aynsley dunbar journey

Start believin': The story of Journey's Infinity album

By 1978, Journey had a loyal muso following but were still looking for their breakthrough. What they needed was a singer would could turn their improvisations into anthems. Cue one Steve Perry...

“If I had the chance I would do it all again exactly the same way,” says Steve Perry. “I swear to God. I would not hesitate for a minute.” 

Steve Perry is on the phone. The commonly held notion that he’s a dark and sombre recluse couldn’t be further from reality. He’s a veritable ball of energy, dispensing charm and cheer like it was going out of fashion. Before long he’s singing down the phone, and hinting that he wants to stop kicking his heels and put a ‘section’ together (that’s old-school parlance for a band). 

We’re hooked up to talk about Journey’s fourth album, 1978’s Infinity. Steve doesn’t give many interviews, but he speaks at length and opens his heart about a record that changed his life, and the course of history for his band; 

a record that heralded the arrival of one of the greatest voices of our time, and set Journey on a crash course for superstardom that would ultimately result in their 1981 anthem Don’t Stop Believin’ becoming, in 2009, the best-selling song from the 20th century on iTunes (currently seven million downloads and counting).

All the facts and figures in the Journey  story complete a cluster of astonishing accomplishments which are the envy of the music industry. Achievements that, in today’s music marketplace, would be almost impossible to duplicate. For a good 12 years, Journey took position at the very top of the food chain, releasing album after album of instantly recognisable songs all embellished with clear-cut hooks and melodies to die for. 

These are records that have stood the test of time, and because of the musicianship inherent in each and every song they have never sounded dated. In many ways, then, Journey were not only pioneers of a style but they were also uniquely aloof – in a league of their own and a world away from the processed, hard-on-the-ears clamour of similar-sounding acts trying to carve out a slice of the same market.

When all is said and done, it was Steve Perry’s presence that really cemented the band’s reputation. Prior to his arrival Journey had been a fairly inconspicuous and mainly instrumental fusion outfit, looking to muscle in on the jazz-rock scene perpetrated by the likes of Weather Report and the Mahavisnu Orchestra. 

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Great players, Journey’s early style and meticulous arrangements would, inevitably, limit their appeal unless radical changes were implemented. Their sound had attracted stellar critical reviews but, as a commercial entity, they were stuck in a rut. Not surprisingly, at the behest of their label, Columbia, changes needed to be made, a radical remodelling of the band was demanded to expand their appeal.

Infinity marked Perry’s initiation into the world of professional recording, a milestone in contemporary aural acrobatics. Within the confinement of 10 songs he effortlessly switched from breezy improvisation ( La Do Da ) to epic bombast ( Wheel In The Sky ), providing a template from which future creative diamonds would emerge, forever cementing the appeal of Journey and securing his place in rock’s vocal Hall Of Fame. 

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Unlike the brusque delivery of British blues-belters such as Coverdale and Rodgers, Perry’s reference points evolved from diverse and somewhat unexpected sources, including the sweet soul sounds of Sam Cooke and Smokey Robinson. 

Born in California in 1949, Steven Ray Perry was of Portuguese extraction. The family’s original name of Perrera was quickly anglicised to Perry when the family had entered the US, to disguise the fact that they were European immigrants (a common policy back then to improve employment opportunities). Growing up, his epiphany moment was hearing the Sam Cooke song Cupid on the radio while riding in his mother’s car. From that moment on, becoming a musician was all he dreamed of.

By his teens, Perry was a veteran of several garage bands, singing and drumming with names such as The Nocturnes, Dollar Bills, Ice (also featuring future producer Scott Matthews) and The Sullies. He even joined a Toronto-based unit called Privilege and toured Canada. 

“They were a 12-piece brass group that had played in my home town near Fresno,” says Perry. “I was so blown away by how amazing they were I kept in touch with the guitar player, one of two brothers, Andy and Harry Krawchuk, and they hired me for a few months. I toured Canada with them – they were a very high-end covers band.”

By the mid 70s, Perry focused all his energies upon infiltrating the music business and moved to Los Angeles, where he formed a band called Pieces alongside experienced musicians like Cactus/Beck Bogert & Appice bassist Tim Bogert, guitarist Tim Denver Cross and drummer Eddie Tuduri. Sadly no deal was forthcoming. Bogert and Tuduri then moved to the UK to join British prog rockers Boxer. 

In order to support himself, Steve took a gig as a second engineer at Crystal Studios while piecing together his next outfit, called Alien Project (the group occasionally switched to the moniker of Street Talk, which Steve later used for the title of first solo album). It was this unit that caught the ear of a couple of labels, including Chrysalis and Columbia. The latter’s A&R man, Michael Dilbeck, was hot to sign them.

The group featured drummer Craig Krampf who would later go on to become an in-demand session musician. 

“Craig had some contacts in the business,” says Steve, “enough where he could pick up the telephone and call them. He was really good at hustling and got us into Chrysalis and Columbia. Michael Dilbeck was one of the Columbia people who heard Alien Project and liked it. He talked with Don Ellis who was running the West Coast office. They were thinking of signing the band.

“Back in those days, the sweetest thing that could happen was signing to a record label and making a record – that was the pathway of dreams for all of us. Michael liked the band, but I must say the demo got kind of shelved a little bit, meaning he liked it but wasn’t really moved to sign us right away. So we were kind of vacillating, thinking should we go back to Chrysalis who had been pretty excited. Then the next thing that happened was, someone at Columbia decided to go around Michael and send my demo tape to Herbie Herbert, Journey’s manager, in San Francisco.”

It’s impossible to talk about Journey without the towering presence of their manager Herbie Herbert, a bear of a man with a personality and reputation that, at times, has almost seemed to eclipse (pun intended) the band. Think Peter Grant, if he weren’t quite so intimidating and wasn’t surrounded by henchmen with fists at the ready. Herbie loved music and loved Journey. He dedicated his life to their needs and to the advancement of their career. He had a vision and nobody was gonna fuck with it, and recruiting a vocalist to the group was paramount to his plan. 

In Steve Perry, Herbert had found the proverbial needle in the haystack – a vocalist with unlimited range, unique delivery and looks that killed. The consummate frontman, in fact. There is every reason to believe that Perry singlehandedly rescued Journey from interminable underachievement. 

“This is where its gets complex,” Steve says, of his initial meeting with Herbert. “Herbie had already heard my name. I was mentioned to him by one of his team, Jackie Villanueva. Jackie had a friend in Frisco by the name of Larry Luciano who, as it happens, was a childhood friend of mine. We had grown up together. Larry had moved up there and become friends with Jackie and the Santana clan. That’s when he and Larry became friends with Herbie. 

“Larry told him that he had a cousin called Steve Perry and that I was a pretty good singer and he should check me out. That never came to fruition until the guy at Columbia sent the Alien Project demo tape to Herbie, who saw the name and thought, ‘Steve Perry… Hmmm… Larry’s cousin?’ And of course it was. Then Herbie called me up and said, ‘I love the way you sing, I love what you’re doing and I love the band.’” 

However, this budding relationship between Herbert and Perry was suddenly derailed due to the tragic death of Alien Project’s bassist Richard Micheals Haddad, who was killed in an automobile accident on the July 4th weekend. The rest of the band felt like the rug had been pulled from under their feet.

“We were due to resume talks with the labels after that weekend but, of course, it never happened,” says Perry. “I started to pack it in and called my mom to say, ‘I’m coming back home.’ It felt like the closer I got to achieving my dream, the bigger something in my life would say ‘no’. At that point I’d never been so close to someone who had died and I thought, ‘I’m not supposed to do this.’ 

"I was so distraught and knocked back by it all. But my mother said, no, don’t give up – something will happen. And that’s when I got a telephone call from Don Ellis, who said, ‘I’m sorry to hear about your bass player, but Herbie Herbert has your tape and he loved it. We have Journey on Columbia and we’d love you to be the singer of that band. What do you think about it?’ 

“I had seen Journey come to town and play many times in LA and I knew that my voice with Neal Schon’s guitar would be like salt and pepper. 

"I knew that if I could ever work with him that would be a dream. It was Neal who really attracted me to that set up.”

