Neal Schon has made it clear that he doesn’t want Steve Perry back in Journey. As the long-lasting feud between the two continues, Schon joined Sandy Kaye’s A Breath of Fresh Air and remembered the time the singer first joined the band. Apparently, the guitarist was not quite sure about Steve Perry’s addition, but it turned out he was wrong.
Steve Perry’s stint in Journey marked the most commercially successful era of the band. He joined Journey as Robert Fleischman’s replacement after the band’s manager Herbie Herbert’s suggestion. Although he had a slightly distinctive style, Perry immediately won Journey fans’ hearts and helped the band achieve great success.
“At the time,” Neal Schon recalled. “Our manager, Herbie Herbert, came to us and said, ‘Look, Columbia Records,’ at that time was our label, ‘They’re going to drop us unless we get a new frontman and we get anything on the radio.’ He suggested Steve Perry. Greg and I listened to it, and to be honest, we were like, ‘He sounds great, but I don’t think it’s what we’re doing.’”
“So, we conformed and made it work,” said Schon, revealing he and Greg came to terms with Perry’s addition. “I got together with Perry, and he and I had immediate writing chemistry. We wrote patiently for about 10 minutes, just sitting in a room with an acoustic guitar and him singing. And we continued like that throughout our first three albums together.”
So, despite the never-ending war of words and legal battles between him and Steve Perry, Schon admitted they had easily connected musically when the singer first joined the band. While Steve Perry’s contributions to Journey’s success are undeniable, Schon says it’s impossible for him to reunite with Journey.
