No Singer? No Problem! Journey
- Posted by Spinner Staff
- Comments (25)
Old Singer: Steve PerryNew Singers: Steve Augeri, Jeff Scott Soto, Arnel Pineda
Steve Perry wasn't Journey's first lead singer, but the band didn't hit full prom-theme speed until he unleashed his dog-whistle tone in the late '70s. Perry was forced out in 1997 due to a problem with his hip – hipness being essential to the whole Journey experience – and followed by a series of soundalikes, the most recent of which was discovered singing Journey covers on YouTube.
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Reader Comments(1 of 2)
Marcat 4-07-2008
If Van Halen's current SOLD OUT tour in LARGE venues, should show Journey anything is that if you want to play for the BIG crowds again and not the festival circuit - you have to get the band back together....It pays a whole lot better! Come on guys - make up!!!!!!!!!!
ChrisserBeanat 4-02-2008
I agree. Steve Pagiari, otherwise known as Steve Perry-Oke, will never replace the legendary Steve Perry! Steve, come out of retirement--we LOVE you!
penguinat 4-02-2008
journey stinks no matter who sings
paulaat 4-03-2008
Journey is nothing but a joke anymore. The new singer "Arnel" doesn't have what it takes and is nothing more then a bad clone of Steve Perry!
Steve Perry is known as THE VOICE and will always be THE VOICE when it comes to Journey.
I wouldn't go to a Journey concert today even if it was free!
No Perry, No Journey!!
Nurotk2inchwillEat 4-03-2008
NOONE sounds like Steve Perry!! He made Journey who they are today!! They would have never even have gotten off of the ground without him!! Journey's TRUE fans LOVE Steve thru thick and thin and know that Neil is a powerhungry control freak!! Love you Steve and God bless you. I wish you beautiful things..please come out of retirement!!!
Leslieat 4-03-2008
VH1 did a show on Journey...THEN & NOW
Steve Perry said he was shocked when this new "sound-alike" was brought in and he (Perry) wasn't asked back. All the songs that he co-wrote with the guitarist and Perry gets this kind of treatment? Not cool!!!!!!! No one...No one could ever take Steve Perry's place or sound as good as him.
MrChildrenjpopat 4-05-2008
“I wanted a guy that could convey the classic songs with a similar texture to his voice, and a tenor voice, but someone who puts his own spin on it. Which is exactly what Arnel does.” Neal Schon
http://forums.melodicrock.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=33856&sid=71870449e42486554b47d8923008c20a
Michael Villanuevaat 4-04-2008
I would just like to say that Steve Perry is irreplaceable!...just like David Lee Roth for Van Halen and Rob Halford for Judas Priest and Klaus Meine for The Scorpions and Joe Elliot for Def Leppard and Geddy Lee for Rush and others!...These guys and their unique voices cannot be replaced!..I know it's a T.E.A.M.(Together Everyone Achieves More) effort, no doubt, however, c'mon!..these guys make them who they are!..right?...Much Love!...michael..from The ATX!..YaaYee!!!
EricTat 6-05-2008
"Steve Perry said he was shocked when this new "sound-alike" was brought in and he (Perry) wasn't asked back."
He wasn't answering the band's phone calls! They wanted to tour, he didn't want to, so they got somebody willing to go.
"No one could ever take Steve Perry's place or sound as good as him."
True, but to me (a guitarist), Journey is as much (if not more) about Neal Schon than Steve Perry. I was a Journey fan long before Perry joined the band. Yeah, he's an awesome vocalist, but if he doesn't want to play, the rest of the band is supposed to sit and rot? Fuck that.
EricTat 6-05-2008
"Steve Perry said he was shocked when this new 'sound-alike' was brought in and he (Perry) wasn't asked back."
That's bullshit. Steve Perry has said multiple times that he would NEVER play with Journey again. When Journey fired Joff Soto late last year, there was speculation that Perry was coming back, but he said he has "no such plans whatsoever to rejoin Journey".
So what's the rest of the band supposed to do? Rot? They aren't getting any younger, and they still want to rock, so they found someone who loves the music as much as they do, and they are performing again. Good for them.
"No one could ever take Steve Perry's place or sound as good as him."
That's true, but the fact that they are touring and I can go see Neal Schon and Steve Smith and others shredding to classics like Wheel in the Sky, with a vocalist who can at least do the songs justice, is a huge win. Sure, it would be better if Perry was there, but hating on Arnel Pineda because he's not Steve Perry is kinda fucked up. It's not his fault that Perry's not there, and he's about the most humble, unassuming guy you can imagine.
Maybe it helps that Journey has never been just about Perry to me. I'm a musician, and when I was growing up bands were actually... bands.. they had musicians, who played instruments, and you knew their names. Moreover, you actually listened to bass lines, guitar lines, drum parts, etc. Now nobody gives a shit about the band, and a huge percentage of popular music is produced electronically (like most hip hop).
Neal Schon is a fucking god. I'd go to see him alone. Getting to see him performing Journey songs is just icing on the cake.
TAmesat 8-12-2008
You hit the nail right on the head, EricT.
Though it is disappointing that Perry hasn't rejoined the band for whatever reason, we are lucky Journey has been strong enough to move on and still go on tour.
I never heard Perry live - because of various reasons I missed their tour back in the '80s. But when I ever saw Journey with Augeri for the first time in 2001, I knew they would have a rebirth. Then, years later, Soto was kind enough to fill in for Augeri so they could keep the tour going. Now Pineda is here. You are right...Journey was not all about Perry (thought his voice was great). Gotta love watching Schon play the strings. Cain is still great on the keyboards. Valory gives us that pure bass. And Castronovo is awesome on drums.
