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THE JOURNEY ZONE
http://www.journey-zone.com
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THE INTERVIEWS
August, 2003 |
Kevin Chalfant Live Interview with Jrnydv.Com
Josh Ramos Live Interview with Jrnydv.Com
Ron Wikso E-mail Interview with Jrnydv.Com
Kurt Griffey E-mail Interview with Jrnydv.Com
Kevin Chalfant Live Interview with Jrnydv.Com
Interviewers: R. Gray, D. Golland
Date of Interview: August 7, 2003
Date of Publication: 02 September, 2003
Jrnydv.Com: What are some of the reasons behind your usage of the name The Storm?
Kevin Chalfant: Well, you know we have to go back to 1991. We (the band) had a list of our top 10 names and the band kept changing the list of top 10 names. One night, it was just one of those rainy Northern California nights, we had one of those huge storm fronts come in, and we were watching television. My oldest son, Jayson, said, "You know, Dad, what would be a good name for the band?" And I could hear the rain behind me, and as he said it, it gave me chills a little bit, because he said, "A good name for the band would be The Storm." And we didn’t have that on the list yet, but it was just weird because he said “the storm,” at that moment I looked up and heard a huge BOOM and saw lightning, and went, "Hmmm, that sounds pretty good!" So I got on the phone and called Gregg and it just kind of came to that.
Jrnydv.Com: So what do you plan to do now that you have the rights to that name?
KC: I don’t own the name myself, the partnership still owns the name; I have rights to use the name just for touring. You know, right now I have actually talked to the members about re-releasing the CD’s and maybe, if we can ever get on the same page, in the same town, maybe cut another track or two, that’s about the most we’ve talked about. But you know, doing it and saying it is a lot of times, you know, out of the way. I just felt it important to keep the name alive on the streets. We will also be doing tour dates as Two Fires.
Jrnydv.Com: Can we expect to hear a new Storm CD?
KC: Let me tell you this. I really doubt it right away, because as you can tell, and as Gregg said, his whole focus is back in Latin music, and you know what, the man doesn’t have to apologize. I respect him, I have so much admiration for him and he’s always treated me like a human being. I’ve been in bands with people that don’t treat you like a human being and I know the difference. So, you know, he really doesn’t have that desire right now to do a melodic rock record. After my set, on stage, I walked into his dressing room and he said "Man, I have a song I want to play for you." He said, "I know I’ve played this for you before, because I have a female version and a male version," and as he was telling me about it, I remembered the song—because you know, it’s funny, but "Show Me The Way" was actually an early 70's Journey song idea Greg had, that Steve Perry did not want to pursue. I mean he played the track and it was something that, I guess Steve just wasn’t interested in singing, you know? So we took the song that he had and we wrote this tune that ended up being "Show Me the Way." I don’t recall if "I’ve Got a Lot to Learn About Love" or “Show me the Way”—well, one of those came first, but those are the first two that we wrote as a writing team. Those two had the most radio success. Both of those songs were the biggest singles and I thought to myself, "Man, we’ve got to do some more writing," but it’s so far away from what we’re all doing right now, you know, it’s so easy for him to do Latin, what he’s doing. To do what I’m doing now, he’s really got to think about it and he’s married to his own group now, you know? Actually he’s—he’s—
Jrnydv.Com: He’s 82 now, right?
KC: (laughs) Yeah, he’s only 82! Well listen, Bob Hope went to 100, so he’s got 18 years left! He can do a lot in 18 years though. (Smile.)
Jrnydv.Com: Anyone who has heard of Clique Records can tell that you have a passion for producing new talent—like Patti Jo Timmons, Rhonda McAlpine, Little Bo & The Peeps. What new talent should we be looking for next from Clique Records?
KC: I have a young lady, who’s 19, her name is Jenny Way. Jenny has been accepted to Berklee School of Music in Boston, and we are working on her record now. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done, because it’s a lot of dance, jazz, and percussion, that kind of stuff, and it’s just taking some time, because one of the people that I’m working with on the record, Alby Odum, tours quite a bit with his group (he plays in a Christian band called Daniels Window).
Another project that I am doing is with a band called "The Other Side," and it’s really like a retro-70's record. It’s very cool.
Jrnydv.Com: You’ve produced a blues act called the JuJu Kings, would you ever consider performing or recording the blues yourself?
KC: Yes, my roots are in the blues. I’m actually negotiating right now about doing another Two Fires, or a solo album.
Jrnydv.Com: Do you think Josh would be up for it?
KC: Yeah, I’m sure he would be. I’m sure he would be. You know he’s got a new record—I’m not sure if it’s already out or soon coming out—but it’s really good and the songs and the singer really sound good, so I wish him the best. I also tossed another idea around a little bit, too. Actually I was talking to Herbie Herbert and he suggested that I record a traditional gospel and blues CD, and yeah, I haven’t done it yet, but that would be so cool.
Jrnydv.Com: Tell us about the young boy who passed away and the charity contribution you created on a CD as a tribute to him.
KC: It’s called “The Sum of Our Hearts.” I wrote that song with Jim Peterik. The song is about a little boy who lost his fight with a rare form of cancer. The boy was the son of these two people I grew up with in my hometown of Streator, Illinois. Their names are Peggy and Buddy Crouch. Their son Raleigh was only about 3 years old—I think he died like three days before his 4th birthday. It was really, really hard to see someone that young, that sick. It was shocking to imagine it. To go through that. But they are really strong people and they wouldn’t say they are, but they are, and they survived it and they have given birth to a little girl since then. Raleigh has an older brother, William, but the night that they laid him to rest, they got in the car and drove to the Rainbow Foundations Benefit for Raleigh near Chicago—And the night that he was laid to rest, they came. That was the hardest thing for them, but they came. The Rainbow Foundation had a banner made, and a local artist painted a portrait of Raleigh. I swear it was three-dimensional; it was like he was there in the room with us.
