The song refers to the band being stuck in a harsh winter blizzard after a show in Boulder, Colorado, at a bar named Tulagi (now closed). The first time I met Gary, we just jammed on acoustic guitars. ", which was released that same year. They held an impromptu jam session in the basement of their Illinois Street Residence Hall dormitory, and soon started a rock band. Read Full Biography Overview Biography Discography Songs Credits Related All Songs (1-100 of 425) Highlights All Songs 1 2 3 4 5 Next AllMusic Quiz They are popular on the fair and casino circuits, but still team with other acts to play larger venues. Did you really believe that REO could survive without him? Mike Murphy. We live only a couple of miles from each other. Speedwagon) is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Over the course of its career, the band has sold more than 40 million records and has charted thirteen Top 40 hits, including the number ones "Keep On Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling". 1 language. [8] Original drummer Alan Gratzer left in September 1988 after he decided to retire from music to open a restaurant. Did you panic? Read Full Biography. In 1977, Philbin was replaced with Bruce Hall to record the first studio album that reached platinum, "You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish", released in 1978 which received FM radio airplay but fell short of the Top 40. I didnt know if it would work or not. 19671974 Another live album, Live Again, was also issued in 1978, followed up a year later by another gold-certified hit, Nine Lives. But every night when I sing those songs, I feel like I find another part of it. Three bands were the undisputed arena rock kings of the early '80s -- Styx, Journey, and REO Speedwagon -- yet all weren't overnight success stories (in fact, each group initially pursued different musical styles -- prog rock, fusion, and straight-ahead hard rock, respectively, before transforming slowly into chart-topping mainstream rockers). REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Yeah. We realised we needed each other at right around the same moment. Did you take much persuading to rejoin REO in 76? #MurphMonday! The 1990 release The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken, with Bryan Hitt (formerly of Wang Chung) on drums, was a commercial disappointment. 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. REO Speedwagon with Mike Murphy Show more Show more Son of a Poor Man 8 years ago The Doors Studio Rehearsal Footage! When "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" By 1981's "Hi Infidelity" they had reached a new peak, and the LP spawned several major radio hits including "Keep On Loving You", "Don't Let Him Go" and "Take It on the Run" which went to #5 on the US charts, and the Cronin composed "Time For Me To Fly, released on the "Tuna" album. We were flying around in our own airplane and we lived the life. And then Keep On Loving You knocked Dolly Partons 9 To 5 off the top of the US chart. Terry Luttrell The band's follow-up album, Good Trouble, was released in June 1982. Mike Murphy (Canadian football) - Wikipedia The two held an impromptu jam session in the basement of their Illinois Street Residence Hall dormitory.[2][3]. So whats next for you and REO Speedwagon? [4] Cronin recorded one album with the band, 1972's R.E.O./T.W.O. My solo career hadnt set any world records. [10] The Hits is a 1988 compilation album[4] which contained the new tracks "I Don't Want to Lose You" and "Here with Me". The band's most successful period featured lead vocalist Kevin Cronin who joined the band briefly for their second album T.W.O in 1972, and left in the middle of recording the Album "Ridin' The Storm Out" and returned in 1976, co-producing with Richrath their landmark Live: You Get What You Play For. Ive got three teenage kids at home. That was Fuchsia. REO once again teamed with Styx in 2003 for the Classic Rock's Main Event tour which also included another band from their common rock era, Journey. After the appearance, four of REO's songs reentered the Billboard rock charts. REO Speedwagon Artistfacts - Songfacts So I blew my voice out. REO Speedwagon Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic On November 21, 1980, Epic released Hi Infidelity,[4] which represented a change in sound, going from hard rock to more pop-oriented material. As a consequence, Epic began re-releasing recordings from older albums with updated artwork and design. REO had this power and I didnt want to mess with that. Formed in 1966, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. And Lou Gramm [ex-Foreigner singer] has one of the greatest rock voices in history. Glenn Frey / Don Henley / Tom Nixon. And when the sales start going down, that takes its toll. