name | REO Speedwagon |
---|---|
landscape | Yes |
background | group_or_band |
origin | Champaign, Illinois, United States |
genre | Hard rock, soft rock |
years active | 1967 - present |
label | EpicSpeedwagon RecordingsSony/Legacy |
associated acts | Styx |
website | |
current members | Neal DoughtyKevin CroninBruce HallDave AmatoBryan Hitt |
past members | Alan GratzerMike BlairJoe MattGregg PhilbinTerry LuttrellBob CrownoverJoe McCabeMarty ShepardDuke TumatoeSteve ScorfinaGary RichrathMike MurphyGraham LearMiles JosephCarla DayMelanie JacksonJesse Harms }} |
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. ''Hi Infidelity'' is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US. Over the course of its career, the band has sold more than forty million records and has charted thirteen Top 40 hits. REO Speedwagon's popularity has declined over the years but the band still tours regularly, and remains popular on the fair and casino circuits and teams up with other acts to play larger venues. In summer 2010, the band – then touring with Pat Benatar – announced that it will release a 30th anniversary deluxe edition reissue of ''Hi Infidelity''.
REO Speedwagon was formed by students attending the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois in the fall of 1967 to play cover songs in campus bars. The first line up consisted of Alan Gratzer on drums and vocals, Neal Doughty on keyboards, Joe Matt on guitar and vocals, and Mike Blair on bass and vocals. In the spring of 1968, Terry Luttrell became lead singer, and Bob Crownover and Gregg Philbin replaced Matt and Blair. Joe McCabe played sax at this time until moving to Southern Illinois University. Crownover played guitar for the group until the summer of 1969 when Bill Fiorio replaced him. Fiorio then departed in late 1969, eventually assuming the name Duke Tumatoe, and went on to form the ''All Star Frogs''. Another guitarist, Steve Scorfina, came aboard briefly, and was replaced by Gary Richrath in late 1970.
Richrath was a Peoria, Illinois-based guitar player and prolific songwriter who brought original material to the band including REO's signature song "Ridin' the Storm Out". With Richrath on board, the regional popularity of the band grew tremendously. The Midwestern United States was the original REO Speedwagon fan stronghold and is pivotal in this period of the band's history.
The band signed to Epic Records in 1971. Paul Leka, an East Coast record producer, brought the band to his recording studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut where it recorded original material for its first album. The lineup on the first album consisted of Richrath, Gratzer, Doughty, Philbin, and Luttrell.
Although the rest of the band's line-up remained stable, REO Speedwagon switched lead vocalists three times for their first three albums. Luttrell left the band in early 1972, eventually becoming the vocalist for Starcastle. He was replaced by Kevin Cronin. Cronin recorded one album with the band, 1972's ''R.E.O./T.W.O.'' but left the band during the recording sessions for 1973's ''Ridin' the Storm Out'' because of internal conflicts. ''Ridin' the Storm Out'' was completed with Michael Bryan Murphy on lead vocal. Murphy stayed on for two more albums, ''Lost in a Dream'' and ''This Time We Mean It'', before Cronin returned to the fold in January 1976 and recorded ''R.E.O.'', which was released that same year. Cronin's return came after Greg X. Volz turned down the position for lead vocalist due to his commitment to Christianity.
REO Speedwagon's first live album, ''Live: You Get What You Play For'' (1977), was certified platinum. In 1977 Philbin was replaced with Bruce Hall to record ''You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish'', released in 1978, which received FM radio airplay. The album was REO's first to make the Top 40, peaking at #29. The album sold over 2 million copies in the U.S., which led it to go 2x Platinum. In 1979 the band took a turn back to hard rock with the release of ''Nine Lives''.
''Good Trouble'' (1982) and ''Wheels Are Turnin''' (1984) were follow-up albums which also did well commercially, the former containing the hit singles "Keep the Fire Burnin'" (U.S. #7) and "Sweet Time" (U.S. #26) and the latter containing the #1 hit single "Can't Fight This Feeling" plus three more hits: "I Do' Wanna Know" (U.S. #29), "One Lonely Night" (U.S. #19) and "Live Every Moment" (U.S. #34).
