Jonathan Cain Live on America On-Line

OnlineHost:  Jonathan Cain wrote million-selling hits, including FAITHFULLY,
OPEN ARMS, and WHO's CRYING NOW while playing keyboards as he toured the
world's stadiums in rock supergroup JOURNEY. Other hit songs came as a member
of BAD ENGLISH AND THE BABYS. When Journey retired from the road in 1987,
Cain produced Michael Bolton's breakthrough album, THE HUNGER. Next, he
co-produced Journey mate Neal Schon's Higher Octave instrumental guitar
album, BEYOND THE THUNDER.

OnlineHost:  Now, in PIANO WITH A VIEW, Cain has made his own statement of
melodic instrumental music. Using his bright red grand piano as his main
voice, he has carefully crafted a recording that doesn't show off his
technical ability, but goes instead for the heart with enchanting tunes that
don't need lyrics to sing.

OnlineHost:  "I've used my piano music as a kind of therapy from the rage of
the rock world," Cain admits. "Now with the acceptance of soft jazz on radio,
it's intriguing to me. Suddenly those melodic ideas that have been floating
around inside me all these years has a place to go."

OnlineHost:  Cain's approach is a reflective one. And in the of PIANO WITH A
VIEW, he's reflecting on love and relationships inspired by his own
experience. Through the rock stardom, the bands, the long months away from
home on the road, what kept Cain so grounded was the closeness felt for his
wife Liz. When he came home from the road, those feelings culminated in the
music of PIANO WITH A VIEW, a thoughtful and romantic, while at times sacred
and sensual listening experience.

OnlineHost:  Growing up in Chicago, Jonathan Cain discovered at an early age
that he had a talent for musical expression. At the age of eight he began
accordion lessons and by the time he was in his teens, he was playing
accordion and piano at parties and in clubs. "In fact, I put myself through
conservatory school doing piano bars," Cain recalls, "and on weekends my
brother and I had a novelty act playing standards and show tunes."

OnlineHost:  Out of the music controversy at age 19, Jonathan commuted to
Nashville, cutting pop song demos for two years, before he and his brother
Tommy moved to Los Angeles' bohemian Laurel Canyon area to make it in the
rock world. Cain scored a mild Top 40 hit with his TILL IT'S TIME TO SAY
GOODBYE that landed him a guest spot on American Bandstand.

OnlineHost:  "I love cinema and wanted to design this album like a film; the
movie in my head, with the piano as the lead character."

OnlineHost:  "It was a way to remember all the experiences of our
relationship. Like a Caribbean vacation or a perfect day in San Francisco.
They were all postcards in my head. I didn't realize I had so much to say.
The memories poured out in a stream and when they stopped, I knew the album
was done.

OnlineHost:  "My wife Liz is the ultimate muse. To have the person you love
as an inspiration for an album of the finest moments of your relationship is
an incredible gift. It may be very personal, but it's also a universal
feeling. 'You're with me and that's all that matters...'" Please welcome
Jonathan Cain to Center Stage!

CSEmcee2:  Welcome Jonathan!

CainLive:  Thank you, and it's nice to be on America Online.

Question:  When the Spirit Comes" is such a moving song. What was your
inspiration for writing it?

CainLive:  It was an event that I was privileged to play at, honoring Bill
Graham, the Rock 'n Roll promoter from San Francisco in Golden Gate Park.
Before 300,000 people, and it was called Laughter, Love, and Music. It should
be out in a couple of weeks.

Question:  Will you guys ever get back together? In your older years you were
getting so much better.

CainLive:  We're presently talking about putting Journey back together for
some time next year.

Question:  Journey is the 1st concert I was ever at - Meadowlands. I can't
remember the year. ( I feel old) Bryan Adams opened up for you guys. Can you
tell me what year it was?

CainLive:  1982 or 1983, I think 1982.

Question:  Has the new album "Piano with a View" been released yet? I have
not been able to find it in the record store.

CainLive:  It should be out in a couple of weeks.

Question:  What do you think of the music scene today, and what do you listen
to?

CainLive:  I think the music is scattered, fragmented. There's a lot of dark
stuff out there, however, some bands in the alternative vein seem to flex to
their audiences. I find alternative music very monotone, however, important
to the street culture of our youth. I personally enjoy listening to Sting,
Seal, Desree, and more adult type acts, only because they are in my genre.

