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THE JOURNEY ZONE
http://www.journey-zone.com
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June 26, 2001: Gregg Rolie Harmody.Com Interview
Interviewer: Marko
I’m sure by now most people have heard of Santana, or maybe that little outfit known as
Journey?Some may even have heard of The Storm.What’s the common thread between these three
hit machine’s?Gregg Rolie.Gregg was a co-founder and principle songwriter for Santana, Journey, and
The Storm.He also formed Abraxas Pool, a band consisting of former Santana members, very much
in the Santana vein.Except for Santana’s monster Supernatural, Gregg was partially responsible for
almost all the hits they’ve ever done.Read on to see what Gregg has to say about Carlos, Neal
(Schon), Kevin Chalfant vs Steve Augeri, Woodstock, and his own Roots(more on that).
This interview was originally to be a full on Q&A style interview, with me transcribing every last word
from Gregg faithfully.As my luck would have it, my taping system went belly up (or face down,
depending on how you look at it!).Gregg called as I was trying to tweak things, and things just
wouldn’t tweak.Damn the luck!We spoke, and joked around a bit, as I tried everything I could do, to
no avail.I decided that I’d just go ahead and go 100% off the cuff with him, and take notes, and do the
best I could.What follows is the best I could do I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed doing the
interview.
Gregg Rolie has a lot to be proud of and could easily be a conceited jerk.After speaking with him for
well over an hour, I can honestly and sincerely say that is not the case.He is a very patient, and well
spoken, individual.For a man that was at least partially responsible for not one, but two, of the biggest
artists in music history, he’s genuinely down to earth.Gregg’s first real exposure to the big time had
to have been Woodstock.His memories of Woodstock are actually quite lucid considering the time
and place it was.Let’s go back to the beginning first though.
I first approached Gregg regarding his influences, wanting to know how a kid from an area not known
for a Latino explosion, could possibly become a leader in that genre.
I grew up listening to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Dave Brubeck, Jimmy
Smith, and a multitude of others.My parents listened to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Sergio
Mendez, and those likes.I guess I got my influences, and my first and true musical love the latin
style, from those artists.The whole percussive/latin style.The stuff I went on and recorded with
Santana, Abraxas Pool, and now with my new cd, Roots.Roots is where I am now I wanted to go
back to where I started, and record music in that style, something new and fresh, but something
immediately recognizable.I really hope with Roots that I’ve done that.
Roots has certainly done that, some amazing sounding music.The only way to describe it, and with
Gregg’s permission, is Santana-esque.Santana basically defined the genre, so anything less would
not give credit where it’s due.Gregg, how did Santana start?
Back in 66, maybe it was 67, Tom Frazier, a guitar player, found Carlos, and thought he had an
amazing talent.He called me up one day and had me come down to meet him and we kind of just
‘started it there’ ourselves, a drummer, a bass guitarist, and a conga player.I was always big into the
music, so having some talented musicians was very important and we had that.
Okay, tell me anything you can remember about Woodstock no matter how fuzzy!
Woodstock it was just supposed to be a festival gig for us, a chance to play NY, where we hadn’t
gotten much exposure.Bill Graham set it up for us, and what happened from there was just amazing.I
didn’t know the difference between 20,000 people, and 500,000 people when it cames to the
shows.After the first five, ten thousand, you can’t see them anyways.It never registered at that time,
just how big this was.We were flown in by helicopter, over all these people, but we had a show to
perform, and I don’t think we were really paying attention to the crowd at the time.We were scheduled
to go on later I the day, and were bumped up, there were a lot of mixups in scheduling, etc.We had a
35 minute set, and to be honest, we had no record out people in NY didn’t know us at all. It took
most of our set to get it all to come together.I think Soul Sacrifice is where it all fell in place for us.It
was a really great experience.That night, after our set, we watched Sly & The Family Stone
perform.Now, instead of flying us out like they had flown us in, they drove us out in a few cars.That’s
when it really hit home My God! This is just enormous!There were cars abandoned, parked on
highways, it was wild.I would’ve probably gotten stage fright if I’d known it was gonna be this big.
Wow Gregg, hell of a wild story thanks for sharing it!Now, I was asked by a friend of mine to ask you
this question mind you, it’s kind of loaded, but I’d love to get your perspective:Neil Schon or Carlos
Santana who’s the better guitarist?