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Centennial High School (in Champaign, Illinois), You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish, The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken, Not So Silent NightChristmas with REO Speedwagon, You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish, Not So Silent Night Christmas with REO Speedwagon, List of artists who reached number one in the United States, "Now It's Cheat to the Beat, as Reo Speedwagon Finally Arrives with 'Hi Infidelity', "REO Speedwagon Will Dedicate Every Show to Late Guitarist Gary Richrath 'Probably Forever', "REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin on Louisville, power ballads and if my wife's a slut", "Styx, REO Speedwagon Team Up For "Rockin'" Tour, Single", "REO Speedwagon Plans 'Hi Infidelty' 30th Anniversary Reissue, Tour", "Live Nation Announces REO Speedwagon And Chicago Summer Tour", "Def Leppard Announce Summer Tour With REO Speedwagon and Tesla", "UK TOUR WITH STATUS QUO & THE LOUNGE KITTENS ANNOUNCED", "Styx, REO Speedwagon, Don Felder Ready for 'United We Rock' U.S. Tour, Starting June 20th", "REO Speedwagon's 'Hi Infidelity' receives 10X Diamond Award", "Chicago and REO Speedwagon Announce Co-Headlining Summer Tour", "REO Speedwagon drive back into the charts thanks to Ozark appearance", "Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66", "live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK", "REO Speedwagon with Larry the Cable Guy Roll with the Changes", Not So Silent NightChristmas with REO Speedwagon, The Yule Log DVD, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=REO_Speedwagon&oldid=1152195581, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles needing additional references from January 2023, All articles needing additional references, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Alan Gratzer drums, percussion, backing vocals, Gregg Philbin bass guitar, backing vocals, Mike Murphy lead vocals, occasional rhythm guitar, Melanie Jackson-Cracchiolo backing vocals, Derek Hilland keyboards, organ, piano, synthesizer, backing vocals, John Aldridge percussion, occasional drums, This page was last edited on 28 April 2023, at 19:43. Ha-ha! I was ready to go. On November 22, 2013, they announced a benefit concert with Styx titled "Rock to the Rescue" to raise money for the affected families of the tornadoes in central Illinois. I knew that was the title, and yet there was a part of me going: God, thats a terrible title for a song! But when I finally surrendered to it, the chorus it wrote itself. "Son of a Poor Man" and "Ridin' the Storm Out" were featured on the live album Live: You Get What You Play For. Some of the early singles barely qualified for the Hot 100, while some of the latter-day hits made no waves outside of the Mainstream Rock charts, which means that they are relatively unheard by the pop audience that loved Hi Infidelity and "Can't Fight This Feeling." I wanted to give him a chance to really vent his feelings about the present, the past, whatever. Youve always said that The Beatles had a profound effect on you as a kid. Kevin Cronin But it was also the first song where I really exposed my life and my relationship to a certain degree. Notably, these five band members have been together since 1989. I dont know that anyone could have foreseen what was gonna happen with that record. Discover This Time We Mean It by REO Speedwagon released in 1975. The album sold over two million copies in the US, ultimately achieving double platinum status. Formed in 1966, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. After that, Miles Joseph and the back up singers were dropped in favor of former Ted Nugent guitarist Dave Amato (who was brought aboard in May 1989) and keyboardist/songwriter/producer Jesse Harms. Its been a wild ride, its had its ups and downs, but here we are today, and hopefully we can inspire people to never give up, to stay vibrant and to keep your dreams alive. It was the first album to feature Mike Murphy on vocals. Richrath was originally from the town of East Peoria which was damaged during the storm. Mike Blair (1967 - 1968) Mike Murphy (1973 - 1976) Miles Joseph (1989 - 1989) Neal Doughty (1967 - present) Steve Scorfina (1969 - 1970) Terry Luttrell (1968 - 1972) REO Speedwagon (originally styled as R.E.O. Mike Murphy | REOSpeedwagon Wiki | Fandom By the early '70s, Doughty and Gratzer had welcomed aboard guitarist Gary Richrath, who would soon prove to be the group's spark plug (and one of rock's more underrated players), in addition to bassist Gregg Philbin and singer Terry Luttrell. 