Street Talk

Last updated
Street Talk
Steve Perry Street Talk.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 1984 (1984-04)
Recorded Record One (Los Angeles)
Genre AOR
Length39:20
Label Columbia
Producer Steve Perry, Bruce Botnick
Steve Perry chronology
Street Talk
(1984)
For the Love of Strange Medicine
(1994)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Village Voice C [4]

Street Talk is Steve Perry's first solo studio album, released in April 1984.

Contents

Street Talk contains Perry's biggest hit as a solo artist, "Oh Sherrie", written for his then-girlfriend Sherrie Swafford. [5] The song hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard's Rock chart, and the accompanying music video (also featuring Swafford) was a hit on MTV. Other singles included "Foolish Heart" (peaked at #18), "She's Mine" (peaked at #21), and "Strung Out" (peaked at #40).

There were a number of nods to Perry's pre-Journey band Alien Project on this album—in fact, that band was originally going to be called Street Talk. [6] In the liner notes, Perry dedicates the album to Richard Michaels (the bassist for Alien Project). Also, drummer Craig Krampf was a member of Alien Project later in the 1970s.

In addition to launching Perry's solo career, the cover photo for Street Talk served as a career launchpad for music photographer John Scarpati, who met Perry during the album's recording sessions at a studio in Sherman Oaks. [7]

Street Talk is certified as 2× Platinum (2,000,000) in sales by the RIAA. [8]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Oh Sherrie"Bill Cuomo, Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf, Perry3:48
2."I Believe"Goodrum, Duane Hitchings, Krampf, Perry4:12
3."Go Away"Cuomo, Goodrum, Perry4:05
4."Foolish Heart"Goodrum, Perry3:39
5."It's Only Love"Goodrum, Perry3:47
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."She's Mine"Goodrum, Perry4:26
2."You Should Be Happy"Goodrum, Perry3:20
3."Running Alone"John Bettis, Hitchings, Krampf, Perry4:05
4."Captured by the Moment"Cuomo, Goodrum, Perry3:47
5."Strung Out"Krampf, Perry, Billy Steele3:51
2006 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."My My My" ('Alien Project' demo)Perry, Krampf, Richard Michaels Haddad, Steve DeLacey2:24
12."Harmony" ('Alien Project' demo)Perry3:58
13."Makes No Difference" ('Alien Project' demo)Perry, Krampf, Haddad, DeLacey4:53
14."Don't Tell Me Why You're Leaving" (B-side to Oh Sherrie)Perry, Danny Kortchmar, Krampf3:13
15."If Only for the Moment, Girl" (Originally released on We Are the World (1985))Perry, Goodrum4:09

Charts

Chart (1984)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [9] 79
United Kingdom (Official Charts Company)59
United States (Billboard 200) [10] 12

Personnel

Production

Related Research Articles

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

Frontiers is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Journey, released on February 1, 1983, by Columbia Records. This was the band's last album to feature bassist Ross Valory until 1996's Trial by Fire.

<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 of the rock band Journey during their most commercially successful periods from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998. He also wrote/co-wrote several of Journey's 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>Dancing on the Ceiling</i> Album

Dancing on the Ceiling is the third solo studio album by American singer Lionel Richie, released on August 5, 1986. The album was originally to be titled Say You, Say Me, after the Academy Award-winning track of the same name, but it was renamed to a different track's title after Richie rewrote several songs on the album. The album was released to generally positive reviews and it made No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 4 million copies. The album was Richie’s second with session guitarist Carlos Rios. Following this album's release, Richie went on a long hiatus, not releasing an album of entirely new material for another ten years.

<i>Soul Provider</i> 1989 studio album by Michael Bolton

Soul Provider is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Bolton. The album was released on June 19, 1989 by Columbia Records/CBS. To date, the album has sold 12.5 million copies worldwide.

<i>Crazy from the Heat</i> 1985 EP by David Lee Roth

Crazy from the Heat is a 1985 EP by American rock musician David Lee Roth. His debut solo recording, it was released while Roth was still lead singer for Van Halen, though he parted ways with the band several weeks later and launched a solo career. The EP is certified platinum by the RIAA, having sold more than one million copies in the United States.

<i>You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs</i> 1997 studio album by LeAnn Rimes

You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs, or simply You Light Up My Life, is the second studio album by the American country singer LeAnn Rimes. Released in the United States by Curb Records on September 9, 1997, when Rimes was 15 years old, it followed her debut album Blue. The album was hugely successful but many critics thought that much of the material did not do Rimes' talent justice. The album has been certified 4× Platinum by the RIAA. She was the first solo artist to chart on the Billboard 200 twice, and fourth overall under the age of 18.

<i>Winner in You</i> 1986 studio album by Patti LaBelle

Winner in You is the eighth studio album by American R&B singer Patti LaBelle. It was released by MCA Records on April 28, 1986, in the United States. Recording sessions took place during 1985–1986. Production was handled by several record producers, including Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Nickolas Ashford, among others.

Craig Krampf is an American drummer, percussionist, arranger, record producer and songwriter.