Hah you really want to get me in trouble eh? No, seriously.Carlos is a pure guitar player, plays
acoustic or electric, and you know when you’re listening to him play simply because of the way he
strikes the strings it’s a very unique sound.He plays with an unbelievable passion, and create more
tension out of a guitar than anyone I’ve ever heard.Neil, he plays electric for the most part sustains,
all that technical stuff I think technically he may be more knowledgeable than Carlos.He also plays
with an extreme amount of passion.I think Neal is a very melodic guitar player, he can play just about
anything.
So to answer your question I like them both, for different things.They are both great guitar players .
Great answer Gregg.Let go back to the sessions work you did with David Crosby, 1971 I believe?
Yeah, that was the first time I’d ever played on someone else’s material. David treated me great.I
remember playing material that was really foreign to me.Nice stuff, very interesting styles.Jerry Garcia
actually came up to me in the studio, and told me that the piece I had just played on was a very fine
piece of work.I think that was the highlight of those sessions having Jerry Garcia appreciate the work
I’d just done.
Okay, so sometime in the early 70’s, you formed your second group Journey.Journey actually
started out more as a fusion/rock band.I don’t think it started out as the AOR legends they eventually
became?
You’re right, we were a rock fusion band.The vocals were usually subdued. We wanted people to hear
the music we were creating.It was some great stuff..You see, when I write a song, I tend to write the
music first, not the lyrics..I think a song has to feel like something before you can put words to it..
At some point, you decided to go more mainstream- what was that?
Journey made the conscious effort to go another direction, more straight ahead rock.We went out and
got ourselves a singer. Although I’d been singing, I was glad for the change, it allowed me to
concentrate on playing, and consequently it was a lot looser and almost freeing for me.
Okay, so move forward a little bit, and now Journey is all over the place.Why did you leave such a
phenomenally successful band?
It was actually an easy choice at that time.I was getting sick of the traveling and all that.I wanted to
start a family, and just get away.As I said on VH1 Behind The Music they couldn’t have paid me a
million dollars to stay at that point.To be honest, when I left, they brought in Jon Cain, and he
co-wrote most of the big hits.I don’t’ think they would’ve have been as big without him to be honest.
Steve Perry he came off like a putz on the Behind The Music special.Not that he is a bad guy, but
he seemed to have an almost whiney quality to him during his segments. Is or was he as big a putz
as he came off as?
Well, I’m not going to directly comment on Steve, but I will tell you that he had full editing rights to the
VH1 show.
(ed: So.. in my opinion, he is a putz if that was the best face he could put on!)
Herbie Herbert a very honorable man, knows the real story on everything that went on with Journey,
my departure, and Steve Perry.A great guy.What he says you can believe.Also, quickly, the guy
that did all the artwork for the Journey stuff, also did the artwork for Roots very talented artist.He’s
one of the people from my Journey days that I’m still working with. Neal, as you saw, worked on this
record with me.I still talk to some of them.
Okay, lets talk about Roots!First, though it’s not a rocking album, it is a very good sounding album.I
was really amazed at the Santana-esque quality of it all.
Yeah, Roots I called it that because I wanted to go to what I called my roots, which just so happen
to be the Santana sound.I think the album is very very strong, it’s fresh, and yet familiar.A big fear of
mine, doing this album, was that in trying to go back to 25-30 years ago, where I started, that I would
end up going too far, and just cloning things I’d already done.I’m glad to say that I didn’t do that.I think
I created music that fits that style, but is up to date, and fresh, for the current listener to appreciate.
You didn’t have a deal of any kind for this, so what was that like, how did you get the names on it you
did, etc?
I funded this myself what you hear is exactly what I want you to hear.No outside forces pushing or
pulling the sound.I’m very proud of what I’ve done here, and I hope the people like it.Along with
Alphonso Johnson (bass), Mike Carabello (congas), and Adrian Areas (timbales), Ron Wikso (drums)
was actually a major contributor to getting this project finished.He brought in some people he knew,
people like , Dava Amato (ed:REO Speedwagon), Tom Morino on trumpet, Brett Tuggle on
backgrounds (ed:Rick Springfield 80's Touring band),etc.We made a great record together.It’s funny,
but my original vision wasto do a more acoustic album.I wanted the the whole album to sound more
like the track Domingo, more acoustic sounding, but as we went forward, I found I wanted to do more
with it.And we did.I didn’t want the album to bore you, I wanted it to flow well I think we did
accomplish that.
