Restless Heart

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007)

Restless Heart is an American country music band established in 1984. The band's original members were John Dittrich (drums, background vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, background vocals), Dave Innis (piano, keyboards, rhythm guitar, background vocals), Greg Jennings (lead guitar, mandolin, background vocals), and Verlon Thompson (lead vocals). Thompson was replaced with Larry Stewart shortly before Restless Heart was signed to a recording contract with RCA Records in 1984.

Throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s, the band saw considerable crossover success in both country music, pop and adult contemporary (AC) formats. Stewart and Innis left in 1992 and 1993 respectively, with Stewart beginning a solo career on RCA. By 1996, the three remaining members had disbanded. Except for a brief reunion for one album in 1998, the band remained inactive until 2002, when Dittrich, Gregg, Innis, Jennings, and Stewart all reunited. Two years later, they released Still Restless, the first album since 1990 to utilize the entire five-piece lineup, on Koch Records. This album produced one more country chart single before the label's closure.

Overall, Restless Heart has released seven studio albums, two greatest hits albums, and a live album which is only available on their website. Their second through fifth albums are all certified gold by the RIAA. Twenty-six of their singles have entered the Billboard country charts, including six Number One hits. Two more singles were released only to the Adult Contemporary format, with the higher-peaking of those two being the Number One "Tell Me What You Dream", a collaboration with saxophonist Warren Hill in 1993. Their greatest crossover hit with country and pop music fans is the single "When She Cries" which was released in late 1992.

History

This section requires expansion with: more historical info, critical reception.

Nashville record producer Tim DuBois created the band in 1984 to record demos of songs that DuBois had written. Initially, it was composed of John Dittrich (drums), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dave Innis (keyboards, vocals), Greg Jennings (guitar, vocals), and Verlon Thompson (lead vocals). The still unnamed band was soon signed to RCA Records' Nashville division. Verlon Thompson left the band before even going into the studio to record the first album, and was replaced by Larry Stewart, who had known Innis when both were attending Belmont University.^[1] Thompson was later signed to Capitol Records and became a guitarist for Guy Clark.

Restless Heart released their self-titled debut album on RCA in 1984. This album included only eight songs, of which four were singles: "Let the Heartache Ride", "I Want Everyone to Cry", "(Back to the) Heartbreak Kid" and "Til I Loved You."^[1] Of these, the latter three singles were all Top Ten country hits. Following it two years later was Wheels, their breakthrough album, which produced four straight Number One country hits: "That Rock Won't Roll", "I'll Still Be Loving You", "Why Does It Have to Be (Wrong or Right)" and the title track. "I'll Still Be Loving You" and "Why Does It Have to Be (Wrong or Right)" were both hits on the Adult Contemporary charts,^[1] as was "New York (Hold Her Tight)", which was released only to that format. The album was certified gold by the RIAA, as their next three studio albums would be as well.

The band's third album, Big Dreams in a Small Town, came in 1988. From it came two more Number Ones: "The Bluest Eyes in Texas" and "A Tender Lie", as well as Top Five hits in its title track and "Say What's In Your Heart". The latter of these was also a Number One on the RPM country charts in Canada. Several of the singles from the band's first three albums, including "The Bluest Eyes in Texas", were co-written by former pop singer Van Stephenson, who would later become a founding member of the 1990s country band BlackHawk.

1990s

Restless Heart's fourth album, Fast Movin' Train, was released in 1990. This was their first album not to produce a Number One hit, although its first two singles — the title track and "Dancy's Dream", respectively — were both Top Five hits. "When Somebody Loves You" and "Long Lost Friend" were less successful, however, reaching #21 and #16 respectively. A greatest hits package, The Best of Restless Heart, followed in 1991. It included two new recordings, both of which were released as singles: "You Can Depend on Me" at #3 and "Familiar Pain" at #40.

Larry Stewart left the band in 1991 to pursue a solo career, also on RCA. His solo debut single "Alright Already" was a Top 5 hit, and although none of his other singles reached higher than #34, he recorded four studio albums between then and 2002. John Dittrich, Paul Gregg, and Dave Innis alternated as lead vocalists on the band's fifth studio release, 1992's Big Iron Horses. This album produced the band's biggest crossover hit in "When She Cries", which went to #9 on the country charts, #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 (their highest entry on that chart), and #2 on the Adult Contemporary charts.^[1] After it came "We Got the Love" (guest musician on banjo was original Eagle member Bernie Leadon) and "Mending Fences", which both fell short of the country Top Ten. Keyboardist Dave Innis also left the band in 1993, reducing the band to a trio. That same year, the band reached the top of the Adult Contemporary charts as guest vocalists on jazz saxophonist Warren Hill's debut single "Tell Me What You Dream."

Disbanding and reunion

The next album, 1994's Matters of the Heart, included only Gregg, Jennings and Dittrich, with studio musicians rounding out the roster. Its only single, "Baby Needs New Shoes", fell short of the Top 40, and the remaining three members disbanded at the end of 1994. Jennings joined Vince Gill's band, while Dittrich founded a band called The Buffalo Club in 1997 with Charlie Kelly and lead singer Ron Hemby, formerly of The Imperials.^[1] The Buffalo Club recorded one album for Rising Tide Records and charted three singles, including the Top Ten country hit "If She Don't Love You" (a song which had previously been turned down by Restless Heart), before the band split at the end of the year.

The original Restless Heart members, except Innis, reunited to record three new tracks for their second greatest-hits compilation in 1998, Greatest Hits. This album produced their first Top 40 country hit in five years, "No End to This Road." After a yearlong tour with Vince Gill and another year of dates on their own, Restless Heart went on hiatus once more.

In 2003, Gregg placed a phone call to Innis, with whom he had not had any contact in ten years. That subsequently led to Restless Heart reuniting once again and returning the band to its complete original lineup. They soon began touring and released a single called "Torch of Freedom" which did not chart. In 2004, the band signed to Koch Records, then went into a Muscle Shoals, Alabama recording studio to record their first full-length album to feature the original lineup since 1990's Fast Movin' Train. The new album, entitled Still Restless, was co-produced by Mac McAnally and Kyle Lehning, with three of its songs having been previously been recorded by McAnally himself. Its lead-off single, "Feel My Way to You", peaked at #29 on the country music charts. However, Koch closed its Nashville division in early 2005, and the album did not produce any other singles. The band released a live album, 25 and Live, in 2007 through their website.

Band members

Musical stylings

This section requires expansion with: More info on song and musical themes.

Restless Heart's sound draws influences from mainstream country music, as well as from pop and rock. Their use of layered harmonies and multiple Adult Contemporary crossover hits have drawn comparisons to the Eagles.^[1]

Discography

References

External links

• Official website