In a 1 Oct
2020 interview in Sean Tonar's SOAL series, asked how he had
been spending his time, Downes replied:
I've been working on a few bits and
pieces, few projects. We've been exchanging a few files… um, on
a new Yes album. So that's been pretty exciting. [...] I've done
another album with Chris Braide as well. And that's pretty well
finished now [...] Little projects here and there, really.
People ask me to play on a couple of tunes, and send me the
files and I get stuck in with it.
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, Glenn
Tilbrook, Clay Aiken, Will Young, Kylie Minogue, S Club 7).
On their fifth album (fourth studio album), Halcyon
Hymns (Cherry Red), they are joined by Dave
Bainbridge (Iona; guitar), Andy Hodge (worked with Gary Husband; bass) and Ash Soan (Trevor
Horn Band/Producers, Rick Wakeman,
worked with Dua Lipa, Adele, Will Young, Seal; drums),
with Barney Ashton-Bullock (worked with Andy Bell,
Giorgio Moroder, Dusty Springfield; narration). The
musicians recorded their parts seperately during the pandemic. Backing vocals are by Joe Catcheside and Chris's
children, Elijah and Sascha Braide, while guesting are Marc
Almond (Soft Cell, worked with Chris Braide,
Trevor Horn) and David Longdon (Big Big Train, Dyble/Longdon),
both of whom were on DBA's previous studio album. Roger Dean
live-streamed his painting of the cover artwork. The songs are
intended to reflect a bucolic, halcyon summer. The album is due
5 Feb 2021 as a CD/DVD
(DBACDVD005) or digitally and 26 Mar as a limited edition
2LP
white vinyl (DBALP005). The DVD contains lyric videos for
3 songs ("Love Among the Ruins", "Your Heart will Find the Way",
"Today") and Dean's live-streamed videos. Tracks:
"Love Among
the Ruins", first single, with a video
directed by Paolo Marchetti
"King of the Sunset"
"Your Heart will Find the Way", second
single, lyric
video
"Holding the Heavens", side 2 begins
"Beachcombers"
"Warm Summer Sun"
"Today", side 3 begins
"Hymn to Darkness"
"She'll be Riding Horses"
"Late Summer", side 4 begins
"Remembrance"
"Epilogue"
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." 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 #9 on the United
DJ Radio's Heritage chart in the UK.
DBA played their debut live show at Trading Boundaries
in Sep 2018. The duo performed with Hodge (bass), Colquhoun (guitar)
and pre-recorded drums, plus guests Almond (vocals) and Longdon
(vocals, flute; on "Tomorrow" and another song). Roger Dean
was also at the evening showing artwork. In response to a fan who
tweeted there should be more shows, Hodge replied,
"We're all in agreement with you, it's just a matter of how and when
really...Keep spreading the word and crossing your fingers and we'll
get there sometime!" In response to someone saying they would love
to see DBA play in the US, Downes replied,
"So would I ! Let's hope we can make that happen sometime soon." Live
in England (Cherry Red, X2XCD004) is a 2CD/DVD (NTSC
Region 0) release of the show, released 29 Nov 2019, with a Dean
cover. Tracks:
A 2LP version follows 14 Feb 2020. The band played 2 more shows 14/15
Feb, again at Trading Boundaries. The set was expected to include
some material by Asia. The 14 Feb show was reported to be nearly
sold out by mid-Oct 2019. The line-up is Downes, Braide, Longdon,
Hodge, Ashton-Bullock and Bainbridge.
Marc Almond has also been performing "Skin Deep" live, in at
least one of his shows, with Braide, Hodge and Soan in his live
band. (Braide, Hodge, Soan, Colquhon and Pietrini also worked on
Almond's Chaos and a Dancing Star, released Jan 2020.)
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."
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:
"Machinery of Fate" (5:26, as opposed to 5:12
originally)
"Suburban Ghosts - Parts 1 & 2" (6:39, vs.
6:46)
"Suburban Ghosts - Part 3" (but this is actually
"Vanity"; 4:13, vs. 4:14)
"Vanity" (but this is actually "Suburban Ghosts - Part
3"; 5:59, vs. 6:00)
"Number One" (4:12, vs. 4:20)
"Interlude" (1:23, vs. 1:14)
"North Sea" (but this is actually "Live Twice"; 4:54,
vs. 3:52)
"One of the Few" (but this is actually "North Sea";
5:14, vs. 5:15)
"Time Goes Fast" (but this is actually "One of the
Few"; 4:02, vs. 4:03)
"Live Twice" (but this is actually "Time Goes Fast";
4:05, vs. 4:06)
"Dreaming of England" (5:47, vs. 5:52)
"Finale" (1:49, as before)
Icon
The full Wetton/Downes Icon back catalogue is being re-released
through Cherry Red, to finish with a career-spanning box set, which
was due 2020, but has yet to appear. Asked about unreleased Icon
material on Twitter in May 2018 (before the re-releases of iCon
to iCon 3 were announced), Downes replied,
"A few gems waiting in the vaults [...] Stay with us there!" After
re-releases of Urban
Psalm, Zero
(a new version of the 2002 Wetton/Downes release that
predated the Icon name) and iCon,
next came Icon
II—Rubicon (ICON2CD; bonus track of "The Harbour Wall",
previously only released in Japan) and Icon 3
(ICON3CD; also with a previously Japan-only bonus track, a live
version of "Live Another Day").
Pulse,
Jerusalem and Deckchair Poets Downes has guested on many projects by Jersualem and their
side projects, produced/engineered by Rob Aubrey (worked with Wetton/Downes).
