Why do so many feel Journey needs Perry to get airplay?

[Jeremey]

How do you think they should market themselves now Jeremey? There has to be a way somehow to get good music heard and appreciated for it's value.

I'd say look at what the successful new acts are doing. Touring will always be the #1 way to promote new music. But in the digital age, viral marketing, promotional tie-ins and television/movie tie-ins...These are things new acts are doing that Journey pioneered 25 years ago!

[dcvader]

Fred, I'm jealous. If I even try to mention Journey to my high school aged kids or their friends, I get either blank stares or rolled eyes and giggles. Getting old really sucks!

Moose,

All the cool kids know who Journey is!!

My kids know who they are. They have seen the band 2 times each. Plus, they have seen Jeremey's band Frontiers. They love it. I guess when they hear it in the house and get used to it. It grows on them. It could be worse.

[Moose]

Fred, I'm jealous. If I even try to mention Journey to my high school aged kids or their friends, I get either blank stares or rolled eyes and giggles. Getting old really sucks!

Moose,

All the cool kids know who Journey is!!

LOL
Dude, where are those cool kids? Perhaps they could meet my kids!

[ohsherrie]

No, it's not 1983, but don't you think that with the right PR they could do as well as Nickelback or Train? I think they could. Even though those two bands don't have a Journey sound, they are a lot more melodic than Jay Zee or Gwen Stefani. I think there's room for an even more melodic sound if it's presented in the right way.

Hey ohsherrie, it seems to me that it's still the younger set that likes Zee or Stefani. Journey isn't for the young set necessarily and I think that probably has more to do with the style of music they play. My daughter and many of her friends from high school are crazy about Journey, but it's the Perry version of Journey. It's kind of like when a new generation discovers the Beatles or Led Zep.

Sometimes, I also think it boils down to hit or miss.

My kids are a lot older than yours Fred and are both Journey fans, but I still think there is a younger generational niche out there that this band can fit into. Maybe I'm just too hyped on Jeff's vocal abilities to face reality, but damn there have to be some young people out there that like really good music.

[Melissa]

My son loves Journey. My daughter is a toddler & loves to dance to Journey & today was dancing to "Radio Ga Ga" by Queen (she loves JSS's live version too, lol).

Talk about feeling old, my hubby (seasoned cop) was talking to some co-workers (baby cops in their VERY early 20's, lol) about music & told me they had never even heard of Rush (hubby's fav), & one of them even said he gets Led Zeppelin & Def Leppard MIXED UP.

We're still in our 30's too, but I felt WAY old when he told me that, lol.

[fred_journeyman]

Fred, I'm jealous. If I even try to mention Journey to my high school aged kids or their friends, I get either blank stares or rolled eyes and giggles. Getting old really sucks!

Really? Sometimes, I wonder if it's just a fad for these kids though, kind of like enjoying something that's "retro."

[fred_journeyman]

My kids are a lot older than yours Fred and are both Journey fans, but I still think there is a younger generational niche out there that this band can fit into. Maybe I'm just too hyped on Jeff's vocal abilities to face reality, but damn there have to be some young people out there that like really good music.

This has been mentioned a number of times before in various threads, but if Journey did some "crossover" music with another artist or group, that would work. Aerosmith did it. Other groups have as well. Couldn't "hoit" as they say.

[Moose]

Fred, I'm jealous. If I even try to mention Journey to my high school aged kids or their friends, I get either blank stares or rolled eyes and giggles. Getting old really sucks!

Really? Sometimes, I wonder if it's just a fad for these kids though, kind of like enjoying something that's "retro."

My oldest liked Journey (or at least tolerated it ) until she hit about 15. (she is 18 now) She now loves to tease me about my EIGHTIES music. My two younger kids like JRNY, but it is just a matter of time, I guess....

[dcvader]

My kids are a lot older than yours Fred and are both Journey fans, but I still think there is a younger generational niche out there that this band can fit into. Maybe I'm just too hyped on Jeff's vocal abilities to face reality, but damn there have to be some young people out there that like really good music.

This has been mentioned a number of times before in various threads, but if Journey did some "crossover" music with another artist or group, that would work. Aerosmith did it. Other groups have as well. Couldn't "hoit" as they say.

