The Journey Force Fan Club Newsletter from November 1, 1986, part 3

There's still not a whole lot of "Raised On Radio" merchandise available through the newsletter, I really like the Tuxedo Jacket with Tails. Pen Pals is always fun to read the comments people write about what they are looking for in a pen pal. 

There's also a new section called "Journey's Mailbag" where they share some peoples comments from the letters they write to the band. It looks like people are really enjoying the live shows!  The "Special Force Seating" was really a joke because you had to go to box office of the venue to purchase the tickets. Even if the concert was sold out, they had tickets available for Journey Force Members, but I wouldn't count on it.

The last page of the Newsletter starts off with answering questions from members who wrote in. There's a question about a rumor that "Raised On Radio" would be Journey's last tour. There's also another "Radio Pass" contest where someone can win backstage passes for the shows.

We end this week on giving the gift of Journey...

Journey Raised On Radio Tour Book 1986 Concert Program, part 9

The last of the pages of the Raised on Radio Tour Book are upon us. We get some great pictures of the entire band including the last picture of Mike Baird and Randy Jackson we ever have to see.

The last of the list of credits fills out the last inside page of the Tour Book. The Journey Force of course has an ad to sign up is in there too!

The "Raised On Radio" album was delayed for over a year and after a title change, the firing of two long standing band members and complete control given to Steve Perry. This broke the one word album titles manager Herbie Herbert had developed back with the third album "Next". The album was supposed to be called "Freedom". We have a remnant left out called "Liberty" which was recorded for "Freedom" and had no place on "Raised On Radio" which can be found on Journey's box set, "Time".

The album art for the album was created by Journey's original drummer, Prairie Prince. The design is based on Steve Perry's family's Radio Station in Northern California. The album was released on April 21, 1986 and the tour started 4 months later. Sales for the album were not at all as great as they were for "Captured", "Escape" or "Frontiers".

This Tour would end up being the last Journey Tour with Steve Perry as frontman...

Continued next week...

Robert Fleischman, Journey's Lead Singer before Steve Perry shines

Gregg Rolie was Journey's original Lead Singer before they actually went looking for a Lead Singer.

Journey started out as a jam band, the songs were very long instrumental songs and if vocals were needed they were done by Gregg. The other 3 or 4 members contributed to the background vocals.

After the release of the release of their first three albums, Columbia Records wanted Journey to have a lead singer. The only way Herbie could keep the recording contract was to add a lead singer. The band decided to add someone who could scream like a rock and roll singer. Herbie knew better, he knew to get a voice that would not only complement Gregg's voice but also be able to take the reigns as lead singer and energize a crowd.

They ended up finding it twice in 1977. The 4 remaining members of the band wanted Robert Fleischman who had a great voice and he fit the bill perfectly. At the same time Herbie Herbert received a tape from Columbia Records of a singer named Steve Perry. The story goes that after Robert was hired, Herbie insisted on Steve Perry being the lead singer and there was some back-stabbing and who knows what that went on behind the scenes.

WHEEL IN THE SKY (Demo) 1977 JOURNEY with Robert Fleischman vocals
In interviews, Steve Perry, has said many times proudly how they would have Robert not be at a gig or Steve would be working backstage and then come on stage during the show while Robert was away. What? What a shitty thing to do, really, they had to be sneaky like that? It doesn't make sense anyway. If Robert is the lead singer of the band where could they send him during a show? Who's going to sing his part? That's ludicrous, I mean did they send Robert to the hardware store to pick up some cables? It's during a show, Robert's the lead singer, he's not going anywhere.

Steve Perry has also said in interviews how he would join the band onstage during "Feeling That Way" and that's how they would introduce him. I have heard almost every recorded live show out there. There is no live show that supports this, always has "La Do Da" come sometime before "Feeling That Way" which means the whole introduction of Steve Perry could not have happened during "Feeling That Way".

There really isn't a way to find out what really happened as all Journey members past and present are under gag orders to not talk about these types of things. Journey always a democratic band that got along perfectly, so we were supposed to believe at the time.

I'm wondering if they ever considered a woman as lead singer. That would have been interesting, maybe Neal should be looking into that now.

It seems there is and only will be one true lead singer in the band Journey and everything else fails in comparison. Yes, Steve Perry made the band it into one go the biggest bands in history, he also tore it apart and discarded it leaving the fans in the dark.

Let's now take a moment and take a look at the man that almost had that spot, or had it for a very short time, Robert Fleischman...

Visit www.robertfleischman.com to keep up with Robert!

