason Tobias (saxes on 19) and Aubrey (additional percussion on all, theremin on 19). The album was produced, engineered and mastered by Aubrey, and executive produced by Williams, with artwork, graphics and design by Cooke. Tracks:
  1. "You've Got Your Monkey" [Hannifan/Williams]
  2. "Ripples" [Hannifan/Williams]
  3. "Keeler Pose" [Hannifan/Williams]
  4. "Hoover" [Hannifan/Williams]
  5. "We Dream Our Dreams" [Hannifan/Williams]
  6. "Bucketloads of Steam" [Hannifan/Williams]
  7. "Hug Your Pig" [Hannifan/Williams]
  8. "Elongate This Voodoo" [Hannifan/Williams]
  9. "The Moving Mellow" [Hannifan/Williams]
  10. "Meltdown" [Cooke/Williams]
  11. "Beaver" [Hannifan/Williams]
  12. "Humility" [Hannifan/Williams]
  13. "Tart/Yum-Yum Pig's Bum" [Williams]
  14. "Power" [Hannifan/Williams]
  15. "Kariba" [Hannifan/Williams]
  16. "Swordsman/Rider" [Hannifan/Williams]
  17. "Noddy and Big Ears" [Hannifan/Williams]
  18. "Tumbleweed" [Hannifan/Williams]
  19. "Kinky Stuff"
    1. "All Day and All of the Night" [Davies], cover
    2. "I Need You" [Davies], cover
    3. "Tired of Waiting for You" [Davies], cover
    4. "You Really Got Me" [Davies], cover
Also expected is The Smartypants Variations (Singsong Music) with Downes, Williams, Hannifan, Meros, D'Virgilio, Hawnt, Cooke and Aubrey. This appears to have alternate versions of earlier Zorbonauts songs, or is it just a compilation? The album was produced, engineered and mastered by Aubrey, executive produced by Williams and mixed by Aubrey/Williams. Tracks:
  1. "A Passage to Avalon" [Cooke/Paul Dean/Bill Hinde/Ray Sparrow/Williams]
  2. "Midnight Riders" [Cooke/Dean/Hinde/Sparrow/Williams]
  3. "Stone Free" [Jimi Hendrix], cover
  4. "Over the Chasm" [Cooke/Williams]
  5. "Mothballs" [Cooke/Dean/Hinde/Sparrow/Williams]
  6. "The Void" [Cooke/Williams]
  7. "Banging All Night Long" [Cooke/Williams]
  8. "Spiders' Rendezvous" [Cooke/Williams]
  9. "Faith Healer" [Alex Harvey/Hugh McKenna], cover
  10. "Into Another Dawn" [Cooke/Dean/Hinde/Sparrow/Williams]

Other news
In a Sep 2021 interview with Prog Radar, when asked about the possibility of a new solo album, Downes replied, "I have been thinking about doing something, although quite what that will be is very open. I think I'd like to do something in a similar vein to 'The Light Program' from 1987, a sort of 'stream of consciousness' album of its time". Asked in the Oct 2020 interview about the possibility of doing another New Dance Orchestra album, Downes replied, "I'm always open to doing another one".

In a May 2022 interview, Downes said, "during lockdown John [Lodge (ex-The Moody Blues)] and I wrote a couple of songs together; remotely of course (laughter). After that, John sent me a song a couple of months ago and I was going to put some keyboards on it, so I did that, and John really liked what I did on it." The latter song appears to be "Whispering Angels", included on the 5-song EP Love will Conquer All, due Feb 2025, and also with input from Jon Davison, Lodge's son-in-law. See more under Davison.

Downes played on the Producers' 2012 album Made in Basing Street with Trevor Horn. The album received a 5CD box set re-release in Jul 2024, although I don't think any of the previously unreleased material features Downes: see under Horn for details.

