Song:Can't Fight This Feeling
Album:The Hits
REO Speedwagon were around for over a decade before they achieved the kind of mainstream success they wanted and became one of the most popular bands of the 80s. Can't Fight This Feeling was one of their two number one hits. They started out in 1967 and were all students at the University Of Illinois in Champaign, IL. REO Speedwagon was a vintage truck created by Oldsmobile founder Ransom Olds. Keyboard player Neal Doughty and drummer Alan Gratzer were the only founding members to remain with the group. Terry Luttrell became lead singer in 1968. But the key figure in the development of REO Speedwagon was guitarist Gary Richrath who joined in 1970. He brought songwriting ability the others didn't have. The bass player was Gregg Philbin. They signed with Epic Records in 1971 and their debut album was produced by Paul Leka, the man behind Steam's Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye). They went on tour but Luttrell left in 1972 and was replaced by Kevin Cronin. Cronin left after their second album and was replaced by Michael Bryan Murphy. He stayed for two albums and then Cronin returned in 1976. My impression is that Cronin and Richrath were not buddies. The band convinced Epic to let them record a live album. Live albums were hot at the time. the 1977 album Live: You Get What You Play For and the 1978 album You Can Tune A Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish were both certified Platinum. Philbin was replaced by Bruce Hall. With the 1980 album Hi Infidelity, REO Speedwagon finally hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with Keep On Loving You and several more singles. Can't Fight This Feeling also topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985 when the group performed it on Live Aid. Both number one hits were written by Kevin Cronin. You can get all their hits on this budget comp. REO Speedwagon began their decline when Al Gratzer retired in 1988. But conflict over the band direction between Cronin and Richrath forced Richrath to leave. They thought they had replaced him with keyboard player Jesse Harris from Sammy Hagar's band but that didn't work out and he left in 1991. Richrath started his own unsuccessful band. After Epic dropped them, REO Speedwagon recorded occasionally and continue to tour led by Cronin and Doughty. Bruce Hall is still with them and guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt have been with the group since 1989. Here's the video for Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon.
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