Jerusalem and Zorbonauts are more serious bands, while
Deckchair Poets is a humorous project, and Zebras Don't
Smoke is for covers albums. Zorbonauts' The Unobserved
Beaver (Singsong Music, Singsong 110) is a
digital-only release, out 16
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:
"Don't Give a Monkeys" [Hannifan/Williams]
"Over the Chasm" [Bob Cooke/Williams]
"Mississippi Summer" [Kahn], cover
"Shangri-La" [Cooke/Williams]
"Badge" [Clapton/Harrison], cover
"Spiders' Rendezvous" [Cooke/Williams]
"My Death in Germany"
[Hannifan/Williams]
"Stone Free" [Hannifan/Williams]
"Sick!" [Hannifan/Williams]
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
[Hannifan/Williams]
The first Zebras Don't Smoke album, Don't
Mention the Swedes (Singsong Music), is an Abba
tribute album, released digitally
only on 20 Nov 2020, with Downes, Williams,
Hannifan, D'Virgilio, Meros, Hawnt and Aubrey. Tracks:
"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Gal
After Midnight)" (4:49)
"Under Attack" (3:51)
"Elaine" (3:39)
"Summer Night City" (3:41)
"I'm a Marionette" (4:09)
"The Name of the Game" (5:20)
"Lay All Your Love on Me" (4:14)
"Two for the Price of One"
(3:51)
"Hole in Your Soul" (3:43)
"Tiger" (2:56)
"When All is Said and Done"
(3:48)
"Get on the Carousel" (4:57)
#ad
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There are two more Zorbonauts albums coming: Armed
Slobbery is with Downes, Williams, Hannifan, Meros,
D'Virgilio, Hawnt, Ray Drury, Will Wilde, Cooke, Hall, Gina Briant
and Aubrey. Tracks:
"Driving Down Alvarado" [Anne
McCue/Janet Robin], cover
"The Void" [Cooke/Williams]
"Your Oilfield's on Fire"
[Cooke/Williams]
"Echoes of the Charcoal Cenotaph"
[Hannifan/Williams]
"Yardbird" [Hannifan/Williams]
"Beautifully Kinky" [Hannifan/Williams]
"Not Fade Away" [Buddy Holly/Norman
Petty], cover
"Banging All Night Long"
[Cooke/Williams]
"Bloodhound" [Larry Bright], cover
"Faith Healer" [Alex Harvey/Hugh
McKenna], cover
"Merry-Go-Round" [Cooke/Williams]
Next expected is The Smartypants
Variations with 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? Tracks:
"A Passage to Avalon" [Cooke/Paul
Dean/Bill Hinde/Ray Sparrow/Williams]
"Into Another Dawn"
[Cooke/Dean/Hinde/Sparrow/Williams]
Also forthcoming is Deckchair Poets' The
Crop Circlers' Guide to Abstract Expressionism with Downes,
Williams, Hannifan, Meros, D'Virgilio, Hawnt, Drury, Wilde, Cooke,
Hall and Aubrey. Tracks:
"Fool Too Long" [N Lowe/D Edmunds/B
Bremner/T Williams], cover
"Bleat" [Hannifan/Williams]
"Even the Queen" [Hannifan/Williams]
"Hey Napoleon" [Hannifan/Williams]
"Pointing Percy" [Hannifan/Williams]
"Fish on Your Car" [Hannifan/Williams]
"Willy's Caught" [Hannifan/Williams]
"Twang" [Hannifan/Williams]
"Sheepless in Seattle"
[Hannifan/Williams], instrumental
"Sgt Friday" [Cooke/Williams]
First described by
Downes in a Feb
2007 blog, Pulse was a project put together by Aubrey (engineer) with Downes (keys), Michael Holmes (IQ;
guitar) and D'Virgilio (drums, vocals). Tony Levin
(King Crimson, worked with Yes; bass) and
Thomas
Lang (Eddie
Jobson, ex-John Wetton; drums) were also
involved at some point. Downes wrote:
[In Feb 2007] We [Downes, Holmes & Aubrey] were
working on a few tracks that they have been putting together
at their respective studios. At the moment it's what you might
call a 'virtual' project, with people sending in their
stuff/parts from all over the World. [...] It's a fairly
interesting but low-key kind of project, and the material -
quite different and unusual, but at the moment is still very
much a kind of 'work-in-progress' type of thing. Any of you
prog-heads out there will probably love it all and lap it up
In 2009, Aubrey described Pulse as being close to completion. In Jun
2011, one track, "Immortalized", was previewed on a radio show (available on
podcast, see show 7B, around the 33 minute mark). Interviewed
on the show, Holmes described how Aubrey put the album together and
also working on one Pulse track that is over 7 minutes long.
D'Virgilio said in a Nov 2011 website
message that:
I will be going back to
London at the beginning of 2012 with Cirque [Du Soleil] and
during that time I will be able to get back down to Rob Aubrey’s
studio to do some more sessions with [...] BIG BIG TRAIN and
even try and finish a project that got started a number of years
ago now called “PULSE” with Mike Holmes of IQ fame.
While on Facebook
in Feb 2012, he said: "Hangin with Mike Holmes, Geoff Downes, and
Rob making music! WHOO HOO!!!"
However, asked in the Oct 2020
interview about the project, Downes said, "It was just a [...]
off the shelf kind of thing we were doing. Never really did that
much, I think we had a couple of tracks. But it never really, sort
of, got the legs for whatever reason. So, I mean, maybe one day,
y'know, a couple of the ideas will come out. But [...] it never
really got developed."
Greg Lake and Downes' "Affairs of the Heart", a 1989/90
recording first released on 2015's Ride
the Tiger, is included on the 2CD Greg Lake
retrospective The Anthology - A Musical Journey, out
23 Oct on BMG. The album made #12 in the Oct 2020 UK Progressive
albums chart.
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. 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".