Weve not been in a great deal of contact in the past 20 years. Sure. 19802001Caroline Hoguem. Fiorio then departed in late 1969, eventually assuming the name Duke Tumatoe, and went on to form the All Star Frogs. But I went with it. The name "REO Speedwagon" refers to Ransom Eli Olds, the founder of Oldsmobile. At this point in my life and career, Im able to look back and laugh at myself. Richrath (the band) continued to perform for several years before disbanding in the late 1990s. Did you take much persuading to rejoin REO in 76? It was some years ago when we were touring in South America. [22] In 2017, the Hi Infidelity album received the Diamond Award for official U.S. sales of over 10 million copies. Michael went on to perform with such noteworthy groups as Chuck E. Weiss & The Goddamn Liars, and Billy Vera and the Beaters. 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. Wilder's hit "Break My Stride" had an unlikely inspiration: a famous record mogul who rejected it. [4] Depending upon which member is expressing an opinion, it was either because Philbin was disenchanted with the new corporate-structure REO where Cronin and Richrath got bigger slices of the pie instead of the equal credit they once shared as a "garage band", or that he was asked to leave over his lifestyle issues affecting the music quality. 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. There were all kinds of nefarious activities going on. Then I saw The Beatles and it all made sense. Between 1973 and 1975, Murphy would go on to record three albums with REO. 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. I realised I hadnt written the chorus because I hadnt really accepted what the song was really about. This is not the best lifestyle for having a calm and easy home life. AllMovie. Maybe too much, Your lyrics in that song are at times venomous: You played dead/But you never bled/Instead you lay still in the grass/All coiled up and hissin. Released in 1976, R.E.O. This Time We Mean It is the fifth studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1975. These were the last songs recorded with Gary Richrath and Alan Gratzer. Gary Richrath. The first lineup consisted of Doughty on keyboards, Gratzer on drums and vocals, Joe Matt on guitar and vocals, Mike Blair on bass and vocals. Yeah, that would be a very good way of putting it [laughs]. Made a mistake getting rid of Gary. "American album certifications R.E.O. It peaked at number 171 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1981,[1] and reached platinum status in 1989. It was awesome! Richard Marx joined REO on stage for a joint performance of two of his hit songs. REO Speedwagon is an American hard rock band from Champaign, Illinois. We were in the midst of a four-night stand at the International Amphitheater in Chicago the biggest music venue in the city at the time. All these bands were unique in their own way, but there was a similarity in the music that was undeniable. You had already recorded vocals for Ridin The Storm Out, but new singer, Mike Murphy re-cut your parts. T.W.O., but the other members grew impatient with their slow progress toward a commercial breakthrough, and gave Cronin his walking papers. Champaign, Champaign County, Illinois, United States. REO Speedwagon: Spotify Amazon: 2 : Throw the Chains Away. After graduation, the group signed on with then-unknown manager Irving Azoff (who would later guide the careers of such multi-platinum acts as the Eagles and Steely Dan), which led to the outfit building a devoted following in the Midwest due to nonstop touring. Feel free to contribute! [8] Hi Infidelity spawned four hit singles written by Richrath and Cronin, including the chart-topping "Keep On Loving You" (Cronin),[4] plus "Take It on the Run" (#5) (Richrath), "In Your Letter" (#20) (Richrath), and "Don't Let Him Go" (#24) (Cronin), and remained on the charts for 65 weeks, 32 of which were spent in the top ten, including 15 weeks atop the Billboard 200. He is now walking in rehab and therapy. You talked about earlier about the collateral damage caused by the bands success. Well, that record didnt do as well as wed hoped. This was in 1972. Having lost their recording contract with Epic, REO Speedwagon ended up releasing Building the Bridge (1996) on the Priority/Rhythm Safari label. Nine Lives included one of the all-time classic REO songs, Back On The Road Again, written and sung by bassist Bruce Hall, who joined the band with You Can Tune A Piano Did you want to pull rank and sing it yourself? While single "Sophisticated Lady" just missed the Hot 100, the album's second track, "157 Riverside Avenue," has remained the most popular song from their debut album.. And soon Lear and Joseph was replaced by Bryan Hitt (formerly of Wang Chung) and Dave Amato. We had some songs we really felt were strong Roll With The Changes and Time For Me To Fly. Discover This Time We Mean It by REO Speedwagon released in 1975. But on a practical level, people are spending their hard-earned money on watching us play live, and wed better come through for them. REO Speedwagon continued to score further hit albums (1982's Good Trouble, 1984's Wheels Are Turnin') and singles ("Keep the Fire Burnin'," the number one hit power ballad "Can't Fight This Feeling," etc. We played a lot of originals but also covered songs that at the time were underground: Buffalo Springfield, Moby Grape, the folk-rock thing. Personally, I was okay. But there did come a time, around 1982, when the aftershow party was becoming the focus of the day, rather than the show itself. Yeah. It was kind of a taboo subject, but there are people that use Keep On Loving You as their wedding song. The two held an impromptu jam session in the basement of their Illinois Street Residence Hall dormitory.