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 waned in the late 1980s, but the band remains a popular live act.
In the fall of 1966, Neal Doughty entered the electrical engineering program at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois, coming in as a junior. On his first night, he met another student, Alan Gratzer. They held an impromptu jam session in the basement of their Illinois Street Residence Hall dormitory, and soon started a rock band. 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.
Doughty started to follow around Gratzer's band, eventually sitting in on a song or two. The keyboard player was the leader, but several other band members were unhappy with the situation. On the last day of the university's spring semester, guitarist Joe Matt called the band's leader and told him that he, drummer Gratzer, and bassist Mike Blair had decided to leave the band and start a new one with Doughty.
They made a list of songs to learn over the summer break, and Doughty landed a summer job to buy his first keyboard. On his Farfisa organ, he learned "Light My Fire" by The Doors. The members returned to school in the fall of 1967, and had their first rehearsal before classes even started. They named the band REO Speedwagon, from the REO Speed Wagon, a flatbed truck Doughty had studied in transportation history, and the initials are those of its founder Ransom E. Olds. 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"). An ad in the school newspaper produced their first job, a fraternity party that turned into a food fight. They continued to perform cover songs in campus bars, fraternity parties, and university events. 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.
In early 1968, Terry Luttrell became lead singer, and Bob Crownover joined as the guitar player, replacing Matt. When Mike Blair left the band in the summer of 1968, Gregg Philbin replaced Blair, Marty Shepard played trumpet and Joe McCabe played sax until McCabe moved to Southern Illinois University. Crownover played guitar for the group until the summer of 1969 when Bill Fiorio replaced him. Fiorio then departed in late 1969, eventually assuming the name Duke Tumatoe, and went on to form the All Star Frogs. 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.
Richrath was a Peoria, Illinois-based guitarist and prolific songwriter who brought fresh original material to the band. With Richrath on board, the regional popularity of the band grew tremendously. The Midwestern United States was the original REO Speedwagon fan stronghold and is pivotal in this period of the band's history.
The band signed to Epic Records in 1971. 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. The lineup on the first album consisted of Richrath, Gratzer, Doughty, Philbin, and Luttrell.
Richrath was a Peoria, Illinois-based guitar player and prolific songwriter who brought original material to the band including REO's signature song "Ridin' the Storm Out". With Richrath on board, the regional popularity of the band grew tremendously. The Midwestern United States was the original REO Speedwagon fan stronghold and is pivotal in this period of the band's history.
The band signed to Epic Records in 1971. 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. The lineup on the first album consisted of Richrath, Gratzer, Doughty, Philbin, and Luttrell.
The band toured relentlessly under guidance from early manager Irving Azoff. 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. Ridin' the Storm Out was completed with Michael Bryan Murphy on the microphone. 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.
They grew in popularity in the Midwestern United States during the early 1970s and peaked in popularity in the early 1980s. 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". Their hard rocking live show was so integral to their success, their label released another live album in 1978, "More Live".
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. In 1979, the band took a turn back to hard rock with the release of Nine Lives.
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.
REO Speedwagon followed up the "Hi Infidelity" LP with the power ballad "Can't Fight This Feeling" from Good Trouble in 1982, and dented the charts again with 1984's "Wheels Are Turning" album, 1987's "Life as We Know It" was the last new release to go gold, before popularity waned, and their long winning streak subsided. 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. Richrath and Gratzer was replaced by Miles Joseph and Graham Lear, Cronin's band members from jazz ensemble called "The Strolling Dudes". And soon Lear and Joseph was replaced by Bryan Hitt (formerly of Wang Chung) and Dave Amato.
Nowadays Reo Speedwagon remains a U.S concert circuit staple, mostly known as a crowd pleasing classic AOR genre rock band. Still fronted by longtime vocalist Cronin, currently the only original member in the 21st century touring lineup is keyboardist Neil Doughty. The hired guns brought in since have had stints in band's like Ted Nugent and Wang Chung. Spurred on by numerous re-packagings of their back catalog, and successful newer live recordings, in 2007 they released "Find Your Own Way Home" the group's first new studio album in more than ten years. Though it did not chart as an album, it produced two singles which appeared on Billboard's Adult Contemporary radio chart.
REO Speedwagon continues to tour regularly, performing mostly their classic hits. They are popular on the fair and casino circuits, but still team with other acts to play larger venues.
REO Speedwagon's birth place was reportedly a Red Lion Inn, on Green Street near the U of I campus (Champaign-Urbana, IL).
