Soul SirkUS
| Company type | Supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Neal Schon |
| Defunct | 2005 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States, Europe |
Key people | Jeff Scott Soto, Neal Schon, Marco Mendoza, Deen Castronovo, Virgil Donati |
| Products | Albums, live performances |
Soul SirkUS began as a group comprising vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, guitarist Neal Schon, bassist Marco Mendoza, and drummer Deen Castronovo, who was eventually succeeded by Virgil Donati.
History
Following the unsuccessful attempt to release an album with the Planet Us collaboration alongside Sammy Hagar, Neal Schon was eager to bring his compositions to fruition. Having composed over 30 tracks, he assembled a new lineup to form Soul SirkUS. Schon discovered Soto through MelodicRock.com’s AOR coverage and met him at the 2004 NAMM Show in Los Angeles, where they quickly established a strong musical rapport during a jam session that included covers of Led Zeppelin, Journey, and blues standards.
Schon also met bassist Mendoza, recognized for his tenure with Whitesnake, and invited him along with Journey’s drummer Castronovo to join the ensemble. The group rehearsed and recorded eleven songs for their debut album, World Play. Although much of the material originated from the Planet Us sessions, only one fully completed track, "Peephole," was retained. Soto crafted the remainder by rearranging Schon's instrumental pieces and adding his vocal interpretations.
In early 2005, the band delayed their initial tour when Castronovo experienced exhaustion and was advised to withdraw for health reasons. Australian drummer Virgil Donati stepped in as Castronovo’s replacement, leading Schon to remix World Play incorporating Donati’s drum tracks alongside five additional songs. This configuration toured extensively across the United States and Europe, receiving favorable reviews.
The remixed edition of World Play was reissued in Europe through Frontiers Records. A live performance recorded at San Francisco’s Fillmore venue was intended for a DVD release that has yet to materialize. Since their 2005 tour, Soul SirkUS has not reconvened due to various members’ other professional engagements.
In 2006, Soto temporarily assumed lead vocal duties for Journey, filling in for Steve Augeri.
Schon and Castronovo share a long history of collaboration across several projects including Journey, Bad English, Hardline, and as part of Paul Rodgers' backing band. Castronovo also contributed to Schon's solo album So U released in 2014, which featured Mendoza as well.
In 2019, Schon, Castronovo, and Mendoza toured together under Neal Schon's Journey Through Time banner, joined by former Journey keyboardist Gregg Rolie.
Discography
- World Play (available in three versions: original release with black cover featuring Deen; American remaster with green cover; European remaster with yellow cover including bonus DVD / Japanese remaster containing an additional track)
External links
- Soul Sirkus.com - Official website (currently inactive)
- Neal Schon - Official website
- Jeff Scott Soto - Official website
- "Another World" - Promotional video from World Play
- "New Position" - Promotional video on YouTube
- Soto's initial collaboration with Schon at NAMM 2004
- Soul Sirkus live performance in New York 2005
- Live review - Soul Sirkus concert April 2005
- Soul Sirkus at the Fillmore - Photographs from April 2005 live show
- Soul Sirkus in Santa Ana, CA - Comprehensive live photo collection