Speaking of Domingo that is some of the best guitar work I’ve ever heard there.Great song.
Hah, everyone says that to me.I appreciate the compliment.Funny thing is it’s not a guitar.That’s me
on the keyboards.Very acoustic guitar sounding, but no guitar on it.I played it for Carlos (Santana)
three years ago, and he wanted it for himself he too thought it was a guitar track. I think it’s the
prettiest song I’ve ever written.It came from all of the knowledge, and experience over the years, that
I’ve attained..I’d say it’s the best song I’ve ever written actually.
Give It To Me that song could’ve been straight from Carlo’s Supernatural album.It has that flavor.That
sound.It would probably be a great radio hit (if radio would give it a shot).
Well, you have to remember, that I did co-write and arrange much of the stuff we did in Santana, so a
lot of that is just there for me.It does sound similar to some of his current stuff, I agree.And yes, I
think it would be a good radio song also.
Will there be a tour?
I certainly hope so.It’s going to be predicated on sales of course.We’d try to do California first of
course, but it depends on response to the album.It’d be nice to fill 2000 seat theaters.I envision a 6,
maybe 9, piece band.A big show for everyone.I would be using the same guys that recorded the
album with me, so they’d be familiar with the music, and have a passion for it, that would come
across on stage.
Journey now with Steve Augeri on lead vocals would you ever rejoin the band if Jon Cain were to
leave? any comments?
I’ve only heard one song Steve sings it very well.It’s just not what I’m really into these days, but I
think he does a good job on the new song I did hear.I wouldn’t rejoin Journey because I’ve moved on
to the stuff I’m doing now.
The Storm with Kevin Chalfant.A very Journey-esque (can I say that?) band in their own right.Why
did you form the Storm?
A lot of elements of the Storm, and Journey, are quite similar.I do think we were more of a straight
forward rock band.Actually, it started out that Kevin and I were just going to do some writing together,
and The Storm just evolved out of that.Show Me the Way was the first song we wrote, and took it to
Interscope records they loved it, and we had an album deal.After the first album, the rock scene
changed, and Interscope changed what kind of label they wanted to be and our second album just
didn’t come out.Until later.
What do you think happened and what will happen in music?
History repeats itself. When I got into music there was only AM radio - FM saved everyone - it was
called Multimedia then!Radio takes the human element out of it now.It used to be you heard "have
you heard this band".. now it's "have you seen this band" It’s all about image - less about the music.I
just hope someday they’ll rediscover the music over the image.That’s what happened in the early
90’s.Nirvana exploded because it was ‘real’.It wasn’t all about image, but about emotions, and
energy.I think we’re starting to see some of that, but the pop world is definitely about image. But
history does repeat itself, so we’ll see.
Okay Kevin and Josh formed Two Fires from the ashes of the Storm? Does that mean the Storm is
over? Are there any lost trax out there?
The Storm, for now, is dead in the water.I mean, something could happen (unlike with Journey), but
it’s doubtful.I’m into what I’m doing now.There are a couple of unfinished songs out there, but I don’t
know if anything will happen with those.I’m still friends with Kevin and the guys, but I’m just not doing
that stuff anymore.
Okay,give us some quick info on Roots, and I’ll let you go
Okay, it’s on June 26th in the US, on 33rd Street Records which is actually a division of Tower
Records, and July 16th in the rest of the world on the Sanctuary Music Group.They are still putting
the machinery together.I’ve been doing the interview and promo thing for the last few, and will continue
to.I hope it does real well.The first single if we get airplay, is Give It To Me but I want people to hear
Domingo also.We did a 1000 copy limited edition press run of the album, and sold it through the site,
and the response was great.What lead to that was getting over 60,000 hits on one of the songs.We
were on the top of a couple of the major MP3 sites out there.I thought, what the heck lets make a
disc and sell it in advance.We’ve only got a couple copies left now.
Say whatever you’d like at this point to your fans, to the readers, etc
Well, the cd will be in stores all across the country go get it.The only other thing on my epitaph,
and how I want to be remembered, is as this Gregg Rolie Nice Guy, Cool Job.
Last Updated 02 July, 2007 (DHG)
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