Saturday 1/14/23 4pm ET: Feature LP: REO Speedwagon – Hi Infidelity (1981)

Hi Infidelity is the ninth studio album by the band REO Speedwagon, released on November 21, 1980. The album became a big hit in the United States, peaking at number one on the Billboard 200. It went on to become the biggest-selling rock album of 1981, eventually being certified 10 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Of the four singles released, “Take It on the Run” went to number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the band got their first of two number one hits with “Keep On Loving You”.

On July 19, 2011, Sony Music re-released Hi Infidelity with bonus demo tracks for the album’s 30th anniversary. Demo tracks were recorded Live at Crystal Studios, Hollywood, June through August 1980.

1. “Don’t Let Him Go” 3:47
2. “Keep On Loving You” 3:20
3. “Follow My Heart” 3:50
4. “In Your Letter” 3:18
5. “Take It on the Run” 3:59
6. “Tough Guys” 3:51
7. “Out of Season” 3:07
8. “Shakin’ It Loose” 2:27
9. “Someone Tonight” 2:42
10. “I Wish You Were There” 4:27

Disc 2 – The Crystal Demos (2011 CD 30th Anniversary edition) bonus tracks

1. “Someone Tonight” 2:49
2. “Tough Guys” 3:35
3. “In Your Letter” 4:08
4. “Follow My Heart” 3:57
5. “Take It on the Run” 4:01
6. “Don’t Let Him Go” 4:20
7. “Keep On Loving You” 3:30
8. “Shakin’ It Loose” (Instrumental) 2:32
9. “I Wish You Were There” 4:58

Kevin Cronin – lead vocals (1-8, 10), rhythm guitar (1, 6, 7), acoustic guitar (2-5, 9, 10), acoustic piano (2, 10), backing vocals (2, 4, 8, 9, 10)
Gary Richrath – lead guitars (1, 6-10), electric guitar (2-5), guitar solo (2-5), electric 12-string guitar (4)
Neal Doughty – synthesizers (1, 5, 6, 7, 9), acoustic piano (4, 8) Hammond organ (2, 3, 10)
Bruce Hall – bass, lead vocals (9)
Alan Gratzer – drums, tambourine (10)
Steve Forman – percussion (2)
He-Man Broken Hearts Club Choir – backing vocals (2, 4, 10)
Tom Kelly – backing vocals (2, 4, 8, 10)
Richard Page – backing vocals (2, 4, 10)

Thursday 11/24/22 10am ET: Classic Greatest Hits LP: REO Speedwagon – A Decade of Rock and Roll 1970-1980 (1980)

REO Speedwagon – A Decade of Rock and Roll 1970-1980, released in 1980

1 Sophisticated Lady 4:00
2 Music Man 4:33
3 Golden Country 6:32
4 Son Of A Poor Man 3:50
5 Lost In A Dream 3:45
6 Reelin’ 4:26
7 Keep Pushin’ 3:56
8 (I Believe) Our Time Is Gonna Come 5:00
9 Breakaway 3:50
10 Lightning 5:32
11 Like You Do 6:37
12 Flying Turkey Trot 2:31
13 157 Riverside Avenue 12:22
14 Ridin’ The Storm Out 6:01
15 Roll With The Changes 5:35
16 Time For Me To Fly 3:39
17 Say You Love Me Or Say Goodnight 4:56
18 Only The Strong Survive 3:52
19 Back On The Road Again 5:35

Friday 6/17/22 11pm ET: Feature LP: REO Speedwagon – You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can’t Tuna Fish (1978)

You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can’t Tuna Fish is the seventh studio album by REO Speedwagon, released in 1978. It was their first album to be co-produced by lead singer Kevin Cronin and lead guitarist Gary Richrath. The album was REO’s first to make the Top 40, peaking at No. 29. The album sold over 2 million copies in the US, which led it to being certified 2× Platinum.

This is the first album to feature Bruce Hall on bass, replacing Gregg Philbin. In 2013, the album was released on CD by UK-based company Rock Candy Records, with expanded liner notes and photos.

The hits “Time for Me to Fly” and “Roll with the Changes” have since become two of the band’s best-known songs. “Time for Me to Fly” was later covered in a bluegrass arrangement by Dolly Parton on her 1989 album White Limozeen. In 2005, the album cover was featured on Pitchfork’s list of “The Worst Record Covers of All Time”, and in 2014 its title was featured in NME’s list of “The 50 Worst Album Titles in History”. In 2020, Netflix’s Ozark TV series third season episode, “Kevin Cronin Was Here” featured “Time For Me To Fly”, which resulted in the song making the top 40 on the Billboard Digital Songs Chart.