Principal Members (1971)
Gary Richrath - Guitar
Alan Gratzer - Drums
Gregg Philbin - Bass
Terry Luttrell - Vocals
Mike Murphy - Vocals
Current Lineup
Kevin Cronin - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Dave Amato - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Bruce Hall - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Neal Doughty - Keyboards
Bryan Hitt - Drums, Percussion
http://www.speedwagon.com
Hooked On A Feeling
REO Speedwagon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Deep inside of me
Girl, you just don't realize
What you do to me
When you hold me in your arms so tight
You let me know everything's alright
I'm hooked on a feelin'
High on believin'
That you're in love with me
Lips are sweet as candy
The taste stays on my mind
Girl, you keep me thirsty
For another cup of wine
I got it bad for you, girl
But I don't need a cure
I'll just stay addicted
And hope I can endure
All the good love when we're all alone
Keep it up girl, yeah you turn me on
I
I'm hooked on a feelin'
High on believin'
That you're in love with me
All the good love when we're all alone
Keep it up girl, yeah you turn me on
I
I'm hooked on a feelin'
I'm high on believin'
That you're in love with me
The lyrics of REO Speedwagon's song Hooked on a Feeling depict a love-struck man who is deeply infatuated with his lady love. He cannot deny the overpowering feeling that resides within him, and her mere presence drives him crazy. He gets the reassurance he craves when he is in her embrace, and it makes him realize that everything is alright. The man is high on the belief that the woman he desires is in love with him.
The chorus of the song is an expression of how the man feels; he is hooked on the feeling of love and is high on the belief that his love is reciprocated. The woman owns his thoughts, and he finds himself addicted to her charm, flavor, and essence. The man is head over heels in love with the woman, and he is willing to stay addicted to her and endure everything that comes with that.
In summary, the song tells a story of a man who has fallen deeply in love with a woman and is hooked on the euphoric feeling that comes with being loved in return. His love for her is unwavering, and he is willing to stay addicted to her for as long as it takes.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't stop this feelin'
I am unable to control this feeling
Deep inside of me
It is within me, at the core of my being
Girl, you just don't realize
You are not aware of the effect you have on me
What you do to me
Your actions strongly affect me emotionally
When you hold me in your arms so tight
Your embrace is comforting and reassuring
You let me know everything's alright
Your actions reassure me and put me at ease
I'm hooked on a feelin'
I am deeply attached to this feeling
High on believin'
I am elated by the belief
That you're in love with me
That you reciprocate my feelings
Lips are sweet as candy
Your lips are enjoyable to kiss
The taste stays on my mind
The memory of the taste stays with me
Girl, you keep me thirsty
You leave me wanting more
For another cup of wine
For another moment with you
I got it bad for you, girl
I have intense feelings for you
But I don't need a cure
I do not want to be cured of these feelings
I'll just stay addicted
I will remain attached to this feeling
And hope I can endure
And hope that these feelings do not become too difficult to bear
All the good love when we're all alone
The affection and intimacy we share when we are together in private
Keep it up girl, yeah you turn me on
Continue to do what you're doing because it excites me
I'm hooked on a feelin'
I am deeply attached to this feeling
High on believin'
I am elated by the belief
That you're in love with me
That you reciprocate my feelings
Contributed by Grayson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jaazielychristiane230
Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga
Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga
Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga
Ooga-Chaka Ooga-Ooga
I can't stop this feeling
Deep inside of me
Girl, you just don't realize
What you do to me
When you hold me
In your arms so tight
You let me know
Everything's alright
I'm hooked on a feeling
I'm high on believing
That you're in love with me
Lips as sweet as candy
It's taste is on my mind
Girl, you got me thirsty
For another cup of wine
Got a bug from you girl
But I don't need no cure
I just stay a victim
If I can for sure
All the good love
When we're all alone
Keep it up girl
Yeah, you turn me on
I'm hooked on a feeling
I'm high on believing
That you're in love with me
All the good love
When we're all alone
Keep it up, girl
Yeah, you turn me on
I'm hooked on a feeling
I'm high on believing
That you're in love with me
I'm hooked on a feeling
And I'm high on believing
That you're in love with me
I said I'm hooked on a feeling
And I'm high on believing
That you're in love with me
I'm hooked on a feeling
@yazeet5287
me: trying to focus during a test
my last 2 braincells: O O O G A C H A K A O O O G A O O O G A O O O G A C H A K A
@thelorriesweeneyable
😆😆😆😅🤣😘
@Snakeeater24
oooggggaaaaa chhhhaaackaaa
@andrewjackson1683
Hooked on a fealing
@Dimensional597
Lol this deserves more likes
@dannychola2663
🤣 🤣 🤣 My day is made... Thanks.
@cars8709
My son at a very young age used to go crazy when this came on the radio. He used to jump up and down and say "ohh Daddy it's uga chaka"!!!! He would sing that part and never stop jumping. Such a great memory for me since he is now 48 years old, but will always be "my little guy".
@76marji
💘 my "little guys" are 25 & 26 [6'1"+], & they love my classic rock, too!
@michaels9508
That is a beautiful memory. When My son was an infant I would hold in my arms and dance and sing Pretty Blue Eyes by Steve Lawrence. He has piercing blue eyes. Cried a lot for him he had two tumors behind one eye. He is fine now and 38
@mrmann0886
I’m a ten year old and I can’t stop listening to this song lol😁