Jimmy Barnes with Neal Schon - Too Much Aint Enough Love

[kgdjpubs]

One of the more interesting side projects of Schon/Cain post Journey was their work with Australian hard rock icon Jimmy Barnes, who was attempting to break into the US market. After a huge success in Oz with the Cain-penned Working Class Man in 1985, Barnes was back for more in 1988 enlisting the majority of Journey (Schon/Cain and Randy Jackson) along with a whole bunch of other songwriters forced upon him by Geffen Records for the follow-up Freight Train Heart album, co-produced by Cain. Interestingly enough, 8 out of the 10 songs (1 of the others being a rocking cover of Dylan's Seven Days) featured writing contributions by Cain, Schon, or in one case, Barnes/Schon/Cain...and several of Barnes/Cain. A couple of rumours started popping up with the possibility of Barnes filling the now-vacant vocalist slot in Journey--even though he has since said he doesn't particularily care for the band's music. Can't see that working anyways... He was also offered the lead vocalist position in Van Halen several years prior after Roth left, turning it down because he was told VH were going for a softer sound...which didn't settle well with the volatile, hard rocking Barnes.

Of course, the involvement with Cain/Schon didn't last however. Barnes fought with the record company over being forced to use outside songwriters, and fought with Cain over the production of the lead vocals, eventually up taking the entire album back to Australia to re-record the vocals and use some Australian musicians. The album hit #1 in Australia, ensuring that Jimmy Barnes would have success as a solo artist after the breakup of the hugely popular and influential Cold Chisel.

The lasting testament to the whole project was the video for Too Much Ain't Enough Love, the bluesy ballad which was the lead single for the album. Written by Barnes/Schon/Cain/Randy Jackson/Tony Brock, the song ended up being one of many disputes on the album. Geffen Records, Barnes' label in the US, wanted to replace the Neal Schon solo with one by blues guitarist Robert Cray--something Barnes was against. In the end, the Schon solo stayed, and Schon appeared being featured very prominently in the music video for the song.

Interestingly enough, Barnes and Schon got along well enough that Schon even played lead guitar for Barnes for several shows, but it didn't last very long. To the best of my knowledge, no live recordings were ever done though with Schon in the band. Oh to hear what that would have sounded like...

Live recordings from the Freight Train Heart tour (with Australian guitarist Johnny Diesel taking over from Schon) were later released as the Barnestorming live album--which is a must-have, as it highlights the difference between the Journey-ish layered studio cuts vs. Barnes' tight-knit, hard-driving Aussie pub rock sound in the live setting. Barnes never would crack the US, severing ties with Geffen Records soon after the release of Freight Train Heart. Other than a popular duet with INXS on the Easybeats cover Good Times, and a re-recorded duet with Tina Turner on Simply the Best a few years later, Barnes' success was confined mainly to Australia, though he still maintains a following in Europe and the UK.

At any rate, here's Barnes and Schon, with the disputed solo, in Too Much Ain't Enough Love...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLWWF1IBKcA

[Don]

Cool, another chance for me to push John Farnham down everybody's throat

When something is wrong with my baby

[Michigan Girl]

Cool, another chance for me to push John Farnham down everybody's throat

When something is wrong with my baby

I'm glad you did....I like his voice!!

[kgdjpubs]

Cool, another chance for me to push John Farnham down everybody's throat

When something is wrong with my baby

speaking of singers I would love to see live at least just one time...

[Hollywood]

Tony Brock from The Babys of course.

Jimmy Barnes has two US releases that had Cain and Schon on them. They were different from the Australian version as far as track listing. Similar of course, but still different. The Working Class Man record was released in the US, again slightly different, on Geffen as a Self-titled record. Cain wrote a good portion of that record, including the title track. Working Class Man was also in the Ron Howard movie Gung Ho. That guy that opened the Def Leppard tour, Stovall I think also performed this song as did Cain on his 'Shine On Chicago' DVD.

I really like the Jimmy Barnes records.

[EME]

The album is a veritable classic and almost landed Barnes the soon to be vacant post at Van Halen!