[2][3]. REO Speedwagon ultimately self-financed this effort, which failed to chart. Bath They were less well-received. What did you spend it on? Why we thought there would be oil there is beyond me. A delighted Kevin Cronin in 1981, The boys in the band, REO Speedwagon in 1979, Winning, the band backstage at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit in 1981, Thank you and goodnight, Gary Richrath in 1981, Kevin Cronin - The 10 Records That Changed My Life, REO Speedwagon ex Gary Richrath dead at 65, The 10 Best REO Speedwagon Songs, by Kevin Cronin, The full story of metal's greatest supergroup, Roadrunner United: "We even opened it up to Nickelback", Keith Richards snarling reaction to being told that the Sex Pistols said he should retire, From the heart: The 12 best Tom Petty songs, Five years ago The Answer were out in the cold: now they've made their Sticky Fingers, Brian May and Roger Taylor once revealed their favourite Freddie Mercury songs, Black Sabbath only stopped setting Bill Ward on fire after the drummer's furious mum called Tony Iommi a "barmy bastard" and told him to "grow up", How a huge onstage brawl with Deep Purple proved the making of AC/DC, Hollywood Undead's Johnny 3 Tears: 10 records that changed my life, How Bury Tomorrow went from near-destruction to being the UK's next great hope for metal: "this is our resurgence", Watch Iggy Pop's blink-and-you'll miss it cameo as a creepy paedophile in 90s cult movie Tank Girl, The Damned continue to flourish as their punk peers wither and fade, Watch Guns N' Roses duo Slash and Duff McKagan play Stooges classic I Wanna Be Your Dog with Iggy Pop in Hollywood, Alice Cooper is writing a concept album called Road, about life on the road, Every issue delivered direct to your door. 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 . In September 1998, Gary Richrath briefly joined REO onstage at the County Fair in Los Angeles to play on the band's encore song, "157 Riverside Avenue". 19671974 REO Speedwagon - |CDCDBlu-rayDVD Mike Murphy (musician) (1946-2006), American drummer for the Bee Gees and Chicago Michael Bryan Murphy, lead singer of REO Speedwagon Michael John Murphy, American folk musician Mike L. Murphy (born 1975), American film maker and animator Michael Murphy (singer) (born 1986), New Zealand Idol runner up Gary Richrath is such a great guitarist and songwriter. An ad in the school newspaper produced their first job, a fraternity party that turned into a food fight. What went wrong? We realised we needed each other at right around the same moment. #19). Doughty retired from touring in 2023. [4] Cronin recorded one album with the band, 1972's R.E.O./T.W.O. As much as its fun to play around, being a rocknroll guy going from town to town and girl to girl, by nature Im a one-woman man. He then joined REO once again in Los Angeles in May 2000 for the same encore but no serious plans for a reunion ever materialized. Honestly, I figured that Gary would be out of the band for maybe a year or two. Heres how it works. The minute I feel like what were doing now is not as good as the last tour, Ill be done with it. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic. 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 What are you, Barry Manilow? Thats what the song sounded like at first. He then recorded two more albums with them, Lost in a Dream and This Time We Mean It . Thats where it all coalesced for us. This lineup did only one show, on January 7, 1989, in Via del Mar, Chile, where it won the award for best group at the city's annual International Song Festival. REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Bruce used to sing Back On The Road Again with his own band in Champaign. 