Posted on 04/29/2014 12:40:43 PM PDT by nikos1121
Do you believe in fairy tales? I don’t simply because I’ve already outgrown my childhood fascination for magic wands, fairy godmothers and frogs and beasts that turned into handsome princes. And let’s not even talk about damsels in distress who had to wait for their superficial saviors to hand them their own pre-conceived notion of happiness. But I do believe in the power of luck and hardwork and that if you have what it takes to weather the storms and climb the heavens to chase your stars, more than likely, you'll be able to catch more than what you have wished for. Five years ago, Arnel Pineda stumbled upon his stars, handed in a silver platter by no less than his modern “fairy godmother” in the person of the legendary founder and guitarist of the iconic rock band Journey. Neil Schon discovered Arnel on You Tube while trolling the web in search of the new voice of Journey, a band that had already gone through many vocalists including Steve Perry, the band’s third and most charismatic frontman.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
I'm a bit embarrassed as I should already be a Journey fan. I wasn't. Sure, I recognized the group's songs thru their famous lead singer, Steve Perry. Who wouldn't? But I had no idea that Perry left the group in the nineties, for some unknown reason.
The band continued with out him using unknown Steve Augeri to openly hostile radio and the Journey fan community who boycotted the group. "How dare you continue touring and cutting albums without Steve Perry!" was the thought.
Auderi gave the band his all for seven years, until one night he could sing no longer. His voice just gave out. Not surprising when you consider the tremendous wear and tear a touring singer's voice goes thru especially if they are a more "throaty" singer vs from the diaphragm. For a comparison look at singers like Harry Belfonte or Joe Cocker who burned out their vocal cords a few years into their careers because they really were never properly trained, or maybe it just wasn't meant to be.
Then you have singers like Little Richard, James Brown and Ray Charles where the voice seems to mellow and get stronger with age.
Turn now to the search for a new singer for Journey. It's 2007 and the band is planning a new album and new tour, but they have no singer! Steve Perry isn't interested. So what do you do?
Neil Schon, the band lead guitarist and charter member of the group decides to start "trolling" the internet into the wee hours of the morning for a lead singer.
Over a period of several days, he realizes that there are tons of Journey Tribute bands out there with great singers, who could easily fit in for a Journey tour, but Neil wanted someone special, and there was no one out there.
Then in the eleventh hour of his online search he finds several youtube videos of Arnel Pineda, a vitually unknown Filipino night club singer. Pineda's range and ability to sing just about everything blew Schon away, but he had to convince the rest of the band that his discovery was special.
They were impressed also after viewing the videos of Pineda, but immediately skeptical. Who is this "third World" guy? How is he going to react to the "Circus" of touring with one of the biggest bands of all time? "Does he even speak English?"
They decide to give Pineda a chance. Schon emails Pineda's friend, who has uploaded over 60 videos slowly and painstakingly after his night club shows, (because he believed in his friend's talent). Schon asks the friend to have Pineda contact him. He does, and it's arranged for Arnel to audition in the states.
I don't want to spoil your ultimate "journey" because seeing the video, which takes you first to Manila and then to Arnel's audition, will truly pull on your heartstrings.
I will say that Journey is now, with Arnel Pineda, an International Band. The group is booked at venues where they were never before welcomed. The sound is vintage and legacy Journey, but also "new rock" as well..
Then there's the inpact on me. In short, better late than never, I'm now a Journey fan too.
There were two completely different Journey bands.
The first one was before Steve Perry. It made the first three Journey albums. It was some of the the finest pure rock music every made. It was beyond fantastic - it was incredible.
Then it changed. It went rock-pop with Perry and became Platinum, etc. And yeah, I like the second Journey okay, and millions of people love them like that.
But the first Journey was something irreplaceable, and I still miss it all these years later.
They opened my eyes to a new kind of way...
(Yeah, I know SP was already in the band on Infinity, but it was still the old group)
Journey played for two hours solid and each tune segued right into the next. It was one continuous playlist.
Their new singer, Arnel, is awesome.
It’s not Journey without Steve Perry.
Dang, is the video on Youtube?
I’m not going to Examiner to get it.
Psssst... Niko and Rainne... his name is Neal Schon.
I’m coming in here on the tail end of the story. What you mention is in this fantastic documentary.
The charter band members say that they were nicknamed “Grateful Dead on Steroids.” They were selling out concerts, but not selling records.
CBS Records gave them an ultimatum. BEcome more of singing band, radio friendly or we’re canceling you.
So they changed to a top 40 group.
They now consider themselves coming full circle with Arnel Pineda, who brings a lot of energy to the group. This energy matches the youthful guys still in the group. These guys are in their 4th and 5th decades but you wouldn’t know it, esp when you listen to the guitar work of Schon and the Dean the drummer.
Well to me it is.
bttt
well, i do like Steve Perry... his voice was spectacular...
Going to see them in Atlanta on May 30th. Can’t wait!
One of the top 3-4 voices in rock/pop music history.
Like I say in the post. I’m coming into this story late, but I know from talking to people that there are alot of people who still think Steve Perry is singing, who are clueless.
The documentary came out over a year ago, so even with that this is an old story, but I contend that there are alot of people like me who were never big Journey fans, and complacent about their music.
The songs are definitely almost perfect. The doc also shows how truly professional these guys are, but there again Arnel Pineda was honing his craft for over 20 years. It’s a wonder he didn’t “burn out” before getting his chance.
BTW, does anyone know why Steve Perry quit the band?
Have you seen them in concert with him?
Kind of like Genesis with Peter Gabriel.
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