Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

Last updated
"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
Separate Ways Journey.jpg
Single by Journey
from the album Frontiers
B-side "Frontiers"
ReleasedJanuary 4, 1983 (1983-01-04) [1]
RecordedAutumn 1982
Genre Hard rock
Length
  • 5:24 (album version)
  • 4:21 (single version)
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Journey singles chronology
"Only Solutions"
(1982)		"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
(1983)		"Faithfully"
(1983)
Music video
"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" on YouTube

"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" is a song performed by Journey, recorded for their album Frontiers and released as a single in January 1983. It peaked at number eight for six consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and spent four weeks at number one on the Top Tracks chart. [2] The song is also well known for its use in the film Tron: Legacy and in season four of Stranger Things . [3]

Contents

To accompany the song on MTV, the band shot its first concept video. It was a difficult experience for a variety of reasons, and received mixed reviews from critics.[ citation needed ] The video was recorded in New Orleans, Louisiana. [4]

Background and writing

The song was written and composed in 1982 during the Escape tour. It is not certain exactly when it was first performed live. Some sources claim that the first live performance of the song was in 1982 at the Day on the Green concert, where singer Steve Perry told the crowd, "We just wrote this song about two weeks ago." However, bootleg recordings exist of performances at least a month earlier at Chicago's Rosemont Horizon, where Perry also says the song was two weeks old. [5]

There were some minor differences in the lyrics on this live debut compared to the final version found on Frontiers. In a 2008 interview, guitarist Neal Schon recalled the first time it was played live:

It doesn't matter where we put this song because it has always had a strong effect on the audience, all the way back to the first time we played it—before it was even recorded. It was written on tour and we threw it in the set to see how it would go down. The audience had an amazing reaction to it without even knowing what it was. [5]

"Usually we don't write songs that far in advance of an album," observed Jonathan Cain, the band's keyboardist, as Andy Secher, in his article "Adventures in Frontierland," published in the June 1983 issue of Hit Parader Magazine, quoted him. "But on that occasion, Steve [Perry] and I were just working an idea backstage and it all came together. He was working on a bass and I had a guitar, and we just worked out the melody that night and the lyrics the next afternoon. Sometimes you can get lucky and have a song fall together like that." [6]

Schon said that the song was, like many other songs by the band, "Motown mixed with R&B and blues ... that's pretty much where 'Separate Ways' is coming from. It's got a heavier guitar than an R&B song, but I think that's what makes it sound like Journey." [5]
Cain said the same thing in 1983:

We wanted to write something rhythmic and still have a strong and haunting melody. We needed a main rhythm to run through the synthesizer and Steve Smith designed that kind of drum beat to let everything breathe. It's really a throwback to all of our roots and the Motown sound. Steve [Perry] has always listened to a lot of Motown records, songs with a strong chorus approach. Songs that were real urgent sounding, but still had rhythm and melody." [7]

Music video

The music video for "Separate Ways" was the first single for which the band shot a choreographed video: previous videos were performances that were taped and edited, [8] expanded with "Faithfully" to include a montage of the band on tour shot by a crew from NFL Films. Steve Perry had been very opposed to making a choreographed video. "He'd always say, 'We're performers, we're entertainers, but we're not actors,'" recalled Cain. "And we were not a very photogenic band." [9]

In the video, which used the shorter single version, the band performs the song while a young woman in a white jacket and black leather skirt walks along the wharf. At some points, Perry and the other members of the band perform right next to her, and seem to be singing to her, but she remains oblivious. In the ending, she is seen in a bed, wearing headphones. John Diaz, the producer, explains that the idea was that she had dreamed the video after falling asleep while listening to the song. "Our concepts were so inane." [9]

The video is now infamous [9] for the scenes where the band is pretending to play non-existent instruments, although they do also play their real instruments (including Cain playing his Roland Jupiter-8 "up-the-wall"). It features over 50 camera moves with choreography by Columbia Records Art and Creative Services. [8]