<i>Garth Brooks in...the Life of Chris Gaines</i> 1999 studio album by Garth Brooks (as Chris Gaines)

Garth Brooks in...the Life of Chris Gaines, also titled Greatest Hits, is an album by American country music artist Garth Brooks, in which Brooks assumes the fictitious persona of Australian rock artist Chris Gaines. Originally, this album was intended to be the soundtrack for a movie called The Lamb that would star Brooks as a rock star recalling the different periods of his life. This album was purposely released a year in advance from the scheduled film release date to pique interest in Brooks performing rock instead of country. The Lamb, however, was never filmed due to financial and management problems.

<i>Perspective</i> (America album) 1984 studio album by America

Perspective is the twelfth studio album by American folk rock duo America, released by Capitol Records on September 21, 1984.

<i>For the Love of Strange Medicine</i> 1994 studio album by Steve Perry

For the Love of Strange Medicine is the second solo studio album by Steve Perry, released on July 13, 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.

<i>Café Racers</i> 1983 studio album by Kim Carnes

Café Racers is the eighth studio album by American singer Kim Carnes, released in October 1983 by EMI.

<i>Light House</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Kim Carnes

Light House is the tenth studio album by Kim Carnes, released in 1986 through EMI. The album reunited Carnes with Val Garay, who produced her albums Mistaken Identity and Voyeur in the early 80s.

<i>Pass It On Down</i> (Alabama album) 1990 album by the American band, Alabama

Pass It on Down is the thirteenth studio album from American country music band Alabama, released in 1990. Singles released from the album were the title track, "Here We Are", "Down Home", "Forever's as Far as I'll Go" and "Jukebox in My Mind". "I Ain't Got No Business Doing Business Today" is a cover of Razzy Bailey.

<i>American Pride</i> (album) 1992 album by the American band, Alabama

American Pride is the fourteenth studio album by American country music band Alabama, released in 1992 by RCA Nashville. It included the singles "I'm in a Hurry ", "Take a Little Trip", "Hometown Honeymoon" and "Once Upon a Lifetime". "I'm in a Hurry" was a Number One hit for the band, while the other singles all reached the Top Five on the U.S. Billboard country charts. "Between the Two of Them" was later released as a single by Tanya Tucker from her 1994 album Fire to Fire.

<i>In Pictures</i> 1995 album by the American band, Alabama

In Pictures is the sixteenth studio album by American country music band Alabama, released in 1995. It included the singles "She Ain't Your Ordinary Girl", "In Pictures", "It Works", "Say I" and "The Maker Said Take Her", which respectively reached No. 2, No. 4, No. 19, No. 38 and No. 4 on the Hot Country Songs charts. Making it the first album of their career not to produce a number one hit. The title track was originally recorded by Linda Davis on her 1994 album Shoot for the Moon. The album peaked at No. 100 on the Billboard 200 album charts and No. 12 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Sherrie</span> 1984 single by Steve Perry

"Oh Sherrie" is the debut solo single by American singer Steve Perry. Written by Perry, Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf and Bill Cuomo, the song was recorded and released on Perry's first solo album Street Talk in 1984, which he released while still a member of Journey. The song is often regarded as an "honorary" Journey song, being credited to the band on several hit compilation albums and in other media, largely due to its resemblance to the band's trademark sound, as well as their performances of the song on the Raised on Radio Tour, which proved to be Perry's live swansong with the band. The song is written in F major.

<i>Emotional</i> (Jeffrey Osborne album) 1986 studio album by Jeffrey Osborne

Emotional is the fourth album by American singer Jeffrey Osborne. It was released by A&M Records on May 27, 1986. Produced by Osborne, Rod Temperton, Richard Perry, T. C. Campbell, Michael Masser, and George Duke, Emotional reached number five on the US Billboard R&B Albums chart and number 27 on the Billboard 200. It spawned one of Osborne's biggest pop hits, "You Should Be Mine " which peaked at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Other tracks that charted include "In Your Eyes", "Soweto", and "Room with a View."

<i>Love Will Turn You Around</i> 1982 studio album by Kenny Rogers

Love Will Turn You Around is the thirteenth studio album by American singer Kenny Rogers, released in 1982.

<i>Little Robbers</i> 1983 studio album by the Motels

Little Robbers is the RIAA Gold-certified fourth studio album by new wave band the Motels. It was recorded between February and August 1983 and released on September 16 of that year.

References

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Larkin, Colin (2006). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 494. ISBN   0195313739.
  3. DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly, eds. (1992). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. p. 541. ISBN   0679737294.
  4. Christgau, Robert (May 28, 1985). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . New York. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  5. Steve Perry talks about the recording of "Oh Sherrie" and Street Talk singles.
  6. Steve Perry discusses the Alien Project story and Street Talk.
  7. Platania, Mike (30 September 2019). "Back in the spotlight: Retired rock photographer adds some shine to Short Pump side gig". Richmond BizSense. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  8. "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Archived from the original on 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  9. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 232. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  10. "Steve Perry - Chart History - Billboard 200". billboard. billboard.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved October 16, 2018.