Music Steve Perry sings Journey songs for the first time in nearly 20 years

Deberg_1990 · 05-28-2014, 09:24 PM

Cool

http://www.billboard.com/articles/ne...ing-live-again

Eels leader Mark Oliver "E" Everett says he's "trying to get used to my new role as Neal Schon" after former Journey frontman Steve Perry's surprise performance with the group over Memorial Day Weekend.

Perry sang a pair of Journey hits -- "Open Arms" and "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' " -- for the first time publicly in two decades along with Eels' own "It's a Mother****er" on Sunday (May 25) during the group's show at the Fitzgerald Theater in Minneapolis. According to Everett it was the culmination of a long friendship that's part of "the secret inner life of the Eels" and dates back nearly a decade.

"We're good friends with Steve Perry and have been for years," Everett tells Billboard. "He started coming out to our shows a long time ago and would occasionally send word backstage that he wanted to meet me. And it was a little awkward for me because when I was younger I just didn't have a real appreciation for Journey. I was like, 'I don't know what I'll say to the guy.'"

Everett was ultimately convinced to meet Perry by a mutual friend, film director Patty Jenkins ("Monster"), and discovered that "he was the greatest guy."

Before long Everett invited Perry to play in Eels' Sunday night croquet games, and the singer also began showing up at the group's tour rehearsals in Los Angeles.

"Every year the guys in the band would try to bait him; they'd start playing Journey songs hoping he'd pick up the mic and sing a Journey song for the first time in 18 years or whatever," Everett recalls. "He never would, but he laughed. He was a good sport."

About four years ago, however, Perry did take the bait, and when the group started rehearsing for its current tour, supporting the new "The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett," Everett noticed that "he walked in carrying his own microphone. I thought, 'Something's up here. Something's changing.'" He says Perry brought up the idea of an impromptu appearance, telling the group, "'Maybe I'll fly out somewhere and we'll do this.' We all said, 'Yeah, yeah, we'll all believe it when we see it.' We agreed we weren't gonna get our hopes up."

Why St. Paul? "You'd have to ask (Perry)," Everett says. "Even then I thought, 'It isn't gonna happen, but it'd be fun if it did.' It wasn't until the moment he walked on stage and started singing that I finally accepted it was going to happen. And it was such a beautiful moment to see my friend out there, in his element, doing what he's made to be doing. He had a great time, and you have to respect that he did it for all the right reasons. He could've mounted a huge, zillion-dollar comeback tour, which maybe he'll do at some point and have every right to do. But he came because he wanted to have fun and he wanted to sing those songs again, 'cause he's so good at it."

So does Everett think we'll see more Perry drop-ins ahead?

"I don't try to press Steve on anything," he says. "Our relationship is Steve does what Steve does. I would love to do more and I hope he will, but that's all up to him. This may be enough for him, and if this is the only time it ever happens, I'm just glad it happened.

"And in the meantime, I'm going to not stop believing."

OldSchool · 05-28-2014, 09:39 PM

That's awesome.

Why Not? · 05-28-2014, 09:48 PM

Would immediately go see if this became a thing.

BullJunkandIron · 05-28-2014, 09:52 PM

Thanks op.

Prison Bitch · 05-28-2014, 09:53 PM

Don't Stop Believing was at one time the number one download on ITunes

That song is pretty meh IMO

BullJunkandIron · 05-28-2014, 10:03 PM

My little sister use to call it the street lights people song.

Garcia Bronco · 05-28-2014, 10:09 PM

Come on people...that was not good at all.

**007** · 05-28-2014, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

Come on people...that was not good at all.

Yeah, he didn't sound good at all but it would have been cool to be part of that.

**fan4ever** · 05-28-2014, 10:37 PM

I think the new guy sounds more like him and better than he does...if that makes sense...

Mr. Laz · 05-28-2014, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

Come on people...that was not good at all.

I bet you kick small woodland creatures and trip old people when the walk by you at the store.

PunkinDrublic · 05-28-2014, 11:00 PM

This is huge news said 1981.

listopencil · 05-28-2014, 11:01 PM

I really, really wanted that to be good. It wasn't.

listopencil · 05-28-2014, 11:03 PM

Still sounds a hell of a lot better than Axl Rose in Rio though. And still a better love story than Twilight.

Tombstone RJ · 05-28-2014, 11:14 PM

love the eels, not a big fan of Perry and Journey but still a great story...

Tombstone RJ · 05-28-2014, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

Come on people...that was not good at all.

dude, it was unrehearsed and live... he hasn't sung the songs in 20 years and he was doing it with a band who, well, are of a completely different rock genre.

