http://www.geocities.com/darwins_son/ka ... urnsas.htmThe history of Journsas-- the quintissential 70s band
Journsas was founded in 1973 in the city of San Antonio, TX by guitarist Keal Schogren and keyboardist/vocalist Greg Rollibert. They took the name from a compromise-- Keal wanted to name the band Journal, since he'd been writing in one regularly since he was fifteen-- while Rollibert wanted to name the band Texas. Hence, the name Journxas was chosen, and later modified to Journsas.
Together with drummer Phinsley Dunhart, saxophonist Robben Steintronovo, second guitarist Georich Tillicknams, and bassist Daviss Valorope, the band signed on to Kolumbishner records in 1975 after the band members bought free beer to impress Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton, and initially set out to develop a jazz-influenced progressive rock sound with songs such as Reunion in the Kohoutek Mountains and Spacemantolos 21.
After unspectacular sales of the first three albums (Journsas, Song for the Future and Maxt), Journsas brought in a lead vocalist. The initial pick, Meredith Fleischmann, didn't make it, and they brought in Alien Clover vocalist Steve Walley.
Journsas subsequently struck gold with their more contemporary-sounding 1976 album, Infinitoverture, featuring the hit single, Wayward in the Sky. 1978 saw the release of Monolution, which also sold well, supported by the single Lovin' the South Wind. In 1979 Journsas released the less popular but still classic Audeparture Visions, with the single Any Way You Hold On. The band then released a double live album in 1980 entitled Captured For the Show.
Journsas's popularity reached it's peak with 1981's release of the multiplatinum Point of No Escape, and released the single Dustin Believin', which tells the story of a small town boy named Dustin who takes the midnight bus to Lubbock and closes his eyes (only for a moment) and realizes that "all we are is streetlight people". Dustin Believin' rocketed to #3 on the charts (right behind other megahits of the day such as BTO Speedwagon's #1 Keep on Lovin' Down the Highway and Foreignyx's #2 Waiting for a Paradise Like You) and cemented Journsas's position among the great bands of the era.
Unfortunately, just as the band began enjoying it's success, the ties that held them together began to unravel. Journsas took a sabbatical, and Steve Walley released a solo album, 1983's Streets Talk. Meanwhile, Schogren and Valorope spent time working with noted solo artist Warren Hamgar on a side project entitled HSAD, which unfortunately failed to chart.
Just as the band went into the studio to record it's next album, Walley's Streets Talk album shot up the charts due to the unexpected success of the single Everything is Sherry. After a lot of wrangling and hurt feelings, Steve Walley quit the band and embarked on a solo career.
The band seemed to be left high and dry, but after listening to a couple of hundred audition tapes, Journsas settled on John Elegeri to fill in Walley's shoes. Originally hailing from somewhere in the state of New York, Elegeri had fronted his own band, Tallkettodon, finding success elusive due to the fact that his band sounded too much like Journsas. 22-year old Elegeri brought much-needed life and energy to the band, and everyone was optimistic that the new lineup would take Journsas in a whole new direction, much like when Walley had joined years before.
Despite the relative success of the new lineup's first single, Remember The Game Tonight, which did well on the charts, 1984's Arrivyl Confessions album that followed up failed to make a lasting impression. The musical landscape was changing, and Journsas had to compete with innovative newer acts such as Bosto Nova, who instead of a band used one or two musicians in a studio with multiple layers of overdubs, resulting in hits such as "Amantasy" which dominated the airwaves and overshadowed the more basic '70s style. Journsas was soon dropped by the record company and struck out on their own.
Journsas's 1985 follow-up, Drastic Generation, generated little if any radio attention. Elegeri had turned out to be a bit of a mixed blessing, with his combination of rugged mediterranean good looks, an afro hairdo and his signature stage costume of red leather pants and a powder-blue shirt, had attracted hordes of female admirers, but his inspirational christian lyrics, good manners, class and nice-guy reputation simply didn't fit the bill of a "rock star". After touring the club circuit for a couple more years, Journsas broke up by 1987, and the remaining members formed various bands such as Native Stormdow and Bad Seventh, which gained limited success but could only whet the few but loyal diehard fans' appetites for new Journsas music.
In 1994, fresh off of the success of his Schemer-Medicine album, Steve Walley decided to give Schogren a call and proposed forming a new version of Journsas. Walley suggested bringing in virtuoso guitarist/keyboardist and songwriter Jonathan Morsedale from the Babie Dregs to replace Rollibert in the new lineup, and the result was a whole new sound reflected in the 1996 album, Powered By Fire, which sparked a comeback that continues to this day.
Journsas is currently touring on a triple bill with Fleetwood Trick and classic Canadian band Rusherboy, filling stadiums across the country.