On July 13, 1985, the band made a stop in Philadelphia (en route to a show in Milwaukee) to play at the US Leg of Live Aid. They performed "Can't Fight this Feeling" and "Roll With The Changes", which featured members of the Beach Boys, the REO Speedwagon band members' families, and Paul Shaffer on stage for backing vocals. 1987's ''Life as We Know It'' saw a decline in sales, but still managed to provide the band with the hits "That Ain't Love" (U.S. #16) and "In My Dreams" (U.S. #19).
The 1990 release ''The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken'', with Bryan Hitt (formerly of Wang Chung) replacing Graham Lear on drums, Dave Amato debuting on lead guitar, and songwriter/keyboardist Jesse Harms, was a commercial disappointment. The album produced only one, and at this time the last, Billboard Hot 100 single, "Love Is a Rock" at #66. Harms was disillusioned and his tenure in the group ended in early 1991.
Shortly after his departure, Richrath assembled former members of the midwestern band Vancouver to form a namesake band, Richrath. After touring for several years, the Richrath band released ''Only the Strong Survive'' in 1992 on the GNP Crescendo label. Richrath continued to perform for several years before disbanding in the late 1990s.
In the meantime, REO Speedwagon lost their recording contract with Epic, and ended up releasing ''Building the Bridge'' (1996) on the Priority/Rhythm Safari label. When that label went bankrupt, the album was released on the ill-fated Castle Records which also experienced financial troubles. REO Speedwagon ultimately self-financed this effort, which failed to chart.
From 1995 to the present, the label released over a dozen compilation albums featuring greatest hits, including 1999's ''The Ballads.'' In 2000, REO teamed up with Styx for an appearance at Riverport Amphitheater in St. Louis, which was released as a live concert video ''Arch Allies: Live at Riverport''. The REO portion of the show was released again under three separate titles: Live - Plus (2001), Live Plus 3 (2001) and Extended Versions (2001)(which was certified Gold by the RIAA on 4/26/2006). REO once again teamed with Styx in 2003 for the Classic Rock's Main Event tour which also included Journey. In 2008 they teamed with Styx and Def Leppard for another major tour headlined by Def Leppard to promote its latest album.
REO Speedwagon continues to tour regularly, performing mostly their classic hits. They are popular on the fair and casino circuits, but still team with other acts to play large venues. They teamed up with Styx to record a new single entitled "Can't Stop Rockin'", released in March 2009, as well as for a full tour that includes special guest .38 Special.
In November 2009, REO Speedwagon released a Christmas album, ''Not So Silent Night...Christmas with REO Speedwagon.''
On December 2, 2009, REO Speedwagon released an online video game, ''Find Your Own Way Home'', produced by digital design agency, Curious Sense. The game was the first "downloadable casual game" produced with a rock band and was cited by numerous publications including the ''New York Times'' as an innovative marketing product for a music act.
REO Speedwagon headlined on the M&I; Classic Rock Stage at the Milwaukee Summerfest on June 30, 2011, playing a number of their classic hits, as well as some other material.
Category:American rock music groups Category:Musical groups from Illinois Category:Musical groups established in 1967 Category:Musical quintets Category:Epic Records artists
ca:REO Speedwagon cs:REO Speedwagon da:REO Speedwagon de:REO Speedwagon es:REO Speedwagon fr:REO Speedwagon ko:REO 스피드왜건 hr:REO Speedwagon id:REO Speedwagon it:REO Speedwagon nl:REO Speedwagon ja:REOスピードワゴン no:REO Speedwagon pl:REO Speedwagon pt:REO Speedwagon simple:REO Speedwagon fi:REO Speedwagon sv:REO Speedwagon uk:REO Speedwagon zh:快速马车合唱团This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
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