Where are they now? - Geoff
Downes
This page last updated: 21 Jul 2020
On this page: Solo - DBA - iCon - 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 is in
Yes (see main page for their activity) and Asia (details are on the
Asia page).
The Downes Braide Association (DBA) is Downes and Chris Braide (ex-Producers,
This Oceanic
Feeling, written for Trevor Horn, Sia, Paloma Faith, Lana Del Rey, David Guetta, Cheryl Tweedy, Glenn
Tilbrook, Clay Aiken, Will Young, Kylie Minogue, S Club 7).
On 26 Jun 2020, they tweeted that they were
working on their fourth studio album, with Dave Bainbridge (Iona; guitar), Andy Hodge (worked with Gary Husband; bass) and Barney
Ashton-Bullock (worked with Andy Bell, Giorgio
Moroder, Dusty Springfield; spoken word), these three
adding their parts separately. 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." Roger
Dean will be live-streaming his painting of the cover
artwork.
Their third studio album was Skyscraper
Souls (Cherry Red, X2XCD003). The album was
performed, written and produced by Downes (piano, keys,
programming, Vocoder) and Braide (lead vocals, piano, keys,
programming). Also performing are Ash Soan (Trevor Horn Band/Producers,
Rick
Wakeman, worked with
Adele, Will Young, Rick Wakeman's English Rock Ensemble,
Seal; drums, percussion), Hodge (bass guitars),
Dave Colquhoun (Rick Wakeman, ex-Francis Dunnery, ex-Paul Young, ex-T'Pau; guitars)
and Matt Bourne Jones (trumpet). There is narration spoken
and written by Ashton-Bullock. Andy Partridge (worked with Steven
Wilson, ex-XTC) performs background vocals,
lead & acoustic guitars, mandolin and sleigh bells.
Tracks:
Braide's sons, Elijah and Sascha, provide vocals on tracks 2, 3, 5 & 6. Tracks 2-7 were from original ideas by Downes, with Braide seeming to have written most or all of the lyrics and to have led on arrangements. |
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In a Nov 2019 interview, asked about a new studio album, Downes 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 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."
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A new version of their 2015 album, Suburban
Ghosts, was released digitally only in Dec 2018.
Suburban Ghosts 2018 (X2X Records) is described as a
remix, but appears to involve new recordings with Patrick Howley (worked
with Braide; electric guitar), Andy Hodge (bass)
and Ash Soan (drums). The album was remixed by Braide and
mastered by Mike Pietrini. However, as of early Jan 2019,
the tracks were mixed up. The band's Twitter account said
4 Jan that they were working on fixing this. Tracks:
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Icon
II—Rubicon (ICON2CD) is remastered and comes with a
bonus track of "The Harbour Wall", previously only released in
Japan. Icon
3 (ICON3CD) is remastered and also includes a
previously Japan-only bonus track, inserted as the 10th track.
This is a live version of "Live Another Day".
With
Trevor Horn
The Buggles news is under Horn and
the pair have been working together on new material, and a
possible tour and musical. Latest news
here.
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Pulse, Jerusalem and
Deckchair Poets Downes has guested on several projects by Jersualem and their side projects, Deckchair Poets and Zorbonauts, produced/engineered by Rob Aubrey (worked with Wetton/Downes). Zorbonauts' The Unobserved Beaver (Singsong Music, Singsong 110) is a digital-only release due 24 Jul 2020, with Downes, Lynden Williams, Ollie Hannifan, Nick D'Virgilio (Big Big Train, ex-Spock's Beard, worked with Genesis), Dave Meros (Spock's Beard), Rachael Hawnt, Bob Cooke, Rachel Hall (Big Big Train) and Aubrey. Tracks:
Released Oct 2019 was Tall Tails (Angel Air, SJPCD603), the first Zorbonauts album with Downes (keys), Williams (vocals), Hannifan (guitars), D'Virgilio (drums, percussion), Meros (bass), Hawnt (vocals), Bob Cooke (Jerusalem; additional guitar), Rachel Hall (violin) and Will Wilde (harmonica). Tracks: "Midnight Steamer", "She Came Like a Bat from Hell", "Beyond the Grave", "I See the Light", "Murderer's Lament", "Simple Man", "Frustration", "Kamikaze Moth", "Hooded Eagle", "When the Wolf Sits", "Primitive Man". The album re-interprets material performed and recorded by Williams in his early period in Jerusalem; all material was written by Cooke/Paul Dean/Bill Hinde/Ray Sparrow/Williams. Details in Yescography. |
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Nov 2019 brought Deckchair Poets' Always Piste at Christmas (Angel Air, SJPCD604) with Downes, Williams, Hannifan, D'Virgilio, Meros, Hawnt, Cooke, Hall and Wilde again. Tracks: "It's Christmas", "The King", "Hot Water Bottles", "Reindeer in the Sky", "Ebenezer", "Go! Rudolph! Go!", "Shout", "Mistletoe", "The Man in Red", "Champers and Hay", "What a Waste", "Iced Buns", "Merry Christmas", "Where This River Flows". All songs were written by Hannifan/Williams, except "Where This River Flows" by Cooke/Williams. Details in Yescography.
On 11 Oct 2018, he tweeted, "At work today on the new 'Jerusalem' album with Rob Aubrey and [...] Lynden Williams." That has yet to appear, unless it became one of the other projects described. On 14 Nov 2017, Downes had tweeted about working with Aubrey, although it is not known whether this was for Jerusalem, Deckchair Poets or Pulse.
First described by
Downes in a Feb
2007 blog, Pulse is a project put together by Aubrey (engineer) with Downes (keys), Tony Levin
(King Crimson, worked with Yes; bass),
Michael Holmes (IQ;
guitar), D'Virgilio (drums, vocals) and Thomas
Lang (Eddie
Jobson, ex-John Wetton; drums, although it is
unclear if he is still involved). Downes wrote:
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Other news Downes was the musical director and played piano for a performance of "Imagine" by Nathan James and Friends ft. Paul Rodgers, released on YouTube. The video was produced and directed by Nathan James (Inglorious), and mixed and produced by Josiah J Manning, with project management by Maria Lundy at QEDG Management (manage Yes, Asia and Downes). The video encourages donations to Samaritans UK, Women's Aid, Clic Sargent and Dots - Dogs on the Streets. The other performers are Calum Ingram, Toby Jepson, Danny Vaughan, Dan Byrne (Revival Black), Jasmine Rodgers, Michael Sweet (Stryper), Oliver Lewis, Deborah Bonham, Olivia Jageurs, Caleb Johnson, Phil Beaver, Danny Dela Cruz, Wyatt Wendels, Cormac Neeson, Dino Jelusic, Chloe Lowery, Vinnie Colla, Sophie Burrell, Dan Stevens, Dave Kilminster (works with Roger Waters, ex-Wetton/Downes, ex-John Wetton, ex-Qango), Jeff Scott Soto, Kris Barras, Heather Leoni, Andrew Freeman, Rob Baynes, Shaun Richards. Downes plays "Lucky Man" on A Tribute to Keith Emerson & Greg Lake, produced by Billy Sherwood: see on the main page for details. Downes guests on a track on Crossover by David Cross & Peter Banks: see on main page for details. Downes appeared on John Wetton's solo album Rock of Faith, which is included in the forthcoming 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. He tweeted Jan 2014: "Soon to be released - GD App designed by Apple alumnus Ken Segall focusing on Asia, Yes, Buggles, Icon, DBA, NDO etc...Watch this space!!" |