05-28-2014, 09:24 PM
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3914454	Steve Perry sings Journey songs for the first time in nearly 20 years Cool http://www.billboard.com/articles/ne...ing-live-again Eels leader Mark Oliver "E" Everett says he's "trying to get used to my new role as Neal Schon" after former Journey frontman Steve Perry's surprise performance with the group over Memorial Day Weekend. Perry sang a pair of Journey hits -- "Open Arms" and "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' " -- for the first time publicly in two decades along with Eels' own "It's a Mother****er" on Sunday (May 25) during the group's show at the Fitzgerald Theater in Minneapolis. According to Everett it was the culmination of a long friendship that's part of "the secret inner life of the Eels" and dates back nearly a decade. "We're good friends with Steve Perry and have been for years," Everett tells Billboard. "He started coming out to our shows a long time ago and would occasionally send word backstage that he wanted to meet me. And it was a little awkward for me because when I was younger I just didn't have a real appreciation for Journey. I was like, 'I don't know what I'll say to the guy.'" Everett was ultimately convinced to meet Perry by a mutual friend, film director Patty Jenkins ("Monster"), and discovered that "he was the greatest guy." Before long Everett invited Perry to play in Eels' Sunday night croquet games, and the singer also began showing up at the group's tour rehearsals in Los Angeles. "Every year the guys in the band would try to bait him; they'd start playing Journey songs hoping he'd pick up the mic and sing a Journey song for the first time in 18 years or whatever," Everett recalls. "He never would, but he laughed. He was a good sport." About four years ago, however, Perry did take the bait, and when the group started rehearsing for its current tour, supporting the new "The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett," Everett noticed that "he walked in carrying his own microphone. I thought, 'Something's up here. Something's changing.'" He says Perry brought up the idea of an impromptu appearance, telling the group, "'Maybe I'll fly out somewhere and we'll do this.' We all said, 'Yeah, yeah, we'll all believe it when we see it.' We agreed we weren't gonna get our hopes up." Why St. Paul? "You'd have to ask (Perry)," Everett says. "Even then I thought, 'It isn't gonna happen, but it'd be fun if it did.' It wasn't until the moment he walked on stage and started singing that I finally accepted it was going to happen. And it was such a beautiful moment to see my friend out there, in his element, doing what he's made to be doing. He had a great time, and you have to respect that he did it for all the right reasons. He could've mounted a huge, zillion-dollar comeback tour, which maybe he'll do at some point and have every right to do. But he came because he wanted to have fun and he wanted to sing those songs again, 'cause he's so good at it." So does Everett think we'll see more Perry drop-ins ahead? "I don't try to press Steve on anything," he says. "Our relationship is Steve does what Steve does. I would love to do more and I hope he will, but that's all up to him. This may be enough for him, and if this is the only time it ever happens, I'm just glad it happened. "And in the meantime, I'm going to not stop believing."
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05-28-2014, 09:39 PM	#2
OldSchool MVP Join Date: Sep 2013 Casino cash: $10035212	That's awesome.
Posts: 12,727

05-28-2014, 09:48 PM	#3
Why Not? In Search of a Life Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Kansas Casino cash: $3178994	Would immediately go see if this became a thing.
Posts: 21,692

05-28-2014, 09:52 PM	#4
BullJunkandIron Banned Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NEMO Casino cash: $10014823	Thanks op.
Posts: 945

05-28-2014, 09:53 PM	#5
Prison Bitch Rabbi Goldmann Join Date: Nov 2012 Casino cash: $5450159	Don't Stop Believing was at one time the number one download on ITunes That song is pretty meh IMO
Posts: 87,025

05-28-2014, 10:03 PM	#6
BullJunkandIron Banned Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NEMO Casino cash: $10014823	My little sister use to call it the street lights people song.
Posts: 945

05-28-2014, 10:09 PM	#7
Garcia Bronco No Keys, No Problem Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Denver Casino cash: $5303136	Come on people...that was not good at all.
Posts: 30,842

05-28-2014, 10:37 PM	#9
fan4ever Supporter Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Casino cash: $5834389	I think the new guy sounds more like him and better than he does...if that makes sense... __________________ "You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw rocks at every dog that barks" - Winston Churchill
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05-28-2014, 11:00 PM	#11
PunkinDrublic Stay down bitch! Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Plano, TX Casino cash: $6450670	This is huge news said 1981. __________________ Disappointing my parents since 1976
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05-28-2014, 11:01 PM	#12
listopencil Immanentize The Eschaton Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: In Partibus Infidelium Casino cash: $2245880	I really, really wanted that to be good. It wasn't. __________________ Good friends we have had, oh, good friends we've lost...along the way. In this great future, you can't forget your past. So dry your tears, I say.
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05-28-2014, 11:03 PM	#13
listopencil Immanentize The Eschaton Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: In Partibus Infidelium Casino cash: $2245880	Still sounds a hell of a lot better than Axl Rose in Rio though. And still a better love story than Twilight. __________________ Good friends we have had, oh, good friends we've lost...along the way. In this great future, you can't forget your past. So dry your tears, I say.
Posts: 55,942

05-28-2014, 11:14 PM	#14
Tombstone RJ Broncos' Fan Extraordinaire! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Denver Casino cash: $10012184	love the eels, not a big fan of Perry and Journey but still a great story... __________________ ORANGE COLORED GLASSES ARE ALWAYS ON!
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