Thanks to Behshad for this interview! 
It's been almost a year since Jeff Scott Soto and Journey went their seperate ways. Being a long time JSS friend & fan, I decided to put a quick interview together for the new fans as well as long time fans to keep You posted on what is going on in Jeff's life right now.
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B: For those who didnt follow you after your departure from Journey, What have
you been up to the past 12 months?
Jeff: I've been busier than ever since departing from the band. I did a short US tour with my solo band, finished my new solo album, spent months in the studio with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, did another tour in Europe with a Brazilian band called Tempestt, en route now to another tour in Brazil & when I return will begin a special project/album for Frontiers Records. 2008 will play out all the way to the end with activities so it's a great & busy time for me.
B: We all know that during the tour with Journey you created your own fanbase in North America.
How effective do you think the time with Journey was, regarding new fans and the future of JSS in US ?
Jeff: Not very at all actually! Most would think playing to over 900,000 people would mean a huge shot in the arm for me in the US but in fact the numbers on my solo tour reflected not many from that '06 tour really care about 'the guy who replaced the guy who replaced THE guy'! If I had at least done an album & proper tour as the 'official' singer, it could have meant better results but in the end I truly believe my audiences, current & future, won't be amongst those in a Journey fanbase. Remember, Journey has been around for over 30 years so most of their core audience are my age or older whereas my new music may hit a more contemporary age & musical genre group.
B: What was the best thing you learned/achieved from your 11 months with Journey?
Jeff: Never overestimate a good a thing!
B: What are YOUR thoughts about Arnel Pineda?
Jeff: I think he is an amazing singer, perfectly suited for them more so than I am. I love Journey, I love Steve Perry, I love those songs, nothing can change that. BUT with that I came to realize in the end, the decision to let me go was better for me than I could have imagined. Journey's fan base or even general audience want the more 80's sounding tenor singer & to continue with them into the future meant years of comparisons &/or snickering that 'this aint Steve Perry'. I don't think Arnel is as much a clone as most say, they said the same about Augeri but the 2 guys couldn't be any further from 'The Voice' as the influences all 3 share are COMPLETELY different. You can tell Arnel is influenced by a LOT of singers & rightly so, which makes him really good. Augeri was more into Plant & Rod Stewart which would have made a better candidate for Black Crowes type material. Of the 3 of us, I was the closest to sharing Perry's influences who were Sam Cooke, the Motown sound, black/soul/R&B from the 60's.
So strangely enough, the only one of us who didn't get called a Perry clone had the same soul under the skin!
B: I know a lot of the fans want to see you live,,,, especially your US fans who missed out on the opportunity to see you perform here as much as your European fans. With your new cd right around the corner, What can you reveal at this time about any possible US/World Tour.
Jeff: Nothing yet, until I know how the album will play out, how the sales or interest will gather, all reflect on ANY future plans. This is album is a huge turn around for me, it is not what's to be expected from my past or recent years. It has to find it's OWN legs therefore creating new ones for me. I need the proper details in place before it ever sees the light of day, this one is far too important to me to not get into the hands of the masses. Let the world decide once the world hears, but first the world must hear! I refuse to throw it out there just so the 10-11,000 who will buy my albums just because my name is on it can get their hands on it. As things progress closer to my upcoming deadline, more information will be planned & revealed.
B: You recently finished some studio material with Trans Siberian Orchestra.
Care to share some thoughts with us and what you experienced , working with these fine musicians?
Jeff: Not really, this organization pride themselves on being very protective & very private. I can only go so far as to saying I am involved with them & happy to be a part of the family.
B: Its a no-brainer that more than half of JSS catalog is from your Talisman years.
Are there any plans for (or even a chance of ) a new Talisman CD?
Jeff: There's always a chance as long as we're all alive & breathing. What I don't want is another chapter or phase in the band just as an excuse to do another album or tour. This pertains to the guitar position situation. The past years have left all of us extremely busy with many things on the table & not having those elements to do things properly means we're breaching the Talisman name. I hope that if & when we do something again it will be with the core 4 of us, the guys that made the most amazing albums of my career the past nearly 2 decades.
B: If you had to put your band together today, chosing from musicians from your childhood to present , dead or alive , what kind of line up would we see, with you fronting this band of course ?
Jeff: I've always said I would have Prince on bass, Nuno Bettencourt on guitar, Will Calhoun of Living Colour on drums & Renato Neto (of Prince's band) on keys.
Also need 3 badass background singers & the Tower Of Power horns behind me!!
B: Do you still keep in touch with Yngwie Malmsteen, and if yes, have you ever had any discussions about a Rising Force reunion, even for one show?
Jeff: Not really, we run into each other from time to time at the NAMM show in LA or on tour somewhere but rarely if ever speak on the phone.
There are NO plans for any Rising Force reunions, don't know that I can sing that stuff anymore!
B: Tell us about your best and worst musical experience you had the past 25 years.
Jeff: The best experience is that I simply have it, end of story. I have been blessed with being able to do what I love for a living, a small percentage of people in the world can truly say that. The worst experience is that with the good comes the bad, you learn from it, you prosper from it, then maybe even possibility offer the wisdom to others helping them avoid the many pitfalls of this industry.
B: Any final thoughts or messages to your fans out there?
Jeff: Yeah, buy my new album!!
B: Thanks for your time. Best of luck with your new cd and whatever projects you get involved with. Keep us posted.
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Mon May 19, 2008 11:18 am
I mean this - Steve Perry, sure he's talented and I know what he means to you but YOU are my Steve Perry! :-) He simply isn't JSS! After almost 20 years, I think I can say that right?