By then the band was getting more popular and playing larger His students would spend a day simulating life as a single parent trying to complete everyday tasks, such as caring for their children and getting to work, on a limited budget without reliable transportation. ", Head East exploded onto the music scene in 1974 when its self-produced debut album,Flat as a Pancake, started generating regional airplay. This was written by Mike Somerville, who was the band's lead guitarist from 1973-1980, and again from 1994-2003. In 1999, a live album titled Live on Stage was released. All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. He taught computer science and communications classes at a local community college for over 20 years, until he retired in 2016 to play music on a full-time basis. 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. 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. 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. "(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. Head East, rock band with Southern Illinois ties, returns for HerrinFesta An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. This 1970s rock songrelated article is a stub. Original band members from the A&M era included Schlitt, Roger Boyd, Mike Sommerville, Steve Huston, and Dan Birney, who passed away in 2003. 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. 1973 and 1974, he is credited with being an original member of the Head East - Wikiwand 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. 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).". Please click here to learn how. [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. 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 . Never Been Any Reason - Wikipedia 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. The Kirk Apartments building has stood at 206 N. Federal Ave. since 1902. Head East was a hard rock quintet originally from south central Illinois, then Champaign, Illinois. " A multitude of little superfluous precautions engender here a population of deputies and sub-officials, each of whom acquits himself with an air of importance and a . 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. band when it was formed in 1967. with fans in Iowa, playing many locations in the Hawkeye State. They are best known for their 1975 hit "Never Been Any Reason", which remains a staple of AOR stations. Do their first three albums have French titles? The band followed with the albums Get Yourself Up and Gettin' Lucky, released in 1976 and 1977 respectively. [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. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. In addition to his solo concerts, Schlitt joined The Jay Sekulow Band for performances at various events, including a Darrell Waltrip NASCAR benefit concert and a televised American Center for Law and Justicebenefit concert. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. Head East Concert Tickets: 2023 Live Tour Dates | Bandsintown 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. 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. CRR Concert Review - Uriah Heep & Head East - Classic Rock Revisited She and Roger met in 2003 during faculty orientation at SIUE. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Head East Full Band History 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). Blaze rekindled after firefighters orginally had it extinguished. SP 6007; Vinyl LP). ! 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. a teenager back in the 60s.. The band was founded by vocalist John Schlitt, guitarist Danny Piper, keyboardist Roger Boyd, bassist Larry Boyd, and drummer Steve Huston. I was the old man of the Head East Album / CD Discograpy The singles "Never Been Any Reason" and "Love Me Tonight" became minor pop chart entries, and the album spent six months on the charts, eventually going gold. '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 . The High Line will be an eight mile, partially elevated multi-use trail. 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". Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The special one-night-only performance during the Iowa Rock n Roll Music Associations 2011 Hall of Fame coincided with Schlitts induction into the states Hall of Fame and marked the first time in 30 years that the musicians were on stage together. The concert gathered all of the remaining original Head East band members and current band members together onstage. You have permission to edit this article. 97 talking about this. 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. She is the only artist ever to receive an Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy as well as record a #1 single and album. The album is still viable today 45 years later. 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. For more information on Schlitt and The Grafting or The Greater Cause, visit www.johnwschlitt.com. The weekend concluded with performances by the inductees, with Head East as the finale. John Schlitt Joins Popular Classic Rock Band Head East for Reunion Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. The first five tracks are from a 1980 show featuring the original personnel, while the last 10 tracks are from a 1981 show featuring the latter line-up. Head East Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic It was a way to give my students a better idea of what their future clients might be going through on a daily basis, explained Boyd. "The Way We Were" was the first of five Hot 100 #1 singles recorded by Barbra Streisand. here, said Flota, who recalls playing at the Surf Ballroom in Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. On January 6, 2008 it became the first song ever to sell 3 million digital copies in the States. Clear Lake, in Des Moines and at the Roof Garden in Okoboji as Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Genres: Hard Rock, AOR. The former peaked at number 96 on the US Hot 100 charts. Piper and Flota on guitar were from southern Illinois and popular The band achieved peak popularity and success during the 1970s, but later fell into obscurity. 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 band formed in southern Illinois in 1969 but went through a number of member changes before arriving at their core lineup in 1973. 