I would love to see a hot female country singer do a duet with the boy's. Like Bon Jovi did w/ Jenifer Nettles. I think they could gain a ton by doing this. JSS could pull off just about anything vocally.

[yulog]

My daughter and many of her friends from high school are crazy about Journey, but it's the Perry version of Journey. It's kind of like when a new generation discovers the Beatles or Led Zep.

Fred, I'm jealous. If I even try to mention Journey to my high school aged kids or their friends, I get either blank stares or rolled eyes and giggles. Getting old really sucks!

Good point Moose thats what its all about ----just like we did when we were kids to our parents or friends parents when they suggested some 50's singer was unbelievable and going to be there forever-------teenagers have enough problems fitting in with others, ya think they want to try and force a group of grandpa rockers down there friends throats, the result would be ridicule throughout highschool on top of other things they are already being given a hard time for.

[Ratgirl]

My 11 year old has no choice but to like Journey or whatever is playing in the car.
A couple months ago she even came to me and wanted to hang up piano lessons and start taking
guitar lessons. I singed her up for lessons and she's been playing ever since.

I guess I brain washed her enough with my playing that she wants to learn now.

[fred_journeyman]

I would love to see a hot female country singer do a duet with the boy's. Like Bon Jovi did w/ Jenifer Nettles. I think they could gain a ton by doing this. JSS could pull off just about anything vocally.

Shania? Faith?

[fred_journeyman]

My 11 year old has no choice but to like Journey or whatever is playing in the car.
A couple months ago she even came to me and wanted to hang up piano lessons and start taking
guitar lessons. I singed her up for lessons and she's been playing ever since.

I guess I brain washed her enough with my playing that she wants to learn now.

One of my 15 year-old son's favorite tunes is "Separate Ways." He LOVES it!

[donnaplease]

Well...my oldest son turns 19 tomorrow. He attended his first 'rock' concert with me & hubby last Friday night, and now he's pretty much hooked!!! He liked Journey before, but now he's a "fan". My other son is 14, and he loves WYLAW and "Stone in Love". I have a 9 year old daughter who's crazy about "Just the Same Way", and my 6 year old daughter loves "Separate Ways" because of the 'pretty lady' on the video. What I'm saying is that different types of music appeal to different types of kids (duh!) and the great thing about Journey up until now is that they are diverse enough to appeal to those different types. And the 80's are popular again, so perhaps now would be the time to strike while the iron is hot!!!

The great thing about JSS (well, one of many...) is that he's so damed hot, and has moves that will knock you on your ass!!! He doesn't look like a 40 year old man, and he certainly doesn't act like one. And as someone said earlier, it is the lead singer that most people pay attention to. He WILL get the attention of the females, and it is a well-known fact that women were what put Journey on the map to start with.

TPTB just need to play this thing right...exposure, exposure, exposure. We know JSS and Journey can both handle the movie soundtrack stuff, so the next step would be to get them on Letterman, or SNL, or hell, even Fridays in the Park on Good Morning America!!

I don't believe they will ever have the 'magic' that they had with Steve Perry, but I do believe that they can put a fresh new spin on the classic Journey sound, and be relevant again. And don't forget...I'm a loon, so that should count for something!!

[Matthew]

My daughter and many of her friends from high school are crazy about Journey, but it's the Perry version of Journey. It's kind of like when a new generation discovers the Beatles or Led Zep.

Fred, I'm jealous. If I even try to mention Journey to my high school aged kids or their friends, I get either blank stares or rolled eyes and giggles. Getting old really sucks!

Moose - I was getting that same reaction from most of my friends in the 1980s...

In fact, I get a much more positive reaction now from my two teenage brothers. For them, the use of Journey tracks in Monster, Laguna Beach, Charlie's Angels 2, the Simpsons and Family Guy have helped to make the band seem reasonably cool. Sure, it's a slightly ironic kind of cool - but that's always been the case.

[Moose]

My daughter and many of her friends from high school are crazy about Journey, but it's the Perry version of Journey. It's kind of like when a new generation discovers the Beatles or Led Zep.

Fred, I'm jealous. If I even try to mention Journey to my high school aged kids or their friends, I get either blank stares or rolled eyes and giggles. Getting old really sucks!

Moose - I was getting that same reaction from most of my friends in the 1980s...