Downes produced The Cold Light of Day (Cherry Red Records) from rock band The Cold Blooded Hearts, featuring Gareth Ainsworth, released 21 Jul 2023 digitally, on CD (CDBRED885SGND) and vinyl (BRED885SGND). Details in Yescography. Ainsworth is currently the head coach of the football club Queens Park Rangers; he played with various clubs, including Wimbledon and Queens Park Rangers, before focusing on management. He has also sung since childhood and been in various bands. He sings lead vocals in The Cold Blooded Hearts (YouTube), with Lee-Van Sargeant (guitar, vocals) and Luke "Chalky" Sargeant (drums). Ainsworth and L-V Sargeant have worked together for 20 years. They formed Dog Chewed the Handle in 2004, the band subsequently changing its name to The Cold Blooded Hearts. Tracks:
  1. "High"
  2. "Love's Lost"
  3. "Hollow"
  4. "Eastern Sunrise"
  5. "Worth Waiting"
  6. "Cold Road"
  7. "Tell Me!"
  8. "She Ain't in Love with Me"
  9. "Grey"
  10. "Broken Sky"
  11. "Conspiracy of Silence", CD-only bonus track
Downes also plays keys on 8 tracks. On 14 Feb 2022, Downes tweeted, "Great few days working in my studio with footballer/manager legend Gareth Ainsworth and his band the Cold Blooded Hearts." Downes tweeted 4 Sep 2022, "Back working in my studio for a few days on a project with good friend and producer/engineer, Steve Rispin." This was followed by a 6 Sep tweet that described a "Great couple of days working on an album project at my studio with this legend of a footballer and Wycombe Wanderers manager, Gareth Ainsworth." DBA label Cherry Red Records are also a kit sponsor for Wycombe Wanderers (where Ainsworth previously played and then managed) and released a previous single by Ainsworth & the Cold Blooded Hearts.



Downes appeared on a track each on the latest two Prog Collective albums from Billy Sherwood, Seeking Peace and Songs We were Taught: see main page for details.

Aaron Emerson & Friends performed ELP's "Lucky Man" on YouTube to pay tribute to Keith Emerson and to promote the release of the 20CD Variations (although this recording is not included on the release). Performing are Aaron Emerson (Keith's son; Moog), Downes (keys), Nathan James (vocals), Marc Bonilla (worked with Keith Emerson, sort of in Asia; electric guitars), Chuck Wright (basses), Matt Fuller (acoustic guitars), Zak St.John (drums) and Rick Sailon (mandolin).

Out 10 Nov 2023 was a limited edition, 7CD, 91-track Greg Lake compilation, Magical (Manticore Records, distributed by Spirit Of Unicorn Records; trailer), organised in collaboration with Lake's family. This compiles Lake's two solo albums, Greg Lake (1981) and Manoeuvres (1983), the two archival compilations From the Underground (including "Heat of the Moment" with Asia, with Downes and Howe) and From the Underground Vol. II - Deeper Into the Mine (with 3 tracks with Ride the Tiger, with Downes), with three live sets, Songs of a Lifetime, Live in Piacenza, and Live from Manticore Hall by Emerson & Lake. The set comes in a 10"×10" box, with a 64-page book by Jerry Ewing.

Downes appeared on John Wetton's solo album Rock of Faith, which is included in the new An Extraordinary Life box: see details on main page.

In the Nov 2017 radio interview, Downes said he had recently returned to doing film and library music as well.

In a May 2023 interview, he talked about writing a memoir at some point.


YES and projects with several Yesmen
Jon
Anderson
Steve
Howe

Geoff
Downes
Chris Squire
Alan White
Billy
Sherwood

Jon
Davison

Rick
Wakeman

Patrick
Moraz

Trevor
Rabin

Trevor
Horn

Tony
Kaye

Oliver Wakeman
Jay Schellen
Igor
Khoroshev

Bill
Bruford

Peter Banks
Benoît David
Asia
Arc of Life
CIRCA:
Yes ft. Anderson Rabin Wakeman
Others associated with the band

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