Buddy & Peggy totally had a good time that night, as strange as it may seem. They knew that this was in honor of their son. Some of the performers that came were Don Barnes and LJ of .38 Special, Jim Peterik of Survivor and Ides of March, Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger, Van McLean of Shooting Star (himself a cancer survivor), and others. They were dancing, and it was all for their son, in memory of their son, and you know, when you’re in the middle of performing, you’re trying to do your best—I was ill that night, as I recall; I believe I had a cold or the flu or something, but I remember them saying just how awesome it was. They were looking at the stage and singing—[sings “Rockin into the Night”]—and dancing, and the contrast was so bizarre to see and by the end of the night they were just partying, and they were so happy. I guess once it sunk in, that it was such an honor to have all these families dancing and singing on behalf of their son. Well, that really meant a lot to them. So that’s a reward that money can’t—I mean, you could have just sent them a $100,000 check, but it wouldn’t have meant as much, I don’t think, you know? I’m very proud of being a part of it.
Jrnydv.Com: Many of your fans are surprised to learn that a young man like yourself is a grandfather. First of all, congratulations! Secondly, what’s your favorite part about being a new grandfather, and has your new role influenced your music in any way?
KC: That sounds so funny, doesn't it? Geezer rock! Well let me tell you, my wife and I have been together—actually in January it’s been 30 years. We were just stupid kids out of high school when we got married, but we must have known something that everybody else didn’t know because everybody else said "no way," and they even tried to make it not work. But when we had our oldest son, Jayson, I think Judy was only 18 or 19 years old. We just literally talked about it, you know. It would really be cool, I know it wouldn’t really be any easier but it seems easier to have a family when you’re younger, so that when you have your grandkids, you can still play football with them and you’re not all tired out. We just flew out to California to visit a couple of friends of ours—and I kinda’ just joined the Alan Parsons Project to sing lead for some of his tour—so we went out there and stayed with some friends, and my wife, my daughter, and youngest son Joel went. We had one rehearsal on Friday night and then we did a show on Saturday—
Jrnydv.Com: Oh my Gosh!
KC: Yeah! That’s what I said! And so the whole time we were in Seattle, we were like shopping saying “Oh, wouldn’t Matthew look good in this,” and we were just turning into mushy old grandparents the whole time, but it’s great, you know. I was just thinking about this today. I know a lot of people in this business that gave up a lot, who thought they had to sacrifice their family, and you know, I don’t put people down because I’m only living for my own life, or whatever, but I think that has actually been the strength and backbone of my entire life and career. You know, with this career you’re in, you're out, you’re in, you're out. The first album I recorded that was released by a major company was in 1981—that was 707—and then The Storm in 1991, and then we started doing the Two Fires thing in 1999, and then we had done stuff in 2000 and 2001, and I just said, “You know, I can still sing a little bit, I want to get out there and do something with it,” so that’s why we started the label and the band up again—I mean it’s not really a label, but it’s a family of people that kind of like working together and we know when it’s time to come together. I still have to do the daily trench work of getting the guys together and you know—I love that—because sometimes I've got so much work to do that I sit down in a chair and say “Oh man, I can’t keep doing this,” but then the song comes out and then it’s all worth it.
My grandson is Matthew Kevin. He’s two-and-a-half, and he loves to hear grandpa’s records all the time too. Good kid, with good ears too, huh? (Smile.)
My parents worked at Owens Illinois Glass Container Factory, and actually that town, Streator, was the glass container capital of the whole entire world, from the ‘40s through the ‘70s. I don’t live in Streator now. I live about 10 miles from there, in Grand Ridge, where my wife is from. We purchased her grandmother’s house, when she passed away while we were in California, and basically, you know, things changed and we returned to Illinois and built a new house and recording studio.
It was just time for us to move on. Both of my boys were born in Illinois, in Streator actually, and my daughter was born in Vallejo, California. So she really didn’t know our family. We would call people in California “Aunt” and “Uncle,” you know? So we just got to a place where we just wanted her to know who her real blood people were.
Jrnydv.Com: You mentioned that you are working with The Alan Parson’s Project?
KC: Well, I did a show last fall, with Jim Peterik at the World Stage, and Johnny Van Zant was supposed to be there, but he had to cancel at the last minute Alan flew in to round out the show. Alan asked me if I would like to do some shows with The Project and I said Yeah!
Jrnydv.Com: Why aren’t YOU the lead singer of Journey right now?
KC: You know, there’s a lot of people asking that question, but I can’t tell you the reason. I did a Thunder Road benefit with them in San Francisco in ‘94, and it was a Herbie Herbert Roast, to benefit inner city kids. But I mean, you know, I love those guys, and for whatever reason they make their decisions, I have learned to live with it. I mean, if you want to keep your friends, don’t judge them. I won’t say anything bad about Journey, because they’ve only been givers to me, and really the first guy in Journey that I met when I lived on the west coast was Jonathan Cain. In 1981, he was working with Keith Olsen with his (then) wife, Tané, and when Tané got sick with a sore throat or something, Keith produced our 707 single “Megaforce” and that’s where I met Jon. Jon and I became good friends, so I visited the band on the road for a few shows, and in time I started meeting the others. I ran into Gregg Rolie probably two or three times in the mall and stuff, and he’s the most open, lovable guy. I mean you can just walk up to him and start talking and he’ll chat with you.
