Journey in 1978 - Steve Perry and Gregg Rollie Growing Pains

[@paulawaterson6101]

I saw Journey in 1977 as an opening act for ELP just a few months before Steve Perry officially joined. He was actually touring with the group as the “Portuguese cousin of one of the roadies”, but had not started singing with the band yet. Anyway, the following year in August 1978 I saw the incredible Steve Perry and Journey open for ELO at a festival in Anaheim, California. The difference in the two concerts was like night and day. I’m in the “Journey isn’t Journey without Steve Perry” camp.

[@johnnyhunt6892]

Really Like this Good Job I am a Huge Journey Fan have been since HS I didn’t see JRNY Open for Rolling Stones I was just in HS when Infinity and The Voice my first JRNY concert was in 1979 and once chatting with My Favorite Guitar Player Neal Schon Thin Lizzy opened and Journey Evaluation tour Amazing got to see Departure Tour and I. All 23 times I went to see them 5 concerts with Steve Perry

[@romelovesdan]

I really like that era Journey where they still mixed Rolie and Perry vocal numbers from the first 4 albums. Although not as ‘popular’ , the 1978 Infinity Tour is my favorite tour of theirs.

[@williamsherman1089]

I liked that version the best too, I know they got bigger with just Steve singing but I thought they were more profound with Steve and Greg trading off vocals, perfect singing match

[@romelovesdan]

@ Nice that you agree…after listening to many live recordings of the various tours over the years, 1978 remains my favorite.

[@journeyon2489]

I am a HUGE Journey/Steve Perry fan! I have been since 1983 I was 15 years old when a friend of mine turned me onto them! At first I liked their albums! They had beautiful amazing album covers. Then I heard Steve Perry's voice! Omg that's all it took!! I was hooked! I never saw Journey in concert with Steve Perry. I did see Journey in concert in 2001 with Steve Augerie and now in 2024 with Arnel Pinida. They were both great, but nothing like the voice! In 1998 our local radio station had Steve Perry on and this was during his time when he had his hip replacement. I was THE very last caller to get in! He was so nice!! I was very lucky!! I won the lottery lol Steve Perry is an amazing talented human being God has blessed the world with!! I raised my 2 boys on Journey music! Anybody and everybody who knows Journey knows me! Luanna ❤️ Journey on!!😊

[@marshabailey1121]

Gregg Rollie is an excellent singer, but Steve Perry is in a whole other league. Superstar singer and serious eye candy. I am a Steve Perry fan; I did not discover Journey until Steve's solo album. They never came to Winnipeg...I agree with your comment about Journey without Steve Perry.

[@pegajense]

Journey with Steve Perry my favorite group ❤

[@ruthlafler5622]

There are several live Journey concerts on KZbin -- most particularly the Escape tour in Houston in 1981 -- and even on video 40 years later they light up the stage. There aren't many bands that are better live than in studio, and Journey is one of them.

[@romelovesdan]

Remember, credit must be given to Robert Fleischman , a member for a spell in 1977 as Journey’s frontman/singer for co writing “Wheel In The Sky”, “ Anytime”, and the melodic idea for “Feeling That Way”. Those contributions were strong factors in the success of the Infinity album.

[@davidellis5141]

The Journey road manager is named Pat Morrow & is a living legend. An awesome individual.

[@audiomover]

Thanks for the additional info.

[@razorhot1]

I fell into these tickets October 3, 1981 in Boulder, Colorado. I don’t know what it was but journey was on point. They absolutely rocked the freaking house. Steve Perry‘s voice was so unbelievable. They had three encores. I think we stayed for two Rolling Stones songs and I bet you 3000 people are better left. Coincidentally journey was no longer opening for the Rolling Stones. After that I’ll never forget that as long as I live, I wasn’t even supposed to be there. I live in Utah just lucked out. It was funny. I felt bad, kinda your journey blew their stones off the stage.😂 and it’s funny that you mention their security we snuck backstage in 79 and met the perry as he was sitting there on a stool drinking a cup of tea warming up with a bass guitar a sweet guy. The dude was unreal.