Journey’s origins go right back to the beginning of the 70s, with the band members based in San Francisco, the centre of hippy counterculture. Keyboard player Gregg Rolie was a founding member of Santana, immortalised by the group’s stunning appearance at the Woodstock festival. The footage of Rolie trashing the living daylights out of his organ during Soul Sacrifice became iconic.

Guitar prodigy Neal Schon was also cooking up a name for himself in the Bay Area, not only as another alumni of Santana but also by working his way through a number of musical cabals, including Latin rockers Azteca and the Golden Gate Rhythm Section. Joining Journey on bass was Ross Valory and second guitarist George Tickner, both of whom were from the curiously named Frumious Bandersnatch. The band’s first drummer was Prairie Prince from fellow SF band The Tubes, but he was quickly replaced by British ex-pat Aynsley Dunbar, who had moved to the US to play with Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention.

Journey’s interest in experimental jazz-fusion was confirmed on their self-titled debut album issued in 1975. A classy work, the album resonates with a surety beyond their recent formation, all players coming across as both fluid and experienced. Neal Schon in particular rips up his fretboard like combination of Jeff Beck and Robert Fripp. Check out the seven-minute long Kahoutek where he trades call-and-response licks with Gregg Rolie.

Surprisingly for such complex music, the album sold moderately well, reaching No.138 on the Billboard chart. After George Tickner bailed out of the band, their next two albums – 1976’s Look Into The Future and 1977’s Next – repeated the pattern, with Gregg Rolie making a concerted effort to deliver reasonably effective vocals atop what was clearly a jazz-fusion fanfaronade.

Despite the concerted efforts of both Columbia Records and Herbie Herbert, it was clear that Journey had reached a sales ceiling. They could continue no further in an upward trajectory unless major changes were implemented. Effectively this meant adding a proper vocalist/frontman and modifying the musical direction. It was a bitter pill to swallow but the band took it on the chin and cast their net to see what was possible. 

They settled on Californian Robert Fleischman, who teamed up with the band in June 1977, at the request of label president Bruce Lundvall, who asked Robert to fly to San Francisco and see the band. Fleischman rapidly assimilated with his new bandmates, co-writing a handful of songs, three of which – Wheel In The Sky, Anytime and Winds Of March – would later surface on Infinity . Pretty much an unknown, Fleischman was, at one point, in the running to replace Peter Gabriel in Genesis for their A Trick Of The Tail album, a move scuppered when Phil Collins made a last-minute decision to step up to the microphone. 

Things were moving swiftly – if not completely smoothly – when, as previously mentioned, Steve Perry’s name entered the frame. Fleischman had been out on the road with Journey during the summer, supporting Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and matters had progressed to the point where it was understood by all that Robert was their new vocalist. Behind the scenes, however, Robert had apparently been ruffling feathers. Herbie was seemingly concerned that Fleischman was unwilling to relinquish his previous manager, well-known US concert promoter Barry Fey. A reputed incident where Robert allegedly refused to go onstage unless the band played newly written material may not have helped matters either.

By now Herbie and Columbia were coming to the same opinion: that Steve Perry would be the better option for Journey frontman. Matters accelerated when Herbie asked Steve to go out on the road with the band to get to know each other. Fleischman was unaware of his diminishing status within the set up, which resulted in an uncomfortable situation. Perry’s presence in the Journey camp was explained by passing him off as Jackie Villanueva’s Portuguese cousin. 

 “That really only happened one time,” says Perry. “I think it was when they were playing a show at Long Beach Arena, and I don’t think Robert was actually performing with the band – he was doing soundchecks with them. I think they had pretty much told him he was going to be the singer. I was also told that internally they were conflicted about it. I said to John Villanueva [brother of Jackie, and also part of Herbie’s management team] at the Oakland Coliseum, 

‘Do you think this could really happen?’ And he said ‘yes’. So I was hanging around, waiting for my opportunity.

“Actually, it should be pointed out – and I only found this out a few years later – that the label had told the band that if they didn’t get a singer they were going to drop them.”

Gregg Rolie has some further insight.

“At the time Neal and I were looking for someone with more of an edge, but Herbie brought us Steve Perry,” he says. “We thought that he was a bit of a crooner and we were looking in a different direction. Robert is a great singer, but there was a lot of politics with the record company and various other things that took place there. They’re two very different singers. 

“Steve actually came out on the road with us as my keyboard tech John’s cousin,” confirms Gregg. “We had to make the change, and it was a difficult thing to do, but Robert made a bit of a mistake. We were opening for ELP and he kind of made an ultimatum in Fresno, that he wanted us to play the new songs, but we were just trying to get the band across. We wanted to do the older material because it was more in keeping with the audience. 

“He said he wouldn’t go on and that was a mistake on his part. Herbie made the decision right there to fire him. Nothing was really written in stone until that happened. For me, it’s now water under the bridge. I like Robert a lot and I liked what he brought to the situation. Robert has more of an edge but they’re both quality guys. It’s always a struggle.”

Did Steve feel that he had been forced upon the band by the label and Herbie?

“He [Herbie] said in essence, if not the actual words, ‘This is your new singer, deal with it,’” says Perry. “I don’t think I would have been in the band if Herbie had not just said, ‘Look guys, get used to it, keep going and shut the fuck up and write the music.’ Herbie and I have had a lot of artist/management collisions across the years.

"We accomplished so much together but it’s almost normal that artists and management have their issues. That being said, had it not been for Herbie my life would be profoundly different right now. He gave me my chance.”

Gregg: “In the end we made the right choice. Quite frankly, Herbie presented it as ‘this is your new singer’ and we were like, OK. And the fact is, he was absolutely right. Y’know, the proof is there.”

Did the band embrace Steve or were they a little apprehensive?

“You have to remember that the band had recorded three records and toured extensively,” says Perry. “Herbie was very talented in his ability to get that band to open for some very big acts – ELP and Santana – and play big outdoor shows. However, even though that was happening, they weren’t selling enough records. I think they wanted to make it on their own terms, so maybe it was a little weird for them to have to bring in a singer. 

“Neal Schon was the guitar prodigy and stood centre stage. The group was built by Herbie around Neal, showing off his virtuosity. They had more of an instrumental Mahavishnu Orchestra thing going on, so it was a transition for them. Sure, I think we had our moments of difficulties with me being the new guy, so for a while I had to sort of walk on thin ice. 

“It was a ‘let’s do it and see’ kind of attitude, and I had to prove myself, and I understood that, I really did. I can’t fault them for any hesitancy, because yes, they had a following before I joined them and they had fans out there that wanted the band to be successful as a fusion-based band with Gregg Rolie singing a little bit and Neal, Ross and Aynsley going off into fusion rock. 

"When I joined I think they were concerned whether the fans would embrace me. Some did and some didn’t, and it was difficult walking out there. I remember one time we were in Paris I had a [camera] flash cube thrown at me and hit me in the eye.”

Gregg: “Perry wasn’t nervous, and if he was, it sure didn’t show. He knew he was good and he was co-writing a lot of the material. When you co-write, you get pretty comfortable about what you are doing, because it’s customised for you.”

How did Gregg Rolie feet about all this - he had, after all, been the band’s vocalist up until this point?

“I do believe in my heart that Gregg wasn’t that excited about the idea," says Perry, "but on the other hand he was certainly amenable and open-minded. We wrote Feeling That Way together, sharing vocals, and that was cool. In fact that’s the song where I would walk out on stage.”

From Gregg Rolie’s perspective, the situation was clear. “I expected to still sing a couple of songs here and there, but Steve was our lead singer,” he says. “I was stretched pretty thin playing four keyboards, harmonica and singing lead. With Santana I was the lead singer, and with Journey I was lead also. So, I’d never shared vocals before. 

"I wanted to continue to do that – I looked at it like, well, The Beatles didn’t do so bad with four singers. So the more the merrier, and I still feel that way about it, but it just slowly got to be less and less.

“Eventually the band got built around Perry,” Gregg continues. “He came in at it slowly and it evolved into this situation where we were writing songs for an actual lead vocalist, which is totally different from where early Journey and Santana came from. Back then we had vocals, but it was really about the solo work and then, slowly, it became more about the lead vocals. It was great for me because I became a much better songwriter.”

It was the beginning of a new chapter for both of them. Blessed with an appealing personality, good looks and a voice from heaven, Perry soon became the focal point of attention. It was now time to unleash his talent in the studio by recording Journey’s fourth and pivotal album, Infinity .

