Journey “Separate Ways” charted

Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) Journey

Writer(s): Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry (see lyrics here) First Charted: February 4, 1983 Peak: 8 US, 9 CB, 2 GR, 12 RR, 14 AR, 11 CN, 93 AU, 3 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 118.7 video, 177.73 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Singer Steve Perry and keyboardist Jonathan Cain wrote “Separate Ways” while Journey was touring in 1982 in support of their Escape album. Cain said they didn’t usually write songs that far in advance of an album, but that they “were just working on an idea backstage and it call came together.” WK Guitarist Neal Schon and bass player Ross Valory were both going through divorces and Perry and Cain wanted to create something positive out of the negative circumstances. SF Cain also said, “we wanted to write something rhythmic and still have a strong and haunting melody…It’s really a throwback to all of our roots and the Motown sound. Steve has always listened to a lot of Motown records, songs with a strong chorus approach. Songs that were real urgent sounding, but still had rhythm and melody.” WK Guitarist Neal Schon echoed that sentiment, saying it was “Motown mixed with R&B and blues…it’s got a heavier guitar than an R&B song, but I think that’s what makes it sound like Journey.” WK According to Songfacts.com, the band introduced the unfinished song in concert the night after it was written. SF Cain said, “I think [Perry] mumbled his way through half the lyrics…but the audience just came unglued.” SF Schon said, “It doesn’t matter where we put this song because it has always had a strong effect on the audience, all the way back to the first time we played it – before it was even recorded.” WK The band “were dragged kicking and screaming into the video era.” SF This was the first non-live-performance video shot by the band. Perry was not in favor of making a “choreographed video.” WK Cain said, “He’d always say, ‘We’re performers, we’re entertainers, but we’re not actors.” WK He added, “And we were not a very photogenic band.” WK The video has been widely mocked for the scenes with the band pretending to play non-existent instruments. WK Cain said, “I will never live down those air keyboards. No matter what else I’ve done in my career, sooner or later people find a way to ask me about the ‘Separate Ways’ video.” WK MTV ranked it the 13th worst video of all time in 1999. WK A remix of the song was used in season 4 of Stranger Things in 2022. It is “surprisingly spooky, with the song’s refrain sounding like a classic horror movie theme.” SF Perry, a big fan of the show, signed off after hearing the demo of the remix. SF Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Journey SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 7/8/2022; last updated 12/27/2022.