Welcome to Steve Perry Day!
We would like to think Archer and Valerie for sending us the CD of their interview with Steve. They use to be at KSOF in Fresno, California,now the radio station is based out of El Paso, TX,
XHEP-FM/Soft Rock 98.9. You can find them on the web here.
Archer: Why ah, I think there's a Valley native on the line here.
Steve: That's right
Archer : Steve Perry
Steve: How are ya?
Archer: We're just fine, how are you?
Steve: I'm doing great. I'm doing great.
Archer: Fans have called because they knew we were going to talk with you. They want to know , are ya feeling okay?
Steve: You know I am feeling a little better everyday. You know I've been putting off for quite sometime some major surgery. That isn't life threatening but it did require major surgery. And since, it was a personal decision I just stuck with the fact when I'm ready, I'm ready. And, the good news is about almost four weeks age I went ahead and did the surgery and now I'm four weeks on the other side of it, sitting in my chair and using my crutches to the bed at night and back to my chair. So, I'm enjoying some ah time off but I'm very impatient I'll tell you that.
Archer: That's great. Your an active guy and you've declined to say what your problem was cause it's basically it's nobodys business but thanks for at least sharing with us your doing better.
Steve: Yeah, It was major surgery. It is of a personal nature so I'm going to leave it alone.
Archer: Carly, was really concerned about your health. So, now she can rest assured your doing fine.
Steve: Carly, it's okay, thanks for worring though.
Archer: Hey you have a Greatest Hits CD coming out. The exciting part about and were going to play a cut from it in just a bit. The excting part about this we're going to get to hear some tracks from "Against The Wall" album that never happened.
Steve: That's right. That record you know was to be the second solo album and I went into the studio after a Journey tour and recorded that record. And, that was about the time that there was a confusion about whether it was Columbia or Sony and things were in a turmoil. Due to circumstances kind of out of my control the record never got released and I went back right away to do another Journey record. I had a these on tapes sitting, finished,mixed exactly the way I wanted them in a vault. And, they've been there and I'm so grateful now that this Greatest Hits thing has come out. I have the opportunity to put those seven of my favorite tracks this on Steve Perry Greatest Hits, plus a couple other demos one of which got me the gig in Journey in 1977.
Archer: Wow! So, we get to hear the demo that got you the gig ?!
Steve: That's right.
Archer: You turned that group around and we are sorry to see you guys part ways but all your solo stuff is so good.
Steve: Awwww , thanks a lot. You know, I got to tell you I've always loved what we did together , as a group. No body can turn around what was accomplished when we were together and it's kind a like the songs are apart of us, part of us for life. Whether we're together or apart they'll always be kind of like the offspring of our incounter together.
Archer: Is there any animosity there or is that just hype?
Steve: I think you know when ever groups break up it isn't a pretty thing. I don't think any group broke up because they love each other [Steve chuckles]. You know, that when you spend as much time together with each other it becomes a lot of resentment and animosity and to much time with each other.
Archer: I remember John Lennon describing the Beatles break up as an over due divorce basically.
Steve: You know divorce is what it is to be honest with you. It gets to the point where your so entangled with each other in so many ways. I mean it just baffles the mind you are enmeshed and it does become a divorce., yeah.
Archer: Lets listen to the new song tell us a little bit about it.
Steve: Well the song is called "When your in love for the first time". I've always loved this song and it orginially was a demo and I loved the demo so much that all I did was embellesh it with a few other musicians and release it as it was, um that that's what it is. "When you in love for the first time".
Archer: Here's Steve Perry at Soft Rock 98.9
The song being played now.
Archer: Well, Steve we knew you were born in Hanford?
Steve: Right
Archer: You grew up in the south Valley, for the most part.
Steve: Uh huh
Archer: Earlier we mentioned Carly, we first got in contact with her when she called to complain because we had found out I guess through some school-mates you had a nickname in high school.
Steve: Oh no, what are you doing to me? [laughs] What was the nickname?
Archer: Duck lips
Steve: No, it wasn't duck lips.
Archer: Oh it wasn't?
Steve: Absolutily wrong!
Archer: So, we were misinformed all along.
Steve: I did have a nickname in high school but it was not duck lips. [laughs]
Archer: You don't want to say?
Steve: Ahhhhh. Well, I feel better now that you don't know what it really was. [laughs]
Archer: So, should we stick with duck lips?
Steve: Duck lips is still a step down from what it was but it's close. [laughs]
Archer: You don't want to say?
Steve: No, No! [laughs]
Archer: I can't say my nickname from high school because we are on the air.
Steve: There you go, mine is a little similiar to that. Well, what is yours, by the way?
Archer: I can't say.
Steve: Come on , Archer.
Archer: We have two high schools laying claim to you and I assume you went to both Lemoore and Hanford?
Steve: Isn't that funny. Yeah, I went to , all my schooling was in Hanford, CA. When I graduated from Jr-high in the 8th grade. My mother decided that she wanted to move out of town and we moved to Lemoore. Thats where I went to four years of high school in Lemoore and then she moved back and I kind of went into coming to Los Angeles a lot and then was going to College Of The Sequoia's.
Archer: Wow, you get around. Wasn't your first band, weren't you based out of Calaveras County?
Steve: No, but we won the battle of the bands in Calaveras County and people thought we were.
Archer: Oh I see, everyone thought you were the frog jumpers?
Steve: Right, we were the froggers. We won the big Calaveras County frog jumping jublee battle of the bands., which entitled us to go to San Francisco and play at the Filmore and meet Bill Graham. And, talk about a record deal with Fantasy records all of which was pretty intense but didn't come together.
Archer: You wanted to become a disc jockey?
Steve: I did, in that area of Hanford , CA. There was a trailor outside of town and it was a single antenna station they use to have these little pan pots in there and they would set up the records up and que them up and I use to go hang out at night. I'd talk to the DJ and watch them work and it was a dream to me to be able to be a DJ and hear my voice go over the radio and play songs and things. It was kind of something I really wanted to do but I flunked the test.[laughs]
Archer: [laughs] You mean the like the FCC license test?
Steve: Yeah, it was a 3rd class license and it was required to take the test and I understand now I could go to you and you could sign me on and vough for me. I could do a night show or something. Is that right?
Archer: Yeah, that's about the way it works now.
Steve: Then I'll have to come down there and do a evening with soft rock hits with Steve.
Archer: You know I was going to ask you if you ever get back to the central Valley?
Steve: I do, more than you'll ever know.
Archer: If you really want to fullfill that dream of being a DJ your welcome anytime to come in to the radio station and do the morning show with us.
Steve: That would be really fun. I'll take calls and do the whole thing. It will be fun.
Archer: It's nice to hear your recovering , are we maybe in line for some kind of touring in the future?
Steve: You know when I get my health back which it seems better daily. Ever day I feel better, after the first of the year I'm gonna know exactly where I'm going to be going and as soon as I find out, you'll know. I might be doing another solo tour I'm not sure at this point.
Archer: Steve Perry doing fine in 99.
Steve: There ya go, hey I like that. I'm writing this down as you said it., doing fine in 99.
Archer: [laughs] All right it's exciting to get a chance to talk to you. Your always welcome in here to play guest DJ.
Steve: I'd like to wish everybody in the Valley from north to south a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year and don't forget to bring in those toys for tots to Soft Rock 98.9 for that toy drive.
