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
I Don't Want To Lose You
REO Speedwagon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You left your picture behind to haunt me
You left in a steady rain
You say you'll miss me, say you want me
I'm left this mornin' with a world of doubt
I'm left this mornin' indecently exposed
So much we never did talk about
[Chorus]
I don't want to lose you
I don't want to lose the best love that I've ever found
Don't want to lose you
Why didn't I cry when you said goodbye
Why didn't I break down, break down and say
I don't want to lose you
We met last night in a public place
And your new lover was just across the street
But tears washed across your face
Girl I wanted to, hold you close to me
I don't want to lose you
I don't want to lose the best love that I've ever found
Don't want to lose you
Why didn't I cry when you said goodbye
Why didn't I break down, break down
I remember all the things that we did
The warmth of your smile
And your tender touch
I always knew I cared about you girl
I just didn't know how much
[Chorus]
"I Don't Want To Lose You" by REO Speedwagon is a song that deals with the theme of a breakup and the internal struggle that a person goes through when trying to accept the end of a relationship. The song opens with the singer saying that his partner has left him, and although she has left behind her picture, he is still haunted by her absence. As he watches her leave in the rain, she tells him she'll miss him and says that she wants him. The singer is left with a feeling of doubt and loneliness, feeling indecently exposed. He realizes that there so much that they never talked about, and her kiss goodbye confirms that their relationship is closed.
In the chorus, the singer tries to come to terms with the fact that she has left him, and he recognizes that he doesn't want to lose her. The love they had was the best he had ever found, and he doesn't want to let it go. He questions himself on why he didn't cry or break down when she left and why he didn't say that he didn't want to lose her. The second verse relates how the singer met his partner in a public place and saw her new lover across the street, and it was then that she broke down in tears. The singer wanted to hold her close, but he couldn't, realizing that she had already moved on.
Line by Line Meaning
You left this morning on an early plane
Early today, you boarded a plane and left me here.
You left your picture behind to haunt me
You left a picture of yourself behind which always reminds me of you and the memories we shared.
You left in a steady rain
As you left, a steady rain was falling; it's as if the sky was crying with me.
You say you'll miss me, say you want me
You said you'll miss me, and you wanted to be with me, but you still left, and that's hurting me.
I'm left this mornin' with a world of doubt
Since you left, I'm full of uncertainty about our love.
I'm left this mornin' indecently exposed
You leaving exposed my vulnerability and the depth of my emotions for you.
So much we never did talk about
There are many things we never talked about, and now it's too late.
And your kiss goodbye, said the case is closed
Your goodbye kiss on the airport seemed definitive, finalizing our break up.
I don't want to lose you
I can't imagine my life without you.
I don't want to lose the best love that I've ever found
You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I don't want to lose that.
Don't want to lose you
I want you to come back to me; I don't want to lose you.
Why didn't I cry when you said goodbye
I'm wondering why I didn't cry when you left; maybe I'm in denial or shocked.
Why didn't I break down, break down and say
Instead of holding it in, why couldn't I just break down and confess my love and fear of losing you.
We met last night in a public place
We saw each other last night in a public place.
And your new lover was just across the street
I noticed your new lover just across the street from where we were standing.
But tears washed across your face
Despite being with someone else, you still shed tears when seeing me, maybe you still have feelings for me.
Girl I wanted to, hold you close to me
I wanted to hold you in my arms and never let you go.
I remember all the things that we did
I remember everything we did together, and it brings me joy and pain.
The warmth of your smile
Your smile brings me comfort and happiness whenever I think about it.
And your tender touch
I remember how delicate and lovingly you touched me, and it's a feeling I can't forget.
I always knew I cared about you girl
You have always held a special place in my heart, and I love you.
I just didn't know how much
I never knew the depth of my love for you until you left, and it hurts.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY STEINBERG, TOM KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nash Burnette
@Lee Calvin Covers ......
It was during a time unfortunately
when radio was only interested in
REO Speedwagon's ballads, which
is why "Here With Me" was a top-20
hit and "I Don't Want to Lose You"
failed to chart as the follow-up 45.
By the way, the B-side of
"I Don't Want to Lose You" was
"Back on the Road Again".
If you go to Discogs and type in
"REO Speedwagon
I Don't Want to Lose You",
they show pictures of both the
commercial 45 and a promo 45.
Brian Lear
that was my dad who got handed the drumsticks in the beginning. Graham Lear. I don't know exactly why he didn't keep playing with them for long. We lived in LA at the time, I was only a toddler. I think my parents were trying to get out of LA and move up to the pacific northwest, which we eventually did. My dad is a jazz drummer at heart and he never was super into the big "arena rock" thing. He had just left Santana and needed a gig, it doesn't always work out. One thing he ALWAYS said, was that Kevin and the gang were some of the nicest people he'd ever worked with.
Kevin Pearce
I saw him a few times on that tour. Your dad is a great drummer!
Nate Thornton
@brenda settles I'm 27 and I grew up on Reo my parents loved this band.
Alex Luna
Guao what a story!!!!
Bradford Sanders
I certainly remember Graham Lear. I always liked him, he was a tasteful musician. I loved the grooves he set. Brian, your Dad was a bad-ass.
Irishlady!
One of the greatest groups from the 80's! The 80's music was the best!
amanda davis
Never heard this song before. It is awesome!!
Nash Burnette
Amanda Davis, this song and
"Here With Me" were the two new
songs on their compilation album,
THE HITS ...... Both were released as
singles ..... "Here With Me" became a
top-20 hit, but "I Don't Want to Lose You"
failed to chart.
Kimberly Rosario
I love REO, one of my very favorite bands of all times.
DALBlackRose
Kimberly Rosario agreed. Most Songs from now are shit