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. I was shot once in MCPD played a big role in keeping people safe in Monday's blaze. A&M was impressed enough to sign the band and re-release the album in 1975 which went gold by 1978. Schlitt Reunites With Head East HM Magazine Copyright 2000-2023 jubileecast.com. Tags : John Schlitt petra head east john schlitt news. The band continues to tour to this day, playing 30 to 40 shows each year. It was composed by the band's guitarist, Mike Somerville. 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. SIUE Retiree Still Rocking 50 Years After Founding Legendary Band, Head More songs that got a recording contract for an artist, More songs used in the movie Dazed And Confused. After thinking on it briefly, the band liked the unusual nature of it and has kept the name. Roger Boyd is the only remaining original member of the band in the current lineup. Head East is an American rock band formed in East Central Illinois. [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. He has worked as a studio musician playing guitar, steel guitar, and keyboards on recordings with Terry Ilous (XYZ and Great White), Jack Russell (Great White), Greg D'Angelo (Anthrax and White Lion), Sean McNabb (Dokken, Great White, Lynch Mob, Montrose, Queensryche, XYZ, and others), Glen Bridger (Head East and Bridger), and a variety of other artists across the United States and Europe. Was never a huge fan of Head East, but - The Gear Page [9] As part of the induction concert, several former and current members united onstage to perform, including Steve Huston and John Schlitt. Its been an interesting life.. Lacey Sturm, Out now: The Undertaking! A founding member of Head East and the only original member remaining, Roger Boyd, was a professor in the SIUE Department of Social Work from 2003 until his retirement in 2011. The band was inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Music Association's Hall of Fame in 2011. 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. I received great feedback from them down the road about how the exercise helped them in their work.. The Roger Boyd (Head East) Interview | VintageRock.com 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. The beloved vocalist is currently in the studio working on his next solo album. His most recent album, The Grafting, is available on 4K Records and is distributed by New Day Christian Distributors in the U.S. and internationally by Go Global Entertainment. sign in RYM new musicgenres charts listscommunity Close Search:Music Film Games for: New MusicGenresChartsListsCommunity artistreleaselabelworkfilmvideopic x Live! 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. University professor and founding member of a professional classic rock band. say that the first time Never Been Any Reason was performed it Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. The five original members of Head East Roger Boyd on It was composed by the band's guitarist, Mike Somerville. 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. part of it, Flota said. Email: podcasts@lee.net. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The album and single, which charted on Billboards Hot 100 John's is the higher voice that is occasionally mistaken by fans to be a female voice. The band was founded by vocalist John Schlitt, guitarist Danny Piper, keyboardist Roger Boyd, bassist Larry Boyd, and drummer Steve Huston. which featured the song Never Been Any Reason, released by They honed their craft playing colleges and clubs in the midwest, which is where they developed "Never Been Any Reason." {{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. The band also performed on the soundtrack to the comic anthology film J-Men Forever. 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. What I do know is there is no better high than playing on stage The song is about a guy who returns home - possibly from a tour - and has it out with his woman. Another is serving as a Flota, along with the other original members of the band, were ", A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs. Flotas rock n roll days were interrupted for several years, A top New York studio musician, Ralph played guitar on many '60s hits, including "Lightnin' Strikes," "A Lover's Concerto" and "I Am A Rock.". Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. 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. I was just a long-haired hippie and had never fired a gun "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" was the most successful digital track of 2007 in the US with 2,909,000 downloads. Head East Band Member Page He fronted The Union of Sinners and Saints, featuring Billy Smiley (Whiteheart) and Jason Fowler, during the band's Storyteller tour, and joined fellow Petra alum Bob Hartman for a Scandinavian tour, among other events. Osage man, Head East guitarist, inducted with group into Iowa Rock and They are best known for their 1975 hit "Never Been Any Reason", which remains a staple of AOR stations. 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. The song has been featured in such films asSahara,The Education of Charlie Banks, andDazed and Confused, as well as TV series such asFriday Night LightsandThat 70s Show, and is considered by many to be the Rock 'n' Roll National Anthem.In 2011, the band was inducted into the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Music Association's Hall of Fame. venues. releases new EP, Superstitions, HM PREMIERE: Lift The Curse unleashes new single and music video, Tidal Wave, So What?! Pictured (L to R): Steve Huston, original member; Darren Walker, current lead singer; John Schlitt, original member; and Greg Manahan, current bassist. Head East Band Member Page Band Members ROGER BOYD Keyboards & Vocals Roger grew up in Carlyle, Illinois. Many will remember Head East for the album Flat as a Pancake singles back then, were certified gold in 1978, representing more (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Flota. 