Steve Perry has said he left Journey in the late 1990s because he had lost his connection to music. A bad hip and the relentless cycle of touring, recording and writing added to the strain, but he said the deeper reason was personal: “It was really my heart.” Years later, his relationship with Kellie Nash and the grief of losing her helped him find his way back to singing. That return became Traces, released October 5, 2018.
Why did Steve Perry leave Journey?
In a 2018 interview preview, Perry told CBS correspondent Tracy Smith that he stepped away in the late 1990s because he had fallen out of love with music and wanted to move forward. He was also weary of the grind and dealing with a bad hip. His bandmates urged him to address the hip so they could continue, but when Smith framed the decision as being about his heart rather than his hip, Perry agreed: “It was really my heart.” CBS News
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He gave a fuller account to The Guardian, describing himself as “completely burned out” by touring, recording and writing music incessantly. He said he had lost touch with the passion for music he had discovered as a child, and that he walked away without a plan to return. His explanation includes both physical strain and creative disconnection; the hip was part of the circumstances, not the whole story. The Guardian
What happened to Perry after he left?
Perry told CBS, “I stopped singing. Completely, Tracy, I swear.” His return to music took years. He met psychologist Kellie Nash while she was receiving treatment for late-stage breast cancer. Perry credited Nash with helping him want to sing again, and said she asked him not to retreat into isolation after her death. CBS reported that he mourned for two years before he began recording.
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In an Associated Press interview reproduced in a contemporaneous newspaper PDF, Perry described later singing “Open Arms” for Nash and spoke of the album’s emotional center as an open heart. He put that feeling this way: “A heart is not complete until it’s completely broken. And I’m telling you, my heart is completely broken and it’s open again.” This is Perry’s account of grief and his return to music, not a claim that heartbreak alone explains the album. Associated Press interview, reproduced in a newspaper PDF
When did Steve Perry release Traces?
Traces came out October 5, 2018, on Fantasy Records. Perry’s official announcement called it his first new album in nearly a quarter century and identified “No Erasin’” as its lead track. The announcement described making the record as emotionally demanding: “Putting 30 years into 10 songs has certainly been an emotional experience for me.” That is Perry’s characterization of the album, rather than a formal measure of the time represented by its songs. Steve Perry’s official announcement
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What songs are on Traces?
The 2018 announcement lists ten tracks: nine originals and “I Need You,” Perry’s reimagining of a Beatles song. Perry produced the album with co-producer Thom Flowers.
- “No Erasin’”
- “We’re Still Here”
- “Most Of All”
- “No More Cryin’”
- “In The Rain”
- “Sun Shines Gray”
- “You Belong To Me”
- “Easy To Love”
- “I Need You”
- “We Fly”
The announcement listed CD, digital download and 180-gram vinyl editions. Those are formats announced for the 2018 release, not confirmation of present-day availability.
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- Two albums in one: Greatest Hits – Volume 1 & Volume 2.
- 33 iconic tracks: Including hits like "Don’t Stop Believin’" and "Open Arms".
- Classic rock anthems: Essential songs from Journey’s legendary career.
- Perfect for fans: A must-have collection for Journey lovers.
- High-quality sound: Remastered for optimal listening experience.
How is Traces (Alternate Versions and Sketches) different?
Traces (Alternate Versions and Sketches) is a separate later companion release, not another name for the 2018 album. Perry described its simpler arrangements in a 2020 Rolling Stone Australia interview, explaining that he tested songs acoustically: “You take any song and sit near a campfire with an acoustic guitar and sing it, the song should be able to survive.” The approach revisits selected songs in a more stripped-back form. Rolling Stone Australia
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