JOURNEY [US] - AOR
|
|
|
|
|
|
Journey @ E-Werk, Köln (DE) - March 19, 2007 - Pictures by Franky Bruyneel
Introduction
Journey, one of the most popular AOR bands ever, was founded in San
Francisco, California (US) in 1973. Originally called the Golden Gate Rhythm
Section, it was the intention of manager Herbie Herbert to let the band serve
as a backing group for established artists around the Bay Area, but that path
was quickly abandoned and the five members developed a kind of jazz fusion
style. In the original line-up we found Neal Schon (g) and Gregg Rolie (k, lv)
from Santana, Ross Valory (b) and George Tickner (rg) from Frumious
Bandersnatch and Prairie Prince (d) from The Tubes.
Journey’s first three albums didn’t sell enough though and that’s why their label (Columbia Records) requested an immediate change of style as well as the addition of a real frontman. Enter Robert Fleischman on vocals and the jazz fusion style was left behind in favour of a more popular style. Fleischman wouldn’t stay for long however and late 1977 his place was taken by Steve Perry, who quickly seemed to be the right man for the vocal job.
Journey became an immense popular AOR act and the next six studio albums were all certified multi-platinum. Their biggest selling studio album was “Escape”, which was released on July 31, 1981. It was their first to feature keyboard player Jonathan Cain, who came over from The Babys. Co-produced by Mike Stone and Kevin Elson, “Escape” is Journey’s only album that reached the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. So far it has sold over 9,000,000 copies in the US alone and was thus certificated 9x Platinum by the RIAA. The album brought forth four US Top 20 singles: “Who’s Crying Now” (July 1981), “Don’t Stop Believin’” (October 1981), “Open Arms” (which is still the band’s highest charting single until now, January 1982) and “Still They Ride” (May 1982).
Worldwide more than 12,000,000 copies of “Escape” were sold, but the best selling Journey album is still their “Greatest Hits” compilation, which was released on November 15, 1988. More than 18,000,000 copies of that sampler were sold worldwide, of which 15,000,000 in the US alone. The RIAA certified it with 15x Platinum.
Problems between Steve Perry and the rest of the band led to a band sabbatical between 1987 and 1995, but in the classic (read: Escape) line-up Journey returned in 1996 with the album “Trial By Fire”. It would become the last Journey album with Perry as frontman. He had injured his hip in the summer of 1997, making it impossible for him to perform.
Since then several vocalists have fronted Journey: first Steve Augeri, then Jeff Scott Soto and since the end of 2007 Arnel Pineda. The only album that was certified platinum since the new millennium was 2008’s “Revelation”.
Chris Lambert
Journey’s first three albums didn’t sell enough though and that’s why their label (Columbia Records) requested an immediate change of style as well as the addition of a real frontman. Enter Robert Fleischman on vocals and the jazz fusion style was left behind in favour of a more popular style. Fleischman wouldn’t stay for long however and late 1977 his place was taken by Steve Perry, who quickly seemed to be the right man for the vocal job.
Journey became an immense popular AOR act and the next six studio albums were all certified multi-platinum. Their biggest selling studio album was “Escape”, which was released on July 31, 1981. It was their first to feature keyboard player Jonathan Cain, who came over from The Babys. Co-produced by Mike Stone and Kevin Elson, “Escape” is Journey’s only album that reached the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. So far it has sold over 9,000,000 copies in the US alone and was thus certificated 9x Platinum by the RIAA. The album brought forth four US Top 20 singles: “Who’s Crying Now” (July 1981), “Don’t Stop Believin’” (October 1981), “Open Arms” (which is still the band’s highest charting single until now, January 1982) and “Still They Ride” (May 1982).
Worldwide more than 12,000,000 copies of “Escape” were sold, but the best selling Journey album is still their “Greatest Hits” compilation, which was released on November 15, 1988. More than 18,000,000 copies of that sampler were sold worldwide, of which 15,000,000 in the US alone. The RIAA certified it with 15x Platinum.
Problems between Steve Perry and the rest of the band led to a band sabbatical between 1987 and 1995, but in the classic (read: Escape) line-up Journey returned in 1996 with the album “Trial By Fire”. It would become the last Journey album with Perry as frontman. He had injured his hip in the summer of 1997, making it impossible for him to perform.
