Showing posts with label Soundtrack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soundtrack. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Journey Force News 1998 - Steve Perry and Steve Smith leave Journey

This is an old text newsletter I received many years ago. I'm not sure of the origin.


May 7, 1998

Singer Steve Perry has announced that he is officially leaving Journey. The split comes in the wake of a January 1998 conversation between Perry and Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain in which it was decided that, if Perry's health issues prohibited him from committing to a tour at that time, Cain and original Journey guitarist Neil Schon would reform the band with a new singer. Drummer Steve Smith has also left Journey. 
Perry became the lead singer of Journey in 1978 and, over the past two decades, sang on the group's ten platinum-plus albums including the 1996 Trial By Fire CD. Journey, with Steve Perry as vocalist, has sold more than 45 million records worldwide. Steve Perry has recently worked with David Foster and Carole Bayer-Sager in writing and recording "I Stand Alone," the principle track for the soundtrack to the animated feature film Quest For Camelot. 

Journey is currently comprised of new lead singer Steve Augeri (formerly of Tall Stories), original guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Ross Valory, keyboardist Jonathan Cain (a 1981 addition), and new drummer Dean Castranova (formerly of Bad English, an 80's "supergroup" which also featured Schon and Cain). The new Journey lineup has already recorded "Remember Me," a track for the soundtrack to the upcoming summer blockbuster film Armageddon; "Remember Me" was written by Neal Schon and Jack Blades and was produced by Kevin Shirley (who also produced Trial By Fire). The Armageddon soundtrack will be released by Columbia Records on June 30, 1998. 

Journey "Remember Me" single front cover

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Journey's Concert Ticket Evolution Through Time part 7, Vacations Over

1996 brought a reunion of Journey. A new album called "Trial By Fire" was released and the band was set for a new concert tour. Everybody except Steve Perry that is. Because Steve refused to tour, the band was left to find a new singer. Neal's wife at the time found a guy named Steve Augeri online that could fit the band and somewhat sound like Steve Perry. It seems Neal owes a lot of his band to his many wives.

"Remember Me" was the first single with the new singer from a movie soundtrack called "Armageddon." That was in 1998 and then came the "Vacation's Over Tour" which was basically a greatest hits show. In 2001 came the first album with Steve Augeri called "Arrival" and the "Arrival Tour of 2001. In 2002 Journey released an EP called "Red 13" which also had a tour following the release. Again, the shows were greatest hits shows form the Steve Perry days. Jonathan also tried his hand at taking Gregg Rolie's vocals on some of the bands older hits.

Journey was in no way bringing in the crowds like they did in their before. It was great to have Journey back and at first everyone was excited but it wasn't the same. Steve Perry was very much a showman that engaged the audience. Steve Augeri stood there on stage, barely moved and sang wonderfully, but the excitement was missing.

Ticket Prices had jumped dramatically in 10-15 years. The lowest ticket price shown here is $21.50 , and most between $40.00 and $60.00 for a band without their real singer! Add the scalping charge and the prices were outrageous. My tickets were $55.00 each face value, so I must have paid at least $80.00 each to see them at the Greek Theatre on August 14, 2001.


December 15, 1998 - Sarovan Theater. Fresno, CA

December 20, 1998 - Theater of the Clouds. Portland, OR

June 13, 1999 - Blockbuster. Camden, NJ - Foreigner

July 25, 1999 - Starplex  Amphitheater.  Dallas, TX - Foreigner

June 12, 2001 - New Orleans Arena. New Orleans, LA - Peter Frampton, John Waite

August 14, 2001 - The Greek. Los Angeles, CA - Peter Frampton, John Waite

August 15, 2001 - The Greek. Los Angeles, CA - Peter Frampton, John Waite

August 23, 2002 - Konocti Harbor Resort Amphitheater  Kelseyville, CA

September 1, 2002 - Mahoning County Fairgrounds. Canfield, OH

June 8, 2003 - Smirnoff Music Center. Dallas, TX - REO Speedwagon, STYX

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Journey's Concert Ticket Evolution Through Time part 5, New Frontiers

The Frontiers Tour of 1983 was the biggest audience Journey ever brought in. The shows were sold out everywhere! Journey was a household name by this time. Children, teenagers and adults all liked this band! Only the biggest venues in each city were used and the Video Projection that Herbie Herbert created was used again. They were even renting it out to other bands.

The shows were incredible! The band even played an original keyboard instrumental to kick off the shows. It was called "Elmo's Theme. It would also play at the end of the fireworks at the end of the shows. Songs added to the setlist were Neal Schon and Jan Hammer's single "Lies" as well as the Kenny Loggins/Steve Perry hit, "Don't Fight It". The shows became a mostly "Escape" and "Frontiers" with the bands older staples used as encores, like "Any Way You Want It", "Wheel In The Sky", "Lights", and "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'".

