It was 1984, I just started getting into music, and Steve Perry’s “Oh Sherrie” was climbing up the chart. Later, he released another great ballad called “Foolish Heart”. That song I remember hearing on the school bus one morning. I heard it again when playing ball hockey in an old barn with my friend and neighbour Mat after school. I sang the chorus every time we took a break.
It was about then I heard of Steve Perry’s band – Journey.
As it turned out, I had actually heard Journey before, and would hear a lot more before the end of the decade.
Journey was in Calgary recently, and it reminded me of all that music.
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The band Journey in the '80s. Source: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/journey-frontiers-only-the-lonely/ (May be subject to copyright) |
The first time I ever heard about Journey, it was in an odd place about their album “Escape”. Unlike any other album in my life, I heard about “Escape” initially not from someone who had it, or by reading a review of it, or seeing it on TV.
I heard about “Escape” through a video game.
Back then, I was big into Intellivision, so I read every magazine about video games that I could find. There weren’t very many, and the ones I found talked about Atari as much as Intellivision, which was fine by me. They had articles on tricks to use playing various games, interviews with designers, reviews of games, and previews.
That’s where I first read about this game called “Journey Escape”. It was for the Atari 2600, which was the standard system of the time, and Intellivision’s main competitor.
“Journey Escape”, the article explained, was about the band Journey and their efforts to evade fans, photographers, and promoters, if memory serves.
Back then, the games were pretty rudimentary, so the graphics were simple, or at least what I saw in the magazine was.
I also saw the artwork on the box for “Journey Escape”. It was the same as the cover of the album itself.
So, years later, when I finally saw the actual album cover for “Escape”, I had already seen it.
I had to remind myself the album came first.
Soundtrack success
Still, I had not heard any songs by Journey. That changed in the summer of 1985 when I was listening to LA-107 FM. It was an album oriented rock station. That meant it often played more than one song from the same album. In this case, they played the soundtrack for the movie “Vision Quest”.
Still, I had not heard any songs by Journey. That changed in the summer of 1985 when I was listening to LA-107 FM. It was an album oriented rock station. That meant it often played more than one song from the same album. In this case, they played the soundtrack for the movie “Vision Quest”.
One of the songs was “Only the Young”, by Journey. It was an excellent song, the perfect introduction to such a good band.
A few months later, I ordered the “Vision Quest” soundtrack, and the first song on Side A was “Only the Young”. It was such a good song, going all the way to number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Raised on Radio
Less than a year later, in April of 1986, Journey released their next album, called “Raised on Radio”. The first single was “Be Good to Yourself”, and it was a great song. Again, I heard it first on LA-107 FM.
Less than a year later, in April of 1986, Journey released their next album, called “Raised on Radio”. The first single was “Be Good to Yourself”, and it was a great song. Again, I heard it first on LA-107 FM.
The second single was “Suzanne”, which remains one of my favourite Journey songs. It is synonymous with the end of Grade 11 for me. “Suzanne” ended up peaking at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Girl Can’t Help it” was the third single from “Raised on Radio”, also peaking at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. “I’ll be Alright Without You” followed, going all the way to number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In a moment of serendipity, I forgot to send in my card declining the selection of the month from Columbia House, so they sent it anyway. The selection was “Raised on Radio”. You gotta love negative billing. I had my sister tape the record onto tape, and I discovered how good the album really is.
“Raised on Radio” went to number four on the Billboard 200 album chart and Wikipedia reveals the album went double platinum in the States.
Mixed tape
The first time I recall hearing some of Journey’s older stuff was when my friend David Perlich came to the farm with one of those tapes you could buy back then containing a bunch of songs by different artists. I was in the midst of writing this play and always on the look out for songs that resonated with the story.
The first time I recall hearing some of Journey’s older stuff was when my friend David Perlich came to the farm with one of those tapes you could buy back then containing a bunch of songs by different artists. I was in the midst of writing this play and always on the look out for songs that resonated with the story.
He suggested I play it, and stuck it into my ghetto blaster. That’s when I heard a song that sounded like it may be perfect for a story about unrequited love. It was “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” by Journey, which I dubbed and considered for the soundtrack for my play. I ended up not using it – yet.
Incredible Journey
Over time, I have discovered a lot of the Journey catalogue, due in part to the release of an excellent greatest hits album in 1988 to end the decade.
Over time, I have discovered a lot of the Journey catalogue, due in part to the release of an excellent greatest hits album in 1988 to end the decade.
Most notably “Don’t Stop Believin’” had a massive resurgence with its appearance in the TV series “Glee”, but they have a lot of great singles.
The earliest single that hit the Billboard Hot 100 was “Wheel in the Sky” in 1978, which peaked at number 57. “Wheel in the Sky” holds a special place in my heart. When I was in high school, my brother started making me mixed tapes for Christmas, consisting of songs that were kind of a cross section of rock music he thought I would like. “Wheel in the Sky” was one of those songs.
“Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” was Journey’s first top 20 single, peaking at number 16 in 1979.
The ‘80s was when Journey really took off.
In 1980, “Any Way You Want it” peaked at number 23, while in 1981 “Who’s Crying Now” became Journey’s first top five hit, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. That same year “Don’t Stop Believin’” peaked at number nine.
In 1980, “Any Way You Want it” peaked at number 23, while in 1981 “Who’s Crying Now” became Journey’s first top five hit, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. That same year “Don’t Stop Believin’” peaked at number nine.
In 1982, “Open Arms” became their highest charting single to date, peaking at number two. In 1983, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” went all the way to number eight; and “Faithfully” peaked at number 12. They also released “Send Her My Love” and “Ask the Lonely” in 1983, which were great songs but never charted.
In 1985, they had “Only the Young”, and in 1986 they released “Be Good to Yourself”; “Suzanne”; “Girl Can’t Help it”; and “I’ll be Alright Without You”.
Journey would be back in the top 20 in 1996 for the last time to date, peaking at number 12 with “When You Love a Woman”.
Solo act
Lead singer Steve Perry also did well on his own. Although his first single was a duet with Kenny Loggins in 1982 called “Don’t Fight it” that peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, he achieved his greatest success with a solo album of his own.
Lead singer Steve Perry also did well on his own. Although his first single was a duet with Kenny Loggins in 1982 called “Don’t Fight it” that peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, he achieved his greatest success with a solo album of his own.
Perry released “Street Talk” in 1984. The lead single was the powerful ballad “Oh Sherrie” which went all the way to number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Following three more releases, “Foolish Heart”, the fifth single from “Street Talk” peaked at number 18.
He also was part of USA for Africa, a group of American performers who raised money for African famine relief in 1985 with their charity single “We Are the World”.
Parting thoughts
Journey’s music is the very definition of powerful. Steve Perry’s vocals and the band can reach down to your very soul.
Journey’s music is the very definition of powerful. Steve Perry’s vocals and the band can reach down to your very soul.
Every time I listen to one of their songs, I can just picture Perry and the band just giving it everything they have.
I am glad, primarily through “Glee”, a new generation of fans discovered Journey, because they too can be touched by that music.
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