Visit www.robertfleischmanart.com to see Robert's art and the "Wheel In The Sky art print".

Visit www.theskyofficial.com  for information on Robert's current band "The Sky"

Visit Facebook - RobertFleischmanOfficial

More to come on Robert Fleischman

The Journey Force Fan Club Newsletter from November 1, 1986, part 2

The November 1986 Newsletter continues with some Bits and Pieces and color pictures.

Neal Schon joined Carlos Santana onstage during the August 17, 1986 20th anniversary reunion concert in the Bay Area. Gregg Rolie was also there giving his vocal and keyboard skills to the Santana classics he is known for.

There are a few more Bits and Pieces including the winners to the "Raised On Radio" Backstage Pass Contest. There is also another contest where you could spend a week in either Hawaii or Japan with Journey. There were tow prizes and I wonder how it worked out for the winner that went to Japan since the concert came to an end in Hawaii, before the Japan portion was to begin.

This week we have a few great pictures of the band in concert...

continued next week...

Journey Raised On Radio Tour Book 1986 Concert Program, part 8

The next four pages of the "Raised On Radio" Tour Book comprises two posters. The first is a collage of all the Staff and Crew that put this Tour and Live Show together. This included Nightmare Inc., Nocturne, and the entire Journey Road Crew, and all other companies owned by Herbie Herbert. This was Journey's biggest and most ambitious tour yet.

The "Raised On Radio Tour" began on August 23, 1986 at The Calaveras County Fairgrounds. This was billed as "Mountain-Aire Festival". The opening act for Journey during most of the tour was "Glass Tiger" although it was "The Outfield" who opened up the early shows. I never saw this Tour as I wasn't that interested and it never came to Los Angeles which I'm sure would have changed my mind.

The Tour ended abruptly on January 17, 1987 in Honolulu, Hawaii when Steve Perry needed to stop. The actual end of the Tour is really anyone's guess as the event has been erased from history, there isn't anything readily available that documents it. We'll see if a 1987 Journey Force Newsletter mentions it at all.

By now, Journey had an extensive catalogue of albums. The next 2 page poster shows all Journey Albums to date, but also Steve Perry's "Street Talk" album as well as both of Neal Schon's "Schon and Hammer" disks. For the first time "Dream, After Dream" is included in Journey's USA Discography...

Continued next week...

The Journey Force Fan Club Newsletter from November 1, 1986, part 1

Volume 1, Number 3 of The Journey Force Fan Club Newsletter for November 1, 1986 begins with a Tour itinerary for the first leg of "The Raised On Radio Tour" which was to be Journey's biggest tour to yet.

The new line-up first played on August 23, 1986 at Calaveras County Fairgrounds at Angels Camp. This is the Mountainaire Festival. Page one of the Newsletter contains many reviews of the show from the local newspapers. The Tour Itinerary is missing the August and September dates.

Page 2 of the Newsletter continues the reviews of the shows. The main article on page 2 is "Meet The New Rhythm Section". There is a Journey Force interview with both Randy Jackson and Mike Baird. There is also a picture of Mike Baird and Steve Perry relaxing backstage if that's what you call relaxing.

It all starts right here with a color picture of the band. Again, as usual, Randy is represented by his eyes and teeth and extremely loud shirt...

To be continued next week...

Journey Raised On Radio Tour Book 1986 Concert Program, part 7

Randy Jackson is the centerpiece this week in the Journey Raised On Radio TourBook Concert Program. Randall Darius Jackson was born on June 23, 1956 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Any was a very accomplished Bass Player who worked with Keith Richards and Aretha Franklin on the title song for the Whoopie Goldberg movie, "Jumpin' Jack Flash".

In 1986 Randy became a "session musician" for Journey. Randy played Bass and backing vocals an most of the songs for the "Raised On Radio" album. He then became what I'm guessing was "touring Bass Player" for the "Raised On Radio" Tour.

After Journey, Randy went into music producing as well as continuing to be a session musician for a multitude of bands. In 2002 Randy Jackson became a judge on television's "Americal Idol" where he would continually talk about Steve Perry.

Randy has 2 whole pages to himself and he takes his shirt off on one of them...

Continued next week...

Gregg Rolie says he wouldn't rule out a reunion with Journey

Gregg Rolie talks Santana, Journey & Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band

Here's a great article by The Main Edge. Gregg Rolie finally talks about his days in Santana and what lead up to the recent reunion of the original Santana.

Gregg Rolie was a founding member of Journey and departed the band after the 1980 Departure Tour. He goes on to talk about a possible reunion with Journey.