The plan was simple: write songs, hire a producer, select a studio and make an album that would set out their stall for the next 10 years or more. Steve immersed himself in songwriting with all the band members, but mainly with new creative partner Neal Schon, eventually securing co-writing credits on eight of the 10 songs. 

Steve and Neal struck up a strong rapport and quickly established a beachhead, strengthening the band’s sound and setting in place a new direction. The emphasis was now on fully formed songs with melodies, hooks and the sort of contemporary buff that made the competition quake in their boots.

The choice of producer was inspired. Band, management and label all agreed on Roy Thomas Baker, the flamboyant British studio craftsman who had worked with some of the most influential rock bands around, including Free and – most importantly – Queen. 

After seeing the band live in Santa Monica, RTB (as he is affectionately known) and his trusted engineer Geoff Workman rendezvoused with the band at His Master’s Wheels Studio (formerly Alembic Studios), located on Brady Street in downtown San Francisco.

“They put me in a little apartment on Bay Street,” remembers Steve. “I went to SIR [Studio Instrument Rentals, a well-known rehearsal room] every day and wrote songs with band. 

“Then, all of a sudden RTB comes in. We had enormous respect for him, because he’d produced Queen and Free. He was so much fun. The studio [His Master’s Wheels] had an old Neve console and a large tracking room, and the next thing you know he was really giving us a different sound. 

“Neal’s doing what we called ‘violin guitars’. Roy had me stack all the vocals on a 40-track machine, and I really enjoyed that process. Also, Geoff Workman was so instrumental that we ended up grabbing him to do one of the records [ Departure ] without RTB. 

“We rehearsed the material quite a bit before we recorded it so everything was ready to go before Roy got there. What Roy gave us was the opportunity to try different textures and ideas, but the foundational aspect of the songs and the arrangements were done. He really gave us a direction, and from there the band found itself.”

“I have fond memories of working with Roy and Geoff,” says Gregg. “Roy was very into experimentation, and quite wild in the studio. The multi-tracking of guitars and vocals was a brand new thing for us – all the layering. It was intense work. He created a sound which a lot of the guys didn’t like because it was so edgy, but I happened to dig it.  

“Those tracks had a specific sound to them, which is what a good producer does. He was, and still is, a real character. Him and Workman both – they were fun to be around. Workman did a lot of the heavy lifting, inasmuch as getting things done. 

“Geoff had worked with Roy for a long time and knew what he wanted. If Roy disappeared for a couple of hours, Geoff just carried on because he knew what they were doing as a team. We used the same team on the next album, Evolution . It got us on the map.”

Not surprisingly, the biggest impact was the quality and strength of Steve Perry’s vocals. 

“I certainly discovered the depth of multi-tracking, as I never had a chance to work on a 40-track machine before,” says Perry. “I’d never had the ability to do eight root notes and then bounce them to one track, then wipe those and do the eight thirds, wipe those then do eight fifths and eight octaves and so on – and suddenly you have a big stack like on Anytime . When they are layered and smeared tight they just really block up. Roy knew how to do that.”

But despite the good vibes and enthusiastic progress, the glue soon came unstuck when a studio prank backfired…

“One night we went out for sushi and drank a bit of Sake,” laughs Steve. “Roy drank a little bit more Sake than most of us, along with a couple of the road crew. When they got back, Scotty [Ross, roadie] remembered a story about how Roy had once chased Freddie Mercury around the studio with a fire extinguisher. 

“So Scotty decided to be funny and grabbed one of the studio extinguishers and chased Roy. Then Roy grabbed an extinguisher to reciprocate and fired it off, but it was one of those dry chemical types. The next thing we knew was that we couldn’t breathe – it had sucked the oxygen right out of the room and we couldn’t see in front of us for the smoke. So we ran outside thinking, ‘Oh my God, what the hell happened there?’ After a while we walked back in and the place looked like it had snowed, everything was covered in white powder. The problem was that the console, the recording tape and everything had this fine, very abrasive powder all over it. 

“The Neve console was ruined. We had to quickly remove the tape because the dust would eat the oxide, so we moved to Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles to finish the vocals.”

With the album completed, a design makeover followed. The band brought in renowned San Francisco artists Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse (real name Stanley George Miller). The duo had first hooked up with San Francisco’s counter-cultural doyens the Grateful Dead (designing their album covers) and legendary West Coast promoter Bill Graham (designing his gig posters). During the early 70s they had formed the Mouse Studio, and helped rebrand Journey by designing and standardising their cover art, including Infinity’s colourful flaming wings. The pair also came up with a Journey logo. 

Says Perry: “Bruce Lundvall was the president of Columbia at the time, and he quipped that, in order for us to make another record with me singing, we would have to sell one million units. Hence the reason we stayed on the road for 298 shows that year. We started touring in February and didn’t come home for almost a year. 

“ Wheel In The Sky was the first single. Neal and I went to a pizza place, and I went over to the jukebox and saw a Wheel In The Sky 45 in that machine – an ecstatic feeling. I didn’t tell Neal, I just put two quarters in, pushed the button and sat down and the song started. Neal looked at me and started laughing. It was a monumental moment. Back then if you were starting to show up in jukeboxes it was a sign that you might be finally starting to happen. My mom had an eight track in her car and she would play the cassette to everybody saying, ‘That’s my Steven.’”

Although the tour emphasised the band’s growing stature, it also highlighted that while Aynsley Dunbar was an exceptional rhythm king, he was perhaps too complex for the way Journey’s music was developing.

“Van Halen were the opening act on the tour,” remembers Steve. “They were a brand new band back then. We were doing 3,000-seat auditoriums and they were killing us every night. It was eye-opening. We were keeping up with them, but they were certainly making us be a better band. They were so musically simple.

“Well, I was a drummer before becoming a singer and one of the things about being a drummer is that I’m kind of hard on other drummers. Foundationally you can have a really great band, but if the drummer doesn’t measure up you’re not going to do very well. But if you have a mediocre band and a great drummer you’re going to do better. So we’d do soundchecks and sometimes Aynsley might not be there or be off doing something like radio promotion and I would do soundcheck for him – set his drums up and play a few songs. It started to be apparent to Neal and to myself that the band sounded different with me because I’m a slamming R&B-style drummer, as opposed to a jazz-fusion drummer like Aynsley. 

“Aynsley’s style had been perfect up to when the band changed style. As the music evolved, we started to work up some of our new ideas with me playing drums, and they didn’t sound as good with Aynsley playing them. So we toyed with that for a while, but occasionally we kept being reminded about it while jamming new ideas for the follow-up record. And then we saw Steve Smith playing drums with Ronnie Montrose, who was also one of our support bands, and we thought, ‘Help, what do we do now? Because this guy sounds like the cat.’ We started hanging out a lot – the next thing is we made a switch.”

Journey’s run of success continued with their follow-up albums, from Evolution through to blockbusters such as Escape, Frontiers and Raised On Radio . 

Their continued uphill trajectory was an unprecedented triumph, propelling the band into increasingly larger arenas and stadiums, right the way through to the late 80s, before they implemented a (theoretically) indefinite and somewhat strained hiatus. With hindsight, the appointment of Steve Perry and the creation of the Infinity album was one of the pivotal moments in the development of modern rock.

“I liked the songs, I liked the edge and I liked the dual vocal stuff,” reflects Gregg Rolie. “The band had a lot of colour to it and I think we could have explored more of that. Infinity for me personally was a big change; writing songs for singing rather than writing songs for playing. The addition of harmonies and multi-track vocals… we’d never sung harmonies like that before. 

“Also, the songs were great: Patiently, Winds Of March, Lights … Later it started going away from where I thought it should have been, but I’m only one member of the band so you’ve gotta roll with it. On Infinity there was still solo and instrumental work influencing how it sounded – it still had that vibe of being alive. It was always powerful. We actually carried that edge into the Evolution album.”

 “If I had the chance I would do it all again exactly the same way,” says Steve Perry in conclusion. “I swear to God. I would not hesitate for a minute.” 

