By STEVE MASCORD
IT’S June 4, 1988. Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar are in a limousine on the way to play the Orange Bowl in Miami. A song comes on the radio.
The artist is an Aussie called Jimmy Barnes.
“‘Too Much Love Ain’t Enough (sic)’, though – that was one song that really stuck here in the United States,” Journey guitarist Neal Schon recalls on the new episode of Hot Metal’s WLF podcast, available to our Patreon supporters HERE.
“It went nuts.
“It was really funny: when it came out I got a call from my good friends Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar.
“They happened to be in Florida, I think Miami at the time, and they were riding in a limo going to a gig.
“They both called me up and they said ‘man, I just heard this track on the radio and it just fucked me up, it was so good’.”
Why did they called Schon? The DJ must have mentioned he co-wrote “Too Much Ain’t Enough” (On 1997’s Freight Train Heart, he also has writing credits on “I Wanna Get Started With You”).
Now 69, the guitarist says it’s no surprised Eddie Van Halen later sounded out Barnes about replacing Hagar.
“I’m sure Van Halen! I’m sure AC/DC! I’m sure everybody! He kinda fit the mould of all that.”
Explaining involvement with Freight Train Heart, Schon says: “(Journey bandmate) Jon Caine was working with Jimmy Barnes, Jimmy chose him to co-write the album.
“I was around and Jon and I were both looking for things to do and so he asked me to join the project.
“Jimmy came out here to California and we dug in, you know? We worked at the record plant in Saucalito and carved that album.
“… many cool songs. I dip back into that and listen to it again and I was, like, ‘wow – what a rockin’ record!’.
“Jimmy’s just an amazing singer. I was a big fan of his going all the way back to Cold Chisel from when I first found out about AC/DC, many many years ago.
“…and many of the different bands coming out of Australia.
“I managed to play a few gigs with him in Australia. That was a lot of fun.
“Jimmy Barnes has made quite a statement in Australia for many, many years. I was blown away when I went over there to play a few shows with them a few years ago how many people showed up.
“It was like … he’s massive over there.”
