Street Talk

{{about||the 2005 album|Street Talk (D.I.T.C. album)|the Kathy Mattea song|Street Talk (song)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Street Talk | type = studio | artist = Steve Perry | cover = Steve_Perry_Street_Talk.jpg | alt = | released = April 5, 1984 | recorded = | venue = | studio = * Record One (Los Angeles, California) | genre = AOR | length = 39:20 | label = Columbia | producer = * Steve Perry | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = For the Love of Strange Medicine | next_year = 1994 }} {{Music ratings |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r15085|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]</ref> |rev2 = ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' |rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|year=2006|page=494|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0195313739|edition=4th}}</ref> |rev3 = ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'' |rev3Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=DeCurtis|editor1-first=Anthony|editor1-link=Anthony DeCurtis|editor2-last=Henke|editor2-first=James|editor3-last=George-Warren|editor3-first=Holly|year=1992|title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=Random House|isbn=0679737294|edition=3rd|page=541}}</ref> |rev4 = ''The Village Voice'' |rev4Score = C<ref>{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=May 28, 1985|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv5-85.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=The Village Voice|location=New York|accessdate=April 20, 2016}}</ref> }}

'''''Street Talk''''' is Steve Perry's first solo studio album, released on April 5, 1984.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/CMJ/1984/|title=Upcoming Releases|work=CMJ New Music Report|page=10|date=March 26, 1984}}</ref>

''Street Talk'' contains Perry's biggest hit as a solo artist, "Oh Sherrie", written for his then-girlfriend Sherrie Swafford.<ref name="perry96">Steve Perry talks about the recording of [http://www.journey-tribute.com/journey/resources/articles/dick_clark.html "Oh Sherrie"] and Street Talk singles.</ref> The song hit #3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard's Rock chart, and the accompanying music video (also featuring Swafford) was a hit on MTV. Other singles included "Foolish Heart" (peaked at #18), "She's Mine" (peaked at #21), and "Strung Out" (peaked at #40).

There were a number of nods to Perry's pre-Journey band Alien Project on this album—in fact, that band was originally going to be called Street Talk.<ref name="perry85">Steve Perry discusses [http://www.steveperryfanclub.homestead.com/StevePerryAnswersYourQuestions.html the Alien Project story and Street Talk].</ref> In the liner notes, Perry dedicates the album to Richard Michaels (the bassist for Alien Project). Also, drummer Craig Krampf was a member of Alien Project later in the 1970s.

In addition to launching Perry's solo career, the cover photo for ''Street Talk'' served as a career launchpad for music photographer John Scarpati, who met Perry during the album's recording sessions at a studio in Sherman Oaks.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Platania |first1=Mike |title=Back in the spotlight: Retired rock photographer adds some shine to Short Pump side gig |url=https://richmondbizsense.com/2019/09/30/back-in-the-spotlight-retired-rock-photographer-adds-some-shine-to-short-pump-side-gig/ |accessdate=30 September 2019 |publisher=Richmond BizSense |date=30 September 2019}}</ref>

''Street Talk'' is certified as 2× Platinum (2,000,000) in sales by the RIAA.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS |title=Recording Industry Association of America |publisher=RIAA |date= |access-date=2012-03-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626051113/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS |archive-date=2007-06-26 |df= }}</ref>

==Track listing== All tracks written by Steve Perry with additional writers noted {{Track listing | headline = Side one | title1 = Oh Sherrie | writer1 = Bill Cuomo, Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf | length1 = 3:48 | title2 = I Believe | writer2 = Goodrum, Duane Hitchings, Krampf | length2 = 4:12 | title3 = Go Away | writer3 = Cuomo, Goodrum | length3 = 4:05 | title4 = Foolish Heart | writer4 = Goodrum | length4 = 3:39 | title5 = It's Only Love | writer5 = Goodrum | length5 = 3:47 }} {{Track listing | headline = Side two | title1 = She's Mine | writer1 = Goodrum | length1 = 4:26 | title2 = You Should Be Happy | writer2 = Goodrum | length2 = 3:20 | title3 = Running Alone | writer3 = John Bettis, Hitchings, Krampf | length3 = 4:05 | title4 = Captured by the Moment | writer4 = Cuomo, Goodrum | length4 = 3:47 | title5 = Strung Out | writer5 = Krampf, Billy Steele | length5 = 3:51 }} {{Track listing | headline = 2006 CD reissue bonus tracks | title11 = My My My | note11 = 'Alien Project' demo | writer11 = Krampf, Richard Michaels Haddad, Steve DeLacey | length11 = 2:24 | title12 = Harmony | note12 = 'Alien Project' demo | writer12 = | length12 = 3:58 | title13 = Makes No Difference | note13 = 'Alien Project' demo | writer13 = Krampf, Haddad, DeLacey | length13 = 4:53 | title14 = Don't Tell Me Why You're Leaving | note14 = B-side to ''Oh Sherrie'' | writer14 = Danny Kortchmar, Krampf | length14 = 3:13 | title15 = If Only for the Moment, Girl | note15 = Originally released on ''We Are the World'' (1985) | writer15 = Goodrum | length15 = 4:09 }}

== Personnel == * Steve Perry – vocals, backing vocals (1–3, 5, 7, 9, 10) * Bill Cuomo – synthesizers (1, 4, 5, 7–9), acoustic piano (2), synth bells (2), keyboards (3, 6), synth solo (3) * Randy Goodrum – Rhodes electric piano (1–6, 9), drum programming (4), acoustic piano (15) * Duane Hitchings – synthesizers (8) * Steve Goldstein – keyboards (10) * Sterling Smith – keyboards (10) * Michael Landau – guitars (1–5, 7, 15), guitar solo (6, 9) * Waddy Wachtel – guitar solo (1), rhythm guitar solo (5) * Craig Hull – guitars (8, 10) * Billy Steele – guitars (10) * Bob Glaub – bass guitar (1–7, 9, 15) * Chuck Domanico – string bass (3) * Kevin McCormick – bass guitar (8) * Bryan Garofalo – bass guitar (10) * Larrie Londin – drums (1–3, 5–7, 9), percussion (1–3, 7) * Craig Krampf – drums (8, 10) * John Robinson – drums (15) * Robert Greenidge – steelpan (5) * Paulinho da Costa – percussion (15) * Steve Douglas – saxophone solo (2), tenor saxophone (6) * Joel Peskin – saxophone (15)

== Production == * Bruce Botnick – executive producer * Steve Perry – producer, cover concept * Niko Bolas – recording, mixing * Richard Bosworth – recording assistant, additional engineer * Denny Densmore – recording assistant (10) * Mike Reese – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California) * Jim Welch – art direction * John Scarpati – cover photography * Herbie Herbert – personal management

==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1984) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=232}}</ref> | style="text-align:center"| 79 |- {{album chart|Canada|11|artist=Steve Perry|album=Street Talk|chartid=6785a|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 September 2024}} |- {{album chart|Germany|63|artist=Steve Perry|album=Street Talk|id=33233|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 September 2024}} |- {{album chart|UK2|59|date=19840708|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 September 2024}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|12|artist=Steve Perry|rowheader=true|accessdate=20 September 2024}} |}

== Certifications == {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Canada|artist=Steve Perry|title=Street Talk|award=Platinum|relyear=1984|certyear=1984}} {{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=Steve Perry|title=Street Talk|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1984|certyear=1990}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true }}

==References== {{Reflist}} *"Street Talk" (Liner Notes); Steve Perry CD, Columbia Records 1984.

==External links== *[http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1792452 "Street Talk" at discogs]

Category:1984 debut albums Category:Steve Perry albums Category:Columbia Records albums