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Today's song was from 1984, a big year for lead singers of popular bands to release solo albums. Tommy Shaw of Styx and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac also had solo efforts. And there was no bigger band in the world at the time than this west coast group whose lead singer stepped out on his own with the debut solo single.
As his first single, he felt he had a lot to prove both within the band and outside on his own. The song is about his real-life girlfriend at the time, Sherrie Swafford, who also appeared in the video.
He was advised NEVER to use his actual girlfriend in the video because producers felt that doing that was always the beginning of the end for any relationship. Eventually, they relented when they saw the obvious chemistry of two people who were actually in love and not just acting for the camera. And while they DID eventually break up later, this singer always spoke very highly of the song’s namesake and their time together.
When today’s 1984 song took off, some fans wondered if today’s singer would return to the massively famous rock band he was taking a break from. But he wasn’t the first of the band to do a side project, the guitarist released albums in 1981 and 1982, and the drummer made a jazz album in 1983.
Today’s artist was not the band’s first front man, and he wouldn’t be the last. He joined them three albums in. In their original form, the band was more of a jazzy, progressive rock outfit.
Of course Steve Perry did return to Journey after today’s song.
The group released the album Raised On Radio in 1986, but that tour was their last with Perry. When they re-formed for the 1996 album Trial By Fire, Perry fractured a hip and couldn't go on the road. That fractured the band and they went without him and continue to this day with Arnel Pineda on lead vocals.