112112. He has been touring lately with Pete Anderson. Post Malone came up with "White Iverson" after getting braids in his hair and thinking they looked like basketball legend Allen Iverson's signature cornrows. REO opted to soldier on, however, with replacement members Dave Amato (ex-Ted Nugent, guitar) and Bryan Hitt (ex-Wang Chung, drums) in tow, as their 14-track 1988 compilation The Hits proved to be a steady seller over the years. Michael Murphy is the former keyboard player and lead singer for REO Speedwagon from 1973-76. I guess the stars were lined up. REO Speedwagon continued to tour in the back half of the 2010s, often teaming up on bills featuring Styx and Chicago. We had the No.1 record when MTV started out, so that just fuelled the phenomenon even further. My solo career hadnt set any world records. Aug 22: difference between nascar cup and xfinity series cars . On his first night of classes, he met fellow student Alan Gratzer. The band appeared in an episode in the third season of the American TV series Ozark, which was released on Netflix on March 27, 2020. Was that the age when you started playing in bands? This is the lineup featured on the quintet's 1971 self-titled debut recording for Epic Records. All rights reserved. Well, the thing about REO is we kept our personal lives private. We ordered a bunch of Dom Perignon and just yelled like schoolboys. Mary Maciukasm. SideReel. REO Speedwagon Follow Artist + Hard-working and hard-rocking band from the Illinois heartland who morphed into million-selling power balladeers by the '80s. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Kevin Cronin was offered a job as an MTV VJ before the network went on the air, but he turned it down since there was no way to stay in the band at the same time. Released in 1976, R.E.O. Cronin's original version of "Son of a Poor Man" is featured on the compilation albums A Decade of Rock and Roll: 1970-1980, and The Essential REO Speedwagon. When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception. New Releases . When you look back on your career, what is REO Speedwagons legacy? It peaked at number 171 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1981, [1] and reached platinum status in 1989. Kevin first joined REO Speedwagon in 1972 for the album R.E.O./T.W.O. The move paid off almost immediately, as REO found their niche by streamlining their sound and focusing on melodic rockers aimed at radio, as well as power ballads aimed at teenage girls' hearts. Photo of REO Speedwagon Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Kevin Cronin and Gary Richrath of REO Speedwagon pose for a portrait in Hollywood, California Bass guitarist Bruce Hall, lead guitarist Gary Richrath , rhythm guitarist and lead singer Kevin Cronin, keyboardist Neal Doughty, and drummer Alan. Im good with it. "Son of a Poor Man" and "Ridin' the Storm Out" were featured on the live album Live: You Get What You Play For. It was called My Little XKE written about a Jaguar car. When that label went bankrupt, the album was released on Castle Records, which also experienced financial troubles. But wed toured so much that all of our relationships at home were kind of shredding, and that bonded us as a band. The band's first mid 70s FM hit was the Richrath composed concert fave "Ridin' The Storm Out", and their first gold record was a live album, 1977's "Live: You Get What You Play For". Was there a defining moment when you realised youd had enough of drugs? Hopefully that will open a door for us. No one is sure who uttered the phrase first, but I was the guy that said: Thats a pretty cool title for the album. Everybody thought I was crazy. I think that fame and the riches that come with it can also bring out the demons in people. He said his piece and Im glad that he got that out. Oh, no. And from that point I needed music like I needed air. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the . Fiorio then departed in late 1969, eventually assuming the name Duke Tumatoe, and went on to form the All Star Frogs. Lear had already been invited to join REO in September 1988 as Gratzer's successor and Joseph was brought in as a temporary stand-in for Richrath. The band toured relentlessly under guidance from early manager Irving Azoff. I was pretty hurt by that. The band released a self-financed album entitled Find Your Own Way Home in April 2007. But in defence of my over-use of the rhyme, I wrote that chorus in 15 minutes. Further underappreciated studio releases followed, such as 1990's The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken and 1996's Building the Bridge. They named the band REO Speedwagon, from the REO Speed Wagon, a 1915 truck that was designed by Ransom Eli Olds. 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." Crownover played guitar for the group until mid-1969 when Bill Fiorio replaced him. It was the first album to feature Mike Murphy on vocals. lead singer of reo speedwagon. [14] On December 2, the band released an online video game, Find Your Own Way Home, produced by digital design agency Curious Sense. For the first time in your life, you were making serious money. When I got the call I was ready to go. You recorded an album with the band in 1972, R.E.O./T.W.O. The Ottawa Rough Riders claimed him as a territorial exemption in the 1977 CFL Draft.In his first CFL season he rushed for 871 yards and caught 48 passes for another 483 yards, winning him the Frank . Hi Infidelity received a diamond certification from the RIAA in 2017. I opened for The Eagles, and could carry an audience of 3,000 by myself. He sang a sampling of REO's hits with the show's singing finalists. [4] Doughty had seen the name written across the blackboard when he walked into his History of Transportation class on the first day they had decided to look for a name. 