Journey and Steve Perry Christmas Card from 1984

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM WHEEL IN THE SKY

This is the Christmas Card that The Steve Perry Information Network sent out for Christmas 1984;

Apparently He's again in the Studio working on an album for a 2016 release.

What the World really wants for Christmas is a reunion with his old band, Journey.

The Journey Force Newsletter from May 1, 1985 concludes this week

The highlight this week is the pictures of Neal Schon jamming at 1985's BAMMIES. There are 4 great color pictures of Neal including one with the lead guitars from Huey Lewis & The News.

The first page this week lists more of the contest winners. The 2nd half of the page is dedicated to Answering Questions and explaining yet again what the volunteer task force is and how it works. (it never worked)

The next page, the "Mailing with Department Codes" page which was always a favorite once again explains how to send mail to The Journey Force in the most convoluted way possible.

Once again we have a third merchandise page for the Frontiers items they are trying to get rid of to make room for the new album merchandise.

Journey Frontiers 1983 Tour Program Book Cover

Journey's Frontiers Tour began on February 22, 1983 in Nagoya Japan. That same night the Frontiers Album was released in the U.S.A. The first U.S. Date was on March 28, 1983 in Seattle Washington. The tour continued until September 6, 1983 where the last date was played in Honolulu Hawaii at the Blaisdell Arena.

The Cover of the giant Tour Book is a solarized blue and red version of the Frontiers Album Cover depicting Elmo's Head.

The next two pages included this week are combined so that it can also be used as a poster. If possible I'll create a text file of what's printed on the left and post it next week.

For the next few weeks I will be posting the entire tour book, so stay tuned....

The Journey Force Newsletter from May 1, 1985 continues...

 

This week's edition includes pages 4-7 of the Newsletter from May 1985.

Page 4 begins with pictures of Ross Valory playing with the Journey Force Cat, "Little Herbie".

The next page lists all the contest winners in the "Easy as 1-2-3 Contest". There were 5 1st place winners and 100 second place winners.

The following two pages are the merchandise pages. The Frontiers Satin Jacket goes for a mere $35.00. If only I had gotten one.

Continued next week...

Steve Perry Interview with "Uncle" Joe Benson Sunday night 12-13-2015

December 13, 2015 on "Off The Record" with "Uncle" Joe Benson is an interview with Steve Perry.

Los Angeles Radio Station THE SOUND 100.3 FM will play the interview at 8:00PM pacific time.

More information can be found at either of these two sites;

Steve Perry confirms he is in the Studio working on a new album for 2016

Today, December 10, 2015, Steve Perry confirmed on the radio that he is indeed in the Studio working on a new album for a 2016 release.

It was on 100.3 The Sound in Los Angeles, where the Mark In The Morning show when Steve Perry called in to say happy birthday to radio DJ and personality, Uncle Joe Benson.

Steve mentioned that he used to be in a band and that he has been in the Studio for the past 6 months recording and trying different things. Sometime next year is when he said he would release the album.

I was unable to record it as I was driving at the time.

The Journey Force Newsletter from May 1985

The May 1, 1985 edition of the Journey Force Newsletter begins with the 8th Annual Bay Area Music Awards (BAMMIES) with Steve Perry winning 2 awards!

Pictures from the BAMMIES can be found on page 2 of the Newsletter.

The 3rd and last page this week gets down to business with more Steve Perry news and the "We Are The World" album in the "USA for Africa Project".

Steve Smith news is also included while his jazz group goes on hiatus while he works on the upcoming Journey album. There's also a small hint towards Steve perry, Neal Schon, and Jonathan Cain as the main members of the band. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few months until the album really does arrive in 1986.

We conclude this week explaining special seating offered by the Force at Journey shows, followed by a full explanation of what it is and how it works. It really didn't work unless you were able to camp out in front of the venue and be close enough in line while Ticketron was also selling the same tickets all over town.

Continued next week...

Steve Smith rejoins Journey as they plan a Summer Tour with The Doobie Brothers

This coming year, Journey brings back Steve Smith as drummer.

Steve was Journey's drummer from 1978-1985, 1996-1997. The best drummer Journey's ever had.

Here's a couple great articles about Steve Smith rejoining Journey;

Drum Magazine Article

Classic Rock Article

Journey Live - Old Concert Tickets

Here are some great old Journey Concert Tickets. The prices are the amazing part. Can you imagine seeing a complete show with Journey and an opening act for less than $20.00?

