MR

Let's face it, you can only sing in the Journey high tenor range for a limited time before your voice is toast. It happened to both Steves, and is inevitable for anyone who attempts to sing in this range for 8-10 years.

So, post your favorite Steve Perry tribute singers' latest YouTube offerings on this thread so Neal will have a few to choose from when the time comes. It's not a matter of if, but when.

Perry, who joined the band in 1977, had a few years on hiatus before he left in 1987 at age 38

Augeri left after 8 years at age 47

Arnel is in his 6th year at age 46


Neal and Jon have already said Arnel is their last singer..

The only viable alternative is a much younger tenor.. and that would just look WIERD onstage..

So, it doesn't already look a bit weird now?


I think they'll be hanging it up before Arnel's completely fried.

After JSS, they should have gotten a guy in his early 20s

after the JSS debacle (god, i would love to hear an album of orignal material with him) they should have begged Perry for 1 last reunion concert. And Go out with a " State of Grace".

scarab wrote:after the JSS debacle (god, i would love to hear an album of orignal material with him) they should have begged Perry for 1 last reunion concert. And Go out with a " State of Grace".

It's not like they haven't had a lot of success and two great albums since JSS. It's just the lastv2 years that are frustrating.

There isn't going to be another singer after Arnel. Pineda already said they have a timetable of drawing down the band (2017). No one will accept another change and with no Glee or Sopranos moment to gain momentum from it wouldn't work. Also they are done with Azoff in 2017 so no more heavy hitter manager to get their shows booked everywhere.. Arnel is the closer here, deal with it.

Me.

Andrew wrote:Me.

Not sure I understand who's post you were responding to. Fill us in.

It would appear all the clues point to the band winding down... and Arnel should be their last lead singer change. Other than from Deen, however, I don't recall reading anything from Jon or Neal saying this is indeed so. Maybe I missed that interview.

This band won't move on after Pineda. He is the last singer for Journey at this point.

Arnel's the last.

Sorry. I don't believe for a second that Neal is ready to give up the brand. He loves the money too much and Salahi probably needs a new set of tits.

As for who's next....I don't know. I think clones like Arnel and to a lesser extent, Augeri, do a disservice to this band and only further solidify the guys' reputation as being Perry's faceless bitches and hos. The media publicity over Arnel was good for the band in the short term, but now what? Like all tabloid stunts, the relevancy faded fast. And now they are scurrying to find their place in the music scene and left with just another yes-man singer good at loyally following marching orders. Any past candidates with a unique creative vision and set of Herbie-sized balls (Chalfant, JSS, Bolton, Tate) get written off as being difficult. Y'know what, maybe it's time for some difficulty to be injected back in this band? Since 1998, we've had nothing but complacency and apathy and now atrophy.

No, it's time for them to call it a day. Been time, I'll say.

The_Noble_Cause wrote:Sorry. I don't believe for a second that Neal is ready to give up the brand. He loves the money too much and Salahi probably needs a new set of tits.

As for who's next....I don't know. I think clones like Arnel and to a lesser extent, Augeri, do a disservice to this band and only further solidify the guys' reputation as being Perry's faceless bitches and hos. The media publicity over Arnel was good for the band in the short term, but now what? Like all tabloid stunts, the relevancy faded fast. And now they are scurrying to find their place in the music scene and left with just another yes-man singer good at loyally following marching orders. Any past candidates with a unique creative vision and set of Herbie-sized balls (Chalfant, JSS, Bolton, Tate) get written off as being difficult. Y'know what, maybe it's time for some difficulty to be injected back in this band? Since 1998, we've had nothing but complacency and apathy and now atrophy.

I have to agree.

Neal is at least open to the idea.

Queen is a good example of how to go about singers and brand. Different beasts for sure, but same idea. I figure as long as they get the right talent it's fine. Same goes for the Extravaganza show. Brilliant. KISS will likely do the same when Gene and Paul retire. So why not Journey. It's an enduring band all the same. The music certainly isn't going to die off any time soon.

To me, JSS was their grand opportunity to twist it a little. It says alot when someone can sound so different yet make it every bit as good and honest as Perry did. Jeff has what's called fucking SOUL, my friends. He used it. As Perry did. I could buy the songs just as much.

Arnel's voice has changed alot, no doubt due to the extensive touring and the demanding catalog. Even in the dropped key. Heck, compare videos from '09 to now. To my ears it's night and day. He needs a break. How long can they go until people start saying "hey, he's losing it." My old man could even tell the work has taken its toll. I love Arnel and what he's done for Journey, but more touring like this is probably not going to be good if the voice progresses as it does. I know next year will likely be off time before a likely last hoorah for live nation when the contract is up. Afterwards, fair game.

I may make this my last concert this July if they pop up in the future with him and his voice is still waning. But if they were to give another guy a shot who kills, they could stretch out Journey until, well, until they can't play anymore. Or just make an official tribute like the QE. If there's good talent doing the songs as they deserve to be done, it will be bought into.

A tenor in early - late 20s would be a good idea. Lots of time. But they might as well keep the keys dropped as they do now. Seems to be the norm. I wouldn't pitch myself unless the chances were good. Heck I'm sure Neal has seen a video of me. But I'm not as good as a lot of them. There are plenty of worthy guys out there.

slucero wrote:
The only viable alternative is a much younger tenor.. and that would just look WIERD onstage..

It may be wierd but that's the only option anymore, a kids in his 20s is the only one who can pull off that catalog for an extended period of time. I wouldn't have a problem with them hiring a chick if she has the right voice either.