Since then several vocalists have fronted Journey: first Steve Augeri, then Jeff Scott Soto and since the end of 2007 Arnel Pineda. The only album that was certified platinum since the new millennium was 2008’s “Revelation”.
Chris Lambert
Line-up changes
Lead vocals: Gregg Rolie (73-77) > Robert Fleischman (77) > Steve Perry (77-98) > Steve Augeri (98-06) > Jeff Scott Soto* (06-07) > Arnel Pineda (07-now)
Lead guitars: Neal Schon (73-now)
Rhythm guitars: George Tickner (73-75) > Jonathan Cain (80-now)
Keyboards: Gregg Rolie (73-80) > Stevie Roseman** (80) > Jonathan Cain (80-now)
Bass: Ross Valory (73-85) > Randy Jackson (85-87) > Bob Glaub** (86) > Ross Valory (95-now)
Drums: Prairie Prince* (73-74) > Aynsley Dunbar (74-78) > Steve Smith (78-85) > Larry Londin** (85-86) > Mike Baird* (86-87) > Steve Smith (95-98) > Deen Castronovo (98-now)
Notes: * = touring musicians | ** = session musicians | In bold: the "Escape" line-up
Lead guitars: Neal Schon (73-now)
Rhythm guitars: George Tickner (73-75) > Jonathan Cain (80-now)
Keyboards: Gregg Rolie (73-80) > Stevie Roseman** (80) > Jonathan Cain (80-now)
Bass: Ross Valory (73-85) > Randy Jackson (85-87) > Bob Glaub** (86) > Ross Valory (95-now)
Drums: Prairie Prince* (73-74) > Aynsley Dunbar (74-78) > Steve Smith (78-85) > Larry Londin** (85-86) > Mike Baird* (86-87) > Steve Smith (95-98) > Deen Castronovo (98-now)
Notes: * = touring musicians | ** = session musicians | In bold: the "Escape" line-up
Recommended albums
#1 Frontiers
1983 |
#2 Escape
1981 |
#3 Raised On Radio
1986 |
#4 Infinity
1978 |
#5 Trial By Fire
1996 |
DiscographyGregg Rolie
01|1975|Journey US #138 | 681 (#11) 02|1976|Look Into The Future US #100 | 674 (#13) 03|1977|Next US #85 | 676 (#12) Steve Perry 04|1978|Infinity US #21 (3x Platinum) | 784 (#4) 05|1979|Evolution US #20 (3x Platinum) | 723 (#9) 06|1980|Departure US #8 (3x Platinum) | 723 (#10) 07|1981|Escape US #1 (9x Platinum) | 810 (#2) 08|1983|Frontiers US #2 (6x Platinum) | 813 (#1) 09|1986|Raised On Radio US #4 (2x Platinum) | 795 (#3) 10|1996|Trial By Fire US #3 (Platinum) | 768 (#5) Steve Augeri 11|2001|Arrival US #56 | 750 (#7) 12|2005|Generations US #170 | 665 (#14) Arnel Pineda 13|2008|Revelation US #5 (Platinum) | 768 (#6) 14|2011|Eclipse US #13 | 733 (#8) |
Rock Report's choice
EscapeColumbia, 1981
Produced by Mike Stone & Kevin Elson Cover by Stanley Mouse Charts: US #1 (9x Platinum) Ratings: HH: 91 (48) | RYM: 3.55 (1164) Total rating: 810 Updated: 141214 Line-upSteve Perry (lv)
Neal Schon (g, v) Ross Valory (b, v) Steve Smith (d, p) Jonathan Cain (k, v) |
Track listing01|Don’t Stop Believin’
(SP/NS/JC)
US #9 (5x Platinum) 02|Stone In Love (SP/NS/JC) 03|Who’s Crying Now (SP/JC) US #4 (Gold) 04|Keep On Runnin’ (SP/NS/JC) 05|Still They Ride (SP/NS/JC) US #19 06|Escape (SP/NS/JC) 07|Lay It Down (SP/NS/JC) 08|Dead Or Alive (SP/NS/JC) 09|Mother, Father (NS/SP/JC/MS) 10|Open Arms (SP/JC) US #2 (Gold) SongwritersJC = Jonathan Cain
MS = Matt Schon NS = Neal Schon SP = Steve Perry 
|
Links
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