[@karenreidel6775]

Omg you are so lucky, I've been waiting all my life to meet him.

[@laurielacomb2765]

There’s a reason why musicians don’t have reunions with their past . To be in competition with your younger self is so unfair. And that’s what would happen.

[@patriciatolliver4057]

Patty-I have been a fan since 82. I have all of their albums from the beginning til Trial by Fire. I attended the Raised in Radio concert 12/27/86. I was a major fan then and still am now. I will admit that once Steve Perry left, the group didn't have the same charisma. I think that lineup, which included Ross Valory and Steve Smith, was the magic. After ROR, the magic seemed to slowly disappear. Trial by Fire was good. I had a hard time with the music afterwards . I like Arnel, but I don't think they'll ever have that again.

[@razorhot1]

My first concert was the one I met them at in 79 evolution then Boulder, then he got sick during the escape tour came back for two nighter seen both of those then frontiers, and then raised on radio Austin concert down Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. It was unreal. And then I was fortunate enough to see him on his solo tour down in Salt Lake on June 15, 1995 or maybe 96 I can’t remember I think it was 95 great concert, but that was it

[@floydburney6060]

.... 1982? You were way late to the party. I'm from the SF Bay Area & Journey were pretty huge locally, right from the start. Yes, 3 records on Columbia CBS didn't yield much in the way of breaking them nationally. They had a singer named Robert Fleischman before Perry & they already recorded "Wheel In The Sky" with him (I saw Journey with Fleischman, open for ELP at Oakland Coliseum a few months before) . He didn't last very long. I did see Perry's 1st show with Journey at the Old Waldorf SF early 1977. Funny thing was, Ronnie Montrose opened for Journey that night & future drummer Steve Smith was in Montrose. Less than a yr. & half later, Smith is in Journey. Greg retires from Journey in 1980 & is replaced by Johnathan Cain (who, at the time, was in English band "The Babys" & he joined them 3 years before that) 1981, Journey releases "Escape" & the rest is history.

[@MikeHF]

Their first three were their best three in my opinion. Worth about two cents. Infinity was very very good as well although very different from the first 3.

[@davidellis5141]

Journey were about to be dropped by Columbia when one A&R guy said the band needed a frontman & one was available named Steve Perry who had just signed to Columbia as part of a duo only to have his partner killed in an auto accident. Journey Manager Herbie Herbert agreed to the terms & success came soon after.

[@gkirms]

Once Herbie gave Robert Fleischman the axe.

[@davidellis5141]

& Robert did co write ✍️ Wheels In The Sky so he still gets a royalty check.

[@gkirms]

@@davidellis5141 Also 'Anytime' & 'Winds of March'. Both great songs. 'Infinity' still my favorite Journey album to this day.

[@billc.5861]

I discovered Journey on their second album, “Look into the Future “ as a drummer I became a huge Ansley Dunbar fan , my little teenage heart was broken when he left the band but Steve Smith is also an incredible drummer Also I’m a big Gregg Rolie fan and dig his vocals- I kinda lost interest in Journey when Gregg departed, but did fallow Steve Smith’s drumming The Infinity album is probably one of my top 10 albums.

[@gkirms]

I love their first 3 albums since I've followed them also since the beginning. Neal's guitar work is absolutely stunning on those 3 albums. I've always said Gregg's voice is an acquired taste and that's why I think it fit so well with Perry when they would split vocal duties. Gregg's last studio album 'Sonic Ranch' from 2019 is worth checking out.

[@billc.5861]

Oh , I didn’t know the last one , thanks I have Roots , Gringo and I believe his first soli one. Yeah Neil is something special. Ansley drumming on the song “ Cookie Duster” is so good , I can see why Jimi Hendrix had to flip a coin between him and Mitch Mitchell - Mitch literally won the toss

[@gkirms]

@@billc.5861 Pick up the 'Journey Through Time' triple cd also from 2023 where Neal and Gregg reunited along with Deen and Marco and did 8 songs from their first 3 albums. Amazing stuff.

