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

Resources and Related Links: Journey’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry CRM ClassicRockMagazine.com JM JourneyMusic.com WR William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

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 Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Journey SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 7/8/2022.

Steve Perry “Oh Sherrie” charted

Oh Sherrie Steve Perry

Writer(s): Steve Perry, Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf, Bill Cuomo (see lyrics here) Released: March 1984 First Charted: April 6, 1984 Peak: 3 US, 4 CB, 2 GR, 2 RR, 33 AC, 12 AR, 12 CN, 5 AU, 2 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 34.8 video, 77.75 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Rock singer/songwriter Steve Perry was born in 1949 in Hanford, California. He was fronting a band called Alien Project when a demo reached the band Journey and Perry became their new lead singer in 1977. The band, originally an offshoot of Santana, had released three albums but never even had a chart single. Their 1978 Infinity album changed their fortunes, reaching #21 and triple platinum status as well as giving them their first chart entries with “Wheel in the Sky” and “Lights.” Their next four albums all achieved at least three million in sales and three of them reached the top 10. The most successful of these was 1981’s Escape, which sold 10 million copies and produced top-10 hits “Who’s Crying Now,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and “Open Arms.” 1983’s Frontiers, which sold six million copies, reached #2, and had four top-40 hits, including the top-10 song “Separate Ways.” Then Steve Perry decided to release his first solo album. 1984’s Street Talk reached #12 and sold two million copies. Like Frontiers, it also produced four top-40 hits, including a top-10 hit – “Oh Sherrie.” The song is often considered an “honorary” Journey song because of “its resemblance to the band’s trademark sound.” WK Perry wrote the love song for then-girlfirend Sherrie Swafford, who also appeared in the video. WK Two of the song’s co-writers, Bill Cuomo and Craig Krampf, played keyboards and drums respectively on Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes.” WK While some worried that a solo outing from Perry might mean the end of his days with Journey, their fears were alleviated in 1986. Perry reunited with guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain for Raised on Radio, another top-10, multi-platinum effort from the band. It also made for Steve Perry’s fourth album in a row to feature four top-40 hits with at least one of them reaching the top ten. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Steve Perry SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 12/26/2022.