The Unexpurgated interview with Journey's Neal Schon

[Don]

http://www.todayonline.com/blogs/popara ... neal-schon

BY
CHRISTOPHER TOH


HI NEAL. THANKS FOR THE TAKING THE CALL EVEN THOUGH I’M A LITTLE LATE. WE HAVE TO SAY THAT SOME FANS HERE HAVE BEEN PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT YOU GUYS FINALLY COMING OVER. We’ve had phenomenal success in markets that we haven’t played before; people are more open-minded, I believe, since Arnel (Pineda, singer) has come into the band. It’s taken more of a “world band” feel, rather than “a band from America” which was what we were. And Truthfully, I always wanted Journey to be a world band and travel everywhere, and it’s finally happening. It’s taken a long time to get here, but it is happening.

SPEAKING OF ARNEL, CAN YOU TELL US A DIRTY LITTLE SECRET ABOUT HIM? Haha! He’s a monster singer. But that’s not a secret! I don’t have any secrets about him. He’s very open about everything he does. He’s not a secretive guy. He’s an amazing talent and an amazing person. Ever since day one, when we talked – even before he was in the band – I really liked him.

HAVE YOU SEEN THE DOCUMENTARY FILM ABOUT ARNEL’S JOURNEY WITH JOURNEY? WHAT DID YOU THINK? Yes, I saw it. I’ve seen it a few times, while they were editing. They’ve been working on it for a long time. The story itself is a great story – because it’s a true story, about how we found Arnel, and that story is worth its weight in gold anywhere – I would’ve liked to have been more involved in the editing when it came to our live sets that they used. I felt like a lot of it was not … they didn’t film in the greatest areas, where it didn’t look so good or sound so good. I felt that the DVD we did, Live In Manila, was wonderful and they could have easily used that footage instead of the stuff they shot in San Francisco when he was sick and there was no place to go. But it’s alright. Ramona wanted a documentary-type feel. I was looking at it from more of a film standpoint, which it is now – it’s a documentary that’s turned into a film showing in theatres. So maybe, um, she should’ve listened.

YOU’VE BEEN IN THE BAND SINCE DAY ONE. WHAT’S THE ONE KEY LESSON YOU’VE LEARNT? Yes, as you say: I’ve been here since day one, from the beginning, since 1973. And I’ve been in every incarnation of the band with all the different members who’ve come and gone. So I’ve seen a lot and experienced a lot and it’s all been an amazing and wonderful learning experience. You learn something from every situation, whether it’s a positive or negative. You turn the negative into a positive and that’s what I’ve learned: The best thing to do – you have a negative situation? Turn it into a positive. There’s a positive side somewhere. And you don’t get so lost in the negativity. And so I have very fond memories of this band in the very beginning, when it was myself, Greg Rolie, Ross Valory, Aynsley Dunbar and George Tickner. And even before Aynsley it was Prairie Prince of The Tubes. We weren’t even called Journey yet. We were just The Golden Gate Rhythm Section. And the band was really a**-kicking improvisational jam band from San Francisco. Our reputation was made by being the jam band on steroids.

But you know, so many fans have come and gone and a lot of people ask how does Arnel live up to Steve Perry and you know what? He does very well. He’s done a great job of conveying our songs and I think he will continue to move forward with him, no problem. Steve made his mark in time – he’s an amazing vocalist and everyone acknowledges that, including me the rest of band, as well as Arnel – Arnel is the first one to give him props.

There are fans that saw us in the very beginning – during our first three records – that loved that version of the band. And when Steve came in, they didn’t like it any more. In terms of number of fans when the band became famous, obviously, it was when Steve Perry came in and we started getting on the radio. But prior to Steve coming in, we’d made a name for ourselves on the live circuit, not selling records, but playing live. We were drawing a lot of people. And (there was) one band – and every show we played we got huge encores with their audience – that was Lynyrd Skynyrd. For some reason, when we played with them, the audience loved the guitar jam music – they just loved us.

BECAUSE THE DIGITAL DOMAIN IS WHERE IT’S AT, WHEN IT COMES TO MUSIC THESE DAYS, THE LIVE COMPONENT SEEMS TO BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO MUSIC REVENUES. IS THAT TRUE IN YOUR CASE? The digital domain is the only thing going on. Most of the record stores in America are closed. You have your Best Buys, Targets and Wal-Marts, or Starbucks, but that’s it. Until someone figures out how to get the new music in and open music stores, it’s going to remain like that. And the bands that are doing really well, which are not too many – we’re fortunate to be one of them – are band which have continued here and played lived.

I just turned 59; but it’s not the age you turn, it’s how you feel - and I still feel very young. I’ve been on tour since I was 15, with the original Santana band, and never really stopped the whole time. It’s been my life. When I get done touring – after touring really hard, sure, everyone gets tired and they need a break. But once you’re off for like a month or two, you’re jumping to get back out there.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE LIVE EXPERIENCE? There’s nothing like getting onstage and translating to an audience and feeling the energy go back and forth between the audience. You know, you put out that energy and they give back to you. And it’s a great … music is really a universal language; I don’t care where you’re from. If you’re playing music that hits them at the heart and soul, they’re going to understand it anyway.