A gypsy told me....in - 2015 Journey is now a country rock band..run by the kids....

ebake02 wrote:

slucero wrote:
The only viable alternative is a much younger tenor.. and that would just look WIERD onstage..

It may be wierd but that's the only option anymore, a kids in his 20s is the only one who can pull off that catalog for an extended period of time. I wouldn't have a problem with them hiring a chick if she has the right voice either.

Didn't Van Halen audition a female singer at one point?

Rick wrote:

ebake02 wrote:

slucero wrote:
The only viable alternative is a much younger tenor.. and that would just look WIERD onstage..

It may be wierd but that's the only option anymore, a kids in his 20s is the only one who can pull off that catalog for an extended period of time. I wouldn't have a problem with them hiring a chick if she has the right voice either.

Didn't Van Halen audition a female singer at one point?

They should hire a 25 year old brunett woman with tenor voice..........and a beak!

Rick wrote:

ebake02 wrote:

slucero wrote:
The only viable alternative is a much younger tenor.. and that would just look WIERD onstage..

It may be wierd but that's the only option anymore, a kids in his 20s is the only one who can pull off that catalog for an extended period of time. I wouldn't have a problem with them hiring a chick if she has the right voice either.

Didn't Van Halen audition a female singer at one point?

Patty Smyth. She turned it down because she was pregnant. That's why Sammy got the gig.

Rick wrote:

ebake02 wrote:

slucero wrote:
The only viable alternative is a much younger tenor.. and that would just look WIERD onstage..

It may be wierd but that's the only option anymore, a kids in his 20s is the only one who can pull off that catalog for an extended period of time. I wouldn't have a problem with them hiring a chick if she has the right voice either.

Didn't Van Halen audition a female singer at one point?

Not quite...they were contemplating Patty Smyth. Would have been interesting...but not VH.

Speaking to the Patty Smyth/VH thing...was she actually offered the gig in VH or is it a case similar to Jeff Fenholt being "in" Black Sabbath (which is basically a seriously stretched version of the truth)? I know VH was considering doing an all-star vocalist album...maybe she was going to be one of the many for that album?

However, seeing as how Gary Cherone and Mitch Malloy both thought they were "in" Van Halen at the same time (LOL!!), I guess anything is possible.

I think they really did want her at first till they realized they could get the singer from the band that largely inspired them, i.e. Montrose.

slucero wrote:Perry, who joined the band in 1977, had a few years on hiatus before he left in 1987 at age 38

Augeri left after 8 years at age 47

Arnel is in his 6th year at age 46

But Perry made an attempt at age 47 (1996) with Trial By Fire and subsequently aborted the planned tour. Apparently 47 is the age that you can't squeal like a 21-year-old anymore.

Voyager wrote:

slucero wrote:Perry, who joined the band in 1977, had a few years on hiatus before he left in 1987 at age 38

Augeri left after 8 years at age 47

Arnel is in his 6th year at age 46

But Perry made an attempt at age 47 (1996) with Trial By Fire and subsequently aborted the planned tour. Apparently 47 is the age that you can't squeal like a 21-year-old anymore.

Making the album is easy for the vocalist, you can retake parts ( squeal like a 21-year) until you get it perfect. THere are also software studio tools now like Melodyne, that allow for changing the pitch of parts at the syllabic level while preserving timbre.. so uber-high parts can be hit (fixed).. meaning it's easier now than it was during TBF.

That being said.. It's still the touring that has always killed Journey singers, where they don't have the luxury of not singing if they are sick. And that's why IMHO opinion.. TBF really doesn't even count.. no tour.

Just look at the numbers,, Perry cut his show dates 30% between Frontiers (33 yrs old) and ROR (37 yrs old). By the time he toured FLOTSM, he'd cut 50% vs. Frontiers..



Neither Augeri or Pineda have ever toured in the way Perry toured with Journey... AND they both joined Journey at the ages of 39 and 41... where areas Perry effectively quit touring Journey songs at age 37... and it was obvious his voice was "different" at age 47.. just about the same age Augeri and Pineda are/where when they had vocal issues..

The_Noble_Cause wrote: and set of Herbie-sized balls (Chalfant, JSS, Bolton, Tate) get written off as being difficult.

LOL - not sure if "balls" would be the word I'd use to describe Herbie. Arrogant seems more fitting to me. Brilliant at what he does, but I can't think of an interview I've read in recent memory where someone sounded more full of themselves than Herbie Herbert. No wonder he and Perry didn't get along. The two strike me as two assholes going at it ... one loud, obnoxious and sneering like the prick at the back of the class ... and the other quiet, smiling and while sticking a knife in you.

Andrew wrote:
Not quite...they were contemplating Patty Smyth. Would have been interesting...but not VH.

To a lot of people, Sammy wasn't VH either. I think the change in direction on 5150 at that point would've been Van Halen no matter who was singing. VH is kind of whatever Eddie decides it is. 5150 worked because the material was undeniably strong...whether it would've been with Smyth is another issue (since I don't think she wrote any of Scandal's hits), but vocally I think it'd have been pretty awesome at the time.

Yoda wrote:This band won't move on after Pineda. He is the last singer for Journey at this point.

Yeah, I sort of got the feeling this will be what happens, but I also got a feeling the end will not be caused from anyone loosing their voice or singing abilities.

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After Arnel's voice is toast, Journey will perform with a hologram of Steve Perry

My forecast is if the band continues on if Arnel departs the band, it will only be because they find someone else who not only can sing the way they want, but also has an incredible writing ability. Personally I think they've completed full circle which is, they entered their hay day with the SP sound and now hit the hay day once again with a SP sounding vocalist throughout a 30 something year stretch. I really can't see them going beyond that, time is not on most of the band's side at this point.