This reminds me of my other favorite band, Boston. Delp committed suicide, but the band decided to continue on; not to forget about Delp but to celebrate his legacy. I saw Boston recently, and you know what? They rocked. Sure Delp wasn't singing, but they pulled it off without a hitch.
Let's just enjoy the fact that Journey is still playing live shows and releasing albums.
I look forward to seeing Journey at ComCast in Mansfield.
Journey on.
Mr. Campbellat 9-15-2008
i have say, i was never a big journey fan, i didnt dislike them, just wasnt crazy about them. I seen them in concert about a month or two ago in tampa florida, and the Filipino singer Arnel Pineda knocked it out of the ball park. You watched hom more than anything only because he sounds so much like steve perry you watch him because it doesnt seem probable that he is the one singing. Two thumbs up!
groovydaat 1-29-2009
I am in complete & total agreement with you, Eric! Although I've always been a Journey fan I truly thought their performance in my hometown a few months ago would be disappointing; however, I was extremely surprised at the vocals of Arnel Pineda! Although he isn't Steve Perry he's damned sure an extremely close likeness in his vocal capability & I felt if I closed my eyes & had the chance to hear Arnel vs. Steve I might have a bit of a problem determining the difference - especially after a few beers! LOL Frankly I'm aghast at such negative comments from so-called "fans" - the alternative would be to simply listen to the recorded songs that included Steve Perry & not have the thrill & pleasure of attending a live performance. I'll choose the live show when they're in the area as I never tire of listening to my favorite music & enjoy their recorded music when they're not touring my area. This particular concert also included Cheap Trick as the opening band followed by Heart & then Journey closed the evening. It was an awesome concert, all three bands kicked ass & I'd see any or all again in a heartbeat!
JourneyFanat 6-12-2008
Journey's new CD "Revelation" is now Billboard Album Chart's number 5 for the week ending June 21, 2008. And it is number 2 on the Billboard Internet Album chart for the same week. Let that speak for itself that Arnel Pineda is the real deal.
InLuvWithFOBat 6-23-2008
No matter how hard they try they'll never replace Steve Perry! Ever! and the new wannabe is from YouTube! Really!? That really makes be extremly mad! GRRR!
RJat 8-08-2008
Don't you people just get it? Arnel Pineda himself said that he is not replacing Steve Perry. He is just continuing the legacy of Journey.
TRUE Journey fans are sick of these negative comments. For those giving negative comments, it only shows that you are only Steve Perry fans BUT NOT TRUE Journey fans (you are only pretending to be). It is really shameful and sad.
Steve Perry is gone, but Journey is still Journey. Move on people!!!!
GO JOURNEY!
Glenat 8-16-2008
I have been a Journey fan for a long time,I remember the days on the green and listening to neil,greg,ross and company,in a few of thier first shows in San Francisco to me its the music,make no mistake Steve Perry has one of the best voices in rock-n-roll,and is such a talented singer,he can never be REPLACED,but in order for all of us fans to continue to hear all the music that this great band has to offer,they need a front man that can handle ALL the vocals not just some,this means that whomever is singing all the tunes that all of us have grown to love over the years,that person has to be a good singer,and so far the singers that they have had,have really been pretty good,look around at some of the other bands that have tried to do the same thing with disasterous results,Journey is and will be one of my favorite bands,because of the MUSIC,not who is standing out front.
Neal,Ross,Jonathan,Deen,Arnel you guys ROCK!!!
Arnel you may be the new kid on the block and you may have some pretty big shoes to fill,but no worries man you are doing a great job.
carie2coolat 9-26-2008
I saw Journey with Cheap trick and Heart in Concord last nite. Heart was Awesome they sounded GREAT! As for Journey.... THEY SUCKED!!! I was so upset , actually angry.This lil' twit with the huge headed ego up there be boppin looking and sounding like a really bad karaoke bar without any alcohol. Needless to say we left early and I will never buy anything with the name Journey on it again. Face it guys the ride is OVER! Either get some new songs and start over or quit with the great name you once had.
JBraunat 10-05-2009
You're probably too old to understand this term, but you are simply a "hater." Obviously you are a Steve Perry fan, not a Journey fan. I saw Journey alive and well in Santa Barbara last weekend with Arnel as their frontman. Steve Perry was not the soul of Journey. So quit hating on Arnel because he isn't the guy who sang the songs you loved in your glory days back in the 80's and take what you can get, because that dude rocks the house and breathes new life into a classic band.
Sharlaat 7-01-2009
Sorry gang but no put down intended to Arnel but no one should be doing Steve Perry's journey tunes but Steve Perry bottom line the problem isn't that us Perry fans don't like other singers many of us have varied taste the real issues is that Steve made the songs hits for journey, by co-writing and singing them, something they couldn't do without him. When journey "moved on" to me was not even the problem really but to move on still peforming Steves material with sound alikes was wrong, mean and disrespectful, if they wanted to continue being Journey with a new singer then write more new songs make them hits don't ride on the coatails of Steve Perry's talent and try and just try to push him out of the minds of people who are too young and misinformed or just tone deaf to not tell the difference! If the band can't fill up the venues without performing the songs Steve made hits then they are just a cover band! I lost so much respect for Neal and Jon, Ross well he was an idiot to start with. Steve is the only one who has never bad mouthed the band or it's members and that is a fact.