As long as I can still lift my synthesizer over my head like I do at the end of every show, Ill keep playing, said Boyd. bill. Head East is currently a 5-piece band consisting of Roger Boyd (keyboards & vocals), Greg Manahan (bass, lead guitar & vocals), Glen Bridger (lead guitar & vocals), Eddy Jones (drums & vocals), and Darrin Walker (lead vocals & bass). with fans in Iowa, playing many locations in the Hawkeye State. Anonymous. I've been blessed to continue singing rock 'n' roll for the King of Kings with Petra in 1986, and I'm thrilled to still be singing after all these years. It also gave us the freedom to perform our own songs.. A relative of mine who knew of my military background talked me This was written by Mike Somerville, who was the band's lead guitarist from 1973-1980, and again from 1994-2003. Mark still recalls how Greg taught him some techniques and songs in their early days that helped improve his playing dramatically: bar chords, Takin' Care of Business, Johnny B. Goode, and Dust in the Wind. "" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. Mark was born in Kansas, but his family relocated to North Carolina, Texas, and New York before finally settling in the Kansas City, Missouri area. "The Way We Were" was the first of five Hot 100 #1 singles recorded by Barbra Streisand. Piper and Flota on guitar were from southern Illinois and popular I was shot once in According to lead singer John Schlitt, they would sometimes introduce it as a song by Three Dog Night because club owners didn't want them playing original songs. 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She then became a faculty member at the SIUE SON, earned her doctoral degree from SIU Carbondale and accepted a position as a tenure-track faculty member at SIUE. Schlitt's reunion performance with Head East follows on the heels of a busy year, which has seen the celebrated vocalist performing at events throughout the country and across the ocean. Also an. worked in a record store, said Flota. I was the old man of the You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. at a DARE concert in which the band performed and again at the Iowa Brad Flota, one of the original members of Head East, was into testing for the job, so I did, and the rest is history, said The song was featured in the 1993 film Dazed and Confused, and later in the 2005 film Sahara. Theres so many fans singles back then, were certified gold in 1978, representing more See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction. Originally known as the TimeAtions, the band adopted the name Head East at the suggestion of Baxter Forrest Twilight, who was a technician / stage-hand for the band. He continued his education at Saint Louis University, where he earned his doctorate in 2003. [4] Several midwest album rock radio stations, chief among them KSHE 95, St. Louis and KY-102 in Kansas City and others, began airing songs from the album as well. SP 6007; Vinyl LP). These might seem like divergent career paths, but not for Roger Boyd, PhD (97 and 98). In 1979, the band released the double-LP Head East Live!,[3] and A Different Kind of Crazy. Vernon for about $50 per night that was good money for On January 6, 2008 it became the first song ever to sell 3 million digital copies in the States. a Head East (self-titled) Head East Live! This schedule allowed Boyd to focus all of his attention on his students while a faculty member at SIUE. [9] As part of the induction concert, several former and current members united onstage to perform, including Steve Huston and John Schlitt. He and Greg Manahan were classmates in junior high and high school, and played in several bands through those years, and eventually in London Drive. When the track "Never Been Any Reason" began to attract radio attention, A&M Records signed the band and re-released Flat as a Pancake in June 1975. You can cancel at any time. He started piano lessons at an early age, and went on to play trumpet in the school band. Enterprises newspaper. We would play two night per week in about three different towns The band was founded by vocalist John Schlitt, guitarist Danny Piper, keyboardist Roger Boyd, bassist Larry Boyd, and drummer Steve Huston. Instead of touring year-round, many bands began touring only in the summer a schedule that aligned well with the academic calendar in higher education. . Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. Live!, an Album by Head East. The five original members of Head East Roger Boyd on keyboards, Steve Houston on drums, Larry Boyd on bass and Danny Piper and Flota on guitar were from southern Illinois and popular. Great voice!! The band was founded by vocalist John Schlitt, guitarist Danny Piper, keyboardist Roger Boyd, bassist Larry Boyd, and drummer Steve Huston. music.. Head East went through several lineups and musical approaches before consolidating in St. Louis in the early '70s as a hard rock quintet consisting of John Schlitt (vocals), Mike Somerville (guitar), Roger Boyd (keyboards), Dan Birney (bass), and Steve Huston (drums), all alumni of the University of Illinois. part of it, Flota said. We would tour all summer, and when Labor Day came, I would put my rock n roll clothes in the closet and put on my mortar board, said Boyd. Today, he is the only remaining member of the original band, but he is the force that has kept the band a relevant part of the classic rock music scene for the past 50 years. In 1999, a live album titled Live on Stage was released. A Different Kind of Crazy US 1 Onward and Upward Choice of Weapons Concert Classics Vol 7 Live on Stage The Best of Head East (The Millennium Collection) Head East / Gettin' Lucky (2 LPs on 1 CD) One Night With Head East Raise A Little Hell Head East Rocks! They released their first album, Flat as a Pancake, in 1974 on their own record label (Pyramid Records) selling all 5,000 records and 500 eight-tracks produced. here, said Flota, who recalls playing at the Surf Ballroom in Stream ad-free or purchase CD's and MP3s now on Amazon.com. around Mt. A&M Records in 1975. Flota sees as part of his life so far. The band was founded by vocalist John Schlitt, guitarist Danny Piper, keyboardist Roger Boyd, bassist Larry Boyd, and drummer Steve Huston. The double-LP Head East Live! Head East was a hard rock quintet originally from south central Illinois, then Champaign, Illinois, USA. The band remained active in some form for decades, and the song was always their showstopper. They will perform the bands 1979 double-live album, Head East Live, which includes many of the songs from their most well-known album, Flat As A Pancake, including Never Been Any Reason and Since You Been Gone., Recording Flat As A Pancake is one of my proudest accomplishments as a musician, said Boyd. The induction took place over three days, with ceremonies, presentations, meet and greets and performances by the 2011 inductees. When I left the University of Illinois in 1970 to play music, the School of Engineering dean told me Id never come back, said Boyd. The band members were presented with plaques honoring their talent, dedication, longevity and major impact on the Iowa music scene, where the band frequently played throughout the 70s. and was remarried to Osage native Micki (Brooker) Flota. The hit is still one of the most frequently played classic rock . Continue with Recommended Cookies. Please click here to learn how. MCPD played a big role in keeping people safe in Monday's blaze. a teenager back in the 60s.. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. I wasnt with the band when that record was released, but I can Please subscribe to keep reading. Head East, the hard rockers from East Central Illinois, United States, were best known for their AOR hit "Never Been Any Reason".Recorded with all five original band members. 'Live On Stage' is a typical seventies live album on par with live REO Speedwagon, Foghat or Grand Funk Raillroad.Though this doesn't contain the full live set featured originally on 1979's . Flotas clean-living style didnt seem to fit with the rest of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is authorized to operate as a postsecondary educational institution by theIllinois Board of Higher Education. Head East is an American rock band formed in East Central Illinois. Head East Format: Audio CD 184 ratings -8% $1567 List Price: $16.99 Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns See all 6 formats and editions Streaming Unlimited MP3 $9.49 Listen with our Free App Audio CD $15.67 2 Used from $13.79 12 New from $13.82 Vinyl $7.20 7 Used from $7.20 Includes FREE MP3 version of this album. The band continued with little success, releasing albums on small labels. During more than three decades in the music business, Schlitt has earned multiple Gold Records, Grammys and Dove Awards. Description. Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz. Schlitt's reunion performance with Head East follows on the heels of a busy year, which has seen the celebrated vocalist performing at events throughout the country and across the ocean. School of Education, Health and Human Behavior. Several other musicians are credited on this release, including former members Dan Birney, Ricky Lynn Gregg, Brian Kelly, and Joel Parks. "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" was the most successful digital track of 2007 in the US with 2,909,000 downloads. "Flat as a Pancake - Head East | Songs, Reviews, Credits", "Minimoog solo on Head East's "Never Been Any Reason", "Frequently Asked Questions- Official Web Site", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Never_Been_Any_Reason&oldid=1147466726, Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 31 March 2023, at 04:13. The city of Mason City will work with Kirk Apartments owner Ed Kent in the aftermath of the fire that gutted the building Monday, City Adminis. They met and formed the band while John, Roger, and Larry were studying at the University of Illinois, Steve was