'Terry Luttrell & Mike Murphy' 'Kevin Cronin' '78 7 "You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish" , '80 9 "Hi Infidelity" . [1] [4] That same year, the band moved to Los Angeles. Still fronted by longtime vocalist Cronin, currently the only original member in the 21st century touring lineup is keyboardist Neil Doughty. Though it did not chart as an album, it produced two singles "I Needed to Fall" (Cronin) and "Find Your Own Way Home" (Cronin) which appeared on Billboard's Adult Contemporary radio chart. [4] The album produced only one, and - to date - the band's last Billboard Hot 100 single, "Love Is a Rock", which peaked at No. [11] Cronin had been playing in The Strolling Dudes, a jazz ensemble that included jazz trumpet player Rick Braun (who had co-written the abovementioned "Here with Me" with Cronin), Miles Joseph on lead guitar and Graham Lear on drums. Epic agreed to let them produce the band's first live album, Live: You Get What You Play For, which was eventually certified platinum. Gary Richrath. 50 Years Later, REO Speedwagon Keeps On Rollin' After I heard The Byrds and Mr Tambourine Man, I had to play a 12-string Rickenbacker. We had the No.1 record when MTV started out, so that just fuelled the phenomenon even further. The sessions started out with Kevin Cronin, but he left the band before the album was finished, due to creative differences. His first track written for REO was Lost In A Dream from 1974 (co-wrote with Mike Murphy). R.E.O. When I got the call I was ready to go. The title refers to the address in Westport, Connecticut, where the band stayed while recording in Leka's studio in Bridgeport. Epic Records signed the band to a recording contract in 1971. Son Of A Poor Man - R.E.O. Speewagon (Mike Murphy & Kevin Cronin I love playing with Dave, but sometimes when Im on stage I look to my left and Garys not there its a little bit sad to me. The most important thing was our performances and making good records. REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. REO Speedwagon ultimately self-financed this effort, which failed to chart. He is, however, still considered an official member of the band. Up next as REO's frontman was Mike Murphy, whose debut with the band, 1974's Ridin' the Storm Out, was their first album to chart on Billboard and spawned a concert standard with the rocking title track. Record World said of the title track that it has "a good mix of hard With him on board, the regional popularity of the band grew tremendously. I felt for sure they would kick me out. The new band made a list of songs to learn over the summer break. Get well soon Mike. Thats what really hit the ball out of the park. In 1977, bassist Gregg Philbin left the band. 538727 226130086 2008-07-16T23:14:22Z 75.117.56.68 * [[Michael Murphy (actor)]] (born 1938), American actor * [[Michael Murphy (artist)]] (born 1975), American visual artist * [[Michael Murphy (author)]] (born 1930), American Integral Movement author and co-founder of the Esalen Institute * [[Michael Murphy (diver)]] (born 1973), retired Australian Olympic diver * [[Michael Murphy (politician . What went wrong? REO Speedwagon headlined on the M&I Classic Rock Stage at the Milwaukee Summerfest on June 30, 2011. He was replaced by Kevin Cronin who recorded one album with the band, 1972s R.E.O./T.W.O. Hi Infidelity sold over 10 million copies. Released in 1976, R.E.O. All five of us suffered, some more than others. #19). When did REO Speedwagon come back to the studio? Richrath stayed on stage to help with the encore of "With a Little Help From My Friends" along with REO, Styx, Richard Marx, and others. Met Michael Murphy and saw him play keyboards with ONE-EYED JACKS several times before he was a member of REO. In early 1968, Terry Luttrell became lead singer, and Bob Crownover joined as the guitar player, replacing Matt. This is the lineup featured on the quintet's 1971 self-titled debut recording for Epic Records. By the end of the 80s we werent having the same kind of success that we had in the early 80s, and that freaked some of us out. We rocked, you know? Bassist Bruce Hall stated that he would always be part of the REO brotherhood, and left open the opportunity for Doughty to appear at select dates. A resident of southern California since 1975, Cronin continues to lead REO Speedwagon alongside keyboard player and founder member Neal Doughty, long serving bassist Bruce Hall and two more recent recruits, guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt. But in defence of my over-use of the rhyme, I wrote that chorus in 15 minutes. I was a guitar teacher. So when he brought the song to REO, it was a no-brainer that he would sing it. But there did come a time, around 1982, when the aftershow party was becoming the focus of the day, rather than the show itself. In February 1981, as Keep On Loving You swept into the US Top 5, Hi Infidelity hit No.1. "At the time, there were two camps in the band. Richrath and Gratzer was replaced by Miles Joseph and Graham Lear, Cronin's band members from jazz ensemble called "The Strolling Dudes". He is now walking in rehab and therapy. Tools Ridin' the Storm Out is the third studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1973. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.