The first ticket I show is the Paramount Theatre show in Seattle Washington with special Guest Thin Lizzy. I supposed Thin Lizzy was so new that no-one could spell it. Both bands for the whopping price of $6.00!

I love the nice font for "Journey" on this ticket from Austin Texas. Journey played the Armadillo World Headquarters Nightclub on July 20, 1976 with special guest "Baby". This cost for this was at most $4.50 for general admission!

Journey playing with the Pat Travers Band on March 22 ,1979 at the Glasgow Apollo in Glasgow, Scotland. Sitting in the Stalls costs only $2.50. It brings up a good question, what are the stalls?

The Houston Summit on Wednesday December 10, 1986 will cost $16.50 for Upper Promenade, but it does include free parking! The opening band was Glass Tiger.

The Journey Force 1984 Publicity Photos by Freezz Frame

To keep Journey in the public eye during 1984 when Steve Perry and other band members were off doing solo projects Journey's management licensed a lot of merchandise. Pictures and mugs and anything that you could put a Journey logo on sold like like wild fire.

In 1984 a company called Freezz Frame made some nice 8X10 photos with information about each member on the back. This one here is one of the band except there are 2 members missing a whole year before they really went missing.

Journey's Escape Tour 1981-1982 Tour Book Program part 11; The End

This week is the last pages and back cover of Journey's Escape Tour Program.

In 1982 this tour was the biggest tour Journey ever had. Neal Schon bought a new Ferrari.

Journey hit the mainstream. The awkwardness that always happens when Rock & Roll meets mainstream America. Journey was now on National TV talk shows, local entertainment shows, they were everywhere!

Once the tour was over, the presuure was on for another album. The pressure was intense I'm sure, how do you top "Escape"?  Rarely does a rock & roll band such as Journey reach number 1 on the mainstream album charts.

The tour book shows us all six platinum albums up to 1981!

We end with the back cover which uses artwork created in the late 1970's and was used primarily for the "In The Beginning" compilation.

Join us next week for a post on the Escape Tour Merchandise...

Journey's Escape Tour 1981-1982 Tour Book Program part 10; The Crew

Journey has always had one the greatest Road Crews and band could ever want. This week's pages from the Escape Tour Book is all about Journey's Management and Road Crew.

Walter "Herbie" Herbert started out as a rodeo so he knows what it takes to keep a band on the road and on schedule. He started Journey as manager after working with the road crew with Santana.

John Villanueva was Journey Road Manager for many years was also the one who thought of the name "Journey". Pat Morrow sat in Road Manager chair this time around while John was more in charge.

There have been a couple documentary movies made about Journey's Road Crew. In 1984 NBC films made an excellent documentary titled "Frontiers And Beyond". In 1986 there was another called "The Raised On Radio Tour". They can be found on YouTube.

As the shows were getting bigger and bigger during the Escape Tour is when the road crew started using video projection. The 1982 leg of the tour had huge video projection screens so no matter where you sat, you could see the faces of the band.

Concluded next week...

Journey Force Newsletter from November 1984 Part 3 of 3

This week is the third part of the Journey Force Newsletter dated November 1, 1984.

Since the next Journey album is a few months away, the Task Force asks all it's members to help get Steve Perry's Street Talk music videos more airplay on MTV. That's right, MTV was where you went to watch music videos from all your favorite bands. It was called Music Television. I wish we still something like that.

The Task Force was a concept that I never understood at the time, it never made any sense, who was a part of this force and how do you join? We also get some questions answered as well as instructions about sending the band members Christmas gifts.

Moving to the next page completely dedicated to mailing department codes and change of address forms. This was always a fan favorite at the time. No sense in spending another page telling us about our favorite band.

It's like Christmas all over again as the next page is all about giving a membership to the Journey Force to a friend for Christmas. Luckily I was already a member as no-one ever gave me this as a gift.

The newsletter ends with more pictures of Steve Smith picking the winners for the "Vital Information" contest. Also pictured is Tim, the president of The Journey Force!

Journey's Escape Tour 1981-1982 Tour Book Program part 9; More Band

This week in the Escape Tour Book, or Program, we have a look into the future.

In just 5 years years time, these three members are all that's left of the band. After this tour is when the real friction begins resulting in their own destruction.

Neal Schon jamming in the bathroom before a show. Steve in the recording booth, and Jay just relaxing on a couch before a show. I've always wondered who the person is that's behind Neal in the bathroom.

We also get a full page shot of vocalist Steve Perry playing guitar. He's wearing that famous red shirt from the Departure era. That could even be Gregg Rolie's set-up behind him for all we know.