Journey are on tour now. This article was first published in Classic Rock presents AOR, issue 11

Derek’s lifelong love of metal goes back to the ’70s when he became a UK underground legend for sharing tapes of the most obscure American bands. After many years championing acts as a writer for  Kerrang! , Derek moved to New York and worked in A&R at Atco Records, signing a number of great acts including the multi-platinum Pantera and Dream Theater. He moved back to the UK and in 2006 started Rock Candy Records, which specialises in reissues of rock and metal albums from the 1970s and 1980s.

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Aynsley Dunbar

Rock journeyman Aynsley Dunbar has proven himself one of the finest drummers in the business for over twenty years, whether as a member of several bands or as a session musician. Dunbar began his career…

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And thank you for dropping by my Official Aynsley Dunbar web site.  I feel really great about the site and I hope you enjoy AynsleyDunbar.com as much as I enjoyed putting it together for you.  One of my primary goals fo this site is to share my experiences as professional drummer over the last 40 years in the music business.  Some of you know, and others don't, that i have been lucky enough to play with some of the industry's most successful bands and musicians, including; John Mayall, Frank Zappa, John Lennon, Journey, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, Herbie Mann, Eric Burdon and the New Animals, UFO, David Bowie, Whitesnake and many, many others.

My recent session work has allowed me to collaborate again with some of the world's finest musicians and I look forward to an immensely musically fulfilling future with ready sticks.  You can also find me playing with my mates in THE WORLD CLASSIC ROCKERS .  I always enjoy meeting my fans at these events and really appreciate your support over the many years I have been hitting the skins.  I'd like to share my experiences with you and will be updating the site with current gigs and photos of gig.  I will also try and surprise you with some blasts from my past.

Please sign my Guest Book and check out my NEWS page where I have the latest updates.

Aynsley and Sting Connect

May 1, 2018

Aynsley and Sting recently connected backstage at a show.  Aynsley was honored by Sting who told him he was a fan of his AD Retaliation band.

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On April 7th, 2017 Aynsley is being inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame with his old band mates from Journey.

"AYNSLEY DUNBAR"

"Did You Ever Meet Someone Who Speaks Only When it Matters?  And Who Means Everything He Says?  Aynsley Dunbar Plays Drums Like that. Not content to Fill a Song With Superfluous Drum Chatter, Aynsley Strikes Each Note With The Conviction that Comes From Knowing Exactly What Can and Should Be Done at Any Given Moment.  At the Same Time, He Maintains The Freedom to Respond to Whatever Is Being Played By the Musicians Around Him.  If One Word Was Needed to Describe Aynsley's Style, that Word would be Eloquent"

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How Journey Took the Next Step With Aptly Titled ‘Evolution’

After years of slugging it out in the trenches, Journey finally achieved a modicum of mainstream success with their fourth LP, 1978's Infinity . They were only getting warmed up.

The band's determination to break into the Top 40 came with a price, and was reflected in a series of lineup changes that included the addition of new singer Steve Perry (who made his debut with Infinity ) and continued with the departure of drummer Aynsley Dunbar, who quit before Journey entered the studio to record their fifth studio album, Evolution .

Dunbar vented his frustration with his old band's increasingly commercial direction in a February 1979 interview with BAM , conducted after he joined Jefferson Starship .

"You believe that financial success is gonna do it for you, but it never does," Dunbar argued. "All the financial success in the world can't touch your artistic feeling. Once that's destroyed you can't really enjoy yourself, you can't release anything. I've got to release what I feel. Otherwise, I start getting a temper and building up depression."

That lack of release, Dunbar added, had begun to spill over into Journey's less-spontaneous live sets.

"I mean, if you're playing with a lot of feeling and trying to help them play well, and nobody's giving you a damn thought, they're not listening, there's no point in you being there," Dunbar added. "They wanted to play everything exactly note for note, according to the record. I never wanted to do that, but I did it for the last album.

"It bored the shit out of me," he said. "They could never understand my freedom. They don't understand my playing. They thought I was trying to prove I have technique. Getting out of it was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Plucking new drummer Steve Smith from the ranks of former Journey tourmate Ronnie Montrose 's band, the group reunited with Infinity  producer Roy Thomas Baker for Evolution . As Perry pointed out in an interview with Sounds , however they hadn't really been thrilled with his work on the previous LP.

Watch Journey's Video for 'Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin''

In fact, they only consented to work with Baker again because they were fans of his engineer. "Roy was out driving his Rolls Royce or doing shopping half the time we were recording Evolution ," Perry argued. "It's really just produced by us and Geoffrey Workman."

"Admittedly Roy had a lot to do with the sound of Infinity ," guitarist Neal Schon countered in the same Sounds interview. "But if you listen to both of them, I bet you'll prefer the new one. You know, Infinity  had layer after layer of sound, hundreds of overdubbed guitars. ... There's less of that on Evolution . and I prefer it."

As it turned out, losing a drummer and a few overdubs didn't hurt Journey's burgeoning chart presence. Released April 5, 1979, Evolution  went on to become their most successful album to that point. A No. 20 hit on the Billboard  album chart, Evolution sold more than three million copies while scoring the band a Top 20 hit with the record's second single, "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin.'"

All of it merely set the stage for a group poised to become one of the biggest rock acts of the next decade.

"We wanted to be successful," Schon told Sounds , shortly after Evolution  was released. "We wanted to compete and we took the steps that we thought were right to do so. If they're the wrong ones, we'll find out soon enough. We're not copping out; we're just trying to make money. Otherwise, you can't live. ... I think if the people are open-minded, they're going to enjoy us – because I think we sound different to any other band that's out right now."

"It's good different," Perry agreed. "So many people sound the same right now. Sit back, listen and I think you'll realize that we are the most different-sounding band. You cannot compare us to anyone. And by staying individual-sounding, we're taking a big chance. We're trying to make our own statement. We're not walking into anybody else's shoes."

Dunbar probably would have argued that sentiment, but whether or not Journey were truly taking a risk, their sonic Evolution  made them a natural fit for radio. The relationship was only strengthened when Journey returned in March 1980 with its sixth studio LP, Departure .

Founding keyboard player (and original lead singer) Gregg Rolie ended up leaving the lineup at the end of the year, but his hand-picked replacement, former Babys member Jonathan Cain, quickly demonstrated his own knack for hitmaking: His debut release with the group, 1981's Escape , gave Journey its first No. 1 album. The rest is history.

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Journey Members Reach ‘Amicable Settlement’ in Battle Over Band Name

By Daniel Kreps

Daniel Kreps

Journey has reached an “amicable settlement” with a pair of former members that were previously accused of plotting an “ill-conceived” attempt to take over the band’s name.

In March 2020, Journey’s Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain fired longtime bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith after the latter two allegedly tried to fund their retirement by wresting control of the band’s name.

Both Schon and Cain and Valory exchanged lawsuits in the legal battle; Skip Miller, a lawyer for Schon and Cain, said at the time of Valory’s countersuit, “The cross-complaint has no merit whatsoever. Valory is out of the band. When the pandemic is over, Journey will go out on tour without him. Life will go on.”

Thirteen months later, the two sides have reached an agreement, the terms of which were not revealed.

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“The members of the band Journey who were parties to a recent lawsuit (Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Steve Smith, and Ross Valory) are pleased to announce that they have resolved their differences and reached an amicable settlement agreement,” the band said in a statement to Rolling Stone . “Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain acknowledge the valuable contributions that both Ross Valory and Steve Smith have made to the music and the legacy of Journey. Ross Valory and Steve Smith wish their former bandmates well and much success in the future. Journey looks forward to continuing to tour and make new music for their dedicated fans around the world.”

As the statement confirms, Valory and Smith remain no longer in Journey; in May 2020, Journey announced they were bringing back their former bassist and  American Idol  judge Randy Jackson for the first time since the mid-Eighties — coincidentally, Jackson also replaced co-founding bassist Valory after his first dismissal from the band in 1985 — as well as welcoming Grammy-winning drummer Narada Michael Walden to the band.

