REO Speedwagon

In the 25 years that REO Speedwagon has been recording music, the band that started out in a rented Chevy station wagon playing bars across America's heartland has produced 17 critically acclaimed albums and scored 13 Top 40 singles. During that time, the band has crossed its share of bridges. With the 1996 release of Building The Bridge, the group has linked a storied past - exemplified by such classics as "Keep On Lovin' You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling" - with a stirring new set of contemporary songs destined to become prized additions to its collected works. 

The message of the title track had the desired effect, reaching listeners all the way to the White House. On a visit there in 1995, the band met various staffers, including one of the President's aides. The following year, when band manager Tom Consolo sent an advance copy of "Building The Bridge" to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, staffers suggested he sent another one to organisers of the Democratic National Convention. They liked it so much, Building The Bridge became a cornerstone of President Clinton's re-election campaign. He used the phrase 26 times in his speech when he accepted the nomination and the song was played twice in its entirety at the convention finale. During the nine week campaign leading to his re-election, Kevin Cronin personally performed it three times for the President at Clinton rallies, including the final campaign stop. REO was also invited to the inauguration, where they watched President Clinton being sworn in for a second time and were introduced to him that night at the Inaugural Ball. 

Much of what is referred to as the "Spirit of REO Speedwagon" started with the interaction that went on between the audience and the band in the early days and continues on today. The band's philosophical approach to life came across in their music and the crowd took hold. That spirit is captured in such classic songs as "Golden Country", "Son Of A Poor Man", and "Our Time Is Gonna Come" which helped form the foundation of the "Spirit of REO Speedwagon". In particular, "Our Time Is Gonna Come" serves up a very interesting perspective in 1997 about where REO was and where they are going. "We were looking for a song that encompassed both our 25 year history and our positive outlook for the future" explains Cronin. "'Our Time Is Gonna Come' felt as good to play today as it did when we first recorded it in 76. We brought it back because truthfully, our best years, days and moments are always ahead of us. The future is bright, we have new life (his daughter Holly) and the realisation that the best times for REO Speedwagon are this very moment and that more are gonna come." 

REO Speedwagon got its start in 1967, when University of Illinois room-mates Neal Doughty (keyboards) and Alan Gratzer (drums) began making music together. "We were calling it REO Speedwagon even back then" remembers Doughty, who has remained a cornerstone ever since. "It was really the embryonic stage of the group; it took three or four years with maybe a dozen people that came and went. We did everything from the Doors to Jimi Hendrix, which a lot of people in Illinois hadn't heard yet. Remember this was before MTV when things coming out of California didn't automatically hit the streets of Illinois the next day." 

In 1971, the outfit from Champaign, IL - Doughty, Gratzer, Gregg Philbin (bass), Terry Luttrell (vocals) and Gary Richrath (guitar) - popped the cork on their eponymous debut album, which the current edition of the Rolling Stone Album Guide rates 3 1/2 stars. 

Shortly thereafter, Luttrell left the band. Richrath called a musician's referral service in Chicago looking for a replacement: a good singer who could also write songs. The young man who took the call said he had a perfect fit - himself - and after one practice together, Kevin Cronin jumped on the band, make that the "Speedwagon". 

Cronin traces the beginnings of the spirit of REO to an apartment on Chicago's North Side where an insecure folk singer/songwriter first met a cocky guitar slinger and an unlikely partnership was formed as well as a life-long bond. 

Cronin and Richrath teamed up to write and produce a string of million-selling albums. Along with current REO members, Neal Doughty and Bruce Hall, and original drummer Alan Gratzer, they kindled a spirit which continued to captivate audiences around the world. With the departure of Gary and Alan in 1990, the spirit of the band lives on with the addition of Dave Amato on lead guitar and Bryan Hitt on drums. 

The band that literally invented the power-ballad returned to its roots, playing fairs and clubs - a far cry from the venues it had become accustomed to after the phenomenal success of its 11th album, 1980's Hi Infidelity. That landmark recording - which has now sold more than nine million copies worldwide - was the nation's best-seller for nearly six months. It yielded four Top 25 hits, including "Keep On Lovin' You", which went all the way to number 1, and "Take It On The Run", which reached number two. 

Five years later REO returned for a three week stay at the penthouse of the Billboard's Hot 100 chart. "Can't Fight This Feeling" was an international smash, and when the band performed it at 1985's legendary Live Aid concert, their position in rock's hierarchy was assured. 

REO fans waited a long time for a new album, and they couldn't have asked for a better one than Building The Bridge. These rock-solid musicians have persevered through volatile times - including the advent of punk, rap, alternative and other genres - and have overcome adversity in their own personal and professional lives, as some of the songs indicate. Indeed there were times when it would have been easier for REO to disband rather than continue. However, this dedicated corps of rock 'n' roll engineers has built its own bridge that links friendship, respect and above all a great love of music (and, okay Golf), with an incredible work ethic. 

With Building The Bridge, REO Speedwagon assembled a compelling collection of ballads and rockers, taking the best elements of its trademark sound and giving them a refreshing '90's flavor. The album opens with Can't Stop Rockin', a song about how music can provide both refuge and inspiration to people of all ages. In it, Cronin sings: "Never really fit it/Couldn't quite be cool/Got my ass kicked up and 
down/The halls of my high school." 

After Building The Bridge was released, in the summer of 1996, REO embarked on a 40 city tour with Foreigner and Peter Frampton to kick off the band's 25th Anniversary Celebration. The festivities are continuing into the spring and summer of 1997 as REO heads deep into America's heartland to bring their spirited brand of Rock 'n' Roll back to the small towns and cities of the Midwest. Cronin recalls the days when, "We got our start playing places where other bands wouldn't go and the people there really appreciate it." He explains: "The last two tours of major cities have been incredible but we decided that to bring our 25th anniversary full circle this summer, it was time to roll up our sleeves and head into the Heartland. The people in the Midwest have kept us going all through the years. They are our kind of people .. friendly, loyal and in general keep their work ethic and their party instinct in balance. When I look out into their eyes from the stage, I see true REO fans .. it's a great feeling." 

REO is also planning to release a 25-year career retrospective on Epic Records. Cronin and Richrath will be heading into the vault together to find unreleased tracks, out-takes and alternative versions of songs. They also hope to write some songs together to be included in the collection, which may even feature a little guitar playing by Richrath. 

In this fickle business which boasts more highs and lows than a Chicago weather forecast, REO Speedwagon is once again looking forward to sunny skies. It has crossed another bridge, this one to the future, and its prospects have never been brighter.

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