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From album
Escape
Journey · 1981 · Track 10
Details
Duración3:19
ÁlbumEscape
Año1981
ISRCUSSM18100125
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The story behind
When Jonathan Cain was still part of The Babys, he began to shape a melody that, according to his own vocalist, John Waite, was "sentimental garbage." However, that idea did not remain forgotten. Cain picked it up again and developed it with Steve Perry, one of the members of Journey, during the songwriting sessions for the album Escape. They changed the key from A to D and adjusted the melody, but the song almost didn't make it onto the album. Even guitarist Neal Schon wasn't convinced, commenting that it sounded too far removed from what Journey usually did, comparing it to something from "Mary Poppins." Drummer Steve Smith recalls that the band in general was reluctant to include ballads in their repertoire. Despite the initial doubts, the recording of Open Arms, which took place in 1981 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California, under the production of Kevin Elson and Mike Stone, ended up being an emotional moment for Steve Perry. He himself confessed that, upon hearing it years later during the recording of Live in Houston 1981: The Escape Tour, he had to lower his head to contain his emotion, especially on the line "wanting you near," wishing that part would sound with the intensity and feeling he imagined.
Despite internal reticence, Open Arms was released as a single in January 1982, and its impact was immediate. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, staying there for six weeks, and also reached second place in Canada. This ballad, co-written by Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain, became one of Journey's most recognizable songs on the radio and their biggest hit on the U.S. charts. The song has transcended time and has been reinterpreted by various artists. In 1996, Mariah Carey achieved international success with her version, which became the best-known in the United Kingdom. Other artists such as Barry Manilow, Boyz II Men, and Celine Dion have also recorded their own interpretations. Furthermore, Open Arms is a recurring choice in television singing competitions, having been performed by contestants on shows like The Voice, American Idol, and The X Factor. The album Escape, of which it is a part, released in 1981, became the band's most successful studio album, eventually being certified Diamond in the United States in 2021.