I am going to comment on a documentary done ten years ago on VH1's
Behind The Music. Yes rock's greatest mystery, fronted by the group's
brilliant but reclusive lead singer Steve Perry, who in the series has
been portrayed as controlling , creative but a reluctant rock star.The band was formed in 1973 by two ex Santana members Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon. There you
see the interviews from past and present members of the band including co-founder
and keyboardist Gregg Rolie (1973-1980), drummer Aynsley Dunbar (1973-78), drummer
Steve Smith (1978-1986, 1996-98), keyboardist Jonathan Cain (1981-1986, 1996-present), bassist Ross Valory (1973-85, 1996-to present), and of course group founder and guitarist Neal Schon and of course the voice Steve Perry (1977-1986, 1996-98).
The documentary had never before seen interviews from its band members talking about
the good the bad and the ugly side of fame and fortune, and there their former manager Herbie Herbert talks about discovering the Portguese descndant lead singer
which is the making of a legend that was born in this mercurial band that is a blend of progressive rock and commercial sounds. Since his arrival he began to write songs
with either Neal Schon or with Jonathan Cain who would join the band after Rolie's
departure in 1980.
They even talk about making of "Open Arms" originally written for John Waite for the Babays but later Steve Perry wrote the words . Neal Schon on the other hand hated the song while recording it and when they played it live the attitude has changed even stunned the group's founder that he even said "am that song kicked ass' and Perry looked at Schon was going to kick ass after all the grief he gave him in the studio. There is a heartfelt song "Only the Young" which featured to the young kid who was dying from systic fibrosis asa dedication of the song to that young man,even
Jonathan Cain balled during the interview of the kid's death.Boo Hoo. Gte your kleenex ready
There you will see how they became so huge from a jam band to a corporate AOR prog rock supergroup and was under the genius management of Herbie Herbert.There you see
how they grew pressured from this album tour cycle, and their mercurial lead singer
became more distant from his bandmates. and how they broke up so mysteriously in 1986 and would briefly reformed in 1996 only to be break-up again. The documentary is so dramatic and hard hitting typical rock n' roll shit. Steve even says he doesn't feel like he was part of the band I am like "What the fuck is wrong with you dude?" I mean he was the dominant leader there and was calling the shots on the making of the records. His statements even puzzled his bandmates and even like me questioned it what the hell was he thinking. Was he trying to be a total schmuck? how pathetic that answer is for him to say since he work with them and achieved success at the same time. What a complete waste. But I still think Steve and Neal are the bomb.
Anyway here are videos of the Behind the Music documentary on one of the greatest rock bands of the late 1970's and early 1980's you guys be the judge join the discussion and what do you guys think.
Journey behind the music part 1
The band's genesis with Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon Journey Behind the Music part 2 , the making of a legend Steve Perry joins
Journey and the making of a rock music history
Journey Behind the music part 3 Gregg Rolie leaves journey, Jon Cain joins and "Escape" was born
Journey Behind The music part 4, Neal Schon hates "Open Arms" which became a classic rock hit and "Frontiers" became another hit in 1983
Journey Behind The music part 5: Steve becomes more isolated from the band and the trppings of fame and Neal and Steve are at odds with each other they do
solo albums, a young dying fan meets the band and feature a classic song, Jon Cain balls in the interview
Journey Behind the Music part 6: Ross and Steve gets fired by Steve and "Raise On Radio" record and tour begin and mysteriously disbands
Journey Behind the Music part 7: Journey is over mysteriously, Neal and Jonathan Cain formed Bad English, Steve Perry becomes a hermit only to briefly do a solo record, Ross Valory filed for bankrupcy, Journey reforms for the first time in 1986
Journey and Steve Perry split again (or should I say they forced him out)
and got a Steve Perry soundalike Steve Augeri , another Steve clone, and there is Steve's answer to "I never felt like I was part of the band" you be the judge
3 comments:
If you read later interviews with Steve you'll see that after the comment about 'Never feeling part of the band' the rest was edited out.He later said he meant it when he first joined because the other guys were 'so tight' together.
thank you for letting me know I wonder those producers at behind the music put things out if context. Sometimes I feel confused about it. But the other guys in the band are like I don't get it . I still like Steve Perry over the other guy who is cloning him.
Eh. I've also heard that that "not part of the band" comment was something Perry said with about ten minutes worth of qualifiers and back-and-forth, and it was used as a gotcha quote.
And honestly, singers are NOT like the rest of the band. People don't see this or refuse to see it, or act like it's some wuss thing, but people have to face it: performing feels different when you get one set of strings on your instrument to last you the rest of your life. Singing is different. Call it coddling, call it being a wuss, call it whatever, but that's how it is. Their instrument bleeds and ages. That makes things different.
Rock doesn't realize this, which is why they go through their best voices like crap through a goose. Domingo is still performing, and he's 70. That's what you can do when you work in an environment that understands what singing is really like. Meanwhile, burnt-out legendary singers-turned-hermits in stadium rock are like dead Spinal Tap drummers. Rock fucking rips through good voices like buckshot through wet kleenex.
I like Pineda fine; I just hope he gets to start sounding like HIMSELF. He's got a good voice -- he shouldn't have to play cubic zirconia for the rest of his life.
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