As Ticketron continued to corner the market, prices were really gauged at this time. Face value of the tickets hadn't gone up this year, but you were very lucky if you could get a ticket for $30.00. Ticket agencies started popping up in malls where you could buy tickets, choose the seats you wanted and paid a huge service fee resulting in tickets costing anywhere from $30.00 to $100.00 per ticket or more. I like to call these places scalping agencies and my favorite was "Good Time Tickets" on Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. They seem to always have the best seats.

Oh, Sherry, the band was starting to break at the seams. Steve Perry started using his own transportation, no longer riding with the rest of the band to the shows. The shows themselves were always great and exciting, but they seemed more formulaic. They didn't veer much off the prepared set list. Steve Perry's talking to the audience seemed very much rehearsed and not as authentic as previous tours. The band members were having babies and raising families by this point. The band wanted to slow down and enjoy the success by spending time with their families.

March 2, 1983 - Budokan Hall. Tokyo Japan

April 6, 1983 - Devaney Sports Center, U Nebraska. Lincoln NB - Bryan Adams

April 9, 1983 - Hulman Center. Ind. St. U., Terre Haute, IN - Bryan Adams

April 21, 1983 - The Omni. Atlanta, GA - Bryan Adams

May 2, 1983 - Capitol Center. Largo, MD - Bryan Adams

June 1, 1983 - Market Square Arena, Indianapolis IN - Bryan Adams
June 5, 1983 - Hollander Stadium, Rochester, NY - Bryan Adams

July 16, 1983 - Mid-South Coliseum. Memphis, TN - Bryan Adams

August 5, 1983 - Los Angeles Forum. Los Angeles, CA - Bryan Adams

August 7, 1983 - Los Angeles Forum. Los Angeles, CA - Bryan Adams
The "Frontiers" album had two shining tracks suddenly removed before it went into mass production and replaced with lesser songs. "Ask The Lonely", and "Only The Young" were held back and later used in movie soundtracks.

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Journey's Concert Ticket Evolution Through Time part 4, The Big Escape

This is the big one. Journey's Escape Tour which started in July 1981 saw the biggest growth in audience of any Journey Tour when it ended in December. The audience kept getting bigger and bigger. There were sold out shows across the Country and Internationally as well. This was due to the heavy airplay radio was giving the new songs. The "Escape" album became the number one selling album in America the week of September 12-19, 1981.

Gregg Rolie left the band after the "Departure Tour" of 1980. His replacement was Jonathan Cain who comes from a band called "The Babys". Jonathan Cain's live shows with an audience were at the The Ventura County Fairgrounds and the shows at Calavaris County Fairgrounds in Angel Camp. This was the "Captured Tour" or "Pre-Escape Tour" one month before the album was released.

The face value of the concert tickets were anywhere from $10.50 to $17.50. Unless you camped out in front of the venue the prices you were paying more like $30.00 or more per ticket.

Not only did Jonathan Cain co-write very song on the "Escape" album, he also co-wrote the two songs used on the Disney movie "Tron" Soundtrack. "Only Solutions" is a great rare Journey pop song. "1990's Theme" is a keyboard instrumental. Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry together wrote some of Journey's most popular songs. When working with Neal Schon, the three were absolute magic.

Finally at the end of 1981, with the Tour behind them and their highest success beyond their wildest dreams were achieved so they decided to take a rest. Concert promoter Bill Graham personally asked the band if they would be interested in a big Stadium and Arena tour to even bigger audiences. The answer was no. 

June 9, 1981 - Seaside Park. Ventura County Fairgrounds. Ventura, CA - 415, Billy Squier

September 3, 1981 - Poplar Creek Music Theater, Hoffman Estates, IL.

September 25, 1981 - JFK Stadium. Philadelphia, PA – The Rolling Stones, George Thorogood

December 6, 1981 - Center Arena. Seattle, WA - Red Rider


Bill Graham didnt give up and to convince the band that everyone who paid for a ticket would have a great seat no matter where they sat, the video projection system was developed. From now on there would be giant video screens showing you close angles of the band, so anyone could now see their faces from their seats. Journey was the first band to use video projection during their shows. It was far out of sync, (their was a delay in the video so it didm't match the audio) and it was still great! This also made the shows slightly more intimate again, something the band really liked.

May 6, 1982 - Meadowlands Arena. East Rutherford, NJ - Greg Kihn Band

May 15, 1982 - Joe Louis Arena. Detroit, MI - Greg Kihn Band

May 24, 1982 - Rosemont Horizon. Chicago, IL - Greg Kihn Band

June 12, 1982 - Texas Jam. Cotton Bowl. Dallas, TX
Point Blank, Joan Jett, Sammy Hagar, Santana

June 26, 1982 - Oakland Coliseum Oakland, C
Day On The Green - Santana/Toto/Gamma/Tubes

July 2, 1982 - Rose Bowl. Pasadena, CA - Blue Oyster Cult, Triumph, Aldo Nova

Monday, March 17, 2014

Journey Armageddon Promotional Flat from 1998

Here's a great video showing off the "Armageddon" promotional Flat from Columbia Records.

Journey was releasing one song, without warning, and the first song without Steve Perry!

The song is called "Remember Me" with Steve Augeri on Lead Vocals and Deen Castronovo on drums...