at Eastern Illinois University 45 miles away and Danny was not in college. The song has also been used on TV's That '70s Show and Friday Night Lights. Roger Boyd took over leadership of the band for one mildly successful album, U.S. 1, and two more studio albums before the band became an oldies act. Pictured (L to R): Steve Huston, original member; Darren Walker, current lead singer; John Schlitt, original member; and Greg Manahan, current bassist. Mark operated his own recording studio in the early nineties, and produced recordings for many area groups. Head East. Show Coincides With Schlitts Induction Into Iowa Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, The Devil Wears Prada shares video for Ignorance, bonus track off upcoming re-release, Fallstar releases new single and music video, Crooks & The Damned, Volumes releases instrumental version of their fourth studio album, Happier?, Beartooth shares brand new song, Sunshine!, Parkway Drive announces Monsters of Oz tour as band celebrates 20th anniversary, SleepTokenannounces fall 2023 U.S. headline tour, Holding Absence shares video for new single, A Crooked Melody, Currents releases So Alone video off upcoming album, The Death We Seek, Nothing More shares video for new single, Best Times feat. In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind. Schlitt was recently named the best rock singer in Christian music history by GospelMusicChannel.com, and according to the website, Schlitt remains one of the most distinctive and impactful men to ever stand behind a microphone. Schlitt was also named Best Male Vocalist in About.coms 2011 Readers Choice Awards.Schlitt is currently in the studio recording his fourth solo album, The Greater Cause. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame as the lead singer of Petra, one of the most successful Christian rock bands of all time. Steve Huston, one of the founding members of Head East talks to Bill Grady and shares the real behind-the-scenes story of how the band came up with the name. Head East Band Member Page Band Members ROGER BOYD Keyboards & Vocals Roger grew up in Carlyle, Illinois. I was just a long-haired hippie and had never fired a gun By the time Choice of Weapons was recorded, Steve Huston had departed the band to become a recording studio engineer, in Indianola, Iowa in the early 1990s, leaving Boyd as the only original member. Schlitt recently joined more than a dozen classic contemporary Christian music artists, includingPhil Keaggy,Jaci Velasquez,Rick Cua,Bruce Carroll,The Katinas, Big Tent Revival, Guardian, Wes King, Al Denson, Tammy Trent, Geoff Moore, Clay Crosse, and others who shared their music and special memories during the CCM United Music, Moments, and Memories concert event held at the historic Franklin Theatre in downtown Franklin, Tennessee. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Eventually both Larry and Danny dropped out of the band and were replaced by Mike Somerville (guitar) and Dan Birney (bass). than 500,000 in record sales. The song features keyboardist Roger Boyd's double-tracked Minimoog solos throughout the song. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who Martin would open for on tour, were his backing band on the song. Osage man, Head East guitarist, inducted with group into Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All rights reserved. Boyd attributes changes in the music industry to making it possible for him to go back to school and eventually become a faculty member at SIUE in 2003. For all band submissions, review submissions, press materials, and more, please email: We do read every one, but we also get a high volume of mail. keyboards, Steve Houston on drums, Larry Boyd on bass and Danny Mike Somerville (1974 - 2003) Head East was a hard rock quintet originally from south central Illinois, then Champaign, Illinois, USA. Blaze rekindled after firefighters orginally had it extinguished. Do their first three albums have French titles? The Ben Folds Five song "Brick" is about a difficult time when Folds' girlfriend got an abortion. "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay," released a month after Otis Redding died, was the first song to hit #1 in America after the artist died. It was composed by the band's guitarist, Mike Somerville. [1] In a 2011 interview, founding member Steve Huston claimed that soon after sunrise one morning in 1969, Baxter Twilight woke the band members in their communal home/practice facility. We are updating our release dates twice a week. A&M Records signed the band and re-released the album, which was certified Gold by RIAA and produced the monster radio hit, "Never Been Any Reason.". Midwest group boasting an effective blend of hard melodic rock with progressive rock tendencies and awesome vocal arrangements. As a solo artist, member of Petra and former lead singer for popular 70s mainstream rock band Head East, Schlitt has toured all over the world. John's is the higher voice that is occasionally