Two possible singers for Journey?
Journey has been without a lead singer so long that fans are running out of Steve Perry jokes.
It's been about six months since the band bid goodbye to Jeff Scott Soto (who replaced Steve Augeri, who stepped in after Perry called it quits). Keyboardist Jonathan Cain told ShowBuzz the move was to protect the band's legacy.
"We just wanted to move in a different direction sonically," Cain sad. "We're interested in our legacy right now. We want to sound like our records and we want to sound like the 65 million units that are out there."
So any word on a new lead singer? The band's press representative says official word could come soon. However the buzz on the Web is that the new lead singer could be ...
A FEMALE! (Queue the explosion sound from "Line of Fire").
Several websites are reporting that Patty Smyth of Scandal is being considered for the job. Smyth was once invited to join Van Halen as their singer, so it's not the biggest stretch of the imagination.
However, the smart money is on Arnel Pineda of The Zoo, who is supposedly No. 1 on the wish list to front the band, according to a variety of Web sources. Melodic.net says, "Listen to Arnel sing 'Faithfully' and you can close your eyes believing it's Perry himself."
Click here to see Pineda's version of "Faithfully" on YouTube.com. You will indeed be in awe how closely he sounds like Steve Perry.
Relive the music, movies and culture of the greatest decade ever with Times online editor Steve Spears. A teen during the decade, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.
E-mail Steve Spears:
I'd like to see the ex-Journey leads do an Axl Rose, Steven Tyler, Sting, Bryan Adams, Ann Wilson and Boston like Arnel does in these clips taken at Hard Rock Cafe in the Philippines. Just don't mind the other band members :P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTMK-vesLWU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XC8VvFyFj4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLHOQz8N8Gk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbhKHyoy4S4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf-2Rk_uIPU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1NoFk5sVVE&feature=related
Posted by: jules | December 17, 2007 at 03:57 AM
This is Jeff Salado of the band "ARRIVAL"
I just wanna say to Arnel Pineda Congrats on the lead singer position.Good luck to you & Make us proud.
www.arrivalmusicband.com
Myspace.com/arrivaltheband
Posted by: Journey On! | December 09, 2007 at 05:45 AM
You're right that Arnel is no Perry. He is much, much better.
Posted by: denvermatt | November 30, 2007 at 07:50 PM
How about former Giuffria lead singer, David Glen Eisley? Call To Your Heart indeed, my little Journey sound-alike friend.
Posted by: topcad | November 30, 2007 at 04:11 PM
Arnel is good but no SP. There is a Journey tribute band by the name of "Arrival" with a great singer Jeff Salado. Ck him out on Youtube B4 you make any decisions on a frontman. My money is on Salado.
Posted by: jujuperry99 | November 30, 2007 at 11:40 AM
There's internet buzz connecting Arnel Pineda with Journey's appearance at February's Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. (Which, by posting this, I am now officially a part of!)
Posted by: Jeff in Cuba | November 30, 2007 at 09:47 AM
I talked to Journey's press representative yesterday and there's no done deal yet. But an announcement could come soon. And no, she wouldn't say if it was Pineda as the frontrunner.
Posted by: Spears | November 30, 2007 at 07:10 AM
Pineda is the man, I already become a fan!!
Posted by: Viru | November 30, 2007 at 03:11 AM
I listened to another clip of Pineda singing a Boston hit (also very good), and there was a post that claimed to settle the question re: Journey. It said that he's already been hired and will be touring with Journey in '08.
Who knows if it's true, but I s'pose it could have been decided.
Posted by: Rick | November 29, 2007 at 11:32 PM
He sounds good... but I'll still pass!! I need an authentic PERRY fix!!
Posted by: Carla | November 29, 2007 at 08:47 PM
I played the YouTube video a couple of times in the office today, and people kept coming up to my desk saying, "Oh, Steve Perry!"
Hire the guy already!
Posted by: Spears | November 29, 2007 at 08:15 PM
OMIGOD! Arnel Pineda could drop by the Studio for Steve Perry's next dozen albums, too, and ol' Steve can kick back by the pool!
That is uncanny -- and amazing.
As soon as he started talking, I thought "He already sounds like Steve Perry."
Posted by: Rick | November 29, 2007 at 05:41 PM
"We're interested in our legacy/want to sound like our records"
How sad. I guess it's nice to have some laurels to rest on, but what is a new singer going to get out of this? Not only will they never be Steve Perry, they aren't benefiting from all tho$e album $ale$.
Posted by: Brad | November 29, 2007 at 05:07 PM
Holy Vocal Chords, Chet-man! That's an awesome cover of Faithfully. I'm currently listening to more Arnel on youtube.
I'd be putting this guy on my wishlist, too, if I were a Journey band member.
Posted by: Marissa | November 29, 2007 at 02:44 PM