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. The sessions started out with Kevin Cronin, but he left the band before the album was finished, due to creative differences. Submit Corrections. There was no other choice for me. I felt for sure they would kick me out. The last one we made was Find Your Way Home in 2008. Pretty heavy. Issued at the tail end of 1980, it became one of 1981's biggest albums -- spawning one of the best-known power ballads of all time, "Keep on Loving You," as well as such popular rock radio hits as "Don't Let Him Go" and "Take It on the Run." We werent prepared for the level of success and how quickly our lives changed. The album comprised of eight band originals, all credited to the band as a whole, with the song "Sophisticated Lady," a Little Richard influenced tune, released as a single, but it did not sell in large numbers. But creatively, it fuels the fire. And when I got the call from Gary Richrath about joining REO, I was driving a yellow cab in Chicago. Karen McCoym. Murphy stayed onboard for a couple of more releases -- 1974's Lost in a Dream and 1975's This Time We Mean It -- but neither managed to push REO to the next level. In 1979, the band took a turn back to hard rock with the release of Nine Lives. Tools Ridin' the Storm Out is the third studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1973. REO Speedwagon was named after a flatbed truck. I kept playing it over and over until, one day, Gary plugged in his Les Paul and hit these big chords. Mike Murphy, REO Speedwagon's lead singer from 1973 -1975 is still recovering after being hit by a car while riding his bike. As Ian Dury once noted, there aint half been some clever bastards. The hired guns brought in since have had stints in band's like Ted Nugent and Wang Chung. And that chorus featured a rhyming scheme of truly epic proportions: I cant fight this feeling anymore/Ive forgotten what I started fighting for/Its time to bring this ship into the shore/And throw away the oars, forever And if I have to crawl upon the floor/Come crashing through your door/Baby I cant fight this feeling anymore. Seriously, Kevin, do you think you might have over-egged the pudding there? The '90s saw the emergence of countless REO compilations, including such titles as The Second Decade of Rock n' Roll: 1981 to 1991, Only the Strong Survive, The Ballads, and a specially priced three-disc set of Live: You Get What You Play For, You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish, and Hi Infidelity. REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Nowadays Reo Speedwagon remains a U.S concert circuit staple, mostly known as a crowd pleasing classic AOR genre rock band. Steve Scorfina (who would go on to found progressive rock/album-oriented rock band Pavlov's Dog) came aboard for over a year, composing with the band and performing live, before being replaced by Gary Richrath in late 1970. 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. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). But while making the next record, Ridin The Storm Out, you were fired. My solo career hadn't set any world records. 65. 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. He is the author of several books including the first biography of Guns N Roses and the autobiography of bodyguard-to-the-stars Danny Francis. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. A graduate of University of Ottawa, Murphy was a member of the famed 1975 Vanier Cup champion Ottawa Gee-Gees team. 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. REO had this power and I didnt want to mess with that. Mike Murphy is a tremendous singer, a redheaded Irishman with a feel for R'n'B, and a great guy. Founding members Richrath & Gratzer left the band, essentially ending a 20 year arena rocking run, but the band's collections continued to sell and earn classic rock & retro power pop airplay. It was everything that Id ever hoped for as a songwriter. Their hard rocking live show was so integral to their success, their label released another live album in 1978, "More Live". All five of us suffered, some more than others. Richrath was a Peoria, Illinois-based guitarist and prolific songwriter who brought fresh original material to the band. 'Terry Luttrell & Mike Murphy' 'Kevin Cronin' '78 7 "You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish" , '80 9 "Hi Infidelity" . Believe me, I get it. Mike Murphy is a former award-winning Canadian Football League fullback.. Career. The band signed to Epic Records in 1971. We kept our eye on the ball. The keyboard player was the leader, but several other band members were unhappy with the situation. But he was never a good fit for REO Speedwagon. And after the show, someone laid out an item that was about the size of a cue ball it was the same colour as a cue ball as well and I respectfully declined. Speedwagon" was released in 1971 produced by Paul Leka and Billy Rose II. I played that song and Gary freaked out he thought he was the only person who knew that song. At 14 I was in bands with kids a few years older. Cronin and his wife, Denise, had a son in 1977 named Paris. They had their thing and I had my own thing. Thats a whole book right there. ", A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs. 