It was reported that on the first day of shooting, there was a cold breeze coming off the Mississippi River next to the wharf. This made filming all the more difficult on the band and Perry, who was seen retreating to his camper to keep warm. [8] This state of affairs was complicated by the presence of Perry's then-girlfriend, Sherrie Swafford, on the set. Not only had the band been told that they could not bring wives or girlfriends to the shoot, the other members hated Swafford and her effect on Perry, which created considerable tension. She was reportedly very jealous of the young woman in the video, local model Margaret Olmstead, [10] [11] and kept demanding Olmstead be taken out of it. "There was a big kicking and screaming session," Cain recalled later. "Sherrie was giving Steve a very bad time about that girl." Perry had also just gotten his hair cut short, which Cain found inexplicable since the singer's previous hairstyle had been "rockin'." [9]

"Here's a band at their commercial peak," says Adam Dubin, director of many well-received videos, "and some idiot decided to film them on a wharf and--here's the worst part--instead of giving them instruments, let them mime playing imaginary instruments. The director should be shot. And the manager should be shot for allowing his band to be put in this position." [9]

A decade later, the video was heavily criticized on the MTV animated series Beavis and Butt-Head, with the titular characters, both voiced by Mike Judge, opining that the video "sucks" and was "horrible" and ridiculing Perry and Schon's fashion sense. [12] This greatly upset Cain, since he felt Journey's videos had helped make MTV. He called the band's manager repeatedly to ask how they could stop the channel from reairing the segment. [9] In 1999 MTV chose it as 13th on its list of the 25 Worst Videos of All Time. [8]

"I'm at a loss to explain that video," said Cain. "I will never live down those air keyboards. No matter what else I've done in my career, sooner or later people find a way to ask me about the 'Separate Ways' video." [9]

Stranger Things version

For the fourth season of the TV series Stranger Things , which has used songs from the 1980s on its soundtrack, Bryce Miller and Alloy Tracks remixed the song. A fan of the show, Steve Perry heard the remix and told Miller and Troy MacCubbin how much he liked it. Perry told Variety , "I was stunned at how cool it was." Soon after that Perry suggested an extended version which he worked on with Miller. [13]

Daughtry version

"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
Single by Daughtry featuring Lzzy Hale
ReleasedJanuary 5, 2023 (2023-01-05)
RecordedAutumn 2022
Genre
Length5:17
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Daughtry featuring Lzzy Hale singles chronology
"Changes are Coming"
(2021)		"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
(2023)		"Artificial"
(2023)
Music video
"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (Official Music Video) ft. Lzzy Hale" on YouTube

In 2023, American rock band Daughtry and Lzzy Hale of Halestorm covered the song to mark the 40th anniversary of the original song.

Weekly chart performance for "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
Chart (2023)Peak
position
Canada Digital Songs ( Billboard ) [14] 21
Canada Rock ( Billboard ) [15] 30
US Digital Song Sales ( Billboard ) [16] 3
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [17] 40
US Rock Airplay ( Billboard ) [18] 21
UK Singles Sales (OCC) [19] 49

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [35] Silver200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [36] 4× Platinum4,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Escape</i> (Journey album) 1981 studio album by Journey

Escape is the seventh studio album by American rock band Journey, released on July 20, 1981, by Columbia Records. It topped the US Billboard 200 chart and featured four hit Billboard Hot 100 singles – "Don't Stop Believin'", "Who's Crying Now", "Still They Ride" and "Open Arms" – plus rock radio staple "Stone in Love". In July 2021, it was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA) for at least ten million sales in the US, making it the band's most successful studio album and second most successful album overall behind Greatest Hits. Escape was the fifth-highest selling album of 1981, just behind Bella Donna from Stevie Nicks.

<i>Frontiers</i> (Journey album) 1983 studio album by Journey

Frontiers is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Journey, released in February 1983, by Columbia Records. This was the band's last album to feature bassist Ross Valory until 1996's Trial by Fire.

