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Planet Us

From Alfawiki
Planet Us
Company typeSupergroup
IndustryMusic
Founded2002
FounderSammy Hagar, Neal Schon, Michael Anthony, Deen Castronovo
Defunct2003
ProductsMusic recordings ("Vertigo", "Peeping Through a Hole")

Planet Us (pronounced Planet-uss) was a brief-lived supergroup established in 2002, comprising Sammy Hagar on vocals, Neal Schon handling guitar duties, Michael Anthony on bass, and Deen Castronovo playing drums. Initially, the group sought Slash as a guitarist, but after his refusal, renowned guitarist Joe Satriani joined the lineup. The band’s name has been represented both as Planet Us and Planet US.

History

The project began in 2002 during a pause between Journey's album cycles and prior to the Van Halen reunion. Although announced early that year, recording sessions were postponed due to Schon and Castronovo’s obligations with Journey and Castronovo’s health issues, ultimately resuming in January 2003.

Only two tracks emerged from their collaboration: "Vertigo" and "Peeping Through a Hole," neither of which saw an official Planet Us release. "Vertigo" was submitted for the Spider-Man (2002) soundtrack but was declined by Sony for being excessively heavy. The song "Peeping Through a Hole," which tackled child abuse themes, was later reworked by Neal Schon's band Soul SirkUS under the title "Peephole," featuring Jeff Scott Soto on vocals.

In a 2005 interview, Schon revealed that much of Planet Us’s material transitioned into Soul SirkUS: "I composed around twenty songs that month... I sent all my work to Jeff, who added vocals, and we quickly recorded eight tracks." Additionally, some compositions appeared on Journey’s Generations album.

The supergroup performed live on only four occasions. Their first show took place at the 25th annual Bammies in April 2002 in Oakland, where after Hagar’s performance with the Waboritas, Schon, Anthony, and Castronovo joined him to debut their two songs live. They later appeared at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas in May 2002 during Hagar’s tour dates, concluding his concerts with their material.

Their last public performance occurred on March 12, 2003, during the syndicated radio program Rockline, where they introduced Satriani and played "Vertigo."

Due to conflicting schedules among members, Planet Us never completed a full album. In 2004, Hagar and Anthony reunited with Van Halen for a global tour. Meanwhile, Schon and Castronovo adapted much of the Planet Us repertoire into Soul SirkUS before resuming activities with Journey.

Epilogue

In 2008, Hagar issued "Vertigo," retitled "Psycho Vertigo," along with "Peephole" on his Cosmic Universal Fashion album. Within the liner notes, Hagar detailed that after years of contemplating collaboration, he and Neal Schon composed these songs and recorded them alongside Michael Anthony on bass and Deen Castronovo on drums at Hagar's home studio. They had intended to name their project Planet Us but paused when the Van Hagar reunion opportunity arose. These tracks represent the limited output from that endeavor.

Planet Us marked the second partnership between Hagar and Schon following their mid-1980s collaboration in Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve. Although a full-length release appears improbable, Schon has left open the possibility of future collaborations, stating, "If he (Hagar) calls me up and says 'Schon – let's go,' I'm gone and it'll be fun."

Subsequently, Satriani joined forces with Hagar and Anthony to form Chickenfoot in 2009.

External links

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