This would be fantastic! Gregg's voice has been sorely missing along with his keyboard playing. I loved the duets between Gregg and Steve Perry. Their voices blended so perfectly and it would the greatest thing ever if they were able to sing again together.

Please click on Gregg's name below to read the entire article...

GREGG ROLIE

Neal Schon, Rolie’s guitar-slinging Santana band-mate, is set to appear with Journey at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor on Wednesday, June 22. The pair co-founded Journey in 1973.

When Rolie and Schon departed from Santana during the recording of 1972’s “Caravanserai” (“Basically, it was ‘musical differences’,” he says), Rolie took a detour and opened a restaurant with his father in his native Seattle, Washington.

“By the way, don’t ever do that,” he advised me with a laugh. “It was like going from the pan to the fire. Owning a restaurant was one of the hardest things…well I won’t do it again, let’s put it that way.   It was impossible (laughs).” 

In 1973, when Rolie received a call from Schon and Journey’s manager, Walter James “Herbie” Herbert II, about putting a new band together, he left the pan and the fire for Journey and seven years of recording and touring the world. 

Burned out in 1980 and ready to start a family, Rolie left Journey and has played with them on two occasions since. 

Content with his current role in Santana and as a member of Ringo’s ‘All-Starr’s,’ Rolie says that if the opportunity arose to rejoin Journey permanently, he wouldn’t rule it out. 

“If the door opened to play regularly with Journey, I’d look into it,” he says. “Right now, just coming home from playing those (Santana) shows, I must tell you that Santana is everything to me. It was my ‘firstborn’ if you will.  When I sit down to play something, this is where I go. It’s blues-based – it’s where I play.”

The Journey Force says Merry Christmas from Westwood One

August seems like a strange time to be saying Merry Christmas. It's actually not too far away.

This Post Card was sent out to all Journey Force Members for Christmas 1983 from Westwood One. Apparently Westwood One used the Journey Force Mailing List for this. The Card lists all the bands that Westwood One had worked with, Journey being one of them.

Westwood One is a company that producesd many interviews and concert radio shows of Journey between 1976 - 2011. I have many of these hosted by Mary Turner and Uncle Joe Benson including "Off The Record with Mary Turner or Joe Benson". They also produced a show called "Randy Jackson's Hit List and The Dr. Demento Show.

   

Journey Raised On Radio Tour Book 1986 Concert Program, part 6

This week are the next 2 pages dedicated to Michael Gary Baird who was born on May 18, 1951 in Southgate, California. Mike Baird is a very accomplished drummer who has played for many rock and pop bands before he was hired as "touring drummer" for Journey's Raised On Radio Tour. 

What more can be said about Mike Baird and exactly what is a "touring drummer?", I mean he was the only drummer on Tour with Journey in 1996-1997. This might have been the time of his life. They were generous enough to give him 2 full pages in the TourBook!

Mike Baird took on the drumming duties of Steve Smith during the 1986-1987 "Raised On Radio" tour and was never heard from again. He did not play drums on any of the songs on the album either. He has played drums for a number of big acts in the 1980's.

Continued next week...

Journey's Steve Perry with EELS edited performances videos

After Steve Perry's 1994-1995 solo Tour we hardly heard from him at all. In 1996 He recorded another album with Journey, "Trial By Fire". After that he seems to have just disappeared. He showed up at a couple places here and there. I can positively say that one day in 2007 he was at the Warner Bros. Studios Ranch Facilities on the couch in my editing room.

All of a sudden out of nowhere on May 25, 2014, after almost 20 years, Steve Perry took the stage again. This was in St. Paul, Minnesota at the end of the encore at an EELS concert. He sang the EELS song "It's a Motherf*cker", "Open Arms", and "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'!

Six days later Steve did it again in Washington D.C. at the Lincoln Theatre where he was a bit more comfortable. He sang the EELS song "It's a Motherf*cker", "Only Sixteen", "Open Arms", and "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'!

The Los Angeles Orpheum Theater was the last time Steve Perry has taken the stage on June 11, 2014 where he sings an extra song. He sang the EELS song "It's a Motherf*cker", "Only Sixteen", "Open Arms",  "Lights" and "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'!

Here, I've edited some the footage from the cellphones from some of the people who were at the concert and were able to capture the events on video. I've cobbled together the best angle at any given time for all three shows from the amateur photographers. The audio is also sourced from the phones, so the quality is limited as such.