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Journey – The Brilliant Band Members, Stories & Struggles

The best part was watching Journey grow into this monster. The band was huge, playing these enormous gigs – Neal Schon

Key Takeaways From the History of Journey Band

Table of Contents

• Journey’s success and fame can be attributed to their journey of growth, evolving from a jazz-heavy progressive rock fusion band to a mainstream rock sensation.
• Guitarist Neal Schon, a founding member, played a crucial role in the band’s inception and continued to be a driving force throughout their career.
• The addition of Steve Perry as lead vocalist brought commercial success to Journey, with albums like “Infinity” and “Escape” achieving significant chart positions and producing hit singles like “Wheel in the Sky” and “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
• The band faced challenges and conflicts, resulting in significant lineup changes, a temporary hiatus and legal disputes. But, they managed to reconcile and continue their musical journey with new releases and a dedicated fan base.
• The band’s legacy is a reminder that success in the music industry often comes with personal and financial sacrifices, but their passion for music has kept them going, even in the face of challenges.

In The Road Not Taken , Robert Frost popularised the idea that the choices that an individual makes and the path that they choose to follow determines who they will eventually become and whether they’ll fall by the wayside of fate, or end up changing the world.

Neal Schon, guitarist extraordinaire and sole remaining original member of Journey, was according to Bobby Whitlock who first met him in 1970, and played with him briefly when he jammed with Derek And The Dominoes, always going to succeed thanks to his incredible talent and drive. 

Even though Schon didn’t end up joining Eric Clapton and Whitlock in their short-lived supergroup,  he did impress another guitar legend enough for him to take the teenage virtuoso under his wing and give him his first high-profile, paying job as a guitarist. 

That musician was Carlos Satana who believed in the then seventeen-year-old Schon enough to ask him to become a full-time member of his band. 

What does Santana have to do with Journey, one of the world’s biggest-selling and most famous hard rock bands?

Well, without the former the latter wouldn’t exist, and if Carlos hadn’t brought Schon into the fold, the band that would go on to sell eighty million records over the course of their, so far forty-eight-year career might not have followed the path that they found themselves on.

From Caravanserai To Journey

Schon stayed with Santana for two years and was part of the line-up that recorded Santana III and Caravanserai and after leaving the band at just 19 years old, found himself teaming up with a fellow Santana veteran, Greg Rolle under the guidance of Herbie Herbert.

A self-proclaimed flower child and Grateful Dead fanatic, Herbert was also Santana’s manager, and by default became Rolle and Schon’s manager when they left the band and the foundation on which he was planning to build his next project, a group of talented musicians who could serve as the backing band for any established artist in San Francisco who needed or required their services. 

The Golden State Rhythm Section, which also included former Frumious Bandersnatch members Ross Valory and George Tickner and Tubes drummer Charles “Prairie” Prince was, on paper at least, a great idea.

The musicians all had a flawless pedigree, and when they played together they gelled instantly, the problem with the band was the concept. After they played their first two shows, The Golden State Rhythm Section realized that the idea of being a backing band just didn’t work for them and that they wanted to stretch their creative wings and fly. 

And the name? That wasn’t working for them either but by the end of their first show in Hawaii, and after an abortive radio show contest to find them a new name was swiftly brushed under the carpet and forgotten, the solution to their moniker problem appeared out of the ether when one of their roadies suggested that they call themselves Journey . 

Journeying To Next 

Someone up there must have liked what they heard, as the newly named Journey’s debut mainland show was at a sold-out Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco in front of ten thousand people on New Year’s Eve, 1973.

From there, they jumped straight on a plane and flew back to Hawaii to play another gig, but before they returned to the Bay Area to play a showcase gig for Columbia Records, Prairie Prince left and returned to the Tubes and was replaced by Aynsley Dunbar.

That’s right, THE Aynsley Dunbar from The Mothers Of Invention and David Bowie’s band. As we’ve already said, somebody up there must have really, really liked what Journey was doing. 

Whoever it was up there that had taken a shine to the embryonic Journey wasn’t their only fan, Columbia Records liked what they heard too, and in November 1974, the American rock band formed together in the studio to record their debut album (also called Journey ) which was released in June 1975.

It entered the Billboard Chart at one hundred and thirty-eight, which was more than a little impressive, and while the direction of the debut bore little resemblance to the band that they would eventually become less than half a decade later, it did ensure that Journey became a fixture on the map that the rock hungry audiences of America regularly looked to for direction. 

The band then took their jazz-heavy progressive rock fusion out on the road to play to anyone and everyone they could to promote their debut to, and after the tour, George Tickner left as the touring schedule that the band had undertaken was just a little too much for him. 

Their hard work began to pay off though, as Journey’s sophomore album, Look Into The Future which was released in January 1976, entered the Billboard Top One Hundred shortly after it hit the record shop racks. Granted, it entered the chart at Number One Hundred, but it did make the cut. 

While the band was happy with their sure but steady progress, their label wasn’t quite as thrilled. 

When Journey recorded their third album, Next in 1977 they tempered their sound and made it a little more commercial in order to try and appeal to a broader audience, but even with a slightly more melodic approach, when it was released, Next entered the chart at Number Eighty-Five, and like it’s predecessors, sales began to fall after the initial week of release.

It seemed as though Journey had reached the height of their fame , and despite the band being “happy” with where they were, Columbia Records were seriously beginning to reconsider their investment. Something had to change, and it had to change fast if Journey wanted to stay with their, still relatively new, label. 

The Evolution Of Journey

Even Schon, who wrote most of the band’s early material, later admitted that he thought that their first three records were self-indulgent and should have been more focused than they were.

In an effort to appease their label and increase their record sales, Journey asked singer Robert Fleischman to join the band, reigned in some of their wilder musical impulses, and softened their sound even further.  Adopting a similar approach to bands like the, at the time, wildly popular Boston they hit the road with Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, and ELP. 

But everyone in the Journey camp wasn’t enamoured with Fleischman, and following a series of disagreements with Herbie Herbert, the singer was replaced by Steve Perry who Journey’s manager had met after hearing a demo by Alien Project, Perry’s old band. 

Perry joined the band just in time to record their fourth album, Infinity with them, which was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, who had flown in after working with Queen .

It was a vastly different album for the band, but the addition of Perry coupled with their new direction and having Baker at the helm paid dividends, and Infinity entered the Billboard Chart at Number Twenty-One in January 1978 and gave the band their first hit single, Wheel In The Sky, which entered the Billboard Hot One Hundred and eventually climbed to Number Fifty-Six.

It was enough to convince the band that their new musical direction was the right one to pursue and more than enough to persuade Columbia Records to keep them around. 

Change isn’t always easy, and Aynsley Dunbar wasn’t as keen on Journey’s new direction as the rest of his bandmates were, and following an awkward and difficult tour to promote Infinity , he was sacked by Herbert and replaced by former Montrose drummer Stevie Smith.

With Dunbar firmly in their rearview mirror, Journey with Smith in tow recorded their fifth album, Evolution in 1978 and released it in March 1979. It did slightly better than Infinity reaching Number Twenty in the Billboard Chart, but it did something that its forerunner didn’t. It gave Journey their first Top Twenty hit. 

Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ climbed to Number Sixteen and made sure that every rock fan with a radio in America knew who Journey was. They weren’t just a name on the map anymore, they were a rock and roll destination that an entirely new generation of fans decided to pack their bags and head directly toward for an extended vacation. 

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow 

The Evolution tour was a revelation for the band and was so successful that it saw them having to increase the size of the stage show and the venues that they were used to playing. It also added roughly five million dollars to the band’s bank balance, which just confirmed their status, both to the band and their label, as bonafide rock stars. 

By the time they recorded their sixth album, Departure, Journey was firing on all cylinders, and armed with 19 songs they embarked on a mission to solidify and magnify their success.

They succeeded and the resultant twelve-song record (the seven “weakest” numbers were dropped during the final mix) gave the band their first top ten album and their first top ten hit, as the lead single Anyway You Want It reached number eight in the Billboard Hot One Hundred. 

It was also the last Journey record that founding member Greg Rolle would play on, as he left the band shortly after the end of the Departure tour, to spend more time with his family and work on his own solo career.

But Rolle didn’t leave Journey high and dry, as he pointed them in the direction of the man he thought should replace him, and the individual who would help to shape the future sound of the band, Jonathan Cain. 

Escaping To The Frontier 

With Cain onboard, Journey’s meteoric rise to the upper echelons of rock and roll superstardom continued unabated, and their next record Escape was their most successful to date and remains a firm fan favorite.

Critically acclaimed and voted the best AOR (Album Oriented Rock) album of all time by the readers of British Heavy Metal Bible Kerrang! In 1988, Escape was Journey’s first album to soar straight to the top of the album charts when it was released in July 1981. 

