Demo tapes are sample versions of songs recorded to either promote a song or a group. Songwriters would hire studio musicians to create a demo tape that they could then send to labels or producers, hoping to get somebody to record their creation. Singers and bands, on the other hand, would record a demo to take around to record labels or producers hoping somebody would give them a shot at a recording contract.
Kim Fowley began working for Alan Freed and Berry Gordy in the late fifties and early sixties. He promoted some records, produced some records, and even wrote some successful songs. He and Gary Paxton recorded Alley Oop and released it as the Hollywood Argyles. He got Paul Revere and the Raiders started by producing their instrumental single, Like Long Hair. He produced the #3 single Popsicles and Icicles by The Murmaids. The list goes on…Along the way, Kim also worked with attorney David Chatfield.
In the early eighties, the Hollywood night club Madam Wongs was about to destroy over 1200 demo tapes that had accumulated in the club. Chrysalis Record executive Tom Trumbo told David he was looking for a group like Journey, and David went to the club and began listening to the demo tapes. He got excited when he heard one of the demo tapes, and he and Kim flew to Sacramento and signed the group Steel Breeze to a record contract. Kim produced the group’s first album. In 1982, they shot a video for MTV for the single You Don’t Want Me Anymore. The single peaked at #16 on the Hot 100 and #9 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
They released Dreaming’ Is Easy as the second single from the album, but it didn’t perform nearly as well. That single only reached #30 on the Hot 100 in 1983 and missed the Mainstream Rock chart. The group’s line-up began changing rapidly.
Kevin Chalfant sang lead vocals for the group 707. They had their biggest hit when the single Mega Force reached #12 on the Mainstream Rock chart in 1982. Steel Breeze recruited Kevin as their new lead singer, and the reorganized group recorded their second album with Kevin in 1984. Kevin left the group in 1985.
Steel Breeze released three more albums without anybody taking much notice.
In 1987, Journey had split up so the members could work on solo projects. Kevin joined up with three members of Journey to record as Storm in 1990. Their single I’ve Got A Lot To Learn About Love reached #26 on the Hot 100 in 1992.
Journey started reforming in 1993. Steve Perry was recording his second solo album, so for a very brief time, Kevin stepped in as their lead singer. In a roundabout way, that demo tape that David found led to a group that sounded like Journey.
And then Steve came back to Journey, and Kevin left and pursued a solo career before singing lead vocals for the Alan Parsons Live Project.
And then Steve left Journey permanently.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_Breeze
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What Was Left In 
Thank you for the article about how Kim Fowley and I discovered Steel Breeze. I was more than an attorney then, I was in artist development and Kim and I had produced a band before Steel Breeze also with David Carr who did the keyboard and vocal arrangement for the 707 hit “I Could be Good For You”. When my company sold the former Journey members the name “The Storm” I didn’t know it was the same lead singer who had been on the mud-80’s Steel Breeze recordings. I am currently re-recording and remixing many of the Kevin Chalfant Steel Breeze songs and they are being released works-wide as I write this. The first four songs are doing very well on Spotify and all other streaming platforms. A New 5 song Steel Breeze Kevin Chalfant EP is coming out next week. A full 14 song album will be released in December with another album full of great material planned for next year.
The demo you spoke about in your article that got my and Kim Fowley’s attention will be released in January along with the full rags to riches discovery story.
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