Question:  I've always wondered about this, when touring with "The Whale" was
it a constant battle to keep it in tune as much as it was being moved from
city to city?

CainLive:  The Whale was very easy to keep in tune, since it was a Yamaha C7,
which has very good tight pins in the soundboard. Moving the piano was easy
with loading ramps and semis. It had a big case that 4 guys could put it in
within 12 minutes. The worst it ever got was outside sitting all day, and
waiting for a concert at night.

Question:  Were all of the songs in "Piano with a View" inspired from Neal's
most recent solo album?

CainLive:  Actually, they were inspired by my wife, Elizabeth. Working with
Neal helped me feel comfortable with that style of music.

Question:  What was the reasoning in including "Faithfully" on your US
release of Back to the Innocence? I know that the European release didn't
include it.

CainLive:  Basically, I wanted the people who loved the song "Faithfully" to
hear a rendition that was close to the original demo that Steve Perry first
heard. Also, it is a signature song of my career.

Question:  Piano with a View, Beyond the Thunder, and Strange Medicine all
show maturity and growth but are not "mainstream rock". If this reunion is
meant to be will the next collaboration show that maturity and growth (adult
contemporary or alternative) or will it be more mainstream rock
(Escape/Frontiers)?

CainLive:  I think it will be mature, adult, mainstream rock. Journey has
always had a style that is reflected our personalities, and our goal is to
update our sound with the new musical experiences that we have shared over
the last 8 years.

Comment:  I've been listening to both yours and Neal's solo CDs, and I would
just like to say that I enjoy them both very much. It's a side that I've
wanted to hear from both of you for a VERY long time! Thanks for the great
music!

CainLive:  Thanks for supporting our solo efforts, and there will be more to
come!

Question:  Was Journey a canned act that was put together with the absolute
best musicians and excellent marketing?

CainLive:  Journey was an evolving street band that drafted different members
similar to the way football players are drafted into the NFL. And our
manager, Mr. Herbert, exercised his options in that area, ala Steve Perry,
Steve Smith, and Jonathan Cain.

Question:  Wondering, do you prefer the grand piano or the synth when in
concert?

CainLive:  I prefer the grand piano as my voice to a large concert audience.
The synths are atmosphere.

Question:  Did you play on Dream after Dream?

CainLive:  No. That was before I was in the band. 

Question:  What high school did you go to?

CainLive:  East Leyden High School, Franklin Park, Illinois.

Question:  Are you touring to promote new album?

CainLive:  Presently, I am just doing small private concerts for radio and
retail, to promote my solo albums. I will plan a tour upon release of the
second album. When schedules permit.

Question:  What was time like when leaving Babys for Journey - especially as
Babys were breaking?

CainLive:  It was a tough situation - had to take the bitter with the sweet.
My loyalty for The Babys was ever present in my decision to leave for
Journey. It was a conversation I had with John Waite that basically made me
go with Journey. He said that he wanted to go solo, and wished me well in my
endeavors with Journey. So it was like I had his blessing. And I left any
guilt behind. The rest of the guys weren't so understanding, and it was
difficult for some time.

Question:  Steve Perry and Neal Schon have joined us online here at Center
Stage in the past, did they give you any tips?

CainLive:  They said to grin a lot!

Question:  Why did Journey break up?

CainLive:  Journey never broke up. We just took a long hiatus. The riggers of
touring and making albums for 10 straight years proved to be a little too
much for all parties involved. The road can be devastating to one's personal
life, and sometimes it's necessary to get off the train and smell the roses.

Question:  Are you classically trained?

CainLive:  I have some classical training from music college, but I don't
consider myself anywhere near a classical virtuoso. I studied theory and
composition at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, and then had to unlearn
everything I had to learn, for Rock 'n Roll.

Question:  Will Bad English record again?

CainLive:  I sincerely doubt it.

Question:  Did Chicago Blues have any affect on you?

CainLive:  Definitely, Chicago Blues was a part of my musical background, and
also, players like Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith in the early years.

Question:  What did you think of Steve Perry's song "Anyway"?

CainLive:  I thought it was the best song on the album.

Question:  Where in Chicago are you from?

CainLive:  West side.

Question:  Are you going to be playing any club dates around the bay area to
support both albums?

CainLive:  At the present time, I am working in the studio on new songwriting
ideas, so I probably won't be touring for a while.

Question:  Besides your daughter, of what are you most proud?