It also gave Journey four top ten singles, Still They Ride On, Open Arms, Who’s Crying Now, and arguably the song that the band will be remembered for long after they and every single one of their first, second and third generation of fans are long gone, Don’t Stop Believin’.

Described as being the perfect rock anthem by music critic Mike DeGagne, Don’t Stop, despite what the bands fans and critics alike think, wasn’t Journey’s biggest hit. 

It wasn’t even the biggest hit on Escape, but thanks to the power of rock radio, and then-newcomer on the block, MTV it’s still the song that everyone remembers.

If you ask anyone to sing a Journey song , they’ll start smiling and either humming or singing Don’t Stop, as the tune has become a cultural phenomenon that has ensured that the band will never be forgotten. 

Escape led to Journey having to found their own fan club, it enabled them to support the Rolling Stones and pushed them to record a song for the soundtrack to Disney’s 1982 Science Fiction spectacular, Tron.

Journey had managed to do what few hard rock bands before them had done. They’d successfully crossed over into the mainstream and had become one of the most famous bands in the world. 

And the Journey ride didn’t stop there. It didn’t even pause for breath, and in the middle of their 1982 tour to support Escape , they returned to the studio to record their eighth album Frontiers, which like Escape before it, went straight to the top of the Billboard album chart when it was released in February 1983, spawned another four ( Separate Ways, Faithfully, Send Her My Love and After The Fall ) top thirty singles and went on to sell six million copies.

And the tour that the band undertook to support it saw them playing the sort of venues that only the NFL could fill and included a sold-out show in Philadelphia that saw eighty thousand rabid Journey fans singing along with the band. 

Raised On Radio 

Fearing that if they continued at the same sort of pace they’d burn out, Perry, Schon, and the other members of the band decided to take some time off in 1984.

During the lull in Journey activities, both Steve Perry and Neal Schon recorded and released solo albums, with Schon deciding to frame his as a band effort rather than using his own name to release the resultant record. 

The release of the solo, and sideband in Schon’s case, records did lead to some speculation in the music press that Journey might be over, to which Schon responded by telling the interviewer that the band was too important to all of the members to let go and the reason that they’d taken time out was ton esquire that it could, and would continue. 

When the band confirmed, following a conversation between Schon, Perry, and Cain, that they’d be returning to the studio to record a new album in 1986, their fans and the press heaved a collective sigh of relief.

Raised On Radio proved to be a difficult album to make, as singer Perry assumed production duties and a few months into making the record, with the assistance of Herbie Herbert he fired long time bass player Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith, citing the age-old musical differences as the reason for their termination.

With a record to complete, Perry and Herbert drafted Randy Jackson and Larrie Londin to help Journey finish their ninth album. 

When the record was finally released in April 1986, despite yielding five singles and the top ten hit Be Good To Yourself and climbing to Number Four on the Billboard Chart, Raised On Radio was seen as a reluctant, rather than a triumphant success it failed to attain the same commercial high as Journey’s previous release. 

So Long Steve Perry

Undaunted by the commercial performance of Raised On Radio (which still sold millions of copies, but didn’t sell the additional millions that Columbia hoped a Journey record would), Journey hit the road for a sold-out stadium tour in 1986 that finally culminated in Alaska at the beginning of 1987. 

Things weren’t all great in the Journey camp though as Herbie Herbert and Steve Perry had continually clashed throughout the tour and by the time it was over, neither man wanted to spend any time in the other company.  A line needed to be drawn in the sand, and Perry was the one who picked up a stick and drew it. 

Perry decided that enough was enough, and told Schon and Cain that he wanted out, but the keyboard player being the most pragmatic member of the band told that rather than quitting, he should just take some time out. The singer agreed, and Journey decided that it was time that the band and its members needed to go on a break. 

Eight Years And A Few Bands Later

What was initially supposed to be a short time out, eventually turned into an extended eight-year hiatus, during which Schon, Cain, and Perry only played together once in 1991 at a Bill Graham memorial show.

As 1995 crawled into view, Steve Perry called Schon and Cain and told them that he’d be willing to return to Journey as long as Herbie Herbert wasn’t involved with the band anymore. Cain and Schon promptly fired their friend and manager and hired Eagles manager Irving Azoff to replace him. 

With a new manager in place, Journey, including the previously fired Stevie Smith and Ross Valory reunited and began to write and record their tenth album, Trial By Fire.

Even though the record delivered the top twenty hit single When You Love A Woman , when it was released in October 1996, it woefully underperformed and is still one of Journey’s worst-selling albums.

The band, especially Schon, rightly blamed the record’s lack of success on the fact that it was heavy on ballads and didn’t include the sort of uptempo, high-energy, hard rock anthems that the band’s fans expected them to write, record release, and play. 

And playing had also become a contentious issue for the band. Perry, following a hiking accident in Hawaii, had discovered that he needed a hip replacement and had kept putting the surgery off.

The singer, as it would later be discovered was also plagued by a number of other physical ailments, and rather than giving the band’s fans anything less than one hundred percent, he kept delaying the band’s muted tour plans.

Journey couldn’t tour to promote their record, which meant that the record, as far as the band being able to get out and play the songs from it for their fans was concerned, was dead in the water. 

Back On The Road

It had been more than twelve months since the band had released Trial By Fire, and as Perry was still reluctant to commit to any firm touring schedule, following a difficult conversation with Cain, Steve Perry stepped away from Journey for good and went into semi-retirement. 

Worried that the band wouldn’t be the same without Perry, Smith also announced that he was leaving Journey. In the aftermath of two of its longest-serving members leaving the band, Journey, or rather the other members of the band, set about finding replacements for their departed comrades. Deen Castronovo, a musical acquaintance of Schon and Cain became Journey’s new drummer while former Tyketto and Tall Stories singer Steve Augeri were brought in to replace Perry. 

The band finally started touring again in 1998 after contributing a new track to the soundtrack for the film Armageddon and as the millennium dawned they once again entered the studio to record their eleventh album, Arrival which was finally released in April 2001.

Whether it was due to the climatic shift in the musical landscape, or the fact that the band’s fans were just older and had moved on from their wild teenage rock and roll years, their latest opus failed to make the mark that the band hoped it would. It entered the Billboard Chart at Number 56, and its lead single fared even worse.

The future wasn’t as bright as it had once seemed and Journey, following a brief tour in 2001, decided to take 2002 off to rethink their future. 

From Then Until Now

Aguri’s tenure in the band was brief due to his deteriorating health, and he was eventually replaced by Jeff Soto from Talisman while the band was on tour with Def Leppard in 2006. Soto spent less than a year in Journey before he in turn was replaced by Arnel Pineda in 2007, who is still a member of Journey and is their second longest-serving vocalist. 

In recognition of their incredible contributions to the music industry, Journey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

Just when it looked like things were finally getting back on track with the band, it was following an ongoing dispute Journey fractured into camps with the official band being led by Schon and Cain and an unofficial version being led by Valory and Smith.

That’s when things started to get ugly with both parties threatening to sue each other and hurling lawsuits around like they were going out of fashion. It was an incredibly dark period in the band’s history that was finally resolved in April 2021, and both parties when the legalities were concluded were able to walk away feeling as though they had won a partial victory.

Success, as far as Journey is concerned, is an incredibly costly experience, both personally and financially.

Following the conclusion of their ongoing legal battle, Journey released a single The Way We Used To Be in June 2021 and Neal Schon has promised that the release will shortly be followed by a new album.  And when it does appear, we’ll be the first in line to buy it, as just like their millions of other fans, we’ll never stop believin’ in Journey. 

Journey Band Members Timeline

As you now know, Journey has had several notable members throughout its long and successful musical journey. From the early days to the present, the band has seen talented musicians come and go. Let’s take a look at the timeline of the prominent members, categorized by their respective roles in the band.

Founding Members of Journey:

1. neal schon (guitarist).

• Joined Journey in 1973 as one of the founding members.
• Continues to be an integral part of the band’s lineup till today.
• Known for his exceptional guitar skills and iconic solos.

2. Gregg Rolie (Keyboardist, Vocalist, and Drummer)

• Also a founding member of the band in 1973.
• Contributed as the main vocalist, drummer, and keyboard player.
• Played a significant role in shaping the band’s early sound.