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. inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Sept. 4 in "Performing with Head East is a special joy for me," Schlitt says of the event. The hit is still one of the most frequently played classic rock anthems in many parts of the country. Enterprises newspaper. It also gave us the freedom to perform our own songs.. band at 16 years old, but they were looking for a guitar player so The Roger Boyd (Head East) Interview 0 3852 By Ralph Greco, Jr. Photo by Rusty Enderle You have to love a guy as open, honest and nice as Roger Boyd. Stream ad-free or purchase CD's and MP3s now on Amazon.com. And the third is being one of the original members of the Head East charted higher with their next single, "Love Me Tonight," which made #54 US, but "Never Been Any Reason" is by far their most popular song, showing incredible endurance. August 6, 1969 is recognized as the date the band officially . All rights reserved. The song has also been used on TV's That '70s Show and Friday Night Lights. . During more than three decades in the music business, Schlitt has earned multiple Gold Records, Grammys and Dove Awards. Both Rita and I received incredible support from SIUE for our education during our time there, so we wanted to return the support, said Boyd. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. into testing for the job, so I did, and the rest is history, said 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 . Vernon for about $50 per night that was good money for The two lead voices that share lines back and forth during the song are drummer Steve Huston and lead vocalist John Schlitt. The band formed in southern Illinois in 1969 but went through a number of member changes before arriving at their core lineup in 1973 . moved to Osage about five years ago. Get Yourself Up (April 1976) and Gettin' Lucky (March, 1977) were less successful, but Head East (February, 1978), spurred by the minor singles chart entry "Since You Been Gone," reached the upper half of the Top 100. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who Martin would open for on tour, were his backing band on the song. He started piano lessons at an early age, and went on to play trumpet in the school band. HEAD EAST - Live - Amazon.com Music LEGENDARY RECORDING ARTIST JOHN SCHLITT REUNITES WITH 70s ROCK BAND HEAD EAST. 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. Head East Live On Stage - Music on CD In March 1980, bassist Dan Birney and guitarist Mike Somerville left the band, while singer John Schlitt was fired over a drug dependency. Vernon Police Department where he served for 25 years. They would still continue to play around, with guitarist Somerville returning from 1994 to 2003. HRA-Release: 21.09.2021 Label: A&M Genre: Rock Subgenre: Hard Rock Artist: Head East Album including Album cover I`m sorry! Please subscribe to keep reading. Originally known as the TimeAtions, the band adopted the name Head East on August 6, 1969, at the suggestion of the band's roadie, Baxter Forrest Twilight. the members of Head East, so he quit the band and joined the Mt. They released their first album, Flat as a Pancake, in 1974 on their o. Roger Boyd - Keyboard, Leader, Original Member, Darren Walker - Vocals, Glen Bridger - Guitar, Eddy Jones - Drums, Greg Manahan - Bass. As Boyd gears up for the upcoming 50th anniversary shows at the Wildey Theatre, he has no intention of making them the last milestone shows he performs with his band. 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. music.. Anonymous. Legendary rock vocalist, Grammy and Dove Award-winning GMA Hall of Famer John Schlittrecently joined the popular classic rock band, Head East, for a reunion concert event which was held at the Wildwood Springs Resort in Steeleville, Missouri. 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. 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. [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. Head East is an American rock band formed in East Central Illinois. Head East Live! by Head East on Amazon Music - Amazon.com Head East - Wikipedia The band was founded by vocalist John Schlitt, guitarist Danny Piper, keyboardist Roger Boyd, bassist Larry Boyd, and drummer Steve Huston. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is authorized to operate as a postsecondary educational institution by theIllinois Board of Higher Education. At this point in time, I dont see an end in sight.. inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Subsequent albums featured re-issued, remixed studio and live performances of the more successful material. Head East is an American rock band formed in East Central Illinois. 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. 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. Never Been Any Reason by Head East - Songfacts While Flota played guitar for Head East for about a year between Read Full Biography. We all lived within 30 miles of each other back then and I 1973. Can you identify them? 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. [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]. Great voice!! Then on Memorial Day, Id pack my mortar board away and put on my rock n roll clothes.. Connect your Spotify account to your Last.fm account and scrobble everything you listen to, from any Spotify app on any device or platform. Original band members from the A&M era included Schlitt, Roger Boyd, Mike Sommerville, Steve Huston, and Dan Birney, who passed away in 2003. 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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. Midwest group boasting an effective blend of hard melodic rock with progressive rock tendencies and awesome vocal arrangements. Remaining members Boyd and Huston hired bassist Mark Boatman, guitarist Tony Gross, and former drummer and singer Dan Odum (during Huston's absence) to record their following album titled U.S. 1, released in October 1980. Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? [6] He would later recover, become a born-again Christian and reappear as the lead singer of the Contemporary Christian Music band Petra. 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. Mark joined Head East in 2022, and enjoys bringing Mike Somerville's fantastic guitar ideas to the live shows and studio recordings. 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. Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz. 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. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. You can cancel at any time. The retired faculty member in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Social Work was also a founding member of the legendary rock band Head East. 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.".