Cronin: I actually wrote that song as I was traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles, when I rejoined the band; I left the band for a couple years. DK: More recently, REO has released the album Find Your Own Way Home in 2007 and REOs Christmas album in 2009. All the songs I write, they spring from an initial burst of creativity that kind of gets the ball rolling. Keep On Loving You (Uploaded to YouTube by REO Speedwagon). Although truck orders during World War II enabled it to revive somewhat, the company remained unstable in the postwar era, resulting in a bankruptcy reorganization. It takes luck, for example, and talent and common sense in no particular order. He realized that the band needed songs. [1] DK: Which album was it, where you started to write a good amount of the songs for the group? I had the verses already written. Basically what we said was, Im not going to let you have these songs on a record unless we produce them ourselves. I had written some songs before that were okaythey were passable. I thought that if I co-wrote it with someone, I had a feeling it would lose something that was really necessary for the song to happen. Cronin came back for 1976s R.E.O. CBS had a big convention in London. For some bands, success comes overnight. Up until then, the songwriting was credited to the whole bandthat they all wrote the songs togetherbut I think the truth was that it was mostly Gary who would spark (the songs creation) and then the band would get together and jam and finish it. "157 Riverside Avenue" (Uploaded to YouTube by REO Speedwagon) R.E.O. Cronin left, paving the way for Michael Bryan Murphy; Murphy filled the frontman slot for three records. The vocalist was replaced byKevin Cronin, who performed on the group's second albumR.E.O./T.W.O. Then as many of my songs do, I write them and then I kind of learn about myself when Im finished with them. When you talk about (the line) I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me, the opening line from Norwegian Wood, which is arguably the greatest opening line in the history of songwriting. It ended up being our first gold record. The band formed in the autumn of 1967 by Neal Doughty and Alan Gratzer. That album went platinum. REO Speedwagon discography - Wikipedia REO Speedwagon discography This article lists the discography of the American rock band, REO Speedwagon. After the Good Trouble tour, we needed a break, Cronin said. Gary Richrath, the REO Speedwagon guitarist who wrote some of the bands biggest hits, including Take It on the Run and In Your Letter, died Sunday, according to a post by REO lead singer Kevin Cronin. He notes the piano track to "Can't Fight This Feeling" was his most difficult studio performance, but is now his favorite part of live concerts. Formed in 1967, the group originally included guitarist and lead vocalist Joe Matt, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Blair, keyboardist Neal Doughty and drummer Alan Gratzer. Before REO Speedwagon was formed, Neal Doughty had entered the electrical engineering program as a junior in 1966. Were producing ourselves for the first time and the live album really made us confident in what were doing. However, during the Second World War, REO produced a number of them under license from Studebaker. So well seethis year should be interesting. [8], The 1931 Reo Royale was a trendsetting design, introducing design elements that were a precedent for true automotive streamlining in the American market. Philbin left the following year, withBruce Halltaking his place. Ill have to re-check Vitellos, just a few miles from the El Portal in North Hollywood. I was writing [the words] on this brown paper bag as I was rolling down the road. They also toured the UK arena circuit with Status Quo in December 2016. Your support helps us preserve a great American legacy. The truck was, of course, the REO Speed Wagon, though the band closed Speedwagon to one word. Havent been to a concert since seeing Styx in BH in January 19. 