So, I guess there may have been a conspiracy. After I met Ross, and Ross was kind of removed from the band that he actually helped form, he started introducing me to all of the friends of the Journey family. I think indirectly there was a conspiracy for Gregg and I to start working together because I was getting invitations from Herbie and from some of the guys to come to 49er games to sit in the box, so I said Okay, and “Hey, there’s Gregg again” and “Hey there’s Gregg’s brother,” and “Jim is that you?” “Hey, go Niners!”
You know, we had a great time and to make a long story short here, we did the show and it was to honor Herbie, and I love Herbie, I would throw myself over a mud puddle for Herbie, and I’ve said it many times. And I know there’s a lot of fans who don’t like Herbie and there’s a lot of fans that love Herbie, but what he did to launch that band—I mean, when you’re in the trenches with him to learn what he did and how hardly anybody else even knows what to do compared to what he did—I just really admire him and so I wanted to do the gig because I felt I owed him that honor. The Storm played that night and then the guys said, “Well, Steve [Perry]’s not showing up for the gig,” and well, it’s always been Herbie’s dream to have all of the players get together and play again, and I said, “Are you kiddin’ me? YES!” And I would do it again today!
But just to be asked was honor enough. But then when I got into the rehearsals, well it was amazing. It was surrealistic. I mean I just moved from little Illinois, to the big California city, and now a gig on stage singing with Journey—wow! How cool is that!
I’ll share one other thing with you. A lady had told me once about dreams and I actually claimed a dream that I was performing with Journey. And Honest to God, when I was on stage with them, I was back in that dream. I know it sounds bizarre, or a really weird thing, but I was standing there and I saw Neal walking towards me, and Ross, and that was what I claimed several years prior. This was like years—probably like 10 or 11 years before it happened, honestly. I am still waiting for the Paul McCartney dream to happen. (Laughter.) It’s gonna’ happen! I just know it’s gonna’ happen! (Laughter.)
I didn’t add this part but really, I became a Christian and there are times when I fall flat on my face. In the past, I have let anger get the best of me. People have asked me “Wow, how did you get that voice and who did you train under?” And really, you know, God gave me this talent and I recognize this talent, but I don’t claim the talent as my own. Before I go on stage, I pray that I will not make a fool of myself. It’s a talent that He gave me for His purpose, whether it’s to help me or my family or to help other people through a tough times. That is the soul in my voice.
[At this point Mike Carabello (Gregg Rolie Band, founder of Santana) walked into the room]
Carabello: Hey, Kevin! Be sure to let them know you learned everything you know from me, okay?
KC: Hey, I was just getting to that! I was just talking about God! (Laughter.)
Jrnydv.Com: To continue with what you were just saying, we just interviewed Josh and the common thread here seems to return to religiosity in music. In your position as a producer, would you consider producing a Christian rock act?
KC: Well actually I have produced three bands like that. My keyboard player that plays with the band live, his name is Chuck Giacinto, he and his wife Lynette, who was here tonight, have a band called Final Quest. A Christian pop and rock act. We’ve worked together in the studio quite a bit.
Then I have another group that I worked with Brent & Casey Mitchell and that band is called Forever Sunday. They’re a man and wife team. Both groups tour together as one big crusade.
Another artist is David Bowling and his group 7 Eyed Stone, a Christian Alternative band. David is a young John Lennon.
I don’t finance projects, they finance their own projects, because then that brings in respect and commitment, and I know that you’re putting your heart in it, because when you put your money on the line—I mean, I’ve helped people and I’ve offered to help bands from all over the country and there have been people who have come and gone. I had a band once from Germany and I really got burned by them. I think that they thought Germany was way far away from here or something.
Jrnydv.Com: What do you think of Journey today? Do you miss Steve Perry?
KC: I’m not going to say this in a negative light, or in a positive light, but people wonder why Steve Perry doesn’t want to do anything—but you know what? He’s been so verbally abused—and I mean I’ve said this many times: I don’t know what Steve’s impression of me is, or what he thinks of me, but I only have admiration for the guy and I’ve met him two or three times and he’s never ever said a single word to me, you know? Journey is still an awesome band and Steve Augeri works his butt off up there, but yes, I do miss Steve Perry. Many people have compared me to Steve Perry, but I will say that if you go to Streator, Illinois and ask people “Does Kevin Chalfant sound like Steve Perry?” Well, they will probably say that Steve Perry sounds like Kevin Chalfant! He —Perry—definitely got out of the blocks a lot earlier than me, and I admire him a great deal. I didn’t have the intention of joining his band. I moved out and joined another band, and things happen, you meet people and one thing leads to another—they saw an opportunity and I saw an opportunity and we both just took advantage of that. But there’s a lot of people that miss that guy, and I’m one of them.
In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that in all due respect, I am not going to say anything negative, but when I go to the Journey shows—I miss Steve Perry up there. I mean, I know these guys and I love ‘em like brothers. I just saw them in Chicago and I thought they sounded the best I’d heard them with Steve A. to date. I mean they seemed to really be gelling as a band again, and Steve Augeri is finally finding a place for himself in the sound. He’s a sweetheart and I love the guy, but I have to be honest—there’s times when I’m listening and I go, “hmm?” I mean, come on, Steve [Perry] wrote it, Steve Perry sang it, and he just does “himself” better. Maybe I am just too close to the fire and maybe no one else sees it or hears it like I do. I probably couldn’t do it any better than Steve A, so why be so critical. Well, Journey is not just one of those fly-by-night rock bands. They are probably America’s version of the Beatles. Try touring the Beatles without Lennon or McCartney. It just isn’t the same. I know it and the band knows it too. I guess at their stage in the game, they have to weigh out their options. Tour without Perry or not tour… that is not a hard decision. Steve Augeri is a talented guy. He is giving it his best. I credit him with that. I don’t know if I should even go there, I don’t know if I really should be saying this stuff. It isn’t my place to say any of this. You asked me for the truth in my mind and there it is. You know that I love you guys!
