Journey’s super stardom in the early eighties continued through their Frontiers album and subsequent tour. The band was much more than musicians playing their compositions. The band, roadies, and management were a business machine. While people view music as an art, there is a lot of business that goes on behind the scenes. Journey’s team understood that getting involved in things that weren’t exclusive to the art would create the biggest buzz for the band. These decisions placed Journey on albums, in front of live audiences, in commercials, and in video games. The band’s successful creation of hit songs combined with their savvy business decisions placed them as a powerhouse in the music industry. One of the decisions that helped secure their impact was a documentary with NFL Films.
Many music documentaries focus primarily on live performances and the musicians, however, NFL Films brilliantly covered the band in its entire capacity: NFL Films explored the musicians, the management, and the road crew in Frontiers and Beyond. Narrated by John Facenda, the documentary opened its story’s focus, “This tour is the backdrop of a fascinating story, but the five rock stars on stage are only part of it. In the wing, hidden from public view, another band of professionals share intimately in the Journey experience. This is their story, too. Together, they are seventy modern-day troubadours…crisscrossing the country in seven tracker trailers and three buses…This journey will take them to new frontiers and beyond (nflfilms frontiers and beyond).” Throughout the documentary, viewers could see live performances from their Philadelphia show, enjoy musician interviews, and see what happens behind the scenes; something many music documentaries fail to mention. Steve Sabol, executive vice president of NFL Films at the time, had this to say in an article for the New York Times, “Rock concerts and sports are a lot alike, in that so much happens spontaneously.You can’t set it up, and you can’t do retakes. A good cameraman has to shoot from the hip and catch everything the first time, which our people have learned to do in football (newyorktimes).” There is something to be said about a well-written documentary, and perhaps NFL Films was not only the best choice, but the only choice to truly pull off Frontiers and Beyond.
The combination of a football franchise and music may seem unlikely, however, Journey’s contract with NFL Films solidified their place in music in the early eighties. At the time, no other band was touring with as big of a show or as boldly. This was due to the combination of talented musicians and savvy business decisions. Frontiers and Beyond brilliantly highlighted the immense amount of work that goes into a music tour, and provided an understanding of both the rock star and the roadie.
(For further exploration, this documentary can be found in online and is available for purchase on VHS or DVD in various online marketplaces.)
-Jenna Jakes, WOGB
Related Links:
From The Golden Gate Rhythm Section To Super Stardom, Journey Proves Successful, Part 2
From The Golden Gate Rhythm Section to Super Stardom, Journey Proves Successful, Part 1
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