3 favorites all in one evening! Roll with the Changes (Uploaded to YouTube by REO Speedwagon). Usually for me, the title is the last thing that happens. But I was looking at the discography of your hits, and I noticed that you wrote your biggest hits by yourself. But endurance in the face of uncertainty has long been a trademark of REO Speedwagon. Hi Infidelity (1980) contained four US Top 40 hits and is the group's best-selling album, with over ten . The band REO Speedwagon, which originated in Champaign, Illinois, in 1967, consists of original member Neal Doughty, 67; Kevin Cronin and Bruce Hall, who joined in the 1970s; and Dave Amato and Brian Hitt, who came aboard in 1989. You know, our audiences are interesting. I agree 1978s You Can Tune a Piano album did help pave the way for 1980s Hi-Infidelity which to many (myself included) was/is their peak album. Band member and lead singer Kevin Cronin stressed about the announcer getting the name right. guitarist Gary Richrath In 1980 their album Hi Fidelity sold more than 10 million copies, about a quarter of all of the band's album sales. Does REO Speedwagon have all original members? We recorded it in Nashville, and the song of mine that [probably] got me the gig was called Music Man. It was never a huge hit, but its still in the REO setlist and it was basically my fantasy of how my life would turn out. The response has been ridiculous, Cronin said with a smile. Hi-Infidelity, and its disappointing follow-up, Good Trouble, which sent the group on one of its most exhaustive tours. [3], By late 1970, REO Speedwagon had finalised its first recording lineup with the addition of guitarist Gary Richrath in place of Scorfina. The REO versions of the truck had some changes, such as different door handles and a more powerful engine. What was REO Speedwagon's first #1 single? I know there are many writers who come up with the title and then write the song around the title. So the band got together after the tour, and we decided we werent going to make another record until we felt we could., The bands newest album, Wheels Are Turnin, is bringing REO back to terms with its audience via two singles, a rocker called I Dowanna Know (Cronins answer to all of the unsolicited advice he received after REO hit it big) and a ballad, Cant Fight This Feeling.. Take, for example, the biography of REO Speedwagon. In the big business that is rock in its third decade, it takes a lot more than hard work to succeed. Theres so much to do.. When I rejoined, the band had moved from Champaign, Illinois to Los Angeles. DK: Besides some of your big hits, what are some of your songs that are your favorites? 17 Popular Songs Played on the Casio Keyboard, 8 Movies and Shows That Played Journeys Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) Song. Ended: Apr 27, 2023. [I think] co-writing is a lot of funit definitely makes the process of songwriting more enjoyable because youre not sitting there by yourself. The Syracuse Herald, June8, 1919, REO advertisement in 1953 (back cover of the October 1953 issue of Popular Mechanics), 1929 REO advertisement sold at Yanase dealerships in Japan, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of defunct United States automobile manufacturers, "Reo Motor Car Company Plant (Designation Withdrawn)", "Gallery of vintage magazine advertisements", "Rolling Cottage Latest Luxury in Automobiles", "What's In A Name: Diamond Rio Discovers That Its New Moniker Is A Real Gem", "My Life and Hard Times: The Car We Had To Push", REO (and Diamond T) Trucks (Hank's Truck Pictures), A REO Speed Delivery (State Library, Victoria, Australia images), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=REO_Motor_Car_Company&oldid=1132628423, Vehicle manufacturing division merged with, A REO is mentioned in a humorous 1933 short story. Kevin Cronin - lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, piano Gary Richrath - electric guitars Bruce Hall - bass Neal Doughty - Hammond organ Alan Gratzer - drums Additional personnel Steve Forman - percussion Tom Kelly - backing vocal Richard Page - backing vocal Chart performance Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications See also One might say that as long they keep on rollin, fans will keep on loving them. [1] REO Speedwagon released their debut album, R.E.O. Each studio album landed with a resounding thud on the national scene. DK: When you write, do you usually create the melody or the lyrics first? I didnt just want to jump on an airplaneit was too big of a move for me. Find out more here. By late 1970, REO Speedwagon had finalised its first recording lineup with the addition of guitaristGary Richrathin place of Scorfina. [REO band member] Gary Richraththe late, great Gary Richrath who unfortunately passed away this past yearwas my partner in crime, so to speak. Even though it wasnt a hit, its a REO fan favorite. The following semester of 1967, they had their rehearsals before classes started, naming the band REO Speedwagon. The current lineup of REO Speedwagon consists of Cronin, original member Neal Doughty (keyboards), Bruce Hall (bass), Dave Amato (lead guitar) and Bryan Hitt (drums). They were the guest band for a Saturday Night Live/SCTV