<i>Raised on Radio</i> 1986 studio album by Journey

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 not to 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Journey (band)</span> American rock band

Journey is an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1973 by former members of Santana, the Steve Miller Band, and Frumious Bandersnatch. The band as of 2024 consists of Neal Schon on guitars and vocals ; Jonathan Cain on keyboards, guitars and vocals; Deen Castronovo on drums and vocals; Arnel Pineda on lead vocals; Jason Derlatka on keyboards and vocals; and Todd Jensen on bass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Perry</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1949)

Stephen Ray Perry is an American singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and frontman of the rock band Journey during their most successful years from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998. He wrote/co-wrote several Journey hit songs. Perry had a successful solo career between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s, made sporadic appearances in the 2000s, and returned to music full-time in 2018.

<i>Trial by Fire</i> (Journey album) 1996 studio album by Journey

Trial by Fire is the tenth studio album by American rock band Journey. Released on October 22, 1996, the album marked the reunion of the classic 1981–1985 lineup, which had not recorded together since 1983's Frontiers. Trial by Fire was produced by Kevin Shirley, who continues to produce the band's albums. It is the first album to feature bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith since Frontiers and the last to feature Smith and vocalist Steve Perry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open Arms (Journey song)</span> 1982 single by Journey

"Open Arms" is a song by American rock band Journey. It was released as a single from the Heavy Metal soundtrack and their 1981 album, Escape. Co-written by band members Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain, the song is a power ballad whose lyrics attempt to renew a drifting relationship. It is one of the band's most recognizable radio hits and their biggest US Billboard Hot 100 hit, reaching number two in February 1982 and holding that position for six weeks. It also reached number two in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Stop Believin'</span> 1981 single by Journey

"Don't Stop Believin'" is a song by American rock band Journey. It was released in October 1981 as the second single from the group's seventh studio album, Escape (1981), released through Columbia Records. "Don't Stop Believin'" shares writing credits between the band's vocalist Steve Perry, guitarist Neal Schon, and keyboardist Jonathan Cain. A mid-tempo rock anthem and power ballad, "Don't Stop Believin'" is known for its memorable opening piano riff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Any Way You Want It</span> 1980 single by Journey

"Any Way You Want It" is a song by American rock band Journey, released in February 1980 as the lead single from the band's sixth album Departure (1980). Written by lead singer Steve Perry and guitarist Neal Schon, it peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lzzy Hale</span> American rock musician (born 1983)

Elizabeth Mae "Lzzy" Hale IV is an American musician. She serves as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of hard rock band Halestorm, which she co-founded with her brother Arejay Hale in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who's Crying Now</span> Single by Journey

"Who's Crying Now" is a song by the American rock band Journey. It was written by Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry. It was released in 1981 as the first single from Escape and reached No. 4 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts. The song charted at No. 46 in the UK Singles Chart, and was the band's highest charting single in the UK until "Don't Stop Believin'" incurred a resurgence in UK popularity in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faithfully (song)</span> 1983 single by Journey

"Faithfully" is a song by American rock band Journey, released in 1983 as the second single from their album Frontiers. The song was written by keyboardist Jonathan Cain. It peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the band their second consecutive top-twenty hit from Frontiers. Despite featuring no chorus, it has gone on to become one of the band's most recognizable hits and has enjoyed lasting popularity. In a Classic Rock article, "Faithfully" was called the greatest power ballad ever recorded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">After the Fall (song)</span> 1983 single by Journey

"After the Fall" is a song by the American rock band Journey. Written by Jonathan Cain and Steve Perry, it was the third single released from their 1983 album Frontiers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What About Now (Daughtry song)</span> 2008 single by Daughtry

"What About Now" is the seventh single from American rock band Daughtry's self-titled debut album. The song is a ballad, that was written by Ben Moody, David Hodges, and Josh Hartzler, who is married to Amy Lee. It is one of only two songs on the album not at least co-written by Chris Daughtry. The song was announced as the band's next single on their website. It was officially released in the U.S. on July 1, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daughtry discography</span> Band discography

This is the discography of American rock band Daughtry. The band was created following the participation of singer Chris Daughtry in the fifth season of American Idol and has so far released six studio albums and an EP.

