The Joe Perry Project
Encyclopedia
The Joe Perry Project is an American rock band formed by Aerosmith
lead guitarist Joe Perry
. Perry started working on forming the band shortly before his departure from Aerosmith in 1979. The Joe Perry Project signed a record deal almost immediately after Perry's exit from the band with Aerosmith's label, Columbia Records
, who were disappointed with the chaos in the Aerosmith camp and hoping to maneuver Perry back into Aerosmith.
and drummer Ronnie Stewart. This line-up recorded The Project's 1980 debut album, Let the Music Do the Talking
, which was produced by long-time Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas
. The album was fairly well received and sold a respectable 250,000 copies in the US.
During the tour in support of the album, Morman was fired and replaced by Joey Mala, who lasted until the end of the tour, when he in turn was replaced by singer and rhythm guitarist Charlie Farren. This line-up recorded one album, I've Got the Rock'n'Rolls Again
, which was released to little attention in 1981. Columbia's reluctance to promote the album combined with Perry's continuing drug problems led to Perry's firing the entire band in 1982.
Equipped with a new record label (MCA Records
) and three new band members in singer Cowboy Mach Bell, bassist Danny Hargrove and drummer Joe Pet, the band released Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker
in 1983. The album met the same fate as its predecessor, selling a meager 40,000 copies without any promotion whatsoever. Despite the poor sales, The Project went out on a final tour in support of the album, adding then ex-Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford
to the line-up.
During this tour, The Project performed in a series of co-bills with Huey Lewis and the News
in Texas promoted by veteran concert producers Tom Young and Terrell Braly. It was during this tour that Joe formed a strong friendship with Huey Lewis
. The News was booked by Fred Bohlander of Monterey Peninsula Artists and Huey felt that Joe should be with the same agency in a reformed Aerosmith. Fred Bohlander agreed and arranged a meeting between Joe and Steven Tyler. Monterey Penn Artist would arrange for a tour of the reformed legendary act should the principals agree.
The following year, both Perry and Whitford would rejoin Aerosmith for a very successful reunion and began a two decade relationship with Monterey Peninsula Artists which in turn helped make the small agency the industry powerhouse it is today.
A compilation album, The Music Still Does the Talking: The Best of the Joe Perry Project
, was released by an Australian Indie Record label in 1999.
released a solo album entitled Have Guitar, Will Travel. The first single from the album was called "Long Way to Go." Although the record was released as a Perry solo album, the touring band included original bassist David Hull
and they are being billed as The Joe Perry Project. Also participating in the band were guitarist/keyboardist Paul Santo, drummer Marty Richards and German vocalist Hagen Grohe who was discovered by Perry's wife on YouTube
. The new Joe Perry Project also backed Joe on his latest album which makes it a de facto JPP album.
On September 20, 2009, the new Joe Perry Project played the first public concert of the Have Guitar, Will Travel Tour
at Memorial Hall in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The show was announced just days before the event. Fans who attended the show were the first to hear some of the new songs from the upcoming album "Joe Perry...Have Guitar, Will Travel", as well as a handful of classic Aerosmith hits including: "Let the Music Do the Talking
" (alternate JPP version), "Walkin' The Dog
", "Dream On
", "Combination" and "Walk This Way
". The final song of the night was a cover of Neil Young
's "Keep On Rockin' in the Free World."
On November 10, 2009 Steven Tyler
joined The Joe Perry Project on stage at the Fillmore New York to sing "Walk This Way." His appearance with Joe Perry marked the end of intense speculation, as well as recent confirmation from Perry, that he had quit Aerosmith.
Joe Perry Project toured 2010 in support of bands such as Bad Company
and Mötley Crüe
.
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
lead guitarist Joe Perry
Joe Perry (musician)
Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...
. Perry started working on forming the band shortly before his departure from Aerosmith in 1979. The Joe Perry Project signed a record deal almost immediately after Perry's exit from the band with Aerosmith's label, Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, who were disappointed with the chaos in the Aerosmith camp and hoping to maneuver Perry back into Aerosmith.
History
The original band line-up consisted of Perry, singer Ralph Morman, bassist David HullDavid Hull (musician)
David Hull is an American bass guitar player.- Biography :He is most notable for being the substitute bass player for Aerosmith during a portion of their 2006 Route of All Evil Tour , while the band's regular bassist Tom Hamilton was absent while recovering from throat cancer...
and drummer Ronnie Stewart. This line-up recorded The Project's 1980 debut album, Let the Music Do the Talking
Let the Music Do the Talking
Let the Music Do the Talking is the first of four albums by The Joe Perry Project. It was also the most successful, selling approximately 250,000 copies in the United States. The title song, Let the Music Do the Talking was then covered and rerecorded by Aerosmith on their album Done With...
