John Wetton, 1949-2017

 

News this morning that John Wetton, bass player and singer with King Crimson and several other bands, died overnight. As Robert Fripp noted this morning, "John flew away c. 05.25 this Tuesday morning, January 31st. 2017 [UK time]":

JW was, for me, the leading bass player of his generation, a player of international class, before John moved increasingly to the front as singer and songwriter…
    During the past decade, JW became a hero of mine, courageous and exemplary in dealing and speaking frankly of his alcoholism http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/show_interview.php?id=153. Visiting John during not-so-good times, and then good times, we became closer than in the three previous decades; John’s conversation was wonderfully clear, honest, positive, encouraging.

Crimson’s music (my favourite of Wetton’s) is not for everyone, but for those who it is for …

Here’s an alternative mix of ‘Exiles’ from the album Lark’s Tongues in Aspic, Wetton’s first with the band:

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