Why no Steve Perry Update?

[JourneyHard]

Why is there no Steve Perry update on his new solo album? Half of 2016 is over! Perry could at least tell us if we should expect it this year or next year or 2025.

[Memorex]

ooh, ooh, I can answer that.

It seems to me, whenever he says something, even if it's off the cuff and 3 words long, people put tremendous meaning behind it. For some, that's ok. It always seemed to me that he does not care for that - though I don't really know - just my opinion.

I think he is well-intentioned, but for those waiting and waiting it seems torturous. Maybe he thinks silence will calm everyone down.

[steveo777]

Silly Rabbits....Trix are for kids. Mr. Perry is retired. This info was throw out around the time Santana had announced a new album coming out, with most of the original lineup from the 70's. Someone, apparently felt that it was appropriate, as a matter of posterity, that Mr. Perry's name got an album place mark, just in case he needed to be relevant around this time. Connect the dots, you dolts! There is no album pending. Would we love to get an album? Yes! Are we? Probably not.

[Archetype]

The answer is simple. It's because, as I said the day the prospect of a new album was initially announced, it's never actually going to happen. Just like every other false Steve Perry alarm in the past two decades. Remember the"50 songs ready to record and release" several years ago?

[scarab]

I know how important it is to be "relevant" for Steve, he is not going to put something out with his name on it to go nowhere.
The only way he would get any radio play is with a duet with someone who is.
I really think with the failure of When Youre in Love and I stand alone not charting he gave up.
The David Pack song did get a little airplay but that was actually written and recorded late 2001/2002.

My guess is the my next album is coming out statement just gives him some publicity and sells a few copies of the Greatest Hits.

[STORY_TELLER]

I think you're all forgetting how long Perry spent working on FTLOSM (3 years according to one of his band members).

He never released the tracks he did with Nuno Bettencourt nor did he release Home at Last. One of his personal bests IMO. I love that song and I love his vocal on it -- but he never released it.

Just because nothing has come out doesn't mean he isn't working on it with the intent of releasing -- IF -- he's happy (enough) with the completed work.

Perry's perfectionism is about what HE hears. It's personal to him and to him alone. If he isn't happy with it, he won't put it out there.

Maybe we'll get an album from him. Maybe we won't. But I don't doubt that he's working on something. I just think it's a coin flip on whether he releases it or not.

I think a good thing for Perry to do is to pull another Eels type performance to boost his confidence. Working in a vacuum is bad if you're insecure about your own work. He needs to hear some fresh accolades from his fans to quicken him.

[scarab]

and what is really sad, Perry the perfectionist, released Street Talk in less than 6 months, and it sold millions.
3 Years in the working and FLTOSM went gold. makes you wanna think, crank out good tunes, record them and release them, just like the good old Journey days, 1 each year.

[STORY_TELLER]

and what is really sad, Perry the perfectionist, released Street Talk in less than 6 months, and it sold millions.
3 Years in the working and FLTOSM went gold. makes you wanna think, crank out good tunes, record them and release them, just like the good old Journey days, 1 each year.

I personally think the more simple the song the stronger the reaction. Some of the biggest chart toppers have been written and recorded very quickly. Roxanne by the Police comes to mind...

Having said that, Street Talk came out on the heels of Frontiers, in the 80's, during Journey's hayday. I don't think it's fair to compare that against FTLOSM, because Perry and Journey disappeared for many years in between, and, it came out during the grunge era. You've got to stay in the public eye to keep your career momentum going. It's a rare feat to return many years later with a big seller. Not impossible, just rarely happens. That Trial By Fire did as well as it did sans tour speaks to the number of fans out there who would buy a Perry led Journey record today I think.

[annie89509]

I think S_T hit the nail on the head. I don't doubt SP was honest about working on something. The fact we haven't heard anything being released means he hasn't deemed anything worthy for public consumption. The sad part is we might have to wait years down the road (ala Home at Last) for someone to throw us a bone or 2. Meanwhile, we keep checking in week after week ... year after year ...

[Pacfanweb]

This is sadly what happens to many bands/artists when they have full control of their careers and aren't under contract with a record company: Gridlock. Paralysis through analysis.

They NEED a deadline....to OWE a record to someone to be able to create. Otherwise, it's just another creative type who can't get their shit together and actually finish something.

Most artists create their best material when they're younger.....and some people think it's BECAUSE they are younger and have more fire...and maybe that's partly true, but IMO a lot of the reason is, they are "driven" to an extent by their record company and they have direct oversight and someone telling them "get it done"...and "it's great, we're putting it out".

The exact thing that makes them able to create such great songs is what also means they really don't need to be in total control of everything.

You can go through artist after artist who became less productive after they were no longer under contract.

Van Halen
George Michael
Journey
Styx
Aerosmith

The list can go on and on. Some of it is because they don't sell as well anymore....which is also partly due to not having a contract and therefore a company to promote them. So some of them just tour and tour....and others, like Perry, do nothing. And he is fortunate that he doesn't HAVE to do anything, so good for him.

[STORY_TELLER]

This is sadly what happens to many bands/artists when they have full control of their careers and aren't under contract with a record company: Gridlock. Paralysis through analysis.

They NEED a deadline....to OWE a record to someone to be able to create. Otherwise, it's just another creative type who can't get their shit together and actually finish something.

Most artists create their best material when they're younger.....and some people think it's BECAUSE they are younger and have more fire...and maybe that's partly true, but IMO a lot of the reason is, they are "driven" to an extent by their record company and they have direct oversight and someone telling them "get it done"...and "it's great, we're putting it out".

