At a 2013 benefit, the band was joined on stage by Richrath for the first time since the 1980s. We saw this happening, so we took it (the album) into our own hands. REO has been recording since 1971, but the success that sent Cronin and his band members into such a culture shock came a decade later, when Hi-Infidelity stayed on top of the pop charts for nearly six months, making REO one of the hottest groups of 1981. . Too many good songs in the past have come out sounding like bad records.'. But now, even these more discriminating listeners are beginning to take notice of REO Speedwagon. On this he learned to play Light My Fire by The Doors. In 1954, the company was still underperforming, and sold its vehicle manufacturing operations (the primary asset of the company) to the Bohn Aluminum and Brass Corporation of Detroit. What do you think of their name? Theres no bigger influence for me. While Ned Jordan is credited with changing the way advertising was written with his "Somewhere West of Laramie" ads for his Jordan Playboy, Reo's Flying Clouda name that provoked evocative images of speed and lightnesschanged the way automobiles would be named in the future. >> Click to read more << Besides, is Kevin Cronin still with REO Speedwagon? CBS had a big convention in London. Cronin: That song, coincidentally, was number one 35 years ago from right now. Lansing is home to the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum. I could have very easily followed that fear that I had about that title and thought Oh Man, I better not call it this, because of some commercial concern. 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. Currently, the group is on what Cronin considers a landmark 52-city tour. However, Cronin admitted, after two months the self-production they were permitted to do didnt sound right. (they used periods in those days) Speedwagon had been at it for a while when the band got its first shot at performing live on national TV. For others, however, the wait can last for years. 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. The following semester of 1967, they had their rehearsals before classes started, naming the band REO Speedwagon. Songs for which he is the sole composer include "Sky Blues" from 1974, "One Lonely Night" from 1984 and "Variety Tonight" from 1987. The Flying Cloud was the first car to use Lockheed's new hydraulic internal expanding brake system and featured styling by Fabio Segardi. Gratzer retired from music. Free shipping for many products! [3], REO added a truck-manufacturing division and a Canadian plant in St Catharines, Ontario, in 1910. Neal Doughty Kevin Cronin Bruce Hall Dave Amato Bryan Hitt Many people think the current lead singer of REO Speedwagon is dead! REO has been recording since 1971, but the success that sent Cronin and his band members into such a culture shock came a decade later, when Hi . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our goal is to bring back the nostalgia of the 80s while providing users with a fun way to experience one of historys most popular eras. Im thankful for that and proud of that as well. Hes a real sweet guy and hes written some big hit ballads, and we were supposed to co-write. Temporary guitarist Bill Fiorio later found fame under the name Duke Tumatoe. Im trained on the guitarI took guitar lessons for years when I was a kid. Before we start the interview, here is some information about REO Speedwagons hit discography, and about the other members of the band, both past and present. Speedwagon through 2009's Not So Silent Night . Dont second guess it. Theyre able to choose, and have a right to do so., ALSO SEE: Creedence Clearwater Revival was the richest, most successful pop-rock group in the world in 1971. Band member and lead singer Kevin Cronin stressed about the announcer getting the name right. It was the name of a 1915 model of truck that bore the initials of its designer, the legendary automaker Ransom E. Olds, founder of Olds Motor Vehicle Company. It was actually Doughty who first followed Gratzers band, listening to them play songs. Wed fight over whose tunes would go on an album, how loud each instrument should be, how each instrumental line should be played (as to style and attack). But endurance in the face of uncertainty has long been a trademark of REO Speedwagon. In fact, he concluded, its that creative tension that makes REO Speedwagon work., AND ABOUT THAT NAME The original REO Speedwagon vehicles & other classic REO cars and trucks, By Bruce Meyer Rushville Republican (Indiana) Nov 16, 1977. With the momentum of the live album, the band truly turned the corner on 1978s You Can Tune a Piano, but You Cant Tuna Fish. Bass Guitar / Lead & Harmony Vocals 1978-present. For the good ones, the inspiration is usually a pretty big piece of the song. The model 8-35 was priced from $2,745 for the sedan to $3,000 for the convertible coupe. So on the last day of school that year, band guitarist Joe Matt called the leader and informed him that he, Gratzer and Mike Blair chose to leave and join a new one with Doughty. Beginning of REO Speedwagon. Were a high-energy band, Cronin emphasized, but our studio recordings didnt show this, and people want consistency. The album went double-platinum and produced two signature songs, Roll with the Changes and Time for Me to Fly. Though their subsequent Nine Lives record had a harder edge, the band chose after that recordto broaden their approach to incorporate more pop layers into their rock sound. 