Noriko's ELP/Asia Fan Club Story - 1983
This Vol. 4 of the Fan Mag was specially made to present to Greg and Carl with their full discography. I was running Asia Fan Club at that time but at the
same time, I was running ELP Fan Club, as well. (See Norikio's Close Encounter!)
As you know, Asia did the first ever live satellite broadcast concert for MTV from Japan. They did very lengthy rehearsal (about 3 weeks) in Mie
prefecture in Japan before the actual broadcast in 6 Dec 1983. I don't think Greg had hardly any opportunities to rehearse with Asia before coming to
Japan, so he basically had 3 weeks before the broadcast. I still think he did absolutely incredible job for Asia in Asia. Many Japanese people thought he
was in fact John Wetton. Greg did the most amazing thing there.
I was seriously trying to remember what Asia Tour in Japan 1983 was like. There were 4 shows in total, 3 in Tokyo and 1 in Osaka. There was one
show in the evening of 6 December 1983. This was not the one known as Asia in Asia show on MTV. That broadcast show was actually done in 7
December 1983 @ 2pm in Tokyo Budokan to catch the peak hours in West Coast USA (I think...). Then they had another show next day (which was
originally planned as the evening show on 7th December but they changed to next day, the 8th). Then Asia took bullet train to Osaka next morning to do
the show in the evening of 9th December 1983. They took another bullet train back to Tokyo next morning. That was it, just 4 shows.
The build-up for that MTV broadcast was epic. Virtually everyone important was there in Japan with Asia, all execs from Geffen Record & MTV; I
remember Brian Lane was there. It was a massive historic event. The show started 2 in the afternoon to be at US peak time on TV! All of us at Budokan
needed to skip the school!! Asia was new Beatles for Japanese people!
The three weeks rehearsal took place where James Halley got some photos was called ' Nemunosato' in Mie prefecture, west central Japan, between
Nagoya and Osaka near the sea. It's a hotel/resort complex.
Thank you very much.
Kind regards,
Noriko