Wheel in the Sky

According to the liner notes of Journey's Time3 compilation, this started out as a poem called "Wheels In My Mind" by Diane Valory, the wife of Journey bassist Ross Valory. Robert Fleischman, the band's first vocalist, wrote new lyrics, and guitarist Neal Schon wrote the melody on acoustic guitar in the back seat of a station wagon while the band was driving between shows. It's one of the more philosophical Journey songs, telling the story of man trying desperately to return to his home. The verse lyrics are rather opaque, but the chorus offers an accessible metaphor for how life goes on no matter our personal struggles.

This was the first Journey single with new lead vocalist Steve Perry, and not coincidentally, also their first single to chart. The group released three album before Perry came on board. They sold modestly, but the group was not a singles band - they had more of a progressive rock sound with the vocals and lyrics secondary to the music. Perry brought them concise songs with big hooks, but he also delivered a signature vocal sound, first heard on "Wheel In The Sky." The song reached just #57 US, but this was long before Journey was established on pop radio. The next two Infinity singles, "Anytime" and the Perry co-write "Lights," also reached the lower half of the Hot 100. The group built on this success to become stadium rock superstars in the '80s.

This is one of Journey's most popular live songs, played at nearly every show in every iteration of the band (Steve Perry left in 1999).