I've saw him a few times and he's a great performer. He played a gig in Glasgow years ago and Dan McCaffery of Nazerth got up and did a duet.

Not a band singer for a Rangers supporter.....


Regards,
EME

[Journey/Survivor]

I've always loved Neal's playing on that song.

I believe that Barnes was also considered for the lead vocalist opening for Deep Purple back in the early 1990's? Jimi Jamison was their first choice. They wound-up going with Joe Lynn Turner. But Barnes was given serious consideration at the time.

[Deb]

The album is a veritable classic and almost landed Barnes the soon to be vacant post at Van Halen!

I've saw him a few times and he's a great performer. He played a gig in Glasgow years ago and Dan McCaffery of Nazerth got up and did a duet.

That would have been cool to see, a couple powerful voices.

Another great duet with Jimmy (great soundtrack to that movie ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fzwi_EFLXE

[livin2do]

I loved this record. It had Neal and Jon all over it, and some great playing.

[Tito]

Interestingly enough, Barnes and Schon got along well enough that Schon even played lead guitar for Barnes for several shows, but it didn't last very long. To the best of my knowledge, no live recordings were ever done though with Schon in the band. Oh to hear what that would have sounded like...

Everybody likes Schon. He's a good guy. No one has EVER had a problem working with him.

[Michigan Girl]

Interestingly enough, Barnes and Schon got along well enough that Schon even played lead guitar for Barnes for several shows, but it didn't last very long. To the best of my knowledge, no live recordings were ever done though with Schon in the band. Oh to hear what that would have sounded like...

Everybody likes Schon. He's a good guy. No one has EVER had a problem working with him.

I'm not going to say anything....but you know what I'm thinking!!!

[Tito]

Interestingly enough, Barnes and Schon got along well enough that Schon even played lead guitar for Barnes for several shows, but it didn't last very long. To the best of my knowledge, no live recordings were ever done though with Schon in the band. Oh to hear what that would have sounded like...

Everybody likes Schon. He's a good guy. No one has EVER had a problem working with him.

I'm not going to say anything....but you know what I'm thinking!!!

There's only two possible answers...but both are wrong. One guy doesn't want to work at all and the other I can't say because I don't want to upset Andrew.

[Michigan Girl]

Interestingly enough, Barnes and Schon got along well enough that Schon even played lead guitar for Barnes for several shows, but it didn't last very long. To the best of my knowledge, no live recordings were ever done though with Schon in the band. Oh to hear what that would have sounded like...

Everybody likes Schon. He's a good guy. No one has EVER had a problem working with him.

I'm not going to say anything....but you know what I'm thinking!!!

There's only two possible answers...but both are wrong. One guy doesn't want to work at all and the other I can't say because I don't want to upset Andrew.

There's only ONE answer and neither of yours are right!!!

[Tito]

Interestingly enough, Barnes and Schon got along well enough that Schon even played lead guitar for Barnes for several shows, but it didn't last very long. To the best of my knowledge, no live recordings were ever done though with Schon in the band. Oh to hear what that would have sounded like...

Everybody likes Schon. He's a good guy. No one has EVER had a problem working with him.

I'm not going to say anything....but you know what I'm thinking!!!

There's only two possible answers...but both are wrong. One guy doesn't want to work at all and the other I can't say because I don't want to upset Andrew.

There's only ONE answer and neither of yours a right!!!

Then who are you talking about?

[youkeepmewaiting]

Cool, another chance for me to push John Farnham down everybody's throat

When something is wrong with my baby

Ignoring the homosexual connotations of your quote.. I love John Farnham

[Rick]

Cool, another chance for me to push John Farnham down everybody's throat

When something is wrong with my baby

Ignoring the homosexual connotations of your quote.. I love John Farnham

[Don]

Cool, another chance for me to push John Farnham down everybody's throat

When something is wrong with my baby

Ignoring the homosexual connotations of your quote.. I love John Farnham

As long as I came across as the pitcher and not the catcher, I can live with it.