1. “Roll with the Changes” 5:37
2. “Time for Me to Fly” 3:42
3. “Runnin’ Blind” 3:08
4. “Blazin’ Your Own Trail Again” 3:32
5. “Sing to Me” 2:34
6. “Lucky for You” 5:02
7. “Do You Know Where Your Woman Is Tonight?” 2:53
8. “The Unidentified Flying Tuna Trot” 2:17
9. “Say You Love Me or Say Goodnight” 4:58

Kevin Cronin – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, piano (track 1)
Gary Richrath – lead and rhythm guitars
Neal Doughty – piano (except track 1), Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer
Bruce Hall – bass
Alan Gratzer – drums

Lon Price – saxophone (track 9)
Angelle Trosclair, Denise McCall, Denny Henson, Tom Kelly – backing vocals

Wednesday 3/30/33 10pm ET: Feature LP: REO Speedwagon – Wheels Are Turnin’ (1984)

Wheels Are Turnin’ is the eleventh studio album by REO Speedwagon, released on November 5, 1984. It is their second best-selling album, tied with Good Trouble, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard 200. The lead single was “I Do’ Wanna Know,” which stalled at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” was REO’s second and longest-running number one single. Other singles released were “One Lonely Night” and “Live Every Moment”. These singles also reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, reaching #19 and #34, respectively. The singles from the album also had success on other Billboard charts: “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “I Do’ Wanna Know” each reached #5 on the Mainstream Rock chart, with “One Lonely Night” reaching #17, and “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “One Lonely Night” reached #3 and #10, respectively on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Billboard writer Kim Freeman suggested that the release of “I Do’ Wanna Know” before “Can’t Fight This Feeling” could be regarded as an “oversight.” However, lead singer Kevin Cronin, who wrote both songs, disagreed, stating “not all singles are released to be hits.” Paul Grein attributed the initial sluggish sales of Wheels Are Turnin’ before the release of “Can’t Fight This Feeling” to the fact that “I Do’ Wanna Know” was not successful with pop radio stations and noted that sales began to take off only after the release of the second single.

In 2013, the album was released on CD by UK-based company Rock Candy Records, with expanded liner notes and photos. The LP version contained a cut-out stroboscope.

1. “I Do’ Wanna Know” 4:12
2. “One Lonely Night” 3:20
3. “Thru the Window” 5:01
4. “Rock ‘N Roll Star” 3:40
5. “Live Every Moment” 4:56
6. “Can’t Fight This Feeling” 4:54
7. “Gotta Feel More” 4:26
8. “Break His Spell” 2:57
9. “Wheels Are Turnin'” 5:47

Kevin Cronin – lead vocals and backing vocals, guitars
Gary Richrath – electric guitar
Neal Doughty – synthesizers, organ and piano
Bruce Hall – bass
Alan Gratzer – drums
Steve Forman – percussions
Tommy Funderburk – backing vocals
Tom Kelly – backing vocals
Richard Page – backing vocals

Thursday 10/8/2020 1pm ET: Feature Artist – REO Speedwagon

REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon) is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. The group’s best-selling album, Hi Infidelity (1980), contained four US Top 40 hits and sold more than 10 million copies.

Over the course of its career, the band has sold more than 40 million records and has charted 13 Top 40 hits, including the number ones “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling”. REO Speedwagon’s mainstream popularity waned in the late 1980s, but the band remains a popular live act.

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. After the appearance, four of REO’s songs reentered the Billboard rock charts.

Neal Doughty – keyboards (1967–present)
Kevin Cronin – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards (1972–1973, 1976–present)
Bruce Hall – bass, backing and lead vocals (1977–present)
Dave Amato – lead guitar, backing vocals (1989–present)
Bryan Hitt – drums, percussion (1989–present)

 

Artist Countdown: REO Speedwagon Top 30 Hits 2pm ET @kcreospeedwagon

REO Speedwagon (originally styled as R.E.O. Speedwagon) is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. Hi Infidelity (1980) contained four US Top 40 hits and is the group’s best-selling album, with over ten million copies sold. 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“. REO Speedwagon’s mainstream popularity dissipated in the 1990s but the band remains a popular live act. (Source: Wikipedia)

1	Can’t Fight This Feeling
2	Keep on Loving You
3	Take It on the Run
4	One Lonely Night
5	Keep the Fire Burnin’
6	That Ain’t Love
7	In My Dreams
8	Here with Me
9	I Do’ Wanna Know
10	Don’t Let Him Go
11	In Your Letter
12	Roll with the Changes
13	Variety Tonight
14	Love Is a Rock
15	Live It Up
16	Time for Me to Fly
17	Stillness of the Night
18	Find Your Own Way Home
19	Can’t Stop Rockin
20	Tough Guys
21	Sweet Time
22	The Key
23	Live Every Moment
24	Good Trouble
25	Out of Season
26	Sophisticated Lady
27	Ridin’ the Storm Out
28	Keep Pushin’
29	Only the Strong Survive
30	One True Man