knockoff called Fridays back in 1981. This happens in any artistic endeavor. We were kids from Cloud Nine. Convinced that their real drawing power came from the shows themselves, they persuaded Epic to deploy a strategy that had worked for KISS: making a live album to convey how REO really sounded when you saw them. When we play those songs, you can just feel the energy in the room light up. I saw them in 1997 at the Universal Amphitheater with Survivor and Blondie. Gary Richrath, the REO Speedwagon guitarist who wrote some of the band's biggest hits, including "Take It on the Run" and "In Your Letter," died Sunday, according to a post by REO lead singer. Unfortunately, Richrath passed away in 2015, sad news that was broken in an announcement by Cronin. Its like the stars lining up. Too many good songs in the past have come out sounding like bad records.'. "During dress rehearsal, they introduced us as Reo Speedwagon," said Cronin, as reported by Rolling Stone. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; So I think that really helped for the album, that it felt like all the songs belonged together. REO Speed Wagon was a 1915 truck that was designed by Ransom Eli Olds, but the company pronounced it as REE-oh like one word whereas the band pronounced each letter individually. Platinum albums and radio staples soon followed, setting the stage for the release of the band's explosive Hi Infidelity which contained the . Over the past nine years, ever since coming out of the Midwest college bar circuit, REO have been one of the hardest-working bands anywhere, winning droves of hard-core fans by playing upwards of 300 shows a year and managing to find time between tours to record seven albums. But it would be fun to have some success as a co-writer. Wed always been known as a strong live band. Instead, were lumped in with heavy metal groups, and were not like Angel Oh yeh, another Kiss band., Its our own fault, I guess, he continued, because we lost perspective of our strong points., ALSO SEE: Even back in 75, people knew Bruce Springsteen was something special, Those strengths, according to Cronin, center around the energy REO generates during a live performance. Currently, the group is on what Cronin considers a landmark 52-city tour. Cronin: I cant say that we felt that. [6] The vocalist was replaced by Kevin Cronin, who performed on the group's second album R.E.O./T.W.O. It was one of those albums which was definitely top-heavy with songs that people, to this daythey come to our concerts and we play at least five or six songs from Hi Infidelity every night. Lansing is home to the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum. Fast forward to November 21, 1980, Epic Records released Hi Infidelity, which represented a change in sound that went from hard rock to pop-oriented music. REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. At that point, REO had been making music for almost 14 years. Ransom E. Olds was an entrepreneur who founded multiple companies in the automobile industry. Who gives the best guitar lessons on YouTube? lead singer of reo speedwagon. So when the Hi Infidelity album came out and Keep On Loving You went to number one, then suddenly people started looking back and realized, Wait a minute, that was REOs 11th album, maybe I should check out their earlier albums because there might be some good songs on it after all (laughs). What Happened During the Video Game Crash of 1983? Cronin: I would hope that the point [of this story is], when youre writing a song, you have to stick with your gut. [1] Matt left early the next year after graduating from school, with Terry Luttrell taking his place on lead vocals. Doughty and Gratzer were constants, but the bass and guitar slots changed frequently. Luckily, I had the sense to stick with my gut and sure enough, Cant Fight This Feeling ends up being the most popular song Ive ever written. Unlike so many of the undeserving in the entertainment industry, theyre out there giving it their all. University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. . Your email address will not be published. But from all appearances, REOs next studio LP really will be different and largely because of a change in the bands attitude toward making records. When my children were born, I didnt name my children when my wife was pregnant. Theres something going on emotionally for me, usually some kind of a feeling that I either dont understand yet, or I understand and havent figured out how to express it yet. [1] Currently, he is using synths made by Korg and Yamaha and tours with a Hammond B3 organ routed through Leslie speaker cabinets. Drop files here. Beginning of REO Speedwagon. REO Speedwagon has recorded 16 studio albums which have sold a total of more than 40 million units. The band's most famous album, Hi Infidelity, which was released in 1980, has sold 10 million copies and became the best-selling rock album of 1981.The album contained four Top 40 hits: "Keep On Loving You" and "Don't Let Him Go" (written by Cronin), plus "Take It On The Run" and . [17] Members [ edit] Current [ edit] Former [ edit] Timeline [ edit] This week a month and a half later its moved up to 54 with a bullet and 61 with a bullet respectively in those same trade publications. DK: I know you play both guitar and piano onstage. They are the only two remaining of five original band members. Cant Fight This Feeling would hit #1 in 1984. Crownover only lasted two years when Bill Fiorio replaced him before also leaving in late 1969, taking the name Duke Tumatoe and forming the All Star Frogs. Excerpted from The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) April 5, 1985. And this becomes even more important in that REOs Midwest success is derived primarily from concerts, and theyve never had such exposure on either coast. But they get as crazy over the slow, romantic ballads as they do over the rock n roll songs. The best of The Saturday Evening Post in your inbox! In fact, many bands from the 80s had some pretty strange names like Styx, Guns N Roses, Tears for Fears, Mtley Cre, Aerosmith, etc. Your email address will not be published. amzn_assoc_asins = "B007V4QM78,B000066405,B00H7J8A68,B00138J9F0,B0069FCW9C,B000050IM9,B00004ZB26,B00701QUWO"; Adapted from the Lexington Herald-Leader (Kentucky) January 20, 1985. The odds against a band forming while The Beatles were still together, continuing for five decades, and returning four songs to the charts via a Netflix show appearance just last year have to be nearly incalculable. We appreciate your understanding! It was really my songs that got me the gig. I just havent had a great deal of success with it (laughs). With the exception of the last, our albums just didnt capture those energies.. "There are actually quite a few people who can say they were members of REO," according to Gratzer. To me, were still the same five guys who were schlepping around bars in the early 70s. So when I came to Los Angeles I really wanted to feel the journey. Very glad theyre still touring, new albums or not. The subjects that we were writing about were what was going on in our lives, since we were all in the same boat in a lot of ways. before leaving during sessions for the 1973 follow-up. It is estimated that REO produced around 20,000 of these trucks and, unlike the original Studebaker trucks which were also used by the United States, the REO versions were only for export to the Soviet Union. Then I thoughtyou know what, so be it, then thats how it has to be, because thats what this songs name is. That next studio collection is the key to REOs precarious success and the boys in the band know it better than anyone. But the records that came before it, the songs that our fans already knew about, like Keep Pushin' and Roll With The Changes and Time For Me To Fly which hadnt really been hits, but our fans knew about them. [3], REO added a truck-manufacturing division and a Canadian plant in St Catharines, Ontario, in 1910. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. The current lineup of REO Speedwagon consists of Cronin, original member Neal Doughty (keyboards), Bruce Hall (bass), Dave Amato (lead guitar) and Bryan Hitt (drums). Cronin: Yeah, I think so. But we know just because we say we can do it doesnt mean a thing, until we do it.. Designed by Battle Creek, Michigan, newspaper editor J.H. Brown, the automobile included a drop-down sleeping extension, a built-in gas cooking range, and a refrigerator. Matt left early the next year after graduating from school, withTerry Luttrelltaking his place on lead vocals. [10], The band's lineup remained stable thereafter for more than ten years until Gratzer decided to retire in 1988, with Graham Lear brought in as his replacement. Most Studebaker US6 trucks were built by Studebaker. Starting bid: US $6.99 [ 0 bids] Shipping: $6.45 Economy . Tools Ridin' the Storm Out is the third studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1973. Neal Allan Doughty (born July 29, 1946 in Evansville, Indiana) is an American keyboardist, best known as a founding member of the rock band REO Speedwagon and the only member to have played on every album. Im trained on the guitarI took guitar lessons for