[@Charles-e8e9m]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ good work thanks

[@ColtOfPersonality]

I saw Journey with George Thorogood when they opened for the Rolling Stones "Tattoo You" tour in 1981 at Philadelphia's JFK stadium. (2nd day of 2 shows) I thought all 3 acts were fantastic. I remember Journey just released "Escape" (which I bought later that week 😊). Their set opened up with "Where Were You". The overall set was mostly a mix of older hits. I DO remember they played "Dixie Highway" from the album "Captured". I enjoyed "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'" the most that day. As good as both opening acts were, I remember the vibe I got was that the overall crowd was more into George Thorogood than Journey. I think he just meshed better with the Stones guitar driven rock. That being said, I thought Journey was great and has always been one of my favorite bands.

[@gabrielperez8864]

Pat's last name is Morrow.

[@Charles-e8e9m]

Too late was a new song to me when it was old song 👍

[@Charles-e8e9m]

Keep singing ! stoned in luck!

[@Charles-e8e9m]

I remember my Old hometown am radio station WQMA And DJ Sid (RIP) critiquing Still they ride as a fourth single .

[@MikeHF]

They just were not the same when they replaced Aynsley Dunbar. Aynsley, went on to Jefferson Starship and played on more hit records. After which he played on all those huge hits by Whitesnale,He I go again,Is this Love etc etc..... Aynsley was fired from the band because they said he was too jazzy!

[@Joe.Genuardi]

Steve Perry on anything is fantastic, but my favorite Journey line up has Perry and Rollie. The Cain stuff is good, but doesn’t speak to my soul like the previous Perry/Rollie albums.

[@audiomover]

That's actually a great way to put it. I love Escape, it is a masterpiece. But the songs with Gregg Rollie had a soulful sound that is missing on Escape and everything after.

[@Joe.Genuardi]

@@audiomoverabsolutely

[@michaeldalton8374]

Jonathan Cain kinda ruined Journey for me. They were a rock band before his arrival. After, it was pop music city. Not my thing. And yes- they should have quit after Raised on Radio. Schon tried numerous other outfits that ended without much success.

[@grep67]

I dunno man, I honestly prefer Journey, "pre-Journey"... their first three albums are awesome!

[@julieshiner1772]

Band was only good with Steve and Kane writing the music together. Separate not so good.

[@gkirms]

To this day I still think 'Infinity' is their best album and it is still my personal favorite out of all 15 Studio Albums that they've done. It blended everything from their first 3 albums (space rock, fusion and all that) with what they would become. Just a stellar album. But, to this day 'Evolution' is still their worst album IMO and still my least favorite. What do they always say about sophomore albums? Well, this was their sophomore album with Perry at lead vocals and it showed. Compared to 'Infinity' there wasn't any comparison. This album was dismal compared to 'Infinity'. And I get it, everyone loves 'Lovin, Touchin' Squeezin'. I'll be the lone dissenter then and say it's one of their worst songs ever. This is the one album that I just don't listen to out of their collection. I still miss Gregg as co-lead vocalist because with Perry it was a great combination. It would have been interesting to see where they would have went if he had remained in the band. But I doubt they would have achieved the stardom that they did if Gregg had stayed. Different line-ups make different dynamics as was the case with Journey. But I also like all the incarnations of Journey and will not fall into that trap (no Perry - no Journey) since I've listened to and have followed Journey since their first album on vinyl.

[@waitaminute7257]

Dude please don't try to sing the songs. Just don't.

[@johnfletcher948]

Not with Perry's voice shot now, not being able to hit all the high notes in Journey songs ya big goof!

[@frankvieira764]

Steve is 75 now

[@davidawilliams252]

Journey would tune the songs down. And yes, Steve can SING!!! I heard him sing LIVE without music in 2018 at a fundraiser in Rhode Island. People came all the way from New Zealand, New York, California, Panama to see him speak there. At the RRHOF ceremony in NYC a few years back, people came from Japan to see him speak for 6 mjnutes. So...yeah...people would definitely come to see him sing with Journey if he ever did go back with them. I don't think that will ever happen again though.

[@s.p.-DSB]

​@@davidawilliams252Most definitely agree.

[@waitaminute7257]

All this guy does is drag out old newspaper articles and re read them. Boring.