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. REO Speedwagon skyrocketed to fame in 1980 with their chart topping album, Hi Infidelity. Today Mark and Cristina welcome REOs lead singer, Kevin Cronin and his beautiful wife Lisa. Cant Fight This Feeling is definitely the song that when most people think of me as a songwriter, thats the first one that comes to their head. He helped REO Speedwagon release five Platinum-selling hit albums, including Wheels Are Turnin'. Before REO Speedwagon was formed, Neal Doughty had entered the electrical engineering program as a junior in 1966. By late 1970, REO Speedwagon had finalised its first recording lineup with the addition of guitaristGary Richrathin place of Scorfina. Soon after, the band membership began to rotate quite a bit. It peaked at number 171 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1981, [1] and reached platinum status in 1989. Thats my titlethats what this song is about. In 1980 their album Hi Fidelity sold more than 10 million copies, about a quarter of all of the band's album sales. ""It's R-dot-E-dot-O-dot Speed-wagon REO Speedwagon!" The announcer sort of got it right. But Ive written some of our biggest hits on the piano. Doughty and Gratzer were constants, but the bass and guitar slots changed frequently. Speedwagon was released in October of 1971 and credited all five members (Doughty, Gratzer, Richrath, Philbin, and Luttrell) as the writers of all eight songs.While single "Sophisticated Lady" just missed the Hot 100, the album's second track, "157 Riverside Avenue," has remained the most popular song from . What was REO Speedwagon's first #1 single? The resulting Nuclear Corporation of America, Inc., diversified and purchased other companies to become a conglomerate, spreading into an array of fields including prefabricated housing and steel joist manufacturing in addition to nuclear services. R.E.O. When Gary (Richrath) heard that song, it signaled to him that I had some ability as a songwriter. For definitive proof, consider REO Speedwagon. Who is famous for playing a 12-string guitar. Its funnyeven though it was 35 years ago, it still feels like it was just yesterday to me, because I remember writing it so vividly. [9] White then merged REO with Diamond T Trucks in 1967 to form Diamond Reo Trucks. 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. 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. Hi-Infidelity, and its disappointing follow-up, Good Trouble, which sent the group on one of its most exhaustive tours. Free shipping for many products! DK: More recently, REO has released the album Find Your Own Way Home in 2007 and REOs Christmas album in 2009. My wife is an amazing person. The songs for that album had a certain cohesive nature to them. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; Required fields are marked *, Attachments The maximum upload file size: 260 MB. Beginning in 1933, the Royale also featured as an option REO's semi-automatic transmission, the Self-Shifter. I had a little red Wurlitzer electric piano that Id had since I was in high school. The name was used on a lower-priced 6-cylinder model through 1935. He was taking a class, History of Transportation, and found "R.E.O. They were the guest band for a Saturday Night Live/SCTV knockoff called Fridays back in 1981. And there were some radio stations in the Midwest that were playing those songs. REO Speedwagon performing live in 2010 (top) and 2016 (bottom). Two years later, Olds claimed that he had built the best car he could, a tourer able to seat two, four, or five, with a 3035hp (2226kW) engine, 112 inches (2,845mm) wheelbase, and 32 inches (81cm) wheels, for $1,055 (not including top, windshield, or gas tank, which were US$100 extra); self-starter was $25 on top of that. Richrath had wanted to join the band and knew that he could take them to a new level with his artistry and songwriting. They perform about 100 dates a year. One day, I was really frustrated because we had an album that was due, and we really needed that song that was going to pick up where Keep On Loving You left off, and we didnt have it. The group that formed in Chicago played the mid-60s clubs dates for some time, then branched out into the concert circuit throughout the Midwest. Platinum albums and radio staples soon followed, setting the stage for the release of the band's explosive Hi Infidelity which contained the . REO Speedwagons popularity began to decline in 1987 when the album Life as We Know It didnt sell nearly as many as the others. Speedwagon through 2009's Not So Silent Night . [2] The pronunciation, however, was as a single word. 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. So the answers to those other questions are separate topics, but here I wanted to explain just where REO Speedwagon got their name. Notably, these five band members have been together since 1989. But it would be fun to have some success as a co-writer. 50 years; my goodness. [3] Blair left a few months after Matt, with Gregg Philbin taking his place. [15]Since the end of Harms's brief tenure with the group, REO Speedwagon has retained a consistent lineup of Kevin Cronin, Dave Amato, Bruce Hall, Neal Doughty and Bryan Hitt. It was a change in direction that would lead to the defining successes of their career. Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety, but also in terms of outdated cultural depictions and social values. The path to success is not often linear, and a band that knows that better than many is the multi-platinum band REO Speedwagon. Official YouTube channel for REO Speedwagon. Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neal_Doughty&oldid=1135295662, This page was last edited on 23 January 2023, at 20:16. They continued to work at the music, performing stage shows, touring, and recording. I couldnt figure it out, and as a result, I had a really hard time finishing that song. Required fields are marked *. It had a 115-inch (2,900mm) wheelbase. Kevin Cronin wrote this note the bands official Facebook page. Formed in 1967, the group originally included drummer and backing vocalist Alan Gratzer, guitarist and lead vocalist Joe Matt, bassist and lead vocalist Mike Blair, and keyboardist Neal Doughty. My biggest inspiration in music is the Beatles, and Lennon & McCartney in my mind are the great songwriting duo in the history of the world, and I owe everything that I know about being in a band, writing a songI owe it all to the Beatles. The band formed when drummer Alan Gratzer and keyboardist Neal Doughty, a couple of students at University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, got together to jam after class. In the big business that is rock in its third decade, it takes a lot more than hard work to succeed. Their popularity began to decline in the late 1980s, but they still perform at summer festivals today. I named my children after they were born and I looked at them, and I saw their little bodies, and they kind of told me what their names should be to some degree. He's appeared on 16 studio albums with the band, from 1971's R.E.O. This song, even though it wasnt finished yet, meant so much to me and it was such a big part of who I am, that I just knew that I wanted to finish this song myself. The band made an appearance in one episode of the Netflix series Ozark; the one guest-spot put four of the bands songs back on the Billboard rock chart in 2020. 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. I was kind of a late bloomermusic was my vehicle. Songwriting and music has always been my savior in that way. 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. The REO Motor Car Company was a company based in Lansing, Michigan, which produced automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. I just really felt like it was a two-person job [this past year] more than ever. The words referred to a 1915 vehicle produced by the founder of the Oldsmobile automotive company, Ransom E. Olds. Discover the benefits that come with your membership. 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. When you feel the inspiration for a song, then you have to actually craft it. 157 Riverside Avenue (Uploaded to YouTube by REO Speedwagon). [8][9] Philbin left the following year, with Bruce Hall taking his place. Excerpted from The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) April 5, 1985. DK: I think Keep Pushin' is one of the great songs from REOs early years, and maybe if it was released later in the mid-80s when the band was so hot, it could have been another big hit. Speedwagon, in 1971. By 1907, REO had gross sales of $4.5 million, and the company was one of the four wealthiest automobile manufacturers in the U.S. After 1908, however, despite the introduction of improved cars designed by Olds, REO's share of the automobile market decreased due in part to competition from emerging companies like Ford and General Motors. Three years later, in 1957, Reo's vehicle manufacturing operation became a subsidiary of the White Motor Company. 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. 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. Maybe it was just the timing of when it was released. Heavy Metal Wiki is a FANDOM Music Community. DK: Keep On Loving You from Hi Infidelity is a great song. Now that you know, have fun looking around! 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. On this he learned to play Light My Fire by The Doors. University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Could use a Which Ones Pink? When my children were born, I didnt name my children when my wife was pregnant. 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. Cronin went on to explain how he felt the band three years ago to give a solo career a try. 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. The record company people told me to stick with the band, he said, then laughed. DK: Besides some of your big hits, what are some of your songs that are your favorites? "During dress rehearsal, they introduced us as Reo Speedwagon," said Cronin, as reported by Rolling Stone. It gave me an outlet for expressing myself when I was very young and didnt know any other way to do it. And, well were crazy enough that we dont need that kind of artificial craziness. 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. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; The response has been ridiculous, Cronin said with a smile. Who are the original members of REO Speedwagon? REO Speedwagon (originally styled as R.E.O. So he knew that they needed some help in the songwriting department. I sat there on the floor of my bedroom, and I thought, Alright, what is this song all about? Why cant I name this songwhy cant I write the chorus for this song? We usually play as the opening act or as special guests, but this time were headlining.. Was there any personal experience you had with them? 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). The sound of the band keeps a rock steady tone that you cannot deny. I think the main reason that I got the gig, was that REO had released one album, and they were working on songs for their second album for Epic Records. To ensure a reliable supply of parts, he organized a number of subsidiary firms, like the National Coil Company, the Michigan Screw Company, and the Atlas Drop Forge Company. [3], REO added a truck-manufacturing division and a Canadian plant in St Catharines, Ontario, in 1910. This was on the first day he and the rest of the band decided to look for a name. REO Speedwagons most recent updates are performing with Pitbull in the song Messin Around live on the ABC TV show Greatest Hits in 2016. I was writing [the words] on this brown paper bag as I was rolling down the road. 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. However, during the Second World War, REO produced a number of them under license from Studebaker. The cause of death has not yet been determined.. DK: Which album was it, where you started to write a good amount of the songs for the group? The cause of death was not given. R.E.O. Theyre great in concert too. 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. As the lead singer & songwriterof the multi-platinum rock band REO Speedwagon, Kevin Cronin has been the bands guiding force since joining the group in the mid-1970s. Im thankful for that and proud of that as well. [2] Bob Crownover took over as the band's guitarist, but was replaced after a brief tenure by Bill Fiorio and later Steve Scorfina. 17 Popular Songs Played on the Casio Keyboard, 8 Movies and Shows That Played Journeys Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) Song. For others, however, the wait can last for years. So the songs come in all different shapes and forms. Gratzer already had a band, and Doughty began to sit in with them. The record deal provided the band with some stability with one exception: the lead singer role. REO's two most memorable cars were its Reo Flying Cloud introduced in 1927[6] and the Reo Royale 8 of 1931. It ended up being our first gold record. Thats not to say they never willsongs have a way of surfacing in the future sometimes. REO Speedwagon has recorded 16 studio albums which have sold a total of more than 40 million units. They perform about 100 dates a year. Cronin: Ive written songs on both, honestly. Then as many of my songs do, I write them and then I kind of learn about myself when Im finished with them. Ill have to re-check Vitellos, just a few miles from the El Portal in North Hollywood. Whenever any two people work closely together it brings about a sort of creative tension. We appreciate your understanding! DK: So what were you thinking about, when you wrote Cant Fight This Feeling? Now that you know, have fun looking around! 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. Kevin Patrick Cronin Jr. (born October 6, 1951) is an American singer and songwriter, who is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and pianist for the rock band REO Speedwagon. [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. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; REO Speedwagon is an American hard rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Notably, these five band members have been together since 1989. Who died from REO Speedwagon? I learned something from thisthat if you pay attention to the song, the song will tell you what it needs. But unlike the latter three, REO has been unable to garner support out of that regionalized base. Kevin and Lisa share the story of their storybook romance and secret to their successful 24-year marriage. Were happy with the sound, because we got what we wanted rather than what some producer wanted. Your email address will not be published. In 1905 Olds left Oldsmobile and established a new company, REO Motor Car Company, in Lansing, Michigan. Cant Fight This Feeling would hit #1 in 1984. Speedwagon) is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. He formed the band in the fall of 1966, with original drummer Alan Gratzer (who left REO in 1988). We know weve got to prove ourselves, says lead singer Kevin Cronin, and I cant wait to get that next album out. In the Television series "Murdoch Mysteries", This page was last edited on 9 January 2023, at 19:43. [I think] co-writing is a lot of funit definitely makes the process of songwriting more enjoyable because youre not sitting there by yourself. 1 hits Keep on Loving You and Cant Fight This Feeling., Celebrity Q&A, Featured Article, Where Are They Now, https://americanprofile.com/articles/where-are-they-now-reo-speedwagon-video/, https://americanprofile.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/reo-speedwagon-150x150.jpg.
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