Talking with Journey: Drummer Deen Castronovo 8/28/2011

[tater1977]

Talking with Journey: Drummer Deen Castronovo says group still believin' after 35 years

Categories: Allentown Fair, Music, Music News
Posted by John J. Moser at 01:55:00 AM on August 28, 2011

It’s no small feat that classic rock band Journey has one of the top-selling iTunes song of all time in “Don’t Stop Believin’ “ — considering the song was released 20 years before the music program debuted.

Or that “Don’t Stop Believin’ “ hit the Top 10 again in 2009 — charting higher than when originally released — when the cast of the television show “Glee” released a new version that also went platinum.

But the real measure of lasting appeal of the band best known for its 1970s and ’80s ballad rock may be the fact that, more than 35 years after first hitting the charts and with a new singer, its new albums are still charting. Its 2008 disc “Revelation” hit No. 5 and went platinum, and its latest disc, “Eclipse,” released in May, went to No. 13.

There’s no question the band’s popularity was helped by the use of “Don’t Stop Believin’ “ at the very end of the final episode of “The Sopranos,” the hugely popular HBO mob drama that came to an end in 2007. Other Journey songs have been used on “Glee.”

But Journey drummer Deen Castronovo said in a recent telephone call that the reasons go much deeper. He credits Neal Schon, an original member of the band, and 31-year rhythm guitarist Jonathan Cain, who along with former lead singer Steve Perry, composed all Journey’s biggest songs.

The band has 17 Top 40 hits, including “Wheel in the Sky,” “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” “Any Way You Want It,” “Open Arms,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” and “Faithfully,” as well as “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

Castronovo also cites the 2007 addition of singer Arnel Pineda, a Filipino singer-songwriter who had limited success in his native country before Journey guitarist and songwriter Schon discovered him singing the band’s songs on YouTube videos.

He replaced Perry, who in 1998 split with the band after 20 years.

In a recent telephone call to promote the band’s Aug. 31 show with Foreigner and Night Ranger at Allentown Fair, Castronovo spoke about Journey’s legacy – and future.

Here is a transcript of the call:

LEHIGH VALLEY MUSIC: There are a lot of classic band touring right now – Foreigner is out with you guys, Styx is playing in the area. But the difference is that you guys have new albums that are still charting. I was wondering to what do you attribute that? What’s the secret?

“I think that the reason for that is the band has got two of the greatest songwriters of my generation – Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon. We don’t have to rest on our laurels – we don’t have to look back and say, ‘OK, we need to stay with this formula and do this certain thing.’ We still got a lot of life in us. And with [new singer] Arnel [Pineda] coming to the plate and writing with us, it’s been incredible. We’ve been able to move in a lot more different directions as a band and we still have a lot of longevity ahead of us. It’s great.”

Tell me about the new album, “Eclipse.” What was the band’s plan going into it, and how do you think it turned out?

“What we did was we wanted to write more of a rock record. Neal’s vision was ‘Let’s write some rock.’ We’ve always had the ballads, we’ve always had these poppy songs. Let’s go in a different direction. And with Arnel in the band, we can go with different directions. He’s a great rock singer. He can do many, many styles. So we thought it would be fun to just go in and do a nice, hard-rock record like we haven’t done in a long time. So it was Neal’s vision, and we went for it, and it came out great.

Journey's new disc, 'Eclipse'

“We were doing the recordings – gosh, we went in and we had 20 or 30 songs, and we would take one song at a time – listen to it, make whatever changes we needed to in the studio, and then go in and play it as a band live. And it came out great – the record’s got that live feel and it’s definitely got some drive to it. It’s a great record.”

It’s interesting you say that about Arnel. My perception was that he was chosen because he was able to do the catalog very well. But you say he fit into the new songs and actually contributed to the new songs, as well.

“Yeah, he’s done some writing along with Jonathan and Neal. A lot of people said, OK, you have big shoes to fill. Yeah, he did that, but also he has his own shoes. He’s got his own style; he sings the way he sings. And even though he can do many, many genres, many styles of music, he’s got his own thing. And that really contributed a lot to both the new record, “Eclipse,” as well as the last record, [2008’s] ‘Revelation.’ He definitely put his stamp on it.”

Do you view Journey now as a new band? With the new music, is there still that connection to what Journey used to be? Or are you guys basically representing a whole new era?

“I think we represent both, bro. We can’t shut the door on the past, nor do we want to. I mean that’s our legacy.”

Of course.

“But also, we show ourselves as, ‘Hey, we’re moving forward.’ We’re not going to just sit and be a nostalgia act. To me, we’re a very valid touring and recording entity. The last record, ‘Revelation,’ speaks for itself. We sold over a million records. You can’t really deny that. This new one’s doing great, as well.

“Musically, honestly, I’ve played with the greatest players on the planet myself. The greatest guitarist ever. And to me, I’m playing with the greatest musicians on the planet, in my opinion. Not just that they know their chops, and their ability to tear it up on stage – it’s the songwriting. It’s the music as a whole. This band is awesome. If I could play in any band, this would be the one I wanted to be in. I mean, I wanted to when I was 11 years old, when I was first learning to be in a band. I was in a band with 25-, 26-year-old guys. They brought me [the album] ‘Infinity’ and said, ‘Learn this stuff.’ And I was a fan from then on. I bought every damn record, and every show that they played in Portland, Oregon, where I’m from … they were the greatest players ever. And even though I was a metal drummer, played in metal bands and thrash and speed metal in Portland, Journey was always my favorite. Steve Smith one of the most incredible drummers on the planet. And of course, Steve Perry, god of vocals. I mean, he’s a god. I love his voice.”

You know what? Since you brought up Steve Perry, what’s the band’s relationship with Steve, if any, today? What’s the situation?

“We talk through attorneys. We don’t really have a relationship with him, nor does he have one with us, nor does he want one with us. We’ve put out the olive branch many times, but it’s a very sore subject, and I don’t think either camps want to get involved in it, you know? We love him. I mean, obviously, if it wasn’t for Steve Perry, there would have been no Journey, even though there was Journey before Steve Perry. But he really put the band on the map, and we can’t deny it. To me, like I said, I’m a fan, dude. [Laughs] I mean, Steve Perry – out of all the metal singers I’ve worked with, and all the bands that listened to, nobody touched him, and they still don’t. I mean, he’s sick. He’s a sick singer. Arnel’s the same way. He’s one of those singers, man, that touches your heart and really makes an impact on you as a musician. He’s another one.

“I love him, though, man. I met him when we got our star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I was in freakin’ shock. It was like, ‘Oh my god, I got to meet Steve Perry.’ I mean, the rest of the band, they think it’s crap – they know the guy. But I was freaking. So pretty cool. And I would have loved to have worked with him. I never got a chance to.

“Some people with us are like, ‘There’s no Steve Perry, there’s no Journey.’ Understandable, point taken, we understand that. But you know, the band is still a great band and we have a ton of music we still want to put out and that we want to play to the masses. So you can’t deny the fact that we love doing what we do and the music is fantastic. I’m very fortunate.”

The resurgence of “Don’t Stop Believin’” with “Glee,” and how it’s made it a whole new era of Journey. How much were you aware when it got used on “Glee” and it became popular again.

“Well, you know, I really didn’t know much about ‘Glee’ until ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ got on there. Within the first season, I don’t remember what show, when it aired. I had no idea. All I was told was that they’re using it for this, like, sitcom musical thing on TV called ‘Glee.’ I was like, ‘OK, very cool.’ Saw it and I was like, ‘Son of a gun, that was awesome.’ It was freakin’ awesome. And then they ended up doing ‘Any Way You Want It’ and ‘Faithfully’ and ‘Don’t Stop Believin’,’ I think, in the season finale. It was like, ‘Oh come on, how awesome is this?’ It’s a great, great thing.

“And then, of course, before that, you had ‘The Sopranos’ using it. And then, of course, you got it in every damn Adam Sandler movie – which I love. I love Adam Sandler – he is a god. He had it in ‘The Wedding Singer’ and then you had it in ‘Bedtime Stories.’ Pretty amazing how much that song is used. Incredible.”

I read, or heard, some talk when it was on “The Sopranos” that there was a little bit of hesitation about using it in a mob show.

“Yeah, I believe it was Steve Perry’s final call, I think. He was the one who said, ‘Look, I don’t want it in some scene where somebody gets wacked.’ I can remember him saying that – he didn’t want it that. They assured him, though, that’s not what it’s going to be. I think they found out two days before – I think Perry and Neal and Jonathan found out two days before it was going to be put on what it was all about. But they didn’t really give them the plot or anything, just said it wasn’t going to be anything violent.