May 25, 2014, Steve Perry takes the Stage for the first time in 20 years in St. Paul, Minnesota;

May 31, 2014, Steve Perry takes the Stage for the second time in 20 years in Washington D.C.;

June 11, 2014, Steve Perry takes the Stage for the third time in 20 years in Los Angeles, California;

Special Announcement - A very sad day in Los Angeles, California

The Morning show, "MARK IN THE MORNING", is airing the last show today, August 3, 2016. This is devastating news to Los Angeles Morning Talk Show listeners. This is our humor during our gut-wrenching morning commute.

Mark LaMarr Thompson (born December 1, 1955) is an American radio personality (disc jockey) and occasional actor, best known for the nationally syndicated Mark & Brian morning show.

He is also a friend of Steve Perry

Back when I was in Junior High School, the mid 1970's, We had some great morning radio on FM rock stations KMET, and KLOS. I remember a show in particular called "Gonzo's Grill". All I remember is he'd serve you up some music breakfast, like Eggs Benatar (Pat Benatar/Eggs Benedict Mixup). Every station played music, but the extended comedy in between the songs is what I liked most.

In High School, late 1970's and early 1980's, I made my own pretend radio station. I would record myself and friends doing skits and introducing songs. The songs were just a beginning and a musical edit to the end of the song, so no song was more than about 20 seconds. Sometimes we would talk and tell jokes and pull shenanigans. I made three 60 minute cassette tapes that were mixed and edited professionally by me. My pretend station was called "NOYDFM" for the syndicated part, locally in Woodland Hills, California it was called "KNYD". We were 714 on the AM dial. There were no good numbers left on the FM dial, so we put our pretend FM station on the AM bandwidth.

I don't remember when it was, the day I found the "Mark And Brian" program on KLOS. Finally something that I really liked! They did exactly what I did on my fake radio station, but much bigger and better, unfortunately they played the full songs. Over theirs the comedy sketches and shenanigans got longer and longer, the music they played was less and less until they didn't play any music at all. The comedy that Mark and Brian brought to me over my lifetime, through the ups and downs, the turmoil and good times, they were always there for a laugh. A few years ago Mark Thompson retired and that was the end of the "Mark and Brian" program. 

What Mark did after "Mark and Brian"

At my age a few years can mean ten or more so I don't when exactly but ever since that day, the drive to work has been grueling and there were no laughs. Then one day about a year or so ago, I was switching stations looking for something as I forgot my iPod. I heard that voice, I recognized it, but damn a song started playing, so I had to wait. It was really him! It was Mark from "Mark and Brian". They were advertising it as "Mark's Back", but it was Mark Thompson on a show called "Mark In The Morning". I was so excited I couldn't wait for tomorrow to listen again.

Mark In The Morning Cast

When tomorrow came, I forgot what station I heard him on, so I had to flip again. I found out it was 100.3, The Sound. I finally had something to entertain me on the way to work in the morning.  I've been listening to "Mark In The Morning" ever since, but yesterday I heard the devastating news that Mark was being cut loose as the station wants to play more music. You could get that anywhere! It was a horrible day for me and today is the last chance to hear the show on 100.3FM, The Sound.

Mark Thompson's Goodbye - MandL Studios

Mark's Big Announcement - PodCast

Mark Thompson's Emotional Goodbye - The OC Register

Mark In The Morning Facebook Page - markinmorn

Mark In The Morning Twitter Page - @markinmorn

The Journey Force Newsletter for September and October 1986

This week I am including the entire Newsletter as one post. This week is only a photocopy or Xerox of the original Newsletter. What must have happened is I probably moves at this point and missed this issue. I think someone I met online sent me the copies that I scanned. I really wished he would have made color copies but we only have what we have. If anyone has this Newsletter original, please let me know at ronsouth@earthlink.net.

This Week's Newsletter dated September, 1986 first announces how late it is. It contains the Tour Itinerary for the first leg of the Raised On Radio Tour. As soon as the second leg began it also ended.

The next exciting thing is the 2 vacation give-a-way's with Journey! One prize is a week with Journey in Hawaii and the other prize is a week with Journey in Japan! How great that would have been had the Tour continued...

The next couple of pages include a Journey Force interview with Benny Collins, he seems to be in charge of the Tour Arrangements. There are many pictures of the members of the Band (all three members) which were probably originally color. There's also a trivia quiz to test your knowledge of Journey lyrics...

This one here would have made an excellent color poster of the three man band we call Journey....

The merchandise page works in any color! There's only limited "Raised On Radio" items so far, but that will change. There is also many "Frontiers" items still for sale in 1986.

The Pen pal page and "questions answered" page is all that's left since I don't have the last page, the outer mailing label. Please enjoy the paragraph about mailing with department codes as that is a fan favorite...