years when I was a kid. [5] In early 1972, shortly after the release of the band's self-titled debut album, Luttrell left REO Speedwagon following a disagreement with Richrath. When you start second guessing yourself, thats when you get lost. Gratzer retired from music. I couldnt do it the real way that human beings communicate (laughs). The band name was found when one of their members, Neal Doughty, saw the name written across the blackboard in his History of Transportation class at the University of Illinois (U of I) in Champaign, IL. I think so. For You Can Tune a Piano in 1978, Cronin said, We had a bunch of songs: Roll with the Changes, Time for Me To Fly, Blazing Your Own Trail Again, Sing To Me, and we were cocky about it. The failure of this program and the effects of the Great Depression caused such losses that Olds ended his retirement during 1933 and assumed control of REO again, but resigned in 1934. The songs for that album had a certain cohesive nature to them. Cronin: I think so. I learned something from thisthat if you pay attention to the song, the song will tell you what it needs. But then looking back on it, and now seeing the impact that Cant Fight This Feeling has had on my life, the life of everyone in the REO Speedwagon family, the lives of people whom Ive never met all over the worldpeople have played that song at their weddings. The latter I had tickets for June 2020 but had to have my $$ credited back due to the situation. Live: You Get What You Play For dropped in 1977, eventually selling a million copies and making the live version of Ridin the Storm Out a Hot 100 charter that is still played regularly on rock radio. DK: These days, so much of the songwriting process is co-writing, particularly in Nashville. Were gonna do it and its gonna be hot.. Subscribe now. Olds had 52% of the stock and the titles of president and general manager. What do you think of their name? Since the end of Harms's brief tenure with the group, REO Speedwagon has retained a consistent lineup of Neal Doughty, Kevin Cronin, Dave Amato, Bruce Hall, and Bryan Hitt [16] until 2023 when Doughty was replaced by former Iron Butterfly and Whitesnake member Derek Hilland. He helped REO Speedwagon release five Platinum-selling hit albums, including Wheels Are Turnin'. The Top 40 album was produced by Cronin and Richrath who also, together and individually, wrote the whole of the album (with one exception, Runnin Blind, co-written by Richrath and Debbie Mackron). But Ive written some of our biggest hits on the piano. So I sat there and looked at my lyric notebook and if you think about it, the opening line of the song is I cant fight this feeling any longer. That was likeBingo! The REO Motor Car Company was a company based in Lansing, Michigan, which produced automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. Traveling 4,176 miles (6,720km) from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Vancouver, British Columbia, in a 1912 REO special touring car, mechanic/driver Fonce V. (Jack) Haney and journalist Thomas W. Wilby made the first trip by automobile across Canada (including one short jaunt into northeastern Washington State when the Canadian roads were virtually impassable). Richrath also left early the next year, with Miles Joseph filling in for a show beforeDave Amatotook over in May. L.A. Classic Rock 105.1 relates that the Speedwagon was designed as a series of light, quick delivery vehicles a sort of precursor to today's pickups. Was there any personal experience you had with them? But I was probably over halfway finished with Cant Fight This Feeling, and I felt that it was something special. But what about you? We are pleased to do a new interview with Cronin, about how he wrote his classic REO songs, and his creative songwriting process. As time went on, and my buddy broke up with her, we still remained friends. I never really took any piano lessonsI just messed around with it and figured it out for myself. Although the members of REO Speedwagon long considered themselves a high-energy rock band, they will be remembered forevermore as masters of the power ballad. By Bruce Meyer - Rushville Republican (Indiana) Nov 16, 1977 . I didnt put a whole lot of time and energy into the creative part of what I do. Fast forward to 1968, Terry Luttrell became lead singer and Bob Crownover replaced Joe Matt on the guitar. REO Speedwagon is an American hard rock band from Champaign, Illinois. After gigging for a while, with Matt, Blair, and Grazter doing vocals, lead singer Terry Luttrell joined in 1968.
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