Great memories from the great "Escape" shows!

Continued next week...

Journey Force Newsletter from November 1984 Part 2 of 3

We start off part 2 of the November 1984 Journey Force Newsletter with Steve Smith thanking everybody for all the birthday cards and messages he received. The pages this week all feature Steve Smith as the winner of the "Vital Information" giveaway is announced.

The beginnings of trouble within the inner circle is showing with the "Steve Perry Street Talk" merchandise items not legally allowed to be sold through The Journey Force. I find it odd because Steve Perry and Journey have the same manager and record label, so it doesn't make sense unless something is going on behind the scenes.

We end this week on the "The Merchandise Pages". Journey did sell some great items back in the day. I really wish I bought more of these items, but I was 20 years old at this time in history and I had to be selective. I would love to have this "Frontiers" satin jacket. I do have the folding sunglasses and the duffel bag.

Continued next week...

Journey's Escape Tour 1981-1982 Tour Book Program part 8; More Posters

This week in the Escape Tour Book we have 2 great posters. Combining 2 pages creates the posters. These posters are a huge 14 X 24 inches, big enough to be framed. The first poster is self explanatory while the 2nd one is a great shot from a concert at Calaveras County Fairgrounds, Angels Camp, CA at the Mountainaire Festival where they played with 415, Billy Squire, and Hall & Oates.

The 2nd leg of The Escape Tour started on April 9, 1982 in Fukuoka, Japan at the Sun Palace Hall. This was when the tour was huge. Concert Promoter, Bill Graham, convinced the band to do another round of shows at huge arenas so even more people could experience Journey live! The 1982 leg of the tour ended in July in Honolulu, Hawaii, which seems to be where they like ending the tours.

This was the first year Journey did not go into the studio and record an album, instead everyone was caught up in the huge success of the album. This is when their heads might have started to get a little too big for their britches. The grueling 8 1/2 month tour had taken it's toll on the band...

To be continued next week...

Happy Birthday George Tickner founding member of Journey

George Tyndall Tickner was born in Syracuse, New York on September 8, 1946. Happy Birthday #69!!

George Tickner was a founding member of Journey. He played rhythm guitar and co-wrote many of the songs on the debut album, "Journey", released on April 1, 1975.

George Tickner at the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, 2005.

George Tickner and Ross Valory left the band "Frumious Bandersnatch" to form "Journey" with Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon from "Santana", and Prairie Prince as drummer.

With a new drummer, Aynsley Dunbar, "Journey" released their first album and soon afterwards George left the band to attend Stanford Medical School. on a full scholarship.

George has since kept in contact with Neal Schon, Steve Smith, and Prairie Prince.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE

Journey's Escape Tour 1981-1982 Tour Book Program part 7; The Band

The 4 pages included this week are all about the rhythm section, Ross Valory and Steve Smith. Each one showcased with their own solo's during The Escape Tour.

Ross Lamont Valory was one of the founding members of Journey. Ross has been the Bass-Guitarist for Journey from 1973-1985, and then from 1995 until now. Ross has also been a member of the groups "Frumious Bandersnatch", "The Steve Miller Band", "The Vu" and "The Storm", with Gregg Rolie and Steve Smith. Ross is one of Rock's greatest Bass players out there.

Inset Text;
Ross Valory - Bass and vocals. The bottom line gentleman of Rock and Roll. A prisoner of his own endless mirth.

Steve Elliott Smith is also known as Jazzmaster Saddler. Steve "Machine Gun" Smith was touring with Ronnie Montrose when he first met the guys in Journey. Steve replaced Journey's original drummer, Aynsley Dunbar in late 1978 and first appeared on the album "Evolution". Steve has been with Journey since 1978 to 1985, then from 1995 to 1997. 

Steve Also enjoys a solo career with his jazz fusion band "Vital Information", and was a member of "The Storm" with Ross Valory and Gregg Rolie. He has also worked as a session musician for many pop acts such as Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Savage Garden and Bryan Adams as well as many jazz artists.

Inset Text;
Steve Smith - Drummer. "Crunch" as he is nicknamed, possesses a rare blend of enthusiasm, love and aggression in his "daily assault" on the drums. He has never ending energy for the tour, the music, and the people on our trek across the many nations of the world.

In my opinion of the six drummers that Journey has had to date, Steve Smith is by far the best drummer Journey has ever had or ever will have. He played with such finesse and passion that he can't be out-done. It is also my opinion that Ross Valory has been Journey's only bass player. The Raised On Radio era was almost a train-wreck with-out these two!

Continued next week...