 Founded in 1973 in San Francisco around former Santana
members Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie, with the assistance of Ross Valory, George
Tickner and Prairie Prince, the legacy of Journey has spanned nearly 30 years
with 18 U.S. releases and 50,000,000 in album sales. Their music is artful,
intense, melodic rock played with passion and superb musicianship.
Journey's initial style was progressive jazz-rock, complete with extended and
improvised solo spots, a style much in evidence on their first three albums for
Columbia Records. In April 1975 Tickner bowed out of music to attend Stanford
Medical School. He was eventually replaced by ex-Alien Project vocalist, Steve
Perry (following a brief tenure by Robert Fleischman).
The switch to their signature highly sophisticated rock occurred with the
recording of their hugely successful album, "Infinity." Booking Journey
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unhappy with this new style and left for Jefferson Starship, to be replaced by
legendary drummer Steve Smith. The band's next release, "Evolution," followed
and brought the band their first US Top 20 hit, "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'."
"Captured" was a live double album that surprised many critics. The album
featured cranked-up guitars and raucous hard rock, eventually peaking at #9 on
the US album chart. Founding member Rolie departed after its release, to be
replaced by Jonathan Cain, who had previously played with the Babys.
Cain's arrival was an important landmark in Journey's career, as his songwriting
input added a new dimension to the band's sound. The band's next release,
"Escape," reached #1 and stayed in the charts for more than a year. It also
spawned three US Top 10 hit singles, "Who's Crying Now," "Don't Stop Believin'"
and "Open Arms." The follow-up, "Frontiers," was also massively successful,
staying at #2 on the Billboard album chart for nine weeks.
Valory and Smith departed the group prior to the release of 1986's "Raised On
Radio," which generated another US hit single, "Be Good To Yourself." The band
was joined in the studio and subsequent live dates by bass players Randy Jackson
and Bob Glaub, drummers, Mike Baird and Nashville veteran Larrie Londin.
In 1996 Perry, Schon, Smith, Cain and Valory reunited to release "Trial By
Fire," which entered the US chart at number 3. The following year Deen
Castronovo (ex-Bad English) replaced Smith and vocalist Steve Augeri (Tall
Stories) replaced Steve Perry after health problems sidelined the singer.
Vocalist, Steve Augeri first recorded with Journey for the band's 1998
contribution to the "Armageddon" soundtrack – "Remember Me." The soundtrack,
which hit #1 on the Billboard charts, was certified triple platinum.
The band's 18th release, "Arrival," debuted in the spring of 2001 and the group
launched their incredibly successful 56-city Arrival 2001 World Tour.
An "Essential Journey" greatest hits collection arrived in 2001 from Columbia
Records, an honor previously bestowed on legends such as Miles Davis, Billy
Joel, Neil Diamond, and Barbra Streisand.
Throughout the summer of 2002, Journey again brought its live show around the
country during their Under The Radar Tour. It also gave the band an opportunity
to showcase music from their new EP, "Red13," to their die-hard fans. A late
2002 release of the EP gave the rest of America the chance to embrace Journey's
latest rock creation.
The Egyptians regarded the divine scarab beetle as a symbol of self-creative
power, rebirth, renewal, transformation and regeneration. The scarab, which has
also become the long-time symbol for the legendary rock band Journey, has
evolved into an exceptionally fitting symbol for a band that began in 1973 as an
experimental rhythm section (formed around guitar prodigy Neal Schon) and
eventually sold more than 50 million records and became one of the biggest rock
bands in the world. For Journey, transformation and renewal are an integral part
of the creative force that has led the band on their remarkable "journey."
Journey's touring and performing continues to delight audiences across the
country and around the globe.
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