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. Louder is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Steve Scorfina (who would go on to found progressive rock/album-oriented rock band Pavlov's Dog) came aboard for over a year, composing with the band and performing live, before being replaced by Gary Richrath in late 1970. It was the first album to feature Mike Murphy on vocals. 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. Glenn Frey / Don Henley / Tom Nixon. ", When he joined Guns N' Roses in 1990, Matt helped them craft an orchestral sound; his mezzo fortes and pianissimos are all over "November Rain. signaled the beginning of the veteran group's winning streak, as both 1977's Live: You Get What You Play For and 1978's You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish were REO's first to earn gold and platinum certification. #34).[4]. Was there a pivotal moment in the making of Hi Infidelity? "When the Hi Infidelity album came out in 1980 we made a career changing tactical error," he says. Born on October 6, 1951 in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Cronin has experienced the best of times and the worst of times with REO Speedwagon. Ha-ha! Kevin Cronin earned his net worth as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the band REO Speedwagon.Kevin Cronin Net Worth. That record was made more on my terms than Garys. What is Michael Murphys political consultants middle name 2005? Although REO were slowly inching their way to big-time success, no one (not even the band) could have predicted the massive hit that their next album turned out to be, Hi Infidelity. They were named after a fire engine. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. A street there is named "REO Speedwagon Way.". But as the years went by, he wasnt back and the band started taking on a new momentum, with Dave playing guitar and Brian playing drums. In 1977, bassist Gregg Philbin left the band. but left the band during the recording sessions for 1973's Ridin' the Storm Out because of internal conflicts. [7] Philbin was replaced by another Centennial High School (in Champaign, Illinois) alumnus, Bruce Hall,[3] to record You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish. 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). So I blew my voice out. 19731978Diana Verom. Yeah, when I wrote Keep On Loving You. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic. Rather than pronouncing REO as a single word as the motor company did, they chose to spell out the name with the individual letters each pronounced ("R-E-O"). It peaked at number 74 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1975, [3] It was the third and last album to feature Mike Murphy on vocals and features the single "Reelin'" written by Murphy. But I had to make a choice: either Im gonna let his departure end the band, or Im gonna see if I can do it without him. Real Name: Michael Bryan Murphy Profile: Former keyboard player and vocalist with REO Speedwagon from 1973-75, Murphy went on to perform with such noteworthy groups as Chuck E. Weiss & The Goddamn Liars, and Billy Vera and the Beaters. Weve been able to sustain this band for 40 years, Cronin says. Gratzer had been a drummer since high school, and was playing in a local group on the weekends, while Doughty had learned some Beatles songs on his parents' piano. Two years later, the band released Wheels Are Turnin', an album that included the No. #MurphMonday! In early 1968, Terry Luttrell became lead singer, and Bob Crownover joined as the guitar player, replacing Matt. This becomes a bonding moment for the two characters, who were previously enemies in the "Karate Kid" movies. REO Speedwagon's mainstream popularity waned in the late 1980s, but the band remains a popular live act. The St. Louis, Missouri-based radio station KSHE, one of America's most influential rock stations, began supporting it, elevating the band's profile outside its Midwestern stronghold. I wanted to give him a chance to really vent his feelings about the present, the past, whatever. I loved that jangly sound, and the vocal harmony thing. Oh, no. It was right after Elton Johns Madman Across The Water was released, and there was a song on it, Holiday Inn, that I used to sing it in folk clubs in Chicago. Doughty eventually began sitting in on few songs. They are popular on the fair and casino circuits, but still team with other acts to play larger venues. I went to a show, and it was weird to watch the band play my songs with a different guy singing them. Originally it was called Dont Let Me Down. [13], In November 2009, REO Speedwagon released a Christmas album, Not So Silent NightChristmas with REO Speedwagon.
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