"ASIA IN ASIA" was a major event where Asia broadcast their live concert from the Budokan to the whole of the US via satellite. It has been exactly 30 years since that day in December 1983, on December 7th this week. This is the week that marks this milestone, and an unearthed video that will amaze fans has finally been released. This is a video of the press conference held at the Akasaka Prince Hotel in Tokyo, where they were staying at the time, on December 5th, 1983 (!! The day before the first day of the concert (the 6th)!!), and the "Japan exclusive live broadcast version of ASIA IN ASIA" that was broadcast simultaneously to the domestic audience by a local Japanese TV station from 2pm onwards. It is not well known because it was broadcast by a local station, but the US broadcast of that day was also broadcast live in a very small part of Japan, and it is now revived here. Of course, both are first-time footage. Both of these videos are rare, but the press conference in particular is an amazing unearthed video that has never been recorded on a bootleg video or DVD in the past, nor has it ever been posted on a video sharing site. Naturally, it was only broadcast once, so it is no exaggeration to say that most people are watching it for the first time. Although the picture quality has deteriorated slightly with age, it remains clear enough to be hard to believe it was 30 years ago (please see the sample image posted), and the members, who are about to hold that big event tomorrow, greet Japan and speak of their enthusiasm in front of the press. The questions from the press were also quite interesting, with questions such as "How did you spend your time in Nemu-no-Sato and Nagoya during the three weeks since you came to Japan?" and "How will Asia change with Greg joining, and will it continue with this lineup in the future?", and I would like you to take a look at the very interesting answers given by Carl, Steve, and Greg himself to these questions. In particular, Steve's answers include a section about the concept and sound of the phantom third album with this lineup that was not realized in the end, and the content is quite interesting. After the press conference, the "Japan Broadcast Version of ASIA IN ASIA" begins. This footage has never been available on the bootleg market or on video sharing sites before. What's interesting is that the show is hosted by a popular Japanese rock singer and a presenter who are still active today, and you can relive the excitement of the live broadcast in the US that was also broadcast live to some living rooms in Japan that day, just as it was broadcast locally. Another unique feature of this Japan Broadcast Version is the caption "First satellite broadcast from Budokan!! Exclusive live broadcast of ASIA IN ASIA" and the sponsorship of the program when it transitions to commercials. The content of the live footage is the same as what you can watch on the official video or laser disk, but because the press conference was broadcast first, this Japan Broadcast Version starts halfway through "Here Comes The Feeling". The video has some parts at the end of "Only Time Will Tell" where the video is severely distorted, and also a moment in the second half of "Open Your Eyes", but the rest of the video is recorded with very good sound quality and image quality. Another feature of the first live broadcast is the caption "BUDOKAN TOKYO → FOR MTV SMITHTOWN N.Y." during the keyboard solo, which is not included in the official video or LD. The broadcast video is returned to the Japanese TV station studio when they start playing "Wildest Dreams", but what's interesting here is that "Time Again", the actual first song of the day, will be played at the end of the program. This was done to fit the length of the program, but the footage of the first song was taken out immediately and edited, and the performance time was calculated backwards from the end of the broadcast, and the program's sponsorship and copyright captions were pre-applied to play it as one song at the end, so that the performance would not be cut off and the broadcast would end exactly within the time slot. This may be a simple task in the digital age, but at the time, it was amazing that they managed to do this in just 53 minutes of live broadcast with analog work such as cutting and pasting video tape and adding captions. And the live feeling of the video broadcaster in 1983 is also a unique charm of this Japanese broadcast version. In addition to this, this work also includes a well-preserved video clip of "Did It All For Love" from the project "PHENOMENA ?", which Wetton was involved in in 1987. And to top it off, the DVD also includes original interview footage from a legendary Japanese music show hosted by a popular Japanese music DJ, which caught the four members of Asia in Canada in the summer of 1983 and aired on the show. Here, they mainly talk about their second album, "ALPHA," but it's interesting to hear Wetton, who would soon leave the band, talk about "ALPHA" for a Japanese music show. Carl also talks about his passion for Japan, and even includes a scene where he comments on Nihon University. In addition, the DVD also includes "Don't Cry" and "Fake Smile" with Japanese subtitles, which were a feature of this popular music show (※I've written them in Japanese titles to follow the show's titles), so it's more than just a bonus, it's packed with other great content. This week marks exactly 30 years since ASIA IN ASIA, and the parade of unearthed footage will surely bring new discoveries and excitement to those days. This is a very special title that has been made possible only because of this memorable week!! Live at Budokan, Tokyo, Japan 7th December 1983 (from 2:00PM) (54:08) 1. Press Conference(Akasaka Prince Hotel 5th December 1983) 2. Programme Intro. (feat. Don't Cry) 3. Here Comes The Feeling 4. Eye To Eye 5. Sketches In The Sun 6. Only Time Will Tell 7. Open Your Eyes 8. Keyboard Solo 9. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes 10. Wildest Dreams 11. Time Again Greg Lake - Lead Vocal, Bass Steve Howe - Guitar, Vocal Geoffrey Downes - Keyboards, Vocal Carl Palmer - Drums, Percussion Bonus Tracks 12. Did It All For Love (Phenomena II) Best Hit USA 1983 "Star Of The Week" 13. Don't Cry (with Japanese subtitles) 14. Interviews with John Wetton, Steve Howe, Geoff Downes & Carl Palmer in Montreal 15. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (with Japanese subtitles) PRO-SHOT COLOR NTSC Approx. 54min.
Free Shipping on Every Order!