<i>Revelation</i> (Journey album) 2008 studio album by Journey

Revelation is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Journey, and their first with lead singer Arnel Pineda. It features 11 new songs, 11 re-recorded greatest hits and a DVD featuring the current lineup's concert in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 8, 2008. Three singles penned by Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain were released to radio: the distinctively Journey-sounding "Never Walk Away," "Where Did I Lose Your Love," and the power ballad "After All These Years". "Where Did I Lose Your Love" and "After All These Years" both found success on the adult contemporary charts; "Where Did I Lose Your Love" peaked at No. 19, while "After All These Years" peaked at No. 9 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and stayed on the charts for over 23 weeks. It was met with generally positive reviews, with many calling it a return to form from the band and praising Pineda's vocals, musicianship and the band's performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only the Young (Journey song)</span> 1985 single by Journey

"Only the Young" is a song written by Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry and Neal Schon of the band Journey. Previously intended for Journey's 1983 album Frontiers, it was pulled from the album within days of recording in favor of songs "Back Talk" and "Troubled Child". It was then sold to the band Scandal, who released it in 1984 on their album Warrior, as the first commercially released version of the song. Journey's version was included on the soundtrack to the 1985 film Vision Quest, and was also released as a single which reached the top 10 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Be Good to Yourself</span> 1986 single by Journey

"Be Good to Yourself" is a song by Journey from their ninth studio album, Raised on Radio. Released in 1986 as the first single from the album, the song reached number 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be Alright Without You</span> 1986 single by Journey

"I'll Be Alright Without You" is a song by the American rock band Journey included on their 9th studio album, Raised on Radio. The song was written and composed by Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry, and Neal Schon.

"Ask the Lonely" is a song by American rock band Journey. It was featured in the film Two of a Kind and its respective soundtrack. The song was a radio rock hit in the U.S. and appears on their 1988 Greatest Hits album. The single was backed with "Troubled Child", a track from their 1983 album Frontiers. CD reissues of said album feature "Ask the Lonely" as a bonus track.

References

  1. ↑ "RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America .
  2. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 335.
  3. ↑ "The 'Stranger Things' Season 4 Soundtrack Is the Ultimate Love Letter to the 1980s" . Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "Journey Explains That 'Separate Ways' Video". HuffPost. 2012-04-19. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  5. 1 2 3 Bowcott, Nick (2009-06-09). "The Setlist: Neal Schon of Journey". Guitar World . Archived from the original on 2009-06-12. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  6. ↑ Secher, Andy (June 1983). "Adventures in Frontierland". Hit Parader : 6.
  7. ↑ Sutherland, Jon (April 1983). "Journey Looks to New Frontiers". Record Review. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Journey on the Video Set". Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Marks, Craig; Tannenbaum, Rob (2011). I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution . New York, NY: Dutton. pp.  91–92. ISBN   978-0-525-95230-5.
  10. ↑ "Noblemania".
  11. ↑ "Journey "Separate Ways" video director answers our "WTF?" questions - Golden Age of Music Video". Golden Age of Music Video. 26 August 2011.
  12. ↑ "Buff 'N' Stuff." Beavis and Butt-Head. Season 3, Episode 16. MTV. October 14, 1993.
  13. ↑ Shafer, Ellise (July 1, 2022). "'Stranger Things 4' Unveils Complete Soundtrack, Including Extended Remix of Journey's 'Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)' With Steve Perry". Variety . Retrieved August 11, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Daughtry Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs Sales)". Billboard . Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Daughtry Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Daughtry Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2023.
  17. ↑ "Daughtry Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Daughtry Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  20. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  21. ↑ Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. ISBN   1-896-594-13-1.
  22. 1 2 "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".
  23. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (J)".
  24. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending APRIL 2, 1983". Archived from the original on September 11, 2012.
  25. 1 2 "Journey Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales)". Billboard . Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Journey Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of March 29, 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  29. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. July 11, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Journey Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  33. 1 2 "Journey Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  34. ↑ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1983". Archived from the original on December 25, 2012.
  35. ↑ "British single certifications – Journey – Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  36. ↑ "American single certifications – Journey – Separate Ways". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.