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. Matt left early the next year after graduating from school, withTerry Luttrelltaking his place on lead vocals. 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. Roll With The Changes was personally about me moving from Chicago to L.A.I was quite literally rolling with the changes. The Ultimate Guideto Choose The Right Guitar Slide, The Ultimate Guide to Choose Guitar Picks. Olds had 52% of the stock and the titles of president and general manager. When I rejoined, the band had moved from Champaign, Illinois to Los Angeles. After we did it, Gary and I sat in Johns office and called up radio stations and asked them to play it and see if they got a phone response. But this year I think I need to start tapping into the creative side of my being, because otherwise it starts exploding (laughs) in other ways. So the earlier songs were given a second chance as a result of the Hi Infidelity album. In 2018, REO Speedwagon and Chicago toured again. Were producing ourselves for the first time and the live album really made us confident in what were doing. He will still appear at select shows in the future. So the answers to those other questions are separate topics, but here I wanted to explain just where REO Speedwagon got their name. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. The original REO Speedwagon vehicles & other classic REO cars and trucks. In early 1972, shortly after the release of the band'sself-titled debut album, Luttrell left REO Speedwagon following a disagreement with Richrath. With Cant Fight This Feeling, I did not know what the name of that song was. All told, the band would have 12 Top 40 singles through the 1980s. And now all the doors that seemed to be closing in REOs face are wide open again if their eighth album has any guts to it at all. The opening line may be even more important than the title. When you start second guessing yourself, thats when you get lost. And these easy tips kept us grooving, See inside the home of vintage actor James Coburn (1970), Check out these 20 glamorous 50s housewives who REALLY loved their toilet paper, The Black Dahlia murder: Find out all about this mysterious and brutal unsolved crime from 1947, 21 bad vintage product names you wouldnt see today, 100 vintage 1960s supermarkets & old-fashioned grocery stores, The history of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress planes from WWII, Rediscover vintage Village Lip Lickers flavored lip glosses from the 1970s & 1980s. Maybe it was just the timing of when it was released. It wasnt long before Gratzer, bassist Mike Blair, and guitarist Joe Matt decided to quit the old band and join Doughty in a new one. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; Your email address will not be published. Cronin: Yeah, I think so. By Richard Sherwood, Valley News-Sun (Van Nuys, California) April 10, 1977. On the very first night, he met who would be his lifetime friend and bandmate, Alan Gratzer, and the two held an impromptu jam session in the basement of their Illinois Street Residence Hall dorm. It was just that I needed to really identify where the heart and soul of this piece that I was working on was. We were kids from Cloud Nine. I literally woke up in the middle of the night and I had these three, simple piano chords going through my head. Remember Maybelline Kissing Potion & other flavored lip gloss from the 70s & 80s? In addition, his songs Roll With The Changes and Keep The Fire Burning have had an enduring impact, becoming rock anthems which convey positive and uplifting lyric themes. Trivia. All Rights Reserved. Neal Allan Doughty (born July 29, 1946) 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. So when I finished Cant Fight This Feeling, I realized that yeah, Ive gotta make this move. Ive gotta do what Im saying in this songIve got to make this happen. 2. Keep On Loving You (Uploaded to YouTube by REO Speedwagon). They did have a lot of members leave, but they stayed together during their prime years, for which I have to give them credit. I just couldnt get the courage up, to make that leap of vulnerability, to share with her that I had feelings for her that were more than friendship. 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. gary verna and karen valentine, shoprite water refill, barstool employees list,