Never Walk Away Demo - Journey with Jeremey Hunsicker

This is the original demo for the Journey song "Never Walk Away." After Journey parted ways with Jeff Scott Soto, they settled upon Jeremey Hunsicker who ended up writing "Never Walk Away." There are multiple stories as to why he never got the gig, but all that matters is that there are demos with Jeremey Hunsicker as lead. What do you think? Should they have stayed with Hunsicker? Or was it a good thing they went with Arnel Pineda?
IMPORTANT NOTICE: I do not own the rights to the song or pictures used in the video. I give full rights to those who own the song and pictures (Including Columbia and BMG). I'm only trying to preserve historical moments from one of the greatest bands of all time.

[@jeremey.hunsicker]

These videos popped up when I had clicked on something else and I’ve never seen them until now! Just wanted to make a couple of notes here - yes this demo and Never Walk Away are rough vocally… I had recorded them literally the day after co-writing the songs, and after 5 days of singing every day with the band to rehearse back in June 2007. These recordings were made on an early Saturday morning in Jon Cain’s home studio and I am totally owning that it is NOT a good vocal performance. It was never going to be released, it was basically a reference demo for the songwriting. So it’s really impossible to critique a demo like this recorded under those conditions and compare it to a full-blown studio release that was rehearsed for days (and by some accounts recorded line-by-line to coach diction, etc). Also about the voice injury - that happened nearly 5 years after my Journey business, so I was on the road full-time in my prime from 2007-2011 with no issues. However on July 3rd 2011, right before a concert outdoors in Toledo OH, a stage tech moved a VERY old fog machine from a road case next to the drum riser to basically center-stage right where i was standing. When we came out with our big opening intro and going into Separate Ways, the fog juice was pumped 100% to cover the stage so their outdoor lights would look good,. Unfortunately this was also right where I was standing to perform, and the chemical from the fog machine stripped my vocal cords within minutes of starting to sing. Unfortunately that caused a hemorrhage in my vocal cords that day. I was stupid enough not to know how bad the injury was and continued to perform/struggle over the next several months. When it was clear there was serious, irreparable damage to my vocal cords I underwent 2 surgeries to try to repair the tissue. Unfortunately the damage was too severe and my voice was permanently lost. 10 years later and I still cannot sing - so it was not from “wear and tear” it was a career-ending injury that changed my life - NOT something that would have “eventually happened” because of singing the Journey catalogue. I have nothing to do with music at all anymore and have moved on for nearly 10 years with a whole new chapter in life, so all is good. It is interesting to hear these demos and read the comments - peace to all!

[@jeremey.hunsicker]

Also just to add, it is hard to find/compare any old footage of our band performing Journey material; after Arnel was hired and Frontiers went on the road full-time, Journey’s management did their best efforts to erase/pull down all of my KZbin videos including the videos which got Jon Cain’s attention in the first place back in 2007. We were one of the first tribute bands on KZbin back in 2006-2007 and had dozens of videos on here of performances, including a House of Blues video that got Jon Cain’s attention back in 2007. Years later there are dozens of Journey tribute band videos all over KZbin but very few of our band Frontiers due to being targeted to “erase” evidence of any performances. It is a real shame as that account was knocked so badly by all the Journey DCMA takedowns I also lost a lot of private home videos of our babies that I had privately hosted on that account.

[@JoeHVR]

Jeremey I’ve watched your videos and I think you are amazing. You don’t need to apologize to anyone brother !! Joe Ausanio

[@dvinmf]

First time seeing and hearing this. It’s amazing! Sorry for the stuff you’ve had to go through. This is inspiring.

[@bbtrainerfish7124]

@@jeremey.hunsicker Came across a CD in my drawer that years ago you had sent around or someone sent around so that your fans could copy it. Live footage from one of your shows. Not sure the year. But I was at the House of Blues in Cleveland and if anyone doubts your abilities I'd love for them to listen to that CD because man the last 2 days, listening to that CD, I swear you would blow away Arnel and anyone else who people suggested replace SP. I also would assume that the goal was to sound as much like SP as possible, and that initially it would be hard to do on a brand new song that SP has never sung before. Anyways, miss your work, and miss your band. Also btw, Kenny Seay was a hell of a guitarist in your band too!