Jrnydv.Com: What’s it like having worked with members of the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame? Do you think you’ll ever become a member yourself?
KC: You know, I remember when we were writing the second Storm album, when Gregg and I went out riding around in his Camaro and we would drive, and drive, and drive until we would come up with stuff, and it was funny because—and he’ll remember this, he’ll remember—I said, “You know something, Gregg? I just thought of something,” and he said “What’s that?” And we were driving along and I said, “I’m riding in a car with a future Hall of Fame member.” Gregg cocked his head back and said, “I thought we were writing songs,” and I said, “Well, stop and think about this a minute”—this is when his kids were really young—and I said, “Imagine this, Here’s Sean and his wife years from now at the Hall of Fame,” and they walk up and Sean says, “Hey look kids! See, there’s grandpa right there. That’s when Grandpa was really huge in the music business. Now, he’s in the Hall of fame.” Well, we both had tears in our eyes; we were both tearing up and Gregg says, “What the heck are you trying to do, make me wreck the car?” But years later, when Gregg went into the Hall of Fame, my wife and I found out the hotel they were in and we sent him flowers and I wrote up a poem for him. [Kevin choked up a little here.]
You know, people don’t have the right to judge other people’s lives—they only have the right to judge them on their musical ability. But if they ever have a new category to get into the Hall of Fame, like “Sang with way Too Many Bands,” or something like that, well, I’ll be a shoe in, a dead ringer—and I’ll take that! (Laughter.)
Jrnydv.Com: Is there anything else you’d like to share with the our readers?
KC: Can I end by saying that everyone has their own opinion, about everything. We make decisions and then we live with them. Journey doesn’t seem to be complaining about their lives too much, do they? Live and let live.
Jrnydv.Com: Thanks very much for taking this time out with us, Kevin. It was a true pleasure to speak with you.
Josh Ramos Live Interview with Jrnydv.Com
Interviewer: D. Golland
Date of Interview: August 7, 2003
Date of Publication: August 30, 2003
Jrnydv.Com: You have a new album out right now called Living In the Light. Tell us a little bit about that.
Josh Ramos: Well, it’s my first solo album, and I’ve been wanting to do a solo CD for [a long time], I mean, since the beginning of the Storm I always wanted to do that, and now this is a good chance. I went to Serafino from Frontiers Records, I asked him if I could do a solo CD and he goes, "Well, finish the Two Fires CD Ignition first, and then after that we can discuss a solo CD," so that’s how it happened.
Jrnydv.Com: How’s it working out for you so far?
Josh Ramos: Great, I’ve been doing interviews from Spain, Sweden, and you know, France, all those…all those places…
Jrnydv.Com: : Do you anticipate more popularity for it in Europe than in America?
Josh Ramos: Yeah, because really there are no [American] radio stations playing this stuff, I mean even Journey has a new CD out and I’ve never heard it on the radio, you know, and it’s too bad that radio has to be the way it is in the United States, you know? I mean there’s so much money put into an artist, they just pump that artist and they buy airwaves and they buy magazine ads and everything like that. But for people like me, who are trying to put something positive out, well, it’s pretty hard because we have to go to Europe and Japan to be heard and continue with what we’re doing.
Jrnydv.Com: There appears to be a real religiosity in your lyrics.
Josh Ramos: Yes, very much so, and when I write music, I like to write something that makes people think, to touch a person whether it be a guitar solo, or something that I said, or just anything. My main focus is just to touch something inside, to come from the spiritual side of it. I wanted to write something powerful, something that people can learn from and—you know, maybe say “Oh yeah, I’ve felt that way before,” or “I know what he means by that” or just something that can maybe open up their minds in some way like that.
Jrnydv.Com: Now that you and Kevin are using the name The Storm, what can we expect your input to be, and can we expect another Storm CD?
Josh Ramos: You know I don’t think so, because The Storm basically was Gregg, Kevin, me and Ross, and I mean we had different drummers, we had different members of the band like Ron Wikso, but the nucleus of the band has always been, you know, Gregg, Kevin, me and Ross. Ross is with Journey now, Gregg is, of course, doing his Latin thing, and he’s really, really into that, so that leaves just Kevin and I, and we had been performing under the name The Storm for some shows, with different musicians. But we used the name so we could get some bookings and get some show happening and all that, but I really don’t think that there’s going to be a third CD unless there is, of course, someone that had incredible money and stuff that would be willing to say, "Hey listen, I’m going to flip the whole thing, I’m going to give you guys blah blah blah— maybe. But right now, I don’t think so.
Jrnydv.Com: In that case, you’d want to get Gregg and Ross back into it?
Josh Ramos: Yeah. Definitely. Well, basically, Ross yeah, but I mean, yeah just even Gregg and Kevin and me would suffice and stuff, that would be the best, you know, if nobody else could be in it, at least we could do it without Ross and I guess we could just get somebody else.
Jrnydv.Com: I’d imagine if Gregg were doing it, you’d have Ron?
Josh Ramos: Yeah, yeah....
Jrnydv.Com: But we shouldn’t be holding our breath for any of that, right?
Josh Ramos: Right, exactly.
Jrnydv.Com: I’d like to just get some more background info on you. You’re from the west coast originally?
Josh Ramos: Originally, I’m from Chicago.
Jrnydv.Com: Oh?