, which was produced by long-time Aerosmith producer Jack Douglas
Jack Douglas (record producer)
Jack Douglas is an American record producer. He was born in New York City. Starting out as folk musician and performer, he worked on Robert Kennedy's senatorial campaign as a song-writer. Douglas then moved to England and joined a succession of bands before returning to New York to attend the...
. The album was fairly well received and sold a respectable 250,000 copies in the US.
During the tour in support of the album, Morman was fired and replaced by Joey Mala, who lasted until the end of the tour, when he in turn was replaced by singer and rhythm guitarist Charlie Farren. This line-up recorded one album, I've Got the Rock'n'Rolls Again
I've Got the Rock'n'Rolls Again
-Track listing:#"East Coast, West Coast" – 3:06#"No Substitute For Arrogance" – 3:25#"I've Got The Rock'N'Rolls Again" – 4:34#"Buzz Buzz" – 3:41#"Soldier Of Fortune" – 3:05#"TV Police" – 4:11#"Listen To The Rock" – 3:20#"Dirty Little Things" – 3:42...
, which was released to little attention in 1981. Columbia's reluctance to promote the album combined with Perry's continuing drug problems led to Perry's firing the entire band in 1982.
Equipped with a new record label (MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
) and three new band members in singer Cowboy Mach Bell, bassist Danny Hargrove and drummer Joe Pet, the band released Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker
Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker
Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker is an album by The Joe Perry Project, released in 1983 on MCA Records. Work on the album started in early 1982 with Aerosmith rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford. Demo versions of Black Velvet Pants, No Time For Women and the unreleased When Worlds Collide with Perry in...
in 1983. The album met the same fate as its predecessor, selling a meager 40,000 copies without any promotion whatsoever. Despite the poor sales, The Project went out on a final tour in support of the album, adding then ex-Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford
Brad Whitford
Bradford Ernest Whitford is the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock band Aerosmith. He graduated Reading Memorial High School in 1970.-Career:...
to the line-up.
During this tour, The Project performed in a series of co-bills with Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News
Huey Lewis and the News is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s and early 1990s, eventually scoring a total of 19 top-ten singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts...
in Texas promoted by veteran concert producers Tom Young and Terrell Braly. It was during this tour that Joe formed a strong friendship with Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis
Huey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs...
. The News was booked by Fred Bohlander of Monterey Peninsula Artists and Huey felt that Joe should be with the same agency in a reformed Aerosmith. Fred Bohlander agreed and arranged a meeting between Joe and Steven Tyler. Monterey Penn Artist would arrange for a tour of the reformed legendary act should the principals agree.
The following year, both Perry and Whitford would rejoin Aerosmith for a very successful reunion and began a two decade relationship with Monterey Peninsula Artists which in turn helped make the small agency the industry powerhouse it is today.
A compilation album, The Music Still Does the Talking: The Best of the Joe Perry Project
The Best of the Joe Perry Project
-Track listing:#"Let the Music Do the Talking"#"Conflict of Interest"#"Discount Dogs"#"Shooting Star"#"Break Song"#"Rockin' Train"#"Life at a Glance"#"Bone to Bone" #"East Coast, West Coast"#"I've Got the Rock'n'rolls Again"...
, was released by an Australian Indie Record label in 1999.
Reformation
On October 6, 2009 Joe PerryJoe Perry (musician)
Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...
released a solo album entitled Have Guitar, Will Travel. The first single from the album was called "Long Way to Go." Although the record was released as a Perry solo album, the touring band included original bassist David Hull
David Hull (musician)
David Hull is an American bass guitar player.- Biography :He is most notable for being the substitute bass player for Aerosmith during a portion of their 2006 Route of All Evil Tour , while the band's regular bassist Tom Hamilton was absent while recovering from throat cancer...
and they are being billed as The Joe Perry Project. Also participating in the band were guitarist/keyboardist Paul Santo, drummer Marty Richards and German vocalist Hagen Grohe who was discovered by Perry's wife on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. The new Joe Perry Project also backed Joe on his latest album which makes it a de facto JPP album.
On September 20, 2009, the new Joe Perry Project played the first public concert of the Have Guitar, Will Travel Tour
Have Guitar, Will Travel Tour
Have Guitar, Will Travel Tour is a musical tour of the Aerosmith-guitarist Joe Perry and his band, the Joe Perry Project.The tour is in support of the album Have Guitar, Will Travel....
at Memorial Hall in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The show was announced just days before the event. Fans who attended the show were the first to hear some of the new songs from the upcoming album "Joe Perry...Have Guitar, Will Travel", as well as a handful of classic Aerosmith hits including: "Let the Music Do the Talking
Let the Music Do the Talking
Let the Music Do the Talking is the first of four albums by The Joe Perry Project. It was also the most successful, selling approximately 250,000 copies in the United States. The title song, Let the Music Do the Talking was then covered and rerecorded by Aerosmith on their album Done With...
