Raised on Radio

Raised on Radio is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Journey, released in April 1986 on the Columbia Records label. It is the first album to not feature founding bassist Ross Valory, who was replaced initially by session bassist Bob Glaub and then by Randy Jackson. Drummer Steve Smith contributed to a few tracks, but was replaced during the recording by session drummer Larrie Londin and then Mike Baird for the subsequent tour.

Raised on Radio
Cover art by Michael Cotten and Prairie Prince
Studio album by
Journey
ReleasedApril 21, 1986
RecordedOctober–December 1985
Studio
GenreRock
Length44:13
LabelColumbia
ProducerSteve Perry[1]
Journey studio album chronology
Frontiers
(1983)		 Raised on Radio
(1986)		 Trial by Fire
(1996)
Singles from Raised on Radio
  1. "Be Good to Yourself"
    Released: April 1986 (US)[2]
  2. "Suzanne"
    Released: June 1986 (US)
  3. "Girl Can't Help It"
    Released: August 1986 (US)
  4. "I'll Be Alright Without You"
    Released: November 1986 (US) [3]
  5. "Why Can't This Night Go on Forever"
    Released: April 1987[2]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]

The album spawned three top 20 singles in the US: "Girl Can't Help It" (No. 17), "I'll Be Alright Without You" (No. 14), and "Suzanne" (No. 17). It also spawned a top ten single "Be Good to Yourself" (No. 9)[5] It went to No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart,[6] and it was certified double platinum in the USA.[7]

Background

Raised on Radio was released three years after Frontiers (1983). In 1984, both lead guitarist Neal Schon and lead singer Steve Perry released albums on their own; Schon in the band HSAS (Through the Fire), and Perry with his debut solo album, Street Talk. Perry considered leaving Journey following the release of Street Talk which he has referred to as "one of the most fun experiences I've had". Perry decided to return to working with Journey when he received a call from keyboardist Jonathan Cain, who wanted him to work on some unfinished songs.[8]

Following Perry's return to Journey, he began to take more control over the band's direction. Bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith were fired from the band, against the wishes of manager Herbie Herbert. According to Perry, Valory and Smith "weren't pleased with the kind of music we were playing and weren't too keen on touring".[8] Smith later said of the initial recording process: "There was a lot of pressure to do it the way Steve Perry wanted, which I had a lot of problems with because I felt it should be a group record, like all the other records."[9] Valory was replaced by Randy Jackson (bass guitar) and Smith was replaced by session musician Larrie Londin (drums). In the VH-1 Behind the Music episode featuring the band, Perry expressed regret over his decision, stating he'd have done things differently. Smith did record three tracks with Journey on the album, and he and Valory still received revenues from the record and subsequent tour. Both returned to Journey in 1995.

The band decided that Perry, who had proved his production capabilities on Street Talk, was the best fit to produce the album. According to Perry, this gave the rest of the band members as much creative control as possible: "Journey knows what it should sound like, so we all agreed I would be a good, safe, nondictator-type producer."[8]

Perry changed the original title of this project from Freedom to Raised on Radio, which drew the ire of Herbert and some of the band members, as it varied from the one-word general theme in most of their previous albums.[10] The band would end up using the Freedom title 36 years later for their fifteenth studio album.

The subsequent tour featured Schon, Perry, Cain, and Jackson, with drummer Mike Baird .

Artwork

The cover of the album (by Prairie Prince, an early member of the band) was modeled after the studios and antennas for KNGS in Hanford, California, which was owned by Perry's parents, Ray and Mary Perry.[11]

Songs

Cash Box said of "Suzanne" that "Somewhat brooding verses give way to explosive choruses which feature Steve Perry’s potent singing" and that "Journey has captured the essence of teen romance."[12] Billboard said of it that Journey's "power rock style gets adapted just a bit here toward the techno-dance idiom."[13]

Cash Box said of "Why Can't This Night Go On Forever" that it's a "rousing, emotional ballad is pure Journey" with a "bracing, high-wire vocal" from Steve Perry.[14]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain; all music is composed by Perry, Cain, and Neal Schon, except for songs with asterisks, which are by Perry and Cain

Side one
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Girl Can't Help It" 3:50
2."Positive Touch" 4:16
3."Suzanne"
  • *
3:38
4."Be Good to Yourself" 3:51
5."Once You Love Somebody" 4:40
6."Happy to Give"
  • *
3:49
Side two
No.TitleMusicLength
7."Raised on Radio" 3:49
8."I'll Be Alright Without You" 4:49
9."It Could Have Been You" 3:37
10."The Eyes of a Woman" 4:32
11."Why Can't This Night Go on Forever"
  • *
3:43
2006 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Girl Can't Help It" (live)4:17
13."I'll Be Alright Without You" (live)4:57

Personnel

Credits for Raised on Radio adapted from liner notes.[15]

Journey

Additional musicians

  • Bob Glaub – bass (2, 10 and 11)
  • Larrie Londin – drums (all tracks except 2, 10 and 11)
  • Mike Baird – drums (12 and 13) (2006 CD reissue only)
  • Steve Minkins – percussion (3)
  • Danny Hull (credited as Dan Hull) – saxophone (2 and 7), harp (7)

Production

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[30] Gold 50,000^
United States (RIAA)[31] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "Journey – Raised On Radio (1986, Pitman Pressing, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  2. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 445. ISBN 9780862415419.
  3. Hung, Steffen. "Journey - I'll Be Alright Without You". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  4. Ruhlmann, William. "Journey Raised on Radio review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2013-07-17.
  5. "Raised on Radio Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2013-07-17.
  6. "Raised on Radio Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2013-07-17.
  7. RIAA Gold and Platinum Search for albums by Journey. Retrieved on 2013-06-30.
  8. Gett, Steve (25 October 1986). "Journey Glad To Be On Lond & Winding Tour Road". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 43. Nielsen Business Media. pp. 26, 28. ISSN 0006-2510.
  9. Gett, Steve (22 November 1986). "Smith Steps Ahead After Leaving Journey". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 47. Nielsen Business Media. p. 35. ISSN 0006-2510.
  10. "Journey's 'Raised on Radio' Was Almost Called 'Freedom'".
  11. Kaufman, Robin (5 July 2006). "Portuguese Radio Station Stands the Test of Time". Valley Voice Archives. Tulare Voice Newspaper. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-17.
  12. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. June 21, 1986. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  13. "Reviews". Billboard. June 21, 1986. p. 73. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  14. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. April 18, 1987. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  15. (1986). "Raised on Radio liner notes". In Raised on Radio [LP sleeve]. Columbia.
  16. Mike Bruno. "Randy Jackson's Journey days: If ya don't know, now ya know..." Ew.com. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  17. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0694". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  18. "Dutchcharts.nl – Journey – Raised on Radio" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  19. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  20. "Offiziellecharts.de – Journey – Raised on Radio" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  21. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  22. "Swedishcharts.com – Journey – Raised on Radio". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  23. "Swisscharts.com – Journey – Raised on Radio". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  24. "Journey | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  25. "Journey Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  26. "Top Singles - Volume 44, No. 12, June 14, 1986". Library and Archives Canada. 14 June 1986. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  27. "Top Singles - Volume 44, No. 21, August 16, 1986". Library and Archives Canada. 16 August 1986. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  28. "Top Singles - Volume 45, No. 7, November 08 1986". Library and Archives Canada. 8 November 1986. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  29. "Top Singles - Volume 45, No. 23, March 14, 1987". Library and Archives Canada. 14 March 1987. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  30. "Canadian album certifications – Journey – Raised on Radio". Music Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  31. "American album certifications – Journey – Raised on Radio". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
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