“So it came out great. And the funny thing is, I missed the damned episode. I was waiting and waiting to see it, of course. Everybody else got to see it and I missed it. I don’t know why, but I missed the damned thing. I had to go see it on reruns later on. But yeah, I think Steve had the final say in that.”

And it’s still one of the best-selling songs ever on iTunes.

“Yeah, how incredible is that, dude? Like I told you earlier, I really have nothing to do with that, with Journey’s legacy, with the exception of I bought every record they ever made and I saw them play, I think, six or seven times in Portland. Before I was in the band I was a huge fan. So to be riding that wave and to be working with Jonathan and Neal -- two-thirds of the songwriters of that song – incredible. Every day I just go, ‘Man, I’m in this band.’ It’s freaky. I’m telling you – 13 years into it, and I still count my blessings daily.”

Thirteen years into it makes you the longest-serving drummer that Journey’s ever had.

“Yes. So far, so good. [Laughs] Pretty amazing. It’s a dream come true. I tell the guys in the band – they cringe when I say it – when I was a kid, there were two bands I wanted to be in when I was 11 and 12. It was either Journey or – you’re going to love this – or KISS. I want to be in KISS ‘cause they were my Beatles. When I was 7 years old, my older brother brought over [the album] ‘Dressed To Kill.’ He brought it from a friend of his and said, ‘Let me check this out.’ And I was like, ‘OK.’ And then I looked at it and I was like, ‘Yeah! That’s what I want to do when I get older.’ That was it. I mean, that was it. I became a drummer right after that.

“They were the superheroes of rock and roll, no question. Every year I was [KISS drummer] Peter Criss for Halloween. I’m still a huge KISS fan. Huge.”

I wanted to ask about the new album being sold exclusively through Wal-Mart.

“Well, it was a great vehicle for us, because obviously with the Internet and downloading and stuff, actually record companies have become obsolete. They really have. And so we thought, you know what? Let’s see what Wal-Mart would be able to do. Look what they did for The Eagles. The Eagles were the testing ground. They were the guinea pigs, I think. And our manager said, ‘Well, it worked for The Eagles, let’s see what it does for you.’ And sure enough, it’s a great marriage. We’ve done really well with Wal-Mart. We’re very fortunate that they’re behind us, and backing us as much as they are. It’s incredible.”

[annpea]

Interesting that Deen, has such a free reign lately..... lot of kissin' going on there.

[onmyjrny]

Interesting that Deen, has such a free reign lately..... lot of kissin' going on there.

As there should be...Deen gets it.

Gotta love Deen!

[annpea]

Interesting that Deen, has such a free reign lately..... lot of kissin' going on there.

As there should be...Deen gets it.

Gotta love Deen!

This is true.

[The_Noble_Cause]

[Arnel] replaced Perry, who in 1998 split with the band after 20 years.

Interesting timeline there...

[annpea]

[Arnel] replaced Perry, who in 1998 split with the band after 20 years.

Interesting timeline there...

I saw that, so basically SA and JSS never happened... I guess my mind was playing tricks on me.

[tater1977]

[Arnel] replaced Perry, who in 1998 split with the band after 20 years.

Interesting timeline there...

Yea...Sometimes I wonder if they...do any research, before they write their article....

[donnaplease]

I liked him much better before he started opening his mouth...

[Gideon]

I liked him much better before he started opening his mouth...

?

[steveo777]

I liked him much better before he started opening his mouth...

What's up your bum?

[donnaplease]

We don’t have to rest on our laurels – we don’t have to look back and say, ‘OK, we need to stay with this formula and do this certain thing.’

What a bullshit statement. They are on record as repeatedly saying they wanted to "stay with this formula" ~ which is the primary reason they hired Arnel (and considered Jeremey) in the first place. They ARE a nostalgia band, despite what he's trying to suggest here. I've read a lot of griping here about the fact that they aren't playing Revelation and Eclipse songs in their shows. What does that leave??? Nostalgia - songs that were made famous decades ago. I have no problem with that, because that's the era that I love, I just wish they wouldn't be disingenuous about it. I didn't like his comments about JSS in the former interview either.

He did redeem himself later in the interview with his respectful comments about SP (for me, anyway). It's very refreshing to see someone in the band who isn't trashing him. I have always really liked Deen, and each time I talked with him he was really cool.

[Red13JoePa]

31-year rhythm guitarist Jonathan Cain

Totally bizarre description of Cain but typical of the non-homework-doing media.