AND THERE WE WERE, THINKING THAT TOURING WAS HELL. Playing is the fun part. The travelling is not fun. We love playing, but the hardest part is when people get sick. And it happens. This year, in particular there’s been a nasty virus, and I did three months of touring with walking pneumonia and I didn’t even know I had it. At the end of the three months, I really was not feeling well. I had seen numerous doctors while I was touring and I never cancelled a gig. I always tried to be a trooper and I’ve never cancelled a show in my life in all the years I’ve been playing since I was 15. And I wasn’t getting any better, and I was taking all kinds of antibiotics, so I went to the hospital to get an X-ray. And they saw that below my heart, on the left side, way down low, I had pneumonia down there. I had to see a lung specialist in Marin County and he got to the bottom of it. And it took a long time to get better. He said, “It took you a long time to get this sick and it’s going to take a long time to get better.” And I only just got better a while ago, after having been on all kinds of meds – you name it, I was on it – and finally my lungs cleared. And we went on tour and now everybody’s got a cold again. It’s the same situation. We’re flying now everywhere, and when you’re on an aeroplane, and you hear people cough, and I’m wrapping my head in a scarf, because it’s just recirculated air, and depending on the length of your flight, the chances of catching something on a plane are very high. I’ve been trying to keep healthy, that’s the best thing that you can do. I’ve been sober for years – my old medicine was to have a drink, some whisky or something. But now I don’t drink anymore, and I have to get healthy for real – the real way.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR LEGACY TO BE? If you’d asked me 20 years ago if we’d be around in 20 years’ time, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. Who knew that 40 years later we’d still be sitting here and our music would be so popular … we’re very very fortunate and we have much gratitude to our fans for giving us the chance to do what we love.

A lot has been accomplished through a lot of hard work. Nothing came easy. And anybody who says that rock stars have an easy life and they don’t deserve the life they have, they’re full of s***. It’s a very grueling gig, but it’s a very satisfying gig. I’m doing what I love and I can’t complain about that. But it is very grueling and demanding – everything. But the payback is so huge for me.

And I’ve not been here just to make the money. I got to playing the guitar because I was in love with music. And after I found that I was able to express myself so well through it. I found out at a very young age – I was playing guitar for two years – and became very attached to the blues, to BB King, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf. I loved Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Sly And The Family Stone, Bobby Womack, Marvin Gaye, Jackie Wilson, Wilson Pickett – you name it. Aretha Franklin touched my soul when I was very young and I started to express myself on guitar when I was 12 and a half, and I used to listen to her records and cop her phrasing and vibrato and use it for the guitar. I listened to many guitar players and horn players, like Miles Davis. My dad was a jazz musician –he listened to Stan Getz all the time: Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, I listened to every type of music that was out there. And when I joined Santana in 1970 - with Greg Rolie and Carlos and the guys - that completely opened me up to a whole new genre of music. That was a melting pot of world music.

WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE? I’m very excited about the prospect of us getting back together – which looks like it’s going to happen sometime next year. It’ll be a great one. We’re just trying to work it out where we can do both bands together, like a double bill, Journey and Santana. I think that would make for an amazing show. Greg could come on with us and do some early Journey and I could go on with Santana to do some of the work that I did and I’m actually going to work on their new record as well. So I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that it goes down, because I think it would be the greatest gigs that people could see.

[Eric]

Touring with Santana is a THE PERFECT time for Journey to make a new record and play it. Its not going to be the usual casuals there and Journey will likely be opening.

It would also be a great time for Journey's PR machine to hammer the national media and EVERY local media they hit with Schon's story about choosing Santana over Clapton at 15. It gives Journey street cred anytime someone who didn't know that hears that story.

[STORY_TELLER]

Great interview. This part really jumped out at me. I think it explains Perry and Schon's musical chemistry perfectly. Both were soulfully expressive with their instruments and had a lot of R&B/Soul influences. Damn I miss that pairing --

Aretha Franklin touched my soul when I was very young and I started to express myself on guitar when I was 12 and a half, and I used to listen to her records and cop her phrasing and vibrato and use it for the guitar.

[Gideon]

Touring with Santana is a THE PERFECT time for Journey to make a new record and play it. Its not going to be the usual casuals there and Journey will likely be opening.

It would also be a great time for Journey's PR machine to hammer the national media and EVERY local media they hit with Schon's story about choosing Santana over Clapton at 15. It gives Journey street cred anytime someone who didn't know that hears that story.

Dear God, yes.

[Arkansas]

Touring with Santana is a THE PERFECT time for Journey to make a new record and play it.

There will be an interview somewhere in 2014 that questions new music, and we'll get the usual answer.

"Well, we've only got 90 minutes out there, and the crowd wants to hear the old Rolie stuff. Then we have to play the DD too. But hey, you never know. We'll have some surprises out there I'm sure."


later~