Monday, April 21, 1986

Journey’s Raised on Radio released

First posted 3/28/2011; updated 9/11/2020.

Raised on Radio

Journey


Released: April 21, 1986


Peak: 4 US, 22 UK, 39 CN, -- AU


Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, -- UK, 4.0 world (includes US and UK)


Genre: classic rock


Tracks:

Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts.

  1. Girl Can’t Help It (5/10/86, 17 US, 9 AR, 60 CN)
  2. Positive Touch
  3. Suzanne (6/14/86, 17 US, 11 AR, 87 CN)
  4. Be Good to Yourself (4/12/86, 9 US, 2 AR, 90 UK, 43 CN)
  5. Once You Love Somebody
  6. Happy to Give
  7. Raised on Radio (5/10/86, 27 AR)
  8. I’ll Be Alright without You (12/6/86, 14 US, 26 AR, 7 AC, 57 CN)
  9. It Could Have Been You
  10. The Eyes of a Woman
  11. Why Can’t This Night Go on Forever (4/25/87, 60 US, 24 AC)


Total Running Time: 44:13


The Players:

  • Steve Perry (vocals)
  • Neal Schon (guitar, backing vocals)
  • Jonathan Cain (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals)
  • Randy Jackson, Bob Glaub (bass)
  • Steve Smith, Larrie Londin, Mike Baird (drums)
  • Danny Hull (saxophone)
  • Steve Minkins (percussion)

Rating:

3.379 out of 5.00 (average of 12 ratings)


Awards:

About the Album:

After two top 5, multi-platinum albums that generated four top 40 hits each, Steve Perry released his first solo effort – a multi-platinum album that generated four top 40 hits. When Journey reconvened for 1986’s Raised on Radio, “Steve Perry [was] heartbroken by his mother’s terminal illness” CR and, depending on the account, “bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith [either left] due to ‘creative differences’” CR or, in Perry’s bid “to take more control over the band’s direction…were fired…against the wishes of manager Herbie Herbert.” JM This left Journey as a trio of Perry, keyboardist Jonathan Cain (who’d appeared on only the last two Journey album), and guitarist Neal Schon (the only Journey member to appear on every album – before and since Raised on Radio).

Valory and Smith “were replaced by various studio musicians…including Randy Jackson (bass) and Larrie Londin (drums). Smith did record two tracks with Journey on the album, and he and Valory still received revenues from the record and subsequent tour.” JM

“Out of turmoil came the last classic Journey album.” CR “Even without their regular rhythm section, the group was able to re-create the accessible pop/rock sound perfected on…albums such as Escape and Frontiers.” WR “Perry’s fluid tenor still gave the songs an airy, melodic appeal” WR and although “Schon was sidelined as Perry’s pop and soul influences prevailed,” CR his “guitar still cut through the fat keyboard chords.” WR

Raised on Radio was recorded three times before Perry was satisfied. But every nickel and dime they spent is audible in the deluxe soft rock of Girl Can’t Help It and I’ll Be Alright Without You,” CR two of the albums “five chart singles, four of which made the Top 40 and one of which, Be Good to Yourself, reached the Top Ten.” WR Even though sales weren’t the same as for Escape and Frontiers, the album was yet another top 5, multi-platinum success and “confirmed that Journey’s music had a large audience right to the (temporary) end of its career.” WR The band wouldn’t record again for ten years.

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Saturday, April 19, 1986

Prince hit #1 with “Kiss”

Kiss

Prince & the Revolution

Writer(s): Prince (see lyrics here)


Released: February 5, 1986


First Charted: February 21, 1986


Peak: 12 US, 12 CB, 2 GR, 11 RR, 14 RB, 6 UK, 4 CN, 2 AU, 5 DF (Click for codes to charts.)


Sales (in millions): 2.47 US, 0.4 UK, 2.87 world (includes US + UK)


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 47.0 video, -- streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

“Kiss” was the lead single from Prince’s eighth album, Parade. Warner Bros. wasn’t sold on the song, but Prince insisted it be added to Parade and be released as a single. It marked his third trip to the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100, after 1984’s “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy.” This was his eighth top 10 hit and “one of the finest songs in Prince’s oeuvre.” TB

The song was originally intended for the debut album for funk band Mazarati, formed by Mark Brown (aka “Brownmark”), who was the bassist with the Revolution. He asked Prince for a song and Prince “dashed off a minute-long bluesy acoustic demo for them.” SF Producer David Z worked on the song with the band, “giving it an irresistible funk groove.” SF Once Prince heard it, he took the song back, putting his vocals on the track but retained David Z’s “unique, funky rhythm and background vocal arrangement, along with Mazarati’s background vocals.” WK

Brown told Uncut magazine that he let Prince have the song back because he was promised a songwriting credit, which would result in a big payday. The band, however, was not pleased and Brown didn’t get a credit or payment. He said, “I quit the band shortly after that. He treated me so bad.” SF

This song prevented another Prince-penned song from reaching #1 – the Bangles’ “Manic Monday” stalled at #2 behind “Kiss.” It made him only the fifth songwriter (or songwriting team) to hold down the top two spots. FB Tom Jones and Art of Noise had a hit (#5 UK, #31 US) with their cover of “Kiss” in 1988. Maroon 5 covered the song for their deluxe edition of their Overexposed album.

The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Song and won for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.


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First posted 3/10/2021; last updated 4/14/2023.

Friday, April 4, 1986

Journey “Be Good to Yourself” charted

Be Good to Yourself

Journey

Writer(s): Steve Perry, Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon (see lyrics here)


First Charted: April 4, 1986


Peak: 9 US, 10 CB, 8 RR, 2 AR, 90 UK, 43 CN, 4 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.)


Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US + UK)


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 5.3 video, -- streaming

About the Song:

Journey reached their commercial peak between 1981 and 1983 with Escape and Frontiers. The albums generated eight top-40 hits and made Journey one of the premiere bands in the world. The albums also cemented the band’s “classic” lineup as singer Steve Perry, guitarist Neal Schon, keyboardist Jonathan Cain, bassist Ross Valory, and drummer Steve Smith.

After a short hiatus during which Steve Perry ventured out for a solo effort and the top-5 hit “Oh Sherrie,” the band came back together – although not completely. Valory was replaced by session musicians and Smith only contributed to a few tracks. For the most part, fans didn’t seem to notice. Sure, the Raised on Radio didn’t sell ten million like Escape or six million like Frontiers, but it still went double platinum, became the group’s fourth consecutive top-10 album, and generated four top-20 singles.

The first of those was the upbeat mantra “Be Good to Yourself.” Cain jotted down the phrase during writing sessions for the album, calling it a “Perry-ism.” As Cain said, “With his own domestic situation in disarray and his mother slowly dying, Perry needed life affirming messages.” WK

The song gave Journey its sixth and final top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In a review of the song, Billboard said “Power pop kingpins return with a bang, reelin’ and a-rockin’ and defying expectations of a ballad.” WK Songfacts.com said it “probably sounded more like a traditional Journey song than anything else on the Raised on Radio album.” SF


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First posted 7/8/2022.