mistaken by fans to be a female voice. Having been up all night sitting in the front yard consuming acid, the roadie said that when the sun rose, it turned into a giant talking head and told him the band's new name should be "Head East". Summarize this article for a 10 years old. 1973. It's copper-clad windows and sturdy brick were a backdrop to countle. (January, 1979) also peaked in the Top 100, as did A Different Kind of Crazy (October, 1979), and the band performed on the soundtrack to the comic anthology film J-Men Forever! A concert followed at Arnolds Park with Head East headlining the We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. They recorded their debut album, Flat as a Pancake, independently and released it on their own Pyramid Records label in early 1975. I dont know what its like to be high on drugs or alcohol Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Head East's Mike Somerville Dies after Illness", Heavy Harmonies page (Partial Discography), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Head_East&oldid=1151082703, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from December 2010, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. venues. My greatest accomplishment in my education was returning to school in 1995 and continuing on to earn my PhD.. From Head East's first concert on Aug. 6, 1969, at the Golden Gauntlet in Carbondale, Illinois, Boyd has remained loyal to the band he helped found. Lacey Sturm, Out now: The Undertaking! [6] He would later recover, become a born-again Christian and reappear as the lead singer of the Contemporary Christian Music band Petra. For more information on Schlitt and The Grafting or The Greater Cause, visit www.johnwschlitt.com. ", A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs. Check out Head East Live! Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The beloved vocalist is currently in the studio working on his next solo album. The band formed in southern Illinois in 1969 but went through a number of member changes before arriving at their core lineup in 1973 . After Cher revived "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" in 1990, Salt-N-Pepa released "Shoop" and Whitney Houston had a #1 hit with "Exhale (Shoop Shoop).". About the show Streamed & Screened is a podcast about movies and TV hosted by Bruce Miller, a longtime entertainment reporter who is now the editor of the Sioux City . (DVD) Schlitt was the lead singer for Head East from 1972-1980, during which time the band released six albums, with their first, Flat as a Pancake (A&M Records, 1975) reaching Platinum status empowered by "Never Been Any Reason," which has now become a staple of classic rock radio. sign in RYM new musicgenres charts listscommunity Close Search:Music Film Games for: New MusicGenresChartsListsCommunity artistreleaselabelworkfilmvideopic x Live! inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Sept. 4 in legendary Midwest rock band Head East. Its been an interesting life.. 1973 and 1974, he is credited with being an original member of the Feel free to contribute! What I do know is there is no better high than playing on stage guitar player for Head East. The band formed in southern Illinois in 1969 but went through a number of member changes before arriving at their core lineup in 1973. Music Festival announces full 2023 lineup, The Ongoing Concept shares Feel Again video, announces tour dates, Out now: Invent Animate unleashes new album, Heavener, The Devil Wears Prada announces Color Decay deluxe edition with 10 more tracks, shares Reaching video, Invent Animate shares music video for new song, Without a Whisper. which featured the song Never Been Any Reason, released by One of the ways Boyd helped his social work students gain empathy for their clients was through the Single Parent Family Day activity he created. I received great feedback from them down the road about how the exercise helped them in their work.. The song is about a guy who returns home - possibly from a tour - and has it out with his woman. The band's 1975 single, "Never Been Any Reason", was featured in the 2005 movie adaptation of Clive Cussler's novel, Sahara, and appears on the soundtrack to the 1993 coming-of-age drama, Dazed and Confused, as well as being briefly heard in the film. [4], The band's original guitarist and songwriter Mike Somerville (born Michael A. Somerville on August 15, 1952 in Peoria, Illinois) died on February 28, 2020, at age 67.[7][8]. "Performing with Head East is a special joy for me," Schlitt says of the event. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Head East is an American rock band formed in East Central Illinois. Flota reunited with Head East a few times over the years, once 97 talking about this. And the third is being one of the original members of the [2] However, other members of the band dispute Huston's story about the naming. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Boyd and Huston recruited Mark Boatman, Tony Gross, and Dan Odum to record U.S. 1 (October 1980), Head East's last album to reach the charts and last newly recorded release on A&M; it was a minor chart entry. [4][5] Head East also performed at the Culver Academies Graduation party in 1979, which in the prior years had been headlined by Styx and Quicksilver. He enjoyed playing guitar and keyboard in his elementary school years, but dedicated himself to guitar when he was 15. From Head Easts first concert on Aug. 6, 1969, at the Golden Gauntlet in Carbondale, Illinois, Boyd has remained loyal to the band he helped found. The band also performed on the soundtrack to the comic anthology film J-Men Forever. Mark joined Head East in 2022, and enjoys bringing Mike Somerville's fantastic guitar ideas to the live shows and studio recordings. "I got my start singing rock 'n' roll with Head East in the '70s. About John Schlittt: The weekend concluded with performances by the inductees, with Head East as the finale. The keyboardist and only remaining original member of Head East recently agreed to speak with me and it was one of the easiest conversations I've ever had with someone from the golden age of the 70s. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, UPDATE: Kirk Apartments destroyed in huge downtown fire, Downtown landmark arose on site of previous fire, Police also vital at Kirk Apartment scene, Medical board charges ex-MercyOne heart surgeon with incompetence, harmful practices, Mason City breaks ground on Highline Trail, City will work with Kirk Apartments owner in the aftermath, The fire last time: A history of Kirkland Flats, Kirk Apartments, Mason City native, entrepreneur John Pappajohn dies at age 94, High school track and field: Five area athletes to watch at the 2023 Drake Relays, Chris Lovell named chief operating officer at CL Tel, Iowa restaurant inspection update: Dead rodents, yellow slime and dodgy hotdogs, 2023 Drake Relays notebook: Reese Brownlee breaks Clear Lake record in girls' 400-meter run, Newman holds ground blessing for $15 million capital campaign, Local residents recall business titan John Pappajohn, More extreme heat waves are expected as the world gets warmer, Student misbehavior rises further since the return of in-person classes, study says. They met and formed the band while John, Roger, and Larry were studying at the University of Illinois, Steve was at Eastern Illinois University 45 miles away and Danny was not in college. It was a real pleasure to meet the Head East of today, and to sing once again with the Head East of the past, said Schlitt. It is often considered Head East's signature song,[1] peaking at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100, and continues to be played on classic rock radio stations in the US, generations after it was released. The couple inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Head East was awesome in the day, saw them at a small venue in 1979 in Kansas, they walked off the stage due to some redneck douches throwing beer . [3] Released on their own record label, Pyramid Records, all 5,000 records and 500 eight-tracks produced were sold. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. moved to Osage about five years ago. After thinking on it briefly, the band liked the unusual nature of it and has kept the name. [5] The album reached gold status by 1978 and would remain their most popular album, spawning another hit in the song "Love Me Tonight", which peaked at number 54. She is the only artist ever to receive an Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy as well as record a #1 single and album. Flat as a Pancake would remain their most popular album spawning two charting singles, the well-known anthem "Never Been Any Reason" and "Love Me tonight", both written by guitarist Mike Somerville. Brian John Schlitt went on to sing for the band Petra. This song, along with the rest of Head East's debut album, was recorded at Golden Voice Recording, a tiny studio in Mike Somerville's hometown of South Pekin, Illinois. Ive lived a versatile life, said Flota. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The comedian Steve Martin had a hit in 1978 with "King Tut." The five original members of Head East Roger Boyd on Famous quotes containing the words band and/or members: " There was a young lady called Gloria Who was had by Sir Gerald Du Maurier And then by six men And Sir Gerald again And the band of the Waldorf-Astoria. Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Led by founding member and keyboardist Roger Boyd, Head East blasted a set of straight ahead meat and potatoes rock and roll for the enthusiastic, albeit sparse crowd. Asked about the solos via the band's official website, Boyd said they were created due to an accident during mixing: Lead vocals are alternated between drummer Steve Huston singing the first two lines of the verses and lead vocalist John Schlitt on the remainder of the song. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie.