The Journey of Journey: A Radio Retrospective

Our story starts at Woodstock, where a young Carlos Santana stands at the edge of glory. He doesn’t realize the significance that this festival is going to have on the history of music. Because of this, he’s heavily tripping on acid, as is the rest of his band. This is the big break that they’re looking for. Their careers are about to take off. Among the crew is Gregg Rollie, a keyboardist and singer who will eventually sing the hit song Black Magic Woman.

Years later, Rollie will sing another Santana hit.

No One To Depend On- Santana

The uncredited adaptation of Spanish Grease by Willie Bobo was a hit for Santana.

Among its legend was that it’s among the first songs for a brand new guitarist who joins Santana’s ranks for this album. His name is Neal Schon, and he gets along well with Rollie. Eventually, they break off from Santana to from their own band.

They call it Journey

To Play Some Music- Journey

They produced 3 albums, Self Titled, Look Into The Future, and Next. Rollie sings on them, Schon plays guitar. They recruit Ross Valory’s bass and Ansley Dunbar’s drumming.

Like Rollie’s songs with Santana, his vocals aren’t the feature of the band. The musicianship of everyone is more important here. They play rock and roll, but it’s more psychadelic and progressive at times. Because of this, their sales aren’t great and the singles don’t come within miles of the Billboard charts.

Management introduces the band to a frontman. A singer with a powerful voice to carry their stage presence for audiences that can’t tap into their masterful musicianship for whatever reason. His name is Stephen Ray Perry, we’re going to call him Steve.

Feeling That Way- Journey

I like this as an introduction to Steve Perry. We start off with Rollie singing, before passing the torch to Perry. Perry’s vocal soar higher and louder than Rollie does. It’s like we’re physically hearing Perry step into the role of a lifetime.

Selfishly, it’s also my single favorite Journey song. It’s just so cathartic to listen to. The buildup into such a large ending is a triumph. Of course, this wasn’t most peoples introduction to Journey. The first single Perry’s new Journey released was this one.

Lights- Journey

It’s smart that this new era of Journey honored the city that supported it. The city by The Bay naturally means San Francisco, California. A mecca for the psychedelia movement in art, music, and more.

From here on out, Journey is going to see larger measures of success. Lights was the first single to hit the Billboard charts. Their next album will do the same thing with the single Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin. It was a gradual level of success that was going to blow up any second now.

Anyway You Want It- Journey

Here we are. Journey becomes itself. Gracious guitar solos, Perry singing his heart out, anthemic keyboard riffs situated perfectly at the beginning of the 1980s when we didn’t really know what rock and roll could become in the new decade.

Journey gives us a sneak peek into the triumphant sound we get to expect.

As Journey seemed to be ascending to a higher realm of rock and roll, they had one other roadblock to get over.

Show Me The Way- The Storm

Gregg Rollie, keyboard player and original singer, leaves the band a little after this tour of this album wraps up. His next band is a group called The Storm.

On his way out, he recommends another keyboard player named Johnathan Cain. As of right now he’s in a group called The Babys. Is he, and his band, any good?

STATION BREAK

Back On My Feet Again- The Babys

Yeah, I’d say he’ll fit right in with Journey. His hold over the synths mesh perfectly with this new era of pop rock Journey. Cain compliments everybody in the band, and will even cowrite a few songs. In a second we’ll hear the song he had the most hand in writing. By this point, they also replaced their drummer with Steve Smith, who will join this new version of Journey.

So, this new version of Journey released Escape, which is their most successful album easily. All 4 singles made the Billboard Top 20, this next one only made it to number 9, but will redefine the band forever.

Don’t Stop Believin’- Journey

And here we are. The song that immortalized Journey’s place in music and pop culture. Escape becomes Journey’s best selling album, and is easily my favorite of theirs. DSB isn’t the most successful single at the time, nor is it the highest charting single, but time will become extremely kind to this song for whatever reason or another.

Faithfully- Journey

Remember when I said that John Cain had one song that he’s entirely responsible for writing? This is it.

He was having relationship problems at the time, and wanted to exorcise the demons haunting him through song. It’s a common practice for lovelorn musicians. And one that’ll be employed by one of Cain’s coworkers very soon.

Oh Sherrie- Steve Perry

Without a shadow of a doubt the most successful solo venture Steve Perry will ever do. The album Street Talk will outsell every future album, and Oh Sherrie will outperform every single on this album, and of course the future ventures.

Oh Sherrie places itself as a personal love song. The music video sees Steve on a video set, before leaving to sing on a set of stairs. He starts singing to Sherrie Swafford, the girl of the title. The lyrics are about her, and she even appears in the music video. At the end of the video they walk off, hand in hand, into the wild blue yonder.

It’s impossible to say where their relationship was at this point, as both Perry and Swafford rarely talk about each other publicly. Sherrie will eventually leave Steve to become a private citizen, alledgedly running an esthitician practice somewhere. Before they broke up, she stuck with Perry as he and Journey produced one last glorious album.

Raised on Radio- Journey

It was the last really great album of Journey. One of a band, on top of the world they in-part created. They got some other Billboard cracking singles that will land in their greatest hit compilations soon. By this point, Ross Valory would leave the band, promoting then-unknown bass player Randy Jackson and future American Idol judge to a spot in the band.

When I See You Smile- Bad English

Have you ever played billiards before? If so, are you any good at it? If yes, then you’re shot is practiced enough that pool sharks will tell you that you have “Good English”. Singer John Waite did not, so when Cain told him he had Bad English, they had something to call their brand new supergroup.

Be Good To Yourself- Journey

Admittedly I ran out of time to finish the broadcasts with the songs I wanted. I wanted to showcase new-school Journey, since they have underrated material in their 2000s albums. Still, it was probably for the best. The post-Steve Perry years have seen Journey fans tear themselves apart in his absence.

If you haven’t checked it out, I recommend giving the album Arrival a consideration. The instrumentation is still great, and the songs fit into the Journey canon.

If you can’t, then at least Be Good To Yourself, you could use it.