For the Love of Strange Medicine
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| Allmusic |   [2] |
For the Love of Strange Medicine is the second studio album by Steve Perry, released on July 19, 1994 through Columbia Records. After a lengthy 8-year hiatus following the breakup of Journey, and a shelved 1988 solo effort later titled Against the Wall, Perry returned to the spotlight with this album. The first single "You Better Wait" received major radio airplay and reached the top 10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in the U.S. The album was followed by a tour in 1994-1995. For the Love of Strange Medicine was certified as gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 units in the United States, as of September 1994.
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
Journey released their ninth studio album Raised on Radio in 1986, which was Steve Perry' 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.[1]
Track listing
| 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 |
| 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 unfinished Against the Wall album.
Personnel
- Steve Perry - vocals
- Lincoln Brewster - guitars, background vocals
- Paul Taylor- keyboards, background vocals
- Moyes Lucas - drums, background vocals
- Larry Kimpel - bass on "You Better Wait", "Young Hearts Forever", "Stand Up", "Somewhere There's Hope"
- Mike Porcaro - bass on "Young Hearts Forever", "I Am", "For the Love of Strange Medicine", "Donna Please", "Listen to Your Heart"
- Phil Brown - bass on "Tuesday Heartache"
- Jeremy Lubbock, James Barton, Phil Brown - string arrangement on "I Am"
- Tim Miner - bass, piano, keyboards & background vocals on "Missing You", bass & piano on "Anyway"
- Larry Dalton - string arrangement & conductor on "Missing You"
- Dallas Symphony Orchestra - strings on "Missing You"
- Michael Landau - guitars on "Anyway"
- Alexander Brown, Carmen Carter, Jean McClain - backing vocals on "Stand Up" and "Somewhere There's Hope"
- Production
- Tracks 1-4, 7, 8, 10 and 11 Produced and Recorded by James "Jimbo" Barton; Production Assistant: Phil Brown
- Tracks 5 & 6 Produced By James Barton & Steve Perry
- Track 9 Produced By Perry & Tim Miner
- All Songs Recorded by James Barton, except track 9 (recorded by Tim Kimsey)
- Assistant and Second Recording Engineers: Devin Foutz, Manny Marroquin, Kyle Ross, Ulrich Wild, Rail Jon Rogut and Bill Cooper, Christopher C. Murphy
- All Songs Mixed By Craig Burbidge except tracks 1, 2 & 6, which were mixed by Niko Bolas
- Digital Editing: Brian Lee
- Mastered By Bob Ludwig
Charts
Album
Singles
The following singles were released from the album, with the highest charting positions listed.
References