[@mccartney2]

Hi mate..... stop being apologetic..this demo is great...... the knockers hate Arnel and anyone that sings for Journey........ hope your well pal...

[@Cards4Cancer]

Great to hear this again. I pray life is treating you and your family well, Jeremy. Merry Christmas

[@johnxjen]

One of my earlier bands, Shades of Me - warmed up for Frontiers with Jeremey - he is missed. Fantastic vocalist from Virginia. I am working on a cover project now that will play this song and I am playing bass to it right now rehearsing. I would gladly do music with him and his band if they ever needed a bass player! Frontiers was THE BEST Journey tribute band in the world far as I am concerned and they were an amazing group of musicians. Jeremey did great work here.

[@jeremey.hunsicker]

Thanks John good to hear from you. I appreciate it and hope you are doing well!

[@edstylc2441]

Jeremy = super talented. My friend.

[@Jims_Camera_at_dawn]

Jeremy sounds exactly like Perry singing. With long hair he could easily impersonate Perry on stage. I have seen Jeremy sing for 2 hours. Take a 15 minute break and come back on stage for another 2 hours. All 4 hours would be flawless. Jeremy sounds live like Journey in the studio. Dave, Mike, Chad, Jim, Barry, and Greg did great too. Wish them all well !!!

[@mandyinfectedlover3600]

He sounds like Steve Perry and Steve Augeri.

[@lobitome]

Jeremy had a great voice, despite his own criticism on this demo, he had some killer tracks. What might have been... I never cared for how Jeremy SEEMED to be treated back then by the record company, management and the band, after he was no longer about to be the lead singer. I hate that he lost his singing voice, and no longer can put out new music.

[@dalemoar3006]

I don't know why things didn't work out with Journey, but it's too bad. He has a great voice, can write too, I think he would have been an asset to the band.

[@Shattered20]

this literally sounds like steve perry, WHAT THE FUCK THIS GUY IS BRILLIANT

[@sansskeleton-y7p]

This is my friends dad

[@WhiskeyBrewer]

I do prefer Arnel's vocals on the album version, but the Guitar work sounds so much better here on the demo

[@janetellzey7701]

Jeremery I think it sounds great you should have been journey new lead singer you do have the high pitch like mr Perry

[@dwaynebrown164]

This is the voice that can make u think its perry when u hear it with eyes close.

[@philluck1081]

this dude sounds like steve perry...when steve perry could still sing his ass off!!!! who is this fuckin guy??? where can i hear more of him?

[@august2776]

He sounds a lot like Perry. Just a different arrangement that's all. But i'm so glad the went with Pineda. He is great. He has his own style. So proud of him and Journey.... :)

[@wel8266]

+august2776 ikr. I couldnt even tell the difference. Btw I love the emotion he puts into the vocals, just like Perry. As well as hit those high notes perfectly

[@mccartney2]

prefer this vocal to Arnels.... who is great also of course

[@tdadvertising]

I never knew about this guy. Wow does he sound like Perry. Interesting they would choose Arnel over a guy they knew was doing a full Journey show consistently. Admittedly Arnel looked the part and had the stage presence. It's so sad a freakin' fog machine ruined his career. I sing and I pretty much told the band leave it at home... they are devastating to vocal cords

[@mf24yo931]

They went with arnel because he was a better singer

[@kzgnode]

Both of them are good in their own ways,but i think they chose arnel to reach a wider audience..business wise,its great..they will reach young audience and asian people plus they have a true rockstar story with arnel..whem was the last time youve heard of an american band hiring an asian singer to front them..never,maybe the alan parsons project..were ive seen them fronted a by an asian looking guy in the 80s but an american born i think

[@skaracaesar4789]

Journey hired Arnel Pineda because he can sing the right tunes and notes and great stage presence. End of.

[@MrEdongzki]

he sounds very much perry,but hearing him before,i dont think his voice would last long in a series of tour..he would have suffer the same faith as augeri but in short period of time..and as i predicted ive read recently in his interview,he is recovering from a throat surgery..what more would it do to his voice if he had tour with journey around the world..