In fact, I get a much more positive reaction now from my two teenage brothers. For them, the use of Journey tracks in Monster, Laguna Beach, Charlie's Angels 2, the Simpsons and Family Guy have helped to make the band seem reasonably cool. Sure, it's a slightly ironic kind of cool - but that's always been the case.

I kind of agree with you. I was a huge JRNY fan back in the day, and got pretty roasted because of it. Not to offend the loons, but financial and chart success aside, Journey was never considered "Cool" back in the eighties. Not even during their absolute peak. Cool in the sense that VH, The Stones, Led Zep, or Pink Floyd were cool. Journey was a chick band. Again, no offense.

[Ratgirl]

My oldest liked Journey (or at least tolerated it ) until she hit about 15. (she is 18 now) She now loves to tease me about my EIGHTIES music. My two younger kids like JRNY, but it is just a matter of time, I guess....

I guess that's what I have to look forward to.

[Moose]

My oldest liked Journey (or at least tolerated it ) until she hit about 15. (she is 18 now) She now loves to tease me about my EIGHTIES music. My two younger kids like JRNY, but it is just a matter of time, I guess....

I guess that's what I have to look forward to.

There is nothing more humbling than when your kids hit that certain age. No matter how much you brainwash them (and I have tried...) they will develop their own mind and identity. Oh well.

[Clasicrockldy]

Ok, clue me in.............. what is "TPTB"?

[Carlitto H@kk]

I kind of agree with you. I was a huge JRNY fan back in the day, and got pretty roasted because of it. Not to offend the loons, but financial and chart success aside, Journey was never considered "Cool" back in the eighties. Not even during their absolute peak. Cool in the sense that VH, The Stones, Led Zep, or Pink Floyd were cool. Journey was a chick band. Again, no offense.

I feel ya, Bullwinkle
And didn't those bastrds make it hard for us to prove they were cool when they were
'fashion nightmares' especially on the ROR tour???
Yea, I'm gonna try to tell some big, tuff stoner that that dude in the gay-ass, paint-splattered
trench coat is cooler than Robert Plant...
I'd have gotten my ass kicked

[Ratgirl]

There is nothing more humbling than when your kids hit that certain age. No matter how much you brainwash them (and I have tried...) they will develop their own mind and identity. Oh well.

Yup, its bound to happen eventually. Until then I'll show my daughter what I music I enjoy and let her develop her own individuality in time.
Afterall I think my mom did the same thing with me when I was that age but with The Beatles and Elvis.

[jrnyjetster]

Dinosaur rock = no airplay on radio-----------radio is for teenagers plain and simple always has been and more than likely always will

Oh...is that so?? How do you explain the increasing numbers of teenagers and twenty somethings in attendance at these so called "DINOSAUR ROCK" shows? Look around you!

[Carlitto H@kk]

Dinosaur rock = no airplay on radio-----------radio is for teenagers plain and simple always has been and more than likely always will

Oh...is that so?? How do you explain the increasing numbers of teenagers and twenty somethings in attendance at these so called "DINOSAUR ROCK" shows? Look around you!

Logjams parents don't let him out of the basement very often, cut him some slack...

[Carlitto H@kk]

Ok, clue me in.............. what is "TPTB"?

The Powers That Be...

Damn, if you'd spend as much time on your Internet Lingo 101 courses
as you do on bootlegs you would've known that!
Geeeeeez

[RedWingFan]

Without sounding like another person who's trying to stir the pot...

Who says that Journey is actually looking for top ten hits and top ten billboard albums? Again, I'm not a huge follower of the bands past lives but it seems to me that it's the people within this and other band boards that keep talking about producing #1 hits and billboard albums. Couldn't it be perfectly feasible that Journey just wants to make good music, create a great album, put on a great tour and that's it? And if it produces a top ten hit then so be it, if not that's o.k. to.

i was thinking this same thing,, they may just want to be a great live band and record a great album with great reviews and not have to have a record company screaming at them ,, = no pressure,, they can tour until the end of the band on the old songs...

Then why the complaining by the band of the new songs being background music for the trip to the urinals? Until they record a new hit that the audience knows and loves, it'll always be this way.

[Clasicrockldy]

Ok, clue me in.............. what is "TPTB"?

The Powers That Be...