" (alternate JPP version), "Walkin' The Dog
Walkin' the Dog
"Walkin' the Dog" is a song written by Shelton Brooks in 1916. Written for the Dancing Follies of 1916, its chorus is:"Walkin' the Dog" is a song written by Shelton Brooks in 1916. Written for the Dancing Follies of 1916, its chorus is:...
", "Dream On
Dream On (Aerosmith song)
"Dream On" is the first single by Aerosmith from their 1973 debut album, Aerosmith. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler, this blues-influenced power ballad became their first major hit and classic rock radio staple...
", "Combination" and "Walk This Way
Walk This Way
"Walk This Way" is a song by American hard rock group Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the song was originally released as the second single from the 1975 album Toys in the Attic. It peaked at Number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977, part of a string of successful hit...
". The final song of the night was a cover of Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
's "Keep On Rockin' in the Free World."
On November 10, 2009 Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
joined The Joe Perry Project on stage at the Fillmore New York to sing "Walk This Way." His appearance with Joe Perry marked the end of intense speculation, as well as recent confirmation from Perry, that he had quit Aerosmith.
Joe Perry Project toured 2010 in support of bands such as Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
and Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
.
Members
| 1979 - 1980 |
|
|---|---|
| 1980 |
Joe Perry (musician) Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles... - lead guitar, vocals David Hull (musician) David Hull is an American bass guitar player.- Biography :He is most notable for being the substitute bass player for Aerosmith during a portion of their 2006 Route of All Evil Tour , while the band's regular bassist Tom Hamilton was absent while recovering from throat cancer... - bass |
| 1980 - 1982 |
Joe Perry (musician) Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles... - lead guitar, vocals David Hull (musician) David Hull is an American bass guitar player.- Biography :He is most notable for being the substitute bass player for Aerosmith during a portion of their 2006 Route of All Evil Tour , while the band's regular bassist Tom Hamilton was absent while recovering from throat cancer... - bass |
| 1982 - 1983 |
Joe Perry (musician) Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles... - lead guitar, vocals |
| 1983 - 1984 |
Joe Perry (musician) Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles... - lead guitar, vocals Brad Whitford Bradford Ernest Whitford is the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock band Aerosmith. He graduated Reading Memorial High School in 1970.-Career:... - rhythm guitar |
| 1984 - 2009 |
Band Split; Joe Perry and Brad Whitford rejoin Aerosmith Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many... . |
| 2009–Present |
|
Discography
- Let the Music Do the TalkingLet the Music Do the TalkingLet the Music Do the Talking is the first of four albums by The Joe Perry Project. It was also the most successful, selling approximately 250,000 copies in the United States. The title song, Let the Music Do the Talking was then covered and rerecorded by Aerosmith on their album Done With...
(1980) - I've Got the Rock'n'Rolls AgainI've Got the Rock'n'Rolls Again-Track listing:#"East Coast, West Coast" – 3:06#"No Substitute For Arrogance" – 3:25#"I've Got The Rock'N'Rolls Again" – 4:34#"Buzz Buzz" – 3:41#"Soldier Of Fortune" – 3:05#"TV Police" – 4:11#"Listen To The Rock" – 3:20#"Dirty Little Things" – 3:42...
(1981) - Once a Rocker, Always a RockerOnce a Rocker, Always a RockerOnce a Rocker, Always a Rocker is an album by The Joe Perry Project, released in 1983 on MCA Records. Work on the album started in early 1982 with Aerosmith rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford. Demo versions of Black Velvet Pants, No Time For Women and the unreleased When Worlds Collide with Perry in...
(1983) - The Music Still Does the Talking: The Best of the Joe Perry ProjectThe Best of the Joe Perry Project-Track listing:#"Let the Music Do the Talking"#"Conflict of Interest"#"Discount Dogs"#"Shooting Star"#"Break Song"#"Rockin' Train"#"Life at a Glance"#"Bone to Bone" #"East Coast, West Coast"#"I've Got the Rock'n'rolls Again"...
(1999) - Have Guitar, Will Travel (2009)
See also
- Joe PerryJoe Perry (musician)Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...
- Joe PerryJoe Perry (album)Joe Perry is the first solo album by Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, released on May 3, 2005 on Sony BMG. Joe Perry is his first solo album without The Joe Perry Project. The album peaked at #110 at the Billboard charts...
(Debut solo album) - AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...