Josh Ramos: I was born in Puerto Rico and came here [Chicago area] when I was a little kid and lived here, and that’s where I started playing guitar. I had bands here, I had a band called "LeMans", with another guitar player—Derek Friga, who was in a band called "Enough’s Enough," and we put something together and Mike Varney heard us on the west coast and he wanted to put us on a compilation CD that he had and then after that we recorded a whole album and then most of the band ended up moving to San Francisco and doing shows out there. But yeah, that’s where I live now, and actually that’s where the Storm started too, out there...
Jrnydv.Com: Because you had already been living out there?
Josh Ramos: Right, Kevin was living there, Gregg was living there, yeah.
Jrnydv.Com: Do you consciously pattern your musical style after Neal Schon?
Josh Ramos: Not necessarily. He was one of my influences as a kid. I used to love Santana and Neal, and I started out listening to him, I mean I don’t sit down and practice his licks, I just really listen to what he’s doing and then I incorporate some of it into what I do, but I have so many other guitar players that are just like, Gary Moore, Holmesworth, and I am influenced a lot by a lot of different guitar players.
Jrnydv.Com: Do you come from a musical family?
Josh Ramos: Not really, no. I am the only guitar player. I actually come from six brothers and four sisters, but the closest brother to me, we started playing guitar together but he stopped, and I just kept going. I mean, at an early age I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, just play. Yeah.
Jrnydv.Com: Tell us about the song “Magic.”
Josh Ramos: "Magic" is about life, and you could acquire millions of dollars and cars and women and mansions and all that, but at the end of your life when you’re on your deathbed, what is it that you really want to take with you, you know what I mean? It’s love.
Jrnydv.Com: You’re lucky when you have it.
Josh Ramos: Yeah! So that’s what that whole song is about. Do you have the CD—I mean, have you heard it?
Jrnydv.Com: Yeah, Frontiers Records sent us a demo. What do you think would be the most important thing you’d like to tell your fans that is not in your bio?
Josh Ramos: Just that, you know, life is very, very important and very special and we’re all very lucky to be invited to this planet and to live in this world, whether it be music or art, or anything else, it could be something beautiful. Everybody has a life but somehow people want to be remembered in some way, and to leave something that is meaningful and everlasting... basically that would probably be the thing.
Jrnydv.Com: Well, Josh Ramos of the Storm, Two Fires, and currently of—the Storm, thank you very much. Looking forward to seeing you again out on the road.
Josh Ramos: Thank you very much.
Ron Wikso Interview with Jrnydv.Com
Question Writers: D. Golland and R. Gray
Date of Publication: August 17, 2003
1. The last time we spoke, you said it was unlikely that you and Gregg would be doing anything with The Storm because you were focusing on the Gregg Rolie Band. But you also said, “…if a really good opportunity presented itself, then maybe we would [do something again with The Storm].” Now, as you know, Kevin is using the name of The Storm. Would you consider doing something with The Storm at this point?
Well, again, to quote myself "if a really good opportunity presented itself, then maybe we would..." The thing is though, what is a really good opportunity? The answer is pretty self-explanatory - a lot of money to make a record, do a tour, make some music for a soundtrack or whatever - but what are the odds of something like that being offered to The Storm, a band that, unfortunately, only had a moderate amount of commercial success and is not really that well known?
If you consider the difficulties that bands from that era are encountering in the current marketplace, most of whom have much more established names than we ever did, you can see that it's not terribly likely. And that doesn't mean that I don't think we were good enough, it's just the way it is in this ridiculous business. In fact, I think that, in many ways, we were as good or better than a lot of other bands that achieved more commercial success. It's just that the timing wasn't right for us and we never got the amount of publicity and money put into us that some other acts got.
A lot of people have told us things like "Eye Of The Storm" was 'the record Journey SHOULD have made' (in reference to their comeback album, "Trial By Fire"), inferring that it was way better than their record. Some of the people who said that were people who were very well respected in the music business and who even have a fair amount of power...several of them know, or have done business with people from both bands. It was also reflected in a lot of reviews that I saw on the internet and other places. I personally know someone who wanted to play it for one of Journey's current managers (who they happen to have a relationship with) so that he could hear the difference and compare it to what they considered the sub-par Journey material that has come out in the last several years. The point is that, because they're Journey, they can get away with more and still get it out to the public in a bigger way than we could with The Storm, simply by virtue of the name they established for themselves which, of course, was no small feat and well deserved after all the years of touring and recording they had done.
In the end it's all just opinions and hype anyway. There's an old saying - 'opinions are like ***holes...everyone's got one'. But that doesn't mean that everyone is necessarily entitled to an opinion on every subject, even though everyone thinks they are. For example, what's your opinion on Nuclear Fission? Maybe you're an expert on the subject but I sure as hell don't have one, nor am I entitled to one, because I don't know a damn thing about it! And neither do most people.
So many people have opinions about bands, their members, what they're like, how the music is made etc., but they have no clue regarding any of the facts or behind the scenes BS that goes on that they never hear about. They meet someone once, hear them give an interview or go to their concert and think they know them. How can you take those opinions seriously? Oh well, I guess it's just the way it is.
Some people like certain bands or artists no matter what they do or what they put out. I'm sure there are lots of Journey fans who would go ga-ga for their version of "Mary Had A Little Lamb" but you'd really have to question that if you were being at all honest. It's weird because, with music and the arts (TV, Film etc.), everybody has an opinion and it's not necessarily based on any kind of defined degree of excellence or quality. Lots of times it's just because they like the artists sense of style or whatever and it has nothing to do with talent.
At least in sports, you can set yourself apart to some degree by actually being the best. You know, Pete Rose got the most hits in history of baseball. Period. Love him or hate him, it's an indisputable fact. It's a lot tougher in music. Most people agree that The Beatles were the most influential band in Rock & Roll history but there are plenty of people who don't agree. And there's no changing their minds.