[@yeonakim858]

Sounds like the vocalist from Firehouse.

[@Cards4Cancer]

I truly don't want a war, or to battle any core fans. Just giving my opinion, this song sounds so much better when Jeremey sings it.

[@timsanderson5572]

Tempo and structure of this song are very reminiscent of “Be Good To Yourself” even though the chords are a bit different

[@cjets5]

Excellent comment

[@janebeatty9472]

Of ALL the Perry replacements, Jeremy’s voice sounds almost exactly what I heard live in 1979, 1981x2. Not sure what happened but so sad it didn’t work out.

[@dss418]

Well Jim, you obviously don't have a clue when it comes to "range", let alone singing in general. Jeremey happens to be singing this right around where Steve sings "Wheel in the Sky". As a matter of fact, this vocal is pretty much right in Perry's sweet spot. Now it's hard to tell from a typed comment, so maybe I am missing the point and your post is in reality sarcasm. If so, then my apologies. If not, well... As for Musicfan1020, I'd like to thank you for posting this. However, Jeremey didn't "lose" his voice ala Augeri. He had a mishap with a fog machine while performing with Frontiers, which lead to vocal chord damage. Journey is my favorite band and has been since I first heard "Any Way You Want It" on the radio when I was 12. Ace Frehley made me pick up a guitar, but it was Neal Schon that made me realize that a guitar can sing. And Perry? Well, he made me want to actually sing, so I know a bit about it after 35 years. That being said, this song that Jeremey co-wrote is without question the only song Journey has produced since Trial By Fire that truly sounds like, well, Journey. As a matter of fact this song would fit in fairly well on "Raised on Radio", or "Frontiers" for that matter. If you have never bothered to do so, I invite you to listen to some of Jeremey's songs from his album "Every Little Thing", most notably the songs "Stay", "Learned to Let You Grow", and "Hoping For You". While his singing is spectacular, it's the lyrics, vocal melody, and how it all fits just right to make a great songs that so impressive. To me, Steve Perry is and always will be, the best vocalist and songwriter I've ever heard. The emotive quality of his voice is unparalleled. If Perry was Daedalus, then Jeremey was Icarus.

[@dalemoar3006]

Well said!! Damn fog machine, so sad.

[@wel8266]

+dss418 How the hell does a fog machine damage your vocal chords? Such a sad loss.

[@jeremey.hunsicker]

Excellent question about fog machines. This particular machine was set up for an outdoor laser light show so it was much much more than you’d normally see indoors onstage in normal use. Nowadays most people are familiar with “haze machines” which are newer and safer, and not what was used for this event. Regarding dangers for singers, here is a quote from a paper from MIT on hazards to singers: “One valid concern, however, is that both glycols and glycerols have a throat-drying effect. The Cohen Group report to ESTA notes that “the chemical nature of glycols is such that prolonged or repeated contact with a glycol mist is likely to dry out moist tissues (i.e., the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory track and, possibly, the eye)” [4]. The extent to which this takes place is where controversy lies. In particular, it is a concern for singers, especially opera singers, for whom a dry throat can be especially problematic. It has unquestionably been reported that performers have complained about throat irritation due to fog [5].” Additional studies have been done for nitrogen-based fog machines which are older and I believe the style of fog machine that may have been used at the outdoor event. In 1999 & 2000, Broadway came up with new guidelines on using fog and haze machines to protect actors, singers, and crew. However, I don’t believe the event that day in Toledo Ohio was up to speed with the most recent OSHA guidelines :)

[@lobitome]

I for one am sad Jeremey lost his voice, because I wanted more music from him.

[@natemarco8318]

His style is a bit old school. Maybe Schon wanted a more modern style with Arnel

[@lobitome]

At the time that he was going to join Journey, as I recall, the band wanted him to put band first, before family, and he couldn't allow himself to that commitment. Chose family over fame.

[@patricklarry6645]

Steve's double.

[@edithaheinitz3164]

never thought this piece was written before by someone else before release of the Revelation-Arnel Pineda does the emotive better..but that's just my opinion..