CainLive:  I would have to say it's the musical memories that I've been lucky
enough to share with millions of people.

Question:  You are a really great songwriter, have you been writing anything
lately?

CainLive:  Yes. I'm always writing.

Question:  What's the new line up your playing with?

CainLive:  We're hoping for the Escape album members.

Question:  "What's your fondest memory of all your years with Journey?"

CainLive:  Actually it was Kenny Skyluk, who called us through Make a Wish
Foundation. Kenny had cystic fibrosis, and was very sick in 1985. His wish
was to meet the members of Journey, so they called us, and we flew to be at
his bedside. We gave him a platinum album, a 49ers football and helmet, a
walkman, and a copy of our latest single, "Only the Young." He was very
impressed that we had answered his wish - seemed very happy that we would
come all the way to Cleveland to visit a sick little boy. Kenny Skyluk died
the next day, but his courage and strength will be in my heart forever.

Question:  What inspired you for the writing of Back to the Innocence?

CainLive:  I had a lot of personal intimate kinds of songs that needed a
home, and I wanted to go back to the roots that I felt were my foundation of
my style of songwriting. I had been in so many bands, that I needed to
express who I was, and what I stood for.

Question:  Do you still have your piano in the same room as it was in the
Frontiers Video? Also do you have "The Whale" in your studio?

CainLive:  The answer is yes to both questions. And the Whale can be heard on
my album "Back to the Innocence."

Question:  What was it like working with Steve Perry?

CainLive:  It was always fun when we were writing, because his voice soared
with so much energy and joy.

Question:  How is your relationship with Mr. Waite these days?

CainLive:  Yeah, it's nonexistent.

Question:  What other keyboard artists do you listen to?

CainLive:  I listen to David Sancious, Bob James, and David Grusin.

Question:  Was Nashville a positive experience?

CainLive:  Yes. I got to meet guitar legend Chet Atkins, and got to play with
some very hip Memphis musicians, who kicked my butt.

Question:  Did you enjoy working with Steve Smith? What do you look for in a
drummer?

CainLive:  Yeah, Steve's a wonderful, inventive musician. I loved working
with him, and I look forward to working with him more in the future. What I
look for in a drummer is his ability to interpret the emotions of a song and
add fire and wings to a creative process.

Question:  If you get back together, will it be for a reunion tour or an
album?

CainLive:  Don't know yet.

Question:  What song was the hardest for you to write?

CainLive:  Hardest song to write was "Be Good to Yourself.". As Steve Perry
was producing "Raised on Radio," he was busy with those tasks, so he left it
up to me to find a melody for the verse. And also, to fix the lyrics of the
verse, which were kind of a mess. So, six months later, in the shower,
Woodstock, NY, on the last day of our mixdown, the right melody came in my
head. Steve Perry rushed out to the microphone, sang the vocal, and we
finally finished the song that day.

Question:  Do you miss the sold out tours of Journey?

CainLive:  No, because we toured at the best time a rock band could tour. I
don't think it could ever be as grand as it was, and any time I get a chance
to play my music, whether it's in a club or an auditorium, I feel blessed for
the privilege.

Question:  Has Journey considered issuing another live album with the
material after "Captured"?

CainLive:  We have considered, and still not sure.

Question:  What's the easiest way to get working in clubs? It seems like most
clubs (at least in San Francisco) are difficult to even get a time of day
from.

CainLive:  The best way to get a club gig probably in San Francisco is to
play the blues.

Question:  Do you think late 70's/early 80's style music will recycle? When?

CainLive:  I don't think that late 70's music will be exactly recycled. There
will be retro style taken from that kind of rock. We're seeing a little bit
of that coming around now. But it will be the original members of that alumni
that will be continuing in the spotlight.

CSEmcee2:  We have time for one more question.

Question:  About the song "Baptism Day", is that a true story? And if it is,
is it about your or someone in your family?

CainLive:  It is a true story. It is about me.

CSEmcee2:  Thank you Mr. Cain for your time and answers tonight. Thank you
audience for your questions.

CainLive:  It was good to be live in cyberspace for the first time, and it is
a first in my musical career! Thanks to all my fans who have supported my
music through the years!

OnlineHost:  Our thanks to Jonathan Cain for joining us this evening. For a
souvenir transcript of this event, please return to Keyword: "CENTER STAGE"
within 24 hours. Thank you and good night!