New Classic Petra Update as of 7-23-10

[brent]

I remember reading an interview with the original members of Reo speedwagon when asked about asking GXV to become lead singer, they didn't know who he is and labeled it a fabrication for publicity. There was a link petrafanclub.com like 12 years ago. I was really hurt by this statement. I just don't know anymore what people will do for publicity.

GXV didn't necessarily put the story out there (unless you have a link to it). There's a story out there about Eric Clapton being asked how it felt to be the greatest guitarist in the world, and he responded by saying, "I don't know, ask Phil Keaggy". This story is a fabrication, but I highly doubt that Keaggy started the rumor.

I don't know how you got that I intimated that Keaggy started it. He did not. Why would he start something and then debunk it humbly? He is a VERY humble guy. I don't think he would admit it even if it were true.

[blayze5150]

Had to chime in on this one. I truely believe that if Greg X. Volz were to fabricate such a story, he'd choose a bigger band than REO Speedwagon. They were pretty big in the day, but I do not think they had the kind of impact on the secular music industry Petra had on the christian music industry. I'm sure they outsold Petra record for record, but they still don't have the legacy of Petra.

[Dan]

Yeah the whole thing was discussed donkeys ago on the petrafanclub.com I can't find any archive of it, I can't remember who was even on the site Micheal, Doug Sands?. There was something about how he knocked back the invite to sing for Reo in 1977 after recently converting to Christianity but he converted to Christianity in 1970 blah blah and it was 1976 that the original singer went back to Reo a year before Petra asked Volz to sing as a guest on C&JU.

The whole thing is probably a load of bull, I don't think GXV would make up stuff

Was anyone on petrafanclub forum back in the day?

[zak89]

Perhaps Volz mixed up his dates - it was a while ago, if I remember correctly - ok, so I wasn't born yet.

[separateunion]

I remember reading an interview with the original members of Reo speedwagon when asked about asking GXV to become lead singer, they didn't know who he is and labeled it a fabrication for publicity. There was a link petrafanclub.com like 12 years ago. I was really hurt by this statement. I just don't know anymore what people will do for publicity.

GXV didn't necessarily put the story out there (unless you have a link to it). There's a story out there about Eric Clapton being asked how it felt to be the greatest guitarist in the world, and he responded by saying, "I don't know, ask Phil Keaggy". This story is a fabrication, but I highly doubt that Keaggy started the rumor.

I don't know how you got that I intimated that Keaggy started it. He did not. Why would he start something and then debunk it humbly? He is a VERY humble guy. I don't think he would admit it even if it were true.

Seriously? My response was to Daniel and you came in with another response after mine, which I never replied to. Do you actually read what is written in the posts?

[executioner]

I was on petrafanclub, boy those were the days. I don't really remember all of it, but is it not on Greg's site saying its true? If this is the case wouldn't someone from REO come out and say it's not true if that was the case?

[Jonathan]

Classic Petra is going to put up tracks for our review? I will connect my Musical Snobbery keyboard...

[CatNamedManny]

The REO Speedwagon Wiki page (take with salt, as this has zero actual sources cited):

Although the rest of the band's line-up remained stable, REO Speedwagon switched lead vocalists three times for their first three albums. Luttrell left the band in early 1972, eventually becoming the vocalist for Starcastle. He was replaced by Kevin Cronin. Cronin recorded one album with the band, 1972's R.E.O./T.W.O., but left the band during the recording sessions for 1973's Ridin' The Storm Out because of missed rehearsals and creative disagreements. 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. Cronin's return came after Greg X. Volz turned down the position for lead vocals due to his conversion to Christianity.

That would place the offer to Volz as somewhere in 1975. Volz's Wiki page fudges the timing a bit, but not by enough to make a federal case about it. This also has zero sourcing:

In 1976, Volz received two of the most important calls of his life. First, he was offered the lead singer position of REO Speedwagon. Volz, being a recently converted Christian, declined. Six weeks later, he got the call to participate in Petra's second album, Come and Join Us.

So it looks like Volz's official page isn't quite accurate when it says, "Greg Volz was offered the role of lead vocalist for REO Speedwagon in the 70s, but decided instead to join Petra." He didn't have two offers on the table and chose Petra over REO. He turned down REO because singing with them would have been incompatible with Christianity, then soon after got the call from Bob.

The one caveat I have to all this is that the two Wiki entries have no sources verifying that timeframe, whereas Volz's website is, well, his website. So I put it in the Petra Wiki this way: "Already entertaining an offer from REO Speedwagon to be that band's lead singer, Volz accepted Hartman's offer instead." I also put it under Washes Whiter Than, not Come and Join Us because Volz wasn't offered the job as Petra's lead vocalist until then, but given the easily confirmable timeline of REO's lead vocalists (Kevin Cronin returned to the band for its 1976 album R-E-O), it must have been prior to CAJU. I'll make that change when I do my next round of edits, but until someone slaps some sources on the REO or Volz Wiki pages, I'm going to keep the phrasing the same. Who's to say Bob didn't call in late 1975 or Cronin didn't return to Speedwagon until later in '76?

[brent]

Again, Kevin was not the first singer for REO Speedwagon. They have an album out without Kevin. Greg would have been called to accept the offer before Kevin, if his timeline is accurate.

[shawnpfan2010]

Hey guys incase you can't do math, that was over 35 YEARS AGO, what does any of this have to do with anything going on today??????????????????

[brent]

1. Honesty is important
2. People boasting about their life before Christ is a big seller in the Christian world. Who and what you did before Christ is a way to substantiate and inflate the value of the conversion experience to the consumers. Me being saved is not as much as a big deal as someone like a former bunnies star, rock star, athelete. All of that drama sells.
3. It doesn't matter to me, because REO is one of the worst bands of all time that got lucky with some very simple tunes, one of which has a one not bass line and single chord for the whole song (practically).

[CatNamedManny]

Again, Kevin was not the first singer for REO Speedwagon. They have an album out without Kevin. Greg would have been called to accept the offer before Kevin, if his timeline is accurate.

Yes, this is what the links I quoted stated: That Greg was offered the job before Kevin returned to the band in 1976. The only question is whether it's possible for Greg to have had offers from both REO and Petra at the same time.

Always enjoy it when people take the time to read and respond to threads they have deemed unimportant. If it's not worth discussing, why are you reading it and participating in the discussion?

[rexreed]

Point