The exact thing that makes them able to create such great songs is what also means they really don't need to be in total control of everything.

You can go through artist after artist who became less productive after they were no longer under contract.

Van Halen
George Michael
Journey
Styx
Aerosmith

The list can go on and on. Some of it is because they don't sell as well anymore....which is also partly due to not having a contract and therefore a company to promote them. So some of them just tour and tour....and others, like Perry, do nothing. And he is fortunate that he doesn't HAVE to do anything, so good for him.

I think there's a lot of validity to everything you said.

In the case of Perry, however, I think it's even more layered. Some of it is his personal problems. Suffering from depression can sap your motivation. Unhappy with the sound of his voice as compared to his earlier years. Searching for a sound or a feeling in the work and not getting what he's after, etc., etc., etc.

Like I said, Perry has recorded material and never released it. That's a personal choice on his part, but the fact remains, he DID do the work, so it's not entirely a drive thing per se.

But yeah, if he was under obligation via contract, it's very likely we'd get something -- Or -- it's also possible an artist could make something the record company didn't want to put out for fear it would tank and they'd opt to just take a loss on whatever advances and/or recording fees they spent to date. Who knows, right?

Ghaa! I really want to hear something new from him...

NOTE TO THE VOICE:
Dude! We still dig you! Rasp and all, you still sound like Steve MF Perry! Whatever you think is lacking in your work, we're not hearing it the same way, so please, release the hounds! Guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised by the reaction of your hardcore fans (in a good way).

[tj]

and what is really sad, Perry the perfectionist, released Street Talk in less than 6 months, and it sold millions.
3 Years in the working and FLTOSM went gold. makes you wanna think, crank out good tunes, record them and release them, just like the good old Journey days, 1 each year.

As long as it isn't an album of "Baby I'm a Leaving You"s. Not saying it is, but if that is the best you have, keep it under wraps. Better that we wish for great music than be disappointed by very sub par crap, just to have something.

[YoungJRNYfan]

I don't think SP should do live shows. When he came out from the shadows, he not only sounded his age, but a singer of his age that hasn't sung for the 20 years of hiatus. If anything, releasing material is enough, but only if it's up to par. IMO, Steve Perry's legacy is his silence (in today's era.) When you hear the name Steve Perry, most people and his fans think of his prime years. The 'Voice' on those albums. He should be remembered that way. SP probably sounds beyond horrible if those video's of his "return" told any story and he knows it. If he didn't, he would have been singing in some capacity (consistently) in front of people by now. A 5 song album of his best/new material should be his final bow, but that's only if he's 110% confident in his material. He clearly isn't at this point. He's not getting any younger, and neither is anybody else.

[perryfan61]

I must admit that I am starting to get discouraged. I think that if he didn't release Home at Last...one of my favourites... because he felt it wasn't good enough, then he will never think anything is good enough.

I wish he could see how much his fans want something new; we would not be as critical as he is, but I also understand that leaving his legacy untarnished means a great deal to him. I just happen to think that a new album, done to his exacting standards, would not tarnish his legacy at all.

[Marabelle]

I don't care what anyone says, you can't top yourself or at least that is what Jerry Seinfeld says so why waste the time trying. There was none better and after all these years to put that weight on yourself to top what you've done would be insane. I missed out on hearing and seeing those shows live when he was at the pinnacle of his greatness. So to me anything now he sings is never going to be quite as good as that time so why try and compete with yourself. But I'd still pay to capture some new memories and get hoarse screaming while he did it.

[Arkansas]

He's waiting for the Christmas shopping season to encourage sales. (They'll do some Journey re-issues too.)
Of course, what year is all speculation.


later~

[Art Vandelay]

Is a record label even part of the equation? There's more to it than simply recording material and putting it out there. Even if you're recording the material on your own, an artist needs some sort of backing from a label for distribution, etc. Even if it's an independent label, there are business ends that need to be covered. If that part of the puzzle isn't in place yet, then there's no reason to talk about release dates.

[tj]

Is a record label even part of the equation? There's more to it than simply recording material and putting it out there. Even if you're recording the material on your own, an artist needs some sort of backing from a label for distribution, etc. Even if it's an independent label, there are business ends that need to be covered. If that part of the puzzle isn't in place yet, then there's no reason to talk about release dates.

I could be wrong, but I imagine that if Steve Perry wants a record label, there are at least a dozen who would sign him. He may not want one, though, which he has alluded to in the past when he talked about being out from under contract with them. If so, that may be a significant part of why he doesn't put anything out.

[STORY_TELLER]

Is a record label even part of the equation? There's more to it than simply recording material and putting it out there. Even if you're recording the material on your own, an artist needs some sort of backing from a label for distribution, etc. Even if it's an independent label, there are business ends that need to be covered. If that part of the puzzle isn't in place yet, then there's no reason to talk about release dates.

I could be wrong, but I imagine that if Steve Perry wants a record label, there are at least a dozen who would sign him. He may not want one, though, which he has alluded to in the past when he talked about being out from under contract with them. If so, that may be a significant part of why he doesn't put anything out.

Pacfanweb's comment was about pressure to produce, but, (in 2012) Perry did sign with Universal Music Publishing Group in a deal "that covers all the tunes Perry has written or co-written with Journey and as a solo artist."

Speculation stated: "The agreement could pave the way for Perry to begin releasing new music soon."

and we're waiting for soon to materialize...