[@jacobkadolph8710]

He sounds good but wasn't quite what Journey was looking for.

[@peterrogers4038]

Excellent vocals! Closest to SP compared to all the other wannabes

[@Javier23gol]

Great songs he wrote. However maybe the looks wasn't what Journey wanted? Arnel looked way younger to reach major audiences.

[@tuckerlane7995]

He sounds a lot like perry, but his pitches aren't too stable. I'm not saying he doesn't have the range, I'm saying his notes aren't always in tune

[@Musicfan1020]

I noticed that too. I wonder what would have changed from Demo phase to actual album cut.

[@skaracaesar4789]

I read Neal Schon mentioned about auditioning people, one of them is this guy. Omg this is so painful to hear, way too far from the Journey sound. Most notes are entirely different. As Neal Schon said he is glad he kept his search and found the current front man who has been with the band for more than a decade.

[@peacelove2103]

He's a very good singer. But to those saying he sounds exactly or like SP needs their ears checked. Arnel (as much as I really dislike him for the fact that he's just a Journey karaoke singer) has a more similar tonal quality to Perry than Jeremy. He has a SIMILAR tone but if you put on any recordings of any two singers, one being Perry the other not, I'll always be able to spot the difference.

[@dss418]

Well I don't know about you, but Journey has been my favorite band since 1978. Steve Perry is without a doubt the best male vocalist I've ever heard. To me, his voice is perfection. So when i say that this is the absolute best Journey vocal that wasn't performed by Steve Perry, then I'm fairly certain that it is just that. Arnel has the vocal range but unfortunately doesn't have any emotive quality in his vocal. I've heard just about every Journey tribute band there is and not one of those singers captures SP's emotive quality the way Jeremey was able too. And besides that, this song, lyric whise, movement whise, is a true Journey song. This is a song that I feel Steve himself would be proud to sing.

[@wel8266]

Holy shit I couldn't even tell the difference between Steve Perry and Jeremey Hunsicker I personally think Hunsicker is better than Pineda, sorry

[@slasher99hudson42]

BOBO

[@bjp67]

The v

[@kissfan003]

All of the naysayers should do a little more research on Jeremey before such negativity... He wasn't at the end of his career. He took a smoke machine to the face which damaged his vocal cords which happened AFTER the journey experiment. Dude has pipes and a gift. Sorry, but Arnel sounds like a karaoke singer in comparison. Peace, Out!

[@Musicfan1020]

+kissfan003 I think Jeremey had potential and from what I have heard was offered the job, but he turned them down after he got news that his wife was pregnant and he wanted to support her and be there for when the child was born and to raise it (but Neal Schon says a different story). I think Jeremey would have brought a new era of Journey with his song writing and probably would have moved it in a different direction then what they went. I would have loved to have heard him make spins on the songs like he did with Suzanne (a slow emotional opening before going into the song at normal speed). He would have been like another Augeri, great on the new material with depth to the songs and new iterations of the classics for concert. And in a way Arnel is pretty much a karaoke singer (if you ever watched those videos that Neal did). I am happy for the man and he has a decent voice, but I feel Journey is holding him back.

[@peterrogers4038]

Amen

[@davehenry9110]

Pitchy as anything...and this is sad to say on a song HE wrote... Notes are all over the place, so where would he be live, 70 shows in on a tour , singing Open Arm's? Na, I can't see, certainly can't hear it... Schon did better with Arnel - and even he would not be a pimple on Perry's butt cheek. Period.

[@Jihavoh777]

I think Arnel's was great for this album, but this track sucks with Arnel. I don't know why, but even this demo is better than Arnel's version.

[@Phard11]

+Michael Waymire I think this track sucks with this guy. I like Arnel a lot better....he projects an energy.

[@ronniecoleman9950]

Jeremy sounds better than Perry

[@jimfritz8983]

He has no range. I don't even know what Schon and Cain were thinking.

[@Musicfan1020]

I think Journey did dodge a bullet because shortly after this he experienced the same problem Steve Augeri experienced, except he has now retired from music business. So he was pretty much at the end of his career when he did this. Arnel is great, but it's fun to see the what ifs. :)