3. Ross Valory (Bassist)

• Joined the band in 1973 as a founding member.
• Known for his melodic bass lines and occasional backing vocals.
• Has had intermittent periods with the band, but remains an important member.

4. George Tickner (Guitarist)

• One of the founding members who played guitar.
• Actively contributed to the band’s early years until his departure in 1975.

Drummers from Journey:

1. prairie prince (1974-1978).

• Joined the band, replacing Prairie Prince.
• A renowned drummer from The Mothers Of Invention and David Bowie’s band.
• Contributed to Journey’s early success and played on their debut album.

2. Aynsley Dunbar (1973-1974)

• Joined Journey in 1974 after the departure of their original drummer.
• Was an established musician and brought his solid drumming skills to the band.
• Left the band in 1978, but played an essential role during their formative years.

3. Steve Smith (1978-1985, 1995-1998)

• Known for exceptional drumming skills during Journey’s most successful era.
• Featured on albums like “Escape” and “Frontiers” among others.

4. Larrie Londin (1985-1986)

• Temporarily replaced Steve Smith during his departure from the band.
• A short but notable tenure in Journey.

5. Mike Baird (1986-1987)

• Filled in for Londin during Journey’s “Raised on Radio” Tour.

6. Deen Castronovo (1998-present)

• Officially joined the band in 1998, known for versatile drumming and vocals.
• Served as the band’s drummer until 2020 when he was briefly replaced by Narada Walden.
• Rejoined Journey in 2021, becoming the current member.

7. Narada Walden (2020–2022)

• Temporarily filled in for Deen Castronovo as the band’s drummer.
• Made notable contributions during his tenure with Journey.

Lead Singers of Journey:

1. steve perry (1977-1998).

• Joined Journey in 1977 and became the band’s lead vocalist.
• Known for his powerful and distinctive voice, he played a pivotal role in the band’s success.
• Perry’s tenure with the band lasted until 1998 and included hit albums like “Escape” and “Frontiers.”

2. Steve Augeri (1998-2006)

• Joined Journey as the successor to Steve Perry.
• Fronted the band for nearly a decade, releasing albums like “Arrival” and “Revelation.”
• Departed from Journey in 2006 due to health issues.

3. Jeff Scott Soto (2006-2007)

• Joined Journey as the lead vocalist following Augeri’s departure.
• Performed with the band for a short period covering various international shows.

4. Arnel Pineda (2007-Present)

• Became Journey’s lead vocalist after being discovered through YouTube.
• With his remarkable vocal range, he helped the band regain popularity with new audiences.
• Continues to captivate audiences worldwide as Journey’s current frontman.

Keyboardists of Journey:

1. stevie “keys” roseman (1980-1983).

• Filled in for Rolie during Journey’s Departure Tour.
• Assumed keyboard duties temporarily.

2. Jonathan Cain (1980-present)

• Joined Journey in 1980 and became an essential member.
• Took over keyboard duties and co-wrote many hit songs.

Bassists and Guitarists from Journey:

1. steve perry (1978 – 1987, 1995 – 1998).

• Many fans might not know that Perry also played guitar on some of the band’s tracks
• His contributions as a guitarist added depth and creativity to Journey’s music

2. Steve Smith (1978 – 1985, 1995 – 1998)

• Steve Smith also proved his proficiency as a guitarist during his time with the band
• His ability to switch between drums and guitar added a dynamic element to their performance

3. Randy Jackson (1986 – 1987)

• Randy Jackson’s diverse musical background brought a fresh perspective to Journey’s sound
• Jackson later became a well-known TV personality and one of the judges on American Idol.

4. Todd Jensen (2021-Present)

• Joined Journey as a bassist for their Las Vegas residency, starting on December 2021.
• A seasoned musician with an impressive resume, having played with artists like SEQUEL, HARDLINE, and HARLOW.
• Filled in on bass for Journey during the six shows of their residency

Throughout the band’s history, Journey has seen multiple personnel changes, but their music and legacy have continued to resonate with fans across generations. These talented individuals have each made significant contributions, leaving an indelible mark on the band’s evolution and success.

Frequently Asked Questions about Journey

Q1: what is journey’s net worth.

As of July 2023, Journey Band’s net worth is $8.87B.

Q2: Is Arnel Pineda still with Journey?

Yes, Arnel Pineda is currently the lead singer of Journey.

Q3: Are any of the current Journey members originals?

No, none of the current members of Journey are original members. The original members of Journey include Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, Ross Valory, and George Tickner.

Q4: When was the last time Steve Perry sang with Journey?

The last time Steve Perry sang with Journey was in 1991. After leaving the band in 1998, he rejoined briefly for a reunion album and tour in 1996-1997, but they parted ways again after that.

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Rock's Unsung Heroes Series: Aynsley Dunbar’s Somewhat Unnoticed Long Journey

So how could you make it to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and still not be a name that the average fan doesn’t recognize? Aynsley Dunbar found a way.

Ever since he was a kid in Liverpool, England he was attracted to playing music. At first he was attracted to the violin. His parents, however, were convinced that the seven year old wasn’t serious about his interests. When they finally decided to buy him a violin, he had developed an interest in the drums, thanks to a TV show that he saw featuring a drum trio.

At the same time The Beatles and other Mersey beat groups were making a name for themselves, Aynsley was playing with lesser known groups like Derry Wilkie and the Pressmen and The Mojos. His stint with the Mojos lasted from 1964-1966. The group was popular enough to get the attention of some other artists in London.

It appeared that his drumming with The Mojos was to afford him his first real break when he was asked to audition for a new group that Chas Chandler of The Animals was putting together. He did such a great job at the audition that he was one of the two finalists. Jimi Hendrix couldn’t decide who he liked better so they actually flipped a coin. Mitch Mitchell won the coin toss and became the drummer for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Before Aynsley could be too down about his fate, two other well-known British Blues giants showed real interest. Alexis Korner, the father of British blues, was the first, but it was John Mayall who was able to convince the young drummer to play with him. John Mayall was the perfect launching pad for any young artist. There’s a real long list of superstars who played with Mayall including Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Peter Green, and Jack Bruce are just some former John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers members.

In the summer of 1966 Aynsley joined The Blusbreakers and remain with the band through the spring of 1967 when he was replaced by Mick Fleetwood. In that short span he made a name for himself and was asked to join The Jeff Beck Group.

During his stay with Beck he developed a desire to have his own band. In 1967 he formed Aynsley Dunbar’s Retaliation. They put out a single of a song that he wrote called “Warning” that later was covered by Black Sabbath. The group went on to release four quality albums that were largely ignored.

King Crimson tried unsuccessfully to get him to be their drummer but he instead chose to join a group called Blue Whale instead. It turned out to be a bad career move. The group disbanded after just one record.

Frank Zappa was always on the lookout for outstanding musicians who were capable and willing to perform his somewhat complex music. The unemployed Dunbar jumped at the chance to play something a little challenging. He remained with Zappa through 1974 and played on CHUNGA’S REVENGE, FILMORE EAST LIVE, 200 MOTELS, JUST ANOTHER BAND FROM LA, WAKA/JAWAKA, THE GRAND WAZOO and APOSTROPHE.

After hearing his work. other artists asked him to play on their records. You’ll find the name Aynsley Dunbar in the credits of FLO & EDDIE, PIN UPS and DIAMOND DOGS by David Bowie, BERLIN by Lou Reed, LONDON UNDERGROUND by Jazz great Herbie Mann, SLAUGHTER ON 10th AVENUE and PLAY DON”T WORRY by Mick Ronson, Nils Lofgren’s solo LP, ALL AMERICAN ALIEN BOY by Ian Hunter and NINE ON A TEN SCALE by Sammy Hagar.

Then in 1974 he got what he thought was his first big break. He was invited to join Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie of the original Santana band to form a new group. The band got all kinds of press even before their first album release. Everyone in the band were great musicians and much was expected from the group Journey upon the release of their first album.

Musically, Journey was great. That wasn’t their problem. Their first three LPS meet with disappointing sales results. It was apparent that the group needed a better lead singer and a good songwriter. Steve Perry came along in time to record the band’s fourth album INFINITY. “Wheel in the Sky” and “Lights” led the way to stardom for the group.