I'm obviously somewhat biased but, even so, I would have to agree with the assessment that "Eye Of The Storm" was a better album than a lot of what Journey has put out since their comeback, taken solely on merits. For that matter, I also think that "Roots" and "Abraxas Pool" are way better than most of what Journey or Carlos Santana has put out recently...and I like a lot of it, especially some of what Carlos has done. Bottom line is though, the name "The Storm" does not carry the same weight as the name "Journey" and I believe that if you did a blind, completely unbiased listening test between "Eye Of The Storm" and "Trial By Fire", never having heard material from either band and not being told who was who, "Eye Of The Storm" does stand on its own merits. If it had been released in 1986 instead of 1996, it might have been a whole different story for The Storm as a band but it's too late for that. Oh well...
Anyway, getting back to the original point of your question (sorry for going off on a tangent like that!), of course I would consider doing something with The Storm if it was really worth considering but, as of yet, nothing like that has come along and Gregg and I are really enjoying the work we're doing with the Gregg Rolie Band, which is taking up most of our focus at this point.
2. Are you a part-owner of the name "The Storm?"
Yes, the name is owned by the 5 band members (me, Gregg, Kevin, Ross and Josh) and whatever business there is to deal with as it relates to us, is taken care of by our manager, Scott Boorey. We all had to sign something allowing Kevin to use the name on a limited basis.
3. I understand that you were supposed to be the original drummer for Bad English. How did you first meet John Waite, Jonathan Cain and Ricky Phillips, and how is it that you were replaced by Deen Castronovo in that band?
Well, this was a bit strange but, essentially what happened is, Ricky Phillips (who is a friend of mine) called me to ask if I'd be interested in playing with the band (it wasn't even called Bad English yet - I think they were considering the name Full Circle - in fact, I'll bet I still have the original demo tape that we started working from) and he invited me to San Francisco to play with them while they auditioned guitar players. I guess this was technically my audition too but I was the only drummer there so I played with all the guitar players that were auditioning. The guitar players that auditioned, over a period of 2 days, were Dave Amato, Stef Burns, Pat Thrall and Andy Timmons.
After that happened, they chose Andy as the guitar player and it was decided that the band would move down to LA to begin rehearsing for real. The band that started rehearsing in LA was John Waite, Jonathan Cain, Ricky Phillips, Andy Timmons and me. We were working in a studio in North Hollywood, having a good time, hanging out at Casa Vega after rehearsal and all was going well.
I had to go back to New York for a friend's wedding one weekend and, when I returned, I was informed that Neal Schon had been calling and was 'interested in the project'. This was AFTER he had already turned down being involved because he was working on a solo project. I guess, when he realized the solo project wasn't really taking off, he reconsidered being involved (i.e. he was bored and needed something to do). Of course, the management company thought it would be great to add him to the band because of the name recognition he brought from his days with Journey (there would now be 2 ex-Journey members and 3 ex-Babys members) so he jumped on board, replacing (and kind of shafting) Andy.
The other thing that I found out was that Neal wanted to work with a drummer that he knew, and that turned out to be Deen Castronovo. I wound up having to go down to the studio and get my equipment out of there after Andy and I were fairly unceremoniously relieved of what we thought was our new gig. Then, to add insult to injury, they decided they weren't quite sure about Deen and asked me to come back and play with Neal. As I recall, they also asked several other guys to come and audition at that point but they eventually settled on using Deen in the end.
It's water under the bridge now but, at the time, it was a bit of a drag. In the end though, it probably worked out a lot better for me because I went on to do quite a few other things that I probably wouldn't have done if I'd wound up staying in Bad English.
I'm still really good friends with Ricky (in fact, I'm working with him this week on a project) and I think Deen's a great guy (I got to know him a little bit after all of that stuff happened) and a great drummer so at least they didn't replace me with a hack!! :-)
4. Did the connections that got you involved with Bad English play any role in your getting called to audition to replace Steve Smith in The Storm?
No, my only connection to Bad English was Ricky. My being called to audition for The Storm came about from a number of other sources. I was originally referred by Pat Torpey (drummer for Mr. Big, who was managed by Herbie Herbert) and I believe Steve Smith also put in a word for me (I knew Steve somewhat because I used to share a house with a bass player named Tim Landers, who was the original bass player with Vital Information and a childhood friend of Steve's).
I also got a referral from Mickey Curry (drummer for Bryan Adams) who, when he heard I was up for the gig and he knew that The Storm was going out as the opening act for Bryan Adams, called Bruce Cohen (Bryan's manager) to tell him he should call Herbie and tell him to hire me! :-) That was really funny because Scott Boorey called me and said "who do you know that you could get a referral like that?!!".
I also heard that Deen put in a word for me too. I'm not sure if that's true and I'm not even sure how that would have come about but, if it is true, maybe he felt like it would be a nice thing to do after the whole Bad English debacle...I don't really know.
5. What (if anything) would you like to say about current or former members of Journey?
The only guys I know fairly well are Gregg Rolie and Ross Valory. Gregg is one of the greatest guys you could ever want to meet. He's really honest and straight-forward, extremely talented as a singer, keyboard player and songwriter and he's as soulful as they come, playing his music with honesty, passion and heart. I've had the great pleasure to get to know him over the last 13 years and I consider him a good friend as well as musical collaborator and business partner. He's been one of the bright spots in my life and career.
Ross is also a really good guy. He's really funny, in a wacky kind of way and he's great to have around because he keeps things pretty light-hearted. It was a blast touring and recording with him in The Storm.