Damn, if you'd spend as much time on your Internet Lingo 101 courses
as you do on bootlegs you would've known that!
Geeeeeez

I do have my priorities, Carlitto !

[Vladan]

I'll take a crack at this. First and foremost, let me say that I have certainly expressed this thought, but, it's important to understand that my opinion has NOTHING to do with the talent of Jeff or what he brings to the table. Journey had a certain sound when Perry was in the band, and although you're absolutely correct that many people didn't know Perry's name...that point really has nothing at all to do with Perry. That's simply the way music is. Most people who are not hardcore fans have no idea what any of the guy's names are in a given band. Look at one of the most successful bands ever...The Eagles. Glenn Frey has had some solo success outside of The Eagles and Henley has had enormous success without The Eagles. That said, most people have no idea that these two guys were the main vocalists on many of The Eagles hits. Why do you think Rob Thomas called his band "Matchbox Twenty, featuring Rob Thomas". The guy understands that with only a band's name, he is going to go virtually unrecognized! Now...back to my Perry point. While many people didn't really know who Steve Perry was, it doesn't change the fact that EVERY single one of Journey's classic hits were brought to the masses (i.e. the fans, the radio, the music industry, etc.) through Perry's voice!

Most casual music fans (which I think describes most music fans) are hooked by a voice, and not a guitar riff or drum solo. Perry was that voice for Journey. I also think that when a band has the success that Journey had, it makes it that much more difficult for them to be taken seriously, by the masses, when introducing a new frontman. I know it's been discussed before that other bands have managed to pull it off. That said, I'm not sure a band with the commercial success Journey has had (and I don't mean just a few hits...I mean Journey's level, period!) has ever quite pulled off replacing their frontman and continued on without missing a beat. The only band that I recall who didn't seem at all affected by the change was Van Halen. In the interest of full disclosure, I personally thought Hagar was MUCH more talented than Roth, on a vocal level, so that may explain why VH continued to have commercial success (not to mention "5150" was the biggest commercial album VH ever put out and was the 1st with Hagar at the helm).

I think at the end of the day, Journey, with Perry, was a band that was more reliant on soaring vocals than any band I ever remember in my lifetime. Because of that, it makes replacing a guy with Perry's vocals virtually impossible! He simply had a sound and range that couldn't really be replicated (at least not well)! Hell, Perry couldn't replace himself from 25 years ago, at this stage!

As I've stated before, I truly hope that I'm wrong about Journey not being taken seriously with Jeff at the helm. Jeff is a good guy with tremendous talent. The fact that he has such a profound respect for Steve Perry and the legacy of this great band makes it that much easier to pull for the guy. Let's just hope that Journey is headed down the right road with Jeff and can prove some of us wrong, in terms of being commercially relevant again. If they are to realize that dream, the first thing that they MUST do is figure out how the hell to promote themselves! I'm not sure that I've ever seen a band as bad as Journey is at promoting themselves and their music. Their catalogue of music is unmatched by most, and they should promote the hell out of EVERY CD and tour they're partaking in!

John from Boston

Just popping in and saying, damn straight! read that, good stuff.

[Cheri]

My 18 year old daughter went with me to the Maryland Heights (St Louis) show in July. She loved them and my 15 year old son does as well. I've talked to several teenagers that love Journey, say its their favorite band.

My daughter and I were driving the other day and pulled up beside two young boys (driving, of all things, an old Camaro) and they were JAMMIN to Journey! (naturally, we had to do the same.)

If Tom Petty and get these young people to listen and follow him, I'm sure Journey can also. Jeff is hot even to the young girls like my daughter. They may need to back off the ballads but with Jeff on the frontline giving a little more oomph. It can be done!

[ohsherrie]

I would love to see a hot female country singer do a duet with the boy's. Like Bon Jovi did w/ Jenifer Nettles. I think they could gain a ton by doing this. JSS could pull off just about anything vocally.

Shania? Faith?

Either of those ladies or better yet, Kelly Clarkson.

[NealIsGod]

I would love to see a hot female country singer do a duet with the boy's. Like Bon Jovi did w/ Jenifer Nettles. I think they could gain a ton by doing this. JSS could pull off just about anything vocally.

Shania? Faith?

Either of those ladies or better yet, Kelly Clarkson.

I vote for Gwen Stefani. I know the members of No Doubt are Journey fans.