All, however, was not right with the Journey world. Aynsley did not like the pop leanings of Steve Perry so he left the band to join Jefferson Starship. He remained their drummer through FREEDOM POINT ZERO, MODERN TIMES and WINDS OF CHANGE.

After the breakup of Jefferson Starship, Dunbar played with Whitesnake, Ronnie Montrose, UFO, Leslie West and pat Travers.

With the kind of credits next to his name, you would think that more people would be aware of the name Aynsley Thomas Dunbar and give him more respect and recognition. That was not the case. Almost quietly the name was added to the rolls of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 as a member of Journey.

Best drummer Journey ever had, very glad he made it into the Hall of Fame, he deserves it. Not wanting to remain in Journey is baffling to me, but I suppose he had to do what he had to do.

At the university of Hawaii in a small round amphitheater They put the strobes on him like you’ve never ever seen for his solo!!! It was unbelievable!

Why did he leave starship? His replacement was not so good.

What I always loved about Aynsley's playing was that it was instantly recognizable to me on compositions I heard for the first time (e.g. Jane, Here I Go Again). His drum sound and his phrasing were unique. That said, I think the Zappa albums Waka Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo showcase what a fabulous technician he was as well.

Aynsley is my favorite drummer ever and I grew up listening to every great rock drummer since the early 1960's. It was his work on the 1st Journey record that drew me in when I heard it on the radio one night in the 1970's. When I heard their song "Kohoutek" I thought it had to be 2 kick drums - but it was not and Aynsely told that to me personally when I met him briefly after a Jefferson Starship concert in Seattle in 1980. Every rock drummer should hear this track and appreciate that it was 1 kick drum. His snare work is exquisite on that song too. Journey's 1st album is truly a masterpiece of drumming!

These comments on Aynsley’s playing on the first three Journey albums are right on. Aynsley is an amazing drummer and every band he has played with became a better band with him in it. Journey, Jefferson Starship and Whitesnake all had monster hits with Aynsley playing the drums. I have seen him play many, many times and he’s simply one of the best all-around drummers and under-rated drummers of our time. Thank you for this article and comments.

Aynsley Dunbar is a massively underrated drummer! His drumming on the first 3 Journey albums is among some of the greatest drumming ever in Rock music history. Great drumming from Aynsley with Zappa, Blue Whale, Jeff Beck, Whitesnake and a lot more too. Dunbar was also Jimmy Paige's first choice to be Led Zeppelin's drummer, but Robert Plant would only join Zeppelin if he could have his friend John Bonham in the band. When a guy is more or less the first choice of bands like Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and King Crimson, you know that he's a phenomenal drummer. Seriously, every drummer or drumming fan needs to check out Dunbar's work on those first 3 Journey albums!

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• The Archives
• News & Events

Aynsley Dunbar

• Edit source

Aynsley Dunbar was the second drummer of Journey .

• 1.1 Journey
• 1.2 Jefferson Starship
• 1.3 Whitesnake
• 2.1 With Journey
• 2.2 With Sammy Hagar
• 2.3 With Jefferson Starship
• 2.4 With Whitesnake
• 3 Tourography
• 4 References

Biography [ ]

Journey [ ].

He was in Journey from 1974-1978.

He replaced Prairie Prince in Journey.

He was replaced by Steve Smith in Journey.

Jefferson Starship [ ]

He was in Jefferson Starship from 1979-1982.

Whitesnake [ ]

Discography [ ], with journey [ ].

• Journey (1975)
• Look into the Future (1976)
• Next (1977)
• Infinity (1978)

With Sammy Hagar [ ]

• Nine on a Ten Scale (1976)

With Jefferson Starship [ ]

• Freedom at Point Zero (1979)

With Whitesnake [ ]

• Whitesnake (1987)

Tourography [ ]

References [ ].

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Sergei Ryakhovsky

The balashikha ripper, the hippopotamus,   active for 6 years (1988-1993) in russia, confirmed victims, possible victims.

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Sergei Ryakhovsky (Sergei Vasilyevich Ryakhovsky) a Soviet-Russian serial killer known as the Balashikha Ripper and The Hippopotamus. Ryakhovsky was convicted for the killing of nineteen people in the Moscow area between 1988 and 1993. Ryakhovsky's mainly stabbed or strangulated his victims, he mutilated some bodies, mainly in the genital area. Allegedly Ryakhovsky carried out necrophilic acts on his victims and stole their belongings. Ryakhovsky standing 6’5" tall and weighting 286 pounds, gaining him the nickname, The Hippo. Sergei Ryakhovsky died on January 21st 2005 from untreated tuberculosis while serving his life sentence in prison.

Sergei Ryakhovsky Serial Killer Profile

Serial Killer Sergei Ryakhovsky (aka) the Balashikha Ripper, The Hippopotamus, was active for 6 years between 1988-1993 , known to have ( 19 confirmed / 19 possible ) victims. This serial killer was active in the following countries: Russia

Sergei Ryakhovsky was born on December 29th 1962 in Balashikha, Moscow Oblast, Soviet Union. He had a physically defect. During his education he had academic, social or discipline problems including being teased or picked on.

Sergei Ryakhovsky a necrophile male citizen of Russia.

Prior to his spree he had killed, commited crimes, and served time in jail.

In 1988 (Age 25/26) Sergei Ryakhovsky started his killing spree, during his crimes as a serial killer he was known to rob, commit acts of necrophilia , torture , strangle , rape , mutilate, and murder his victims.

He was arrested on April 13th 1993 (Age 30), sentenced to death by firing squad at a maximum-security penal colony in Solikamsk, Perm Oblast, Russia. He was convicted on charges of murder and other possible charges during his lifetime.

Sergei Ryakhovsky died on January 21st 2005 (Age 42), cause of death: natural causes, untreated tuberculosis at a maximum-security penal colony in Solikamsk, Perm Oblast, Russia.

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Sergei Ryakhovsky has been listed on Killer.Cloud since November of 2016 and was last updated 4 years ago.

Sergei Ryakhovsky a known:

( 651 killers ) serial killer.

The unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events. Serial Killer as defined by the FBI at the 2005 symposium.

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Rape is usually defined as having sexual intercourse with a person who does not want to, or cannot consent.

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Necrophilia, also called thanatophilia, is a sexual attraction or sexual act involving corpses. Serial Killer Necrophiliacs have been known to have sex with the body of their victim(s).

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Torture is when someone puts another person in pain. This pain may be physical or psychological. Tourturers touture their victims.

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Strangulation is death by compressing the neck until the supply of oxygen is cut off. Stranglers kill by Strangulation.

Sergei Ryakhovsky Serial Killer Profile:

Updated: 2019-06-30 collected by killer.cloud, 8 timeline events of serial killer sergei ryakhovsky.

The 8 dates listed below represent a timeline of the life and crimes of serial killer Sergei Ryakhovsky. A complete collection of serial killer events can be found on our Serial Killer Timeline .

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The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Saryg-Bulun (Tuva)

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Pages:  379-406

In 1988, the Tuvan Archaeological Expedition (led by M. E. Kilunovskaya and V. A. Semenov) discovered a unique burial of the early Iron Age at Saryg-Bulun in Central Tuva. There are two burial mounds of the Aldy-Bel culture dated by 7th century BC. Within the barrows, which adjoined one another, forming a figure-of-eight, there were discovered 7 burials, from which a representative collection of artifacts was recovered. Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather headdress painted with red pigment and a coat, sewn from jerboa fur. The coat was belted with a leather belt with bronze ornaments and buckles. Besides that, a leather quiver with arrows with the shafts decorated with painted ornaments, fully preserved battle pick and a bow were buried in the coffin. Unexpectedly, the full-genomic analysis, showed that the individual was female. This fact opens a new aspect in the study of the social history of the Scythian society and perhaps brings us back to the myth of the Amazons, discussed by Herodotus. Of course, this discovery is unique in its preservation for the Scythian culture of Tuva and requires careful study and conservation.

Keywords: Tuva, Early Iron Age, early Scythian period, Aldy-Bel culture, barrow, burial in the coffin, mummy, full genome sequencing, aDNA

Information about authors: Marina Kilunovskaya (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Vladimir Semenov (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Varvara Busova  (Moscow, Russian Federation).  (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Kharis Mustafin  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Technical Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Irina Alborova  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Alina Matzvai  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected]

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