I only know Steve Smith somewhat from the times he spent at the house I shared with Tim Landers and some other chance meetings (we're both Sonor Drum endorsers, we both played at Herbie's roast etc.). From what I know of him, he's a nice guy and I do think that he's one of the best drummers I've ever heard, from the standpoint of versatility and sheer ability.
I don't know Jonathan Cain, Neal Schon, Steve Perry, Robert Fleischman, George Tickner, Aynsley Dunbar, Mike Baird, Larrie Londin, Bob Glaub, Randy Jackson, Praire Prince, Deen Castronovo or Steve Augeri (did I miss anyone?!) well enough to make any kind of comment on. I've played with some of them, met most of them and I've heard a lot about some of them from Ross Valory, Gregg Rolie, Herbie Herbert, Scott Boorey, Ricky Phillips and quite a few other people who do know them but I'm not about to go into any of that here...I'd be here all day!
6. What (if anything) would you like to say about Herbie Herbert?
I have nothing but respect and admiration for Herbie. I think that what he says, especially when it comes to all things Journey, is usually pretty right on. He's a brilliant guy, an incredible businessman, a visionary, an entrepreneur and opportunist, he loves music and he's passionate about it. He's made a lot of things happen in this business and he's done well by a lot of people.
From what I know, he was as passionate about Journey as anyone ever could have been and, if it weren't for him, I don't think they would ever have gone as far as they did, regardless of how much talent they may have had (and they obviously had plenty). In this business that is not the only necessary ingredient and in fact, it could be argued that it's not even a necessary ingredient at all (just look at acts like Milli Vanilli).
He was the driving force and anyone who has ever benefitted from his leadership and business savvy should consider themselves extremely lucky. I've heard that from many people, including Gregg, Ross, Pat Torpey and others who have continued to benefit to this day, from what he set up.
7. What would you like to say about Gregg Rolie?
Well, I pretty much answered this one earlier but again, great guy, great talent, great friend. Everyone should be lucky enough to know him and it amazes me when people have been that lucky, don't value the friendship, partnership and sincerity of guys like him and Herbie.
8. What are the three rules of being in the Gregg Rolie Band?
1. If you're an ***hole, you're fired.
2. No band meetings. If we have to call a band meeting, it means the band is over.
3. I can't remember the third one...I'll have to ask Gregg what it is! :-)
As you can see, it's pretty loose in our band, especially when I can't even remember the third rule! I mean, how hard is it to remember three rules? That's pretty lame of me I guess, huh?!
Anyway, we're in this to have fun, make some great music and convey those feelings to our audience. It is not a chore, it's not boring and nobody is forcing us to play. We don't get pissed off for no reason and take it out on our crew or each other. We love what we do and, from everything we've heard from the people who've come to the concerts, it shows when we play. Life is hard enough so we don't want to make this a drag...especially Gregg, who really could just retire if he wanted to.
This is about doing it for the love of it...it's the real thing. It's what we all started playing music for in the first place. The band is like a freight train and we really dig making it go. Imagine what it would be like if we ever practiced or played a whole bunch of shows in a row so we could get tight!! :-)
9. Tell us about the experience of co-producing Roots.
Well, it was fantastic...in fact, as Gregg will tell you, I instigated the whole thing! Gregg and I had a lot of fun making the record and it was a very creative process. We did it at our own pace and we experimented on various things. It was also a great learning experience for me in the sense that I had the feeling that I was learning about some of this music from one of the main guys who was responsible for creating the original sound of Santana (as well as Journey).
A lot of people forget that the original Santana was a band of equal guys. It wasn't just Carlos and a group of sidemen working for him. In fact, many of the people who were around then will tell you that Gregg was really the leader of that band and, in making Roots, I got to see how intimately he knows that music, along with some of the influences that he brought from his days with Journey and The Storm.
I think it's really evident, when you compare "Roots" to a lot of the current Santana stuff, that Gregg was WAY more responsible for the sound of Santana than he's ever been given credit for. I mean, if you look at the last 2 Santana records, all Carlos did, for the most part, was play guitar. On "Roots", Gregg wrote the songs, sang the songs (lead and background), played keyboards, produced the record, helped mix the record and even helped engineer the record. A lot of people think it's a better record too but, again, we don't have the Santana name, the big publicity machine and all those promotional dollars behind us.
10. Now that "Roots" has been out for two years, is the Gregg Rolie Band looking to go back into the studio again? If so, will you co-produce again?
Well, we're just concentrating on the live thing at the moment, which takes plenty of energy and is a bit more important to us in terms of being able to sustain the band for a number of years.
Essentially, as far as "Roots" is concerned, we still consider it to be new in a sense. There are a lot of people who still haven't heard it (it's not like we got a ton of record company support or radio airplay!) and we still sell a lot of them at the gigs because people seem to really like the tunes from "Roots" that we play in the live show. Given those things, there really is no reason to do a new one at this point. It would just cost us a lot of money, time and effort to make and then we'd have 2 records that weren't getting played on the radio! :-) It's a sad state of affairs in the music business, isn't it?!
Anyway, although we have not talked about it at this point, I imagine that, if we were going to make another CD, we'd probably do it in a similar way so I suppose there is a good chance I would co-produce it with Gregg again...you never know!
11. The move back into the latin rhythms is definitely Gregg's "Going Home." Where does your musical Journey fit into that? Had you planned on playing this sort of music at this point in your career, or is it just where your friendship and collegiality with Gregg has taken you? A combination of both, perhaps?
I suppose it's a combination of both. I have played latin influenced music before (I went to Berklee College of Music and I've played a lot of different styles, including Jazz, Latin, Country, Big Band etc., besides the rock stuff that I'm more known for) but, if I had not been a friend of Gregg's, I doubt I would have been playing in a band like this at this point in my career.
