For the Love of Strange Medicine
| For the Love of Strange Medicine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 19, 1994[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Studio | Ocean Way Recording (Hollywood, California) One On One Studios (Hollywood, California) The Record Plant (Los Angeles, California) The Enterprise (Burbank, California) American Recording Studios (Woodland Hills, California) Knightlight Studios (Dallas, Texas) Dallas Sound Lab (Dallas, Texas) | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 53:02 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | James "Jimbo" Barton, Steve Perry, Tim Miner | |||
| Steve Perry chronology | ||||
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| Singles from For the Love of Strange Medicine | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [3] |
For the Love of Strange Medicine is the second solo studio album by Steve Perry, released on July 19, 1994 through Columbia Records. The album came after a lengthy 8-year hiatus following the breakup of Journey. The first single "You Better Wait" received radio airplay, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and peaking at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified gold by the RIAA in September 1994 and followed by a tour from 1994-95.
The song "Young Hearts Forever" was written by Perry as a tribute to his late friend, Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, who died in 1986.
Background[edit]
Journey released their ninth studio album Raised on Radio in 1986, which was Steve Perry's sixth album as lead singer. The band subsequently went on a hiatus in 1987. After the split, Perry "didn't feel the passion" for writing and recording music, but eventually began writing songs for the album with musicians Lincoln Brewster, Paul Taylor, and Moyes Lucas.[2]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You Better Wait" | Steve Perry, Lincoln Brewster, Paul Taylor, Moyes Lucas, John Pierce, George Hawkins | James "Jimbo" Barton | 4:51 |
| 2. | "Young Hearts Forever" | Perry, Clif Magness | Barton | 4:43 |
| 3. | "I Am" | Perry, Taylor, Brewster | Barton | 4:54 |
| 4. | "Stand Up (Before It's Too Late)" | Perry, Brewster, Taylor, Lucas, Larry Kimpel | Barton | 4:49 |
| 5. | "For the Love of Strange Medicine" | Perry, Brewster, Taylor, Lucas, | Barton, Perry | 5:52 |
| 6. | "Donna Please" | Perry, Taylor, Stephen Bishop | Barton, Perry | 4:02 |
| 7. | "Listen to Your Heart" | Perry, Taylor, Brewster, Lucas | Barton | 3:31 |
| 8. | "Tuesday Heartache" | Perry, Magness, Taylor, Brewster, Lucas | Barton | 6:00 |
| 9. | "Missing You" | Perry, Tim Miner | Perry, Miner | 3:48 |
| 10. | "Somewhere There's Hope" | Perry, Taylor, Brewster, Lucas | Barton | 6:05 |
| 11. | "Anyway" | Perry | Perry, Miner | 4:20 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "If You Need Me, Call Me" | Steve Perry, Craig Krampf, Richard Michaels Haddad, Steve DeLacey | Perry, Randy Goodrum | 5:50 |
| 13. | "One More Time" | Perry, Brewster | Perry | 3:32 |
| 14. | "Can't Stop" | Perry, Goodrum, Michael Landau | Perry, Goodrum | 4:08 |
| 15. | "Friends of Mine" | Perry, Josh Leo, Goodrum, Krampf | Perry, Goodrum | 3:30 |
| 16. | "Missing You" (Live in San Francisco 12/9/94) | Perry, Miner | 4:13 |
- Notes (2006 re-release)
- "If You Need Me, Call Me" is a 1994 re-recording of a song of Perry's pre-Journey band, Alien Project.
- "One More Time" is an unreleased out take from 1994.
- "Can't Stop" and "Friends of Mine" are previously unreleased tracks from the 1988 unreleased Against the Wall album.
Personnel[edit]
- Steve Perry – lead and backing vocals
- Paul Taylor – keyboards (1-8, 10), backing vocals (1), synthesizers (11)
- Tim Miner – keyboards (9); acoustic piano, bass and backing vocals (9, 11)
- Lincoln Brewster – guitars (1-8, 10), backing vocals (1)
- Michael Landau – guitars (11)
- Larry Kimpel – bass (1, 2, 4, 10)
- Mike Porcaro – bass (2, 3, 5, 6, 7)
- Moyes Lucas – drums (1-8, 10, 11), backing vocals (1, 7)
- Jeremy Lubbock – string arrangements and string conductor (3)
- James "Jimbo" Barton – string arrangements (3)
- Phil Brown – string arrangements (3), bass (8)
- Larry Dalton – string arrangements and conductor (9)
- Dallas Symphony Orchestra – strings (9)
- Alexander Brown – backing vocals (4, 10)
- Carmen Carter – backing vocals (4, 10)
- Jean McClain – backing vocals (4, 10)
Production[edit]
- Randy Jackson – A&R direction
- James "Jimbo" Barton – producer (1-8, 10), engineer (1-8, 10)
- Steve Perry – producer (5, 6, 9, 11)
- Tim Miner – producer (9, 11)
- David Reitzas – string recording (3)
- Tim Kimsey – engineer (9)
- Frank Salazar – engineer (9)
- Craig Burbidge – mixing (3, 4, 5, 7-11), engineer (11)
- Niko Bolas – mixing (1, 2, 6)
- Bill Cooper, Devin Foutz, Manny Marroquin, Kyle Ross, Rail Rogut and Ulrich Wild – second engineers
- Brian Lee – digital editing
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Phil Brown – production assistant (1-4, 7, 8, 10)
- Diarmuid Quinn – product manager
- Dave Coleman – art direction
- Reisig & Taylor – photography
- Bob Cavallo and Scott Welch with Third Rail Management – management
Studios
- Recorded at Ocean Way Recording and One On One Studios (Hollywood, California); Record Plant (Los Angeles, California); The Enterprise (Burbank, California); American Recording Studios (Woodland Hills, California); Knightlight Studios and Dallas Sound Lab (Dallas, Texas).
- Mixed at Aire L.A. Studios (Glendale, California); The Hit Factory (New York City, New York).
- Edited and Mastered at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine).
Charts[edit]
Album[edit]
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[4] | 91 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[5] | 23 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[6] | 44 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[7] | 64 |
| US Billboard 200[8] | 15 |
References[edit]
- ^ "American album certifications - Steve Perry - For the Love of Strange Medicine". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ^ a b Rosen, Craig (11 June 1994). "Retail's Open Arms Greet Steve Perry". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 24. Nielsen Business Media. pp. 12–13. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ For the Love of Strange Medicine at AllMusic
- ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Steve Perry – For The Love Of Strange Medicine". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Steve Perry – For The Love Of Strange Medicine". Hung Medien.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Steve Perry Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