I'll tell you what though, I'm sure glad I am because it's without a doubt, the best band I've ever played in on many levels (the level of musicianship, songs, the quality of the hang when we're not on stage, the way the business is handled etc.). I know Gregg says that it's the best band he's ever played with too and, if you consider that he was a founding member and integral part of 2 of the biggest bands in the history of Rock & Roll (Santana & Journey), that's quite a statement!
12. Who else are you working with besides the Gregg Rolie Band?
I'm mostly freelancing, doing various sessions and occasional gigs with different people. You never know who's next!! :-)
13. We understand that you are currently raising two step-children and are about to adopt a third. Tell us about fatherhood, and what goes into the adoption process. Has being a family man forced you to make adjustments in your professional life?
Well, of course, having a family requires certain adjustments in anyone's life, especially the life of a musician, which is anything but typical! I can't just go out to hang at a club whenever I want and I can't just go and work on some music if I need to watch the kids or whatever. But life is not one dimensional and I'm lucky to have the opportunity to have some great kids in my life that I can hopefully help to achieve their goals and a great life of their own. All 3 of my kids are really cool (even when they can't stand me because I'm the DAD) and I think they will grow up to be great people in their own right. They each have their own talents in different areas and it's cool to see them developing and finding their way.
The adoption process is a bit of a drag because of all the requirements and legalities that you have to deal with...they make you jump through a lot of hoops! But, whenever I think of where my son might be now if we hadn't adopted him, it boggles my mind and lets me know that it was all worth it. It's so cool to watch him grow up, learn and thrive in his new home. He had been in 5 different places by the time he was 2 (he's 3 now and we've had him for 11 months) and I can't even imagine how hard that must have been for him. I hope that we've been able to bring some stability to his life and that he will continue to thrive here. He's a great kid and he deserves it...his biological parents have no idea what they're missing and I couldn't even imagine life without him at this point.
Thanks again Ron.
You're quite welcome.
Kurt Grffey Interview with Jrnydv.Com
Question Writer: D. Golland
Date of Publication: August 21, 2003
1. How did you first meet Gregg Rolie?
I met Gregg through Ron Wikso. Ron and I were working together in another band (World Classic Rockers) and
after the roots album was done, they wanted to start playing live. Dave Amato, the guitar player on the Roots album, was supposed to be the guitar player but was to busy playing with REO. Gregg was booked to do the KLOS Mark & Brian radio show in L.A. and then 4 or 5 club dates in San Francisco. Dave was available for the club dates but not the radio show so Ron asked me if I would be interested in doing the radio show and maybe any dates that Dave couldn't do. Ron introduced me to Gregg and we did the Mark & Brian show and also some dates later after the ones with Dave. The band seemed to just click so Gregg asked me if I wanted to be the guitar player full time.
2. What is it like to play Neal Schon's parts in the Journey numbers you and Gregg do with Kevin Chalfant?
Playing the journey songs are great. I listened to Journey growing up but I never played any Journey before. It's a great addition to the show and the people seem to really like it.
3. You didn't appear on "Roots." If Gregg decides to go back into the studio to do another album, do you expect that you'll play guitar on the next one?
I did not play on the "Roots" cd. It was recorded before I ever met Gregg. However, I will definitely play on the next one.
4. The move back into the latin rhythms is definitely Gregg's "going home." Where does your musical Journey fit into that? Had you planned on playing this sort of music at this point in your career, or is it just where your job with Gregg has taken you? A combination of both, perhaps?
The latin thing is not anthing I've done or ever planned on doing before, but it feels comfortable to me and I have blast doing it. I'm used to doing different things from rock to country, pop, jazz, and blues. You just adapt and try to make it your own the best you can.
5. What was it like to work with Sam Kinison? Toto’s Jeff Porcaro?
I didn't know Sam Kinison well, but as vulgar and abrasive as his routines were, personally he seemed to be a very compassionate, caring person. I used to do a house band gig in Malibu at the Trancus bar and Sam used hang out there alot. We also performed at the Sturgis bike rally in South Dakota. He brought Jimi Hendrix impersonater Randy Hanson along to jam with after his comedy routine.
As far as working with Jeff Porcaro, I didn't. I worked Bobby Kimble and Fergie Fredrikson of Toto. Bobby was always the life of the party. He is one funny m!$#%^&*^$#%er. He's got such a soulfulness to his voice that even if he is having a rough night hitting all of the notes, he still sounds great.
Fergie was the singer that replaced Bobby. He sang on the "Isolation" album. He's a true rocker. He can sing antything. We worked together for four or five years. Great guy. Golf junkie!
6. Who else are you working with besides Gregg Rolie Band?
Over the last seven years I've been playing with The World Classic Rockers, an all-star band that has featured such artists as Randy Meisner (The Eagles, Poco), Denny Laine (The Moody Blues, Wings), Spencer Davis, Michael Monarch and Nick St. Nicholas (Steppenwolf), Bobby Kimble and Fergie Fredrikson (Toto), Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart), and Bruce Gary (The Knack). I also recently did a recording session with country singer Ty Herndon.
7. Who haven’t you played with, that you would want to play with, and why?
Paul McCartney. He was my childhood idol. The Beatles were one of my biggest reasons for doing what I do. The first time I saw the movie "Hard Days Night" I thought "this is too cool."
8. What’s next for Kurt Griffey?
I think my future is going to be songwriting and film scoring. I recently scored some short films and I think I might have a knack for it. I have been invited to write for a major motion picture. Now the question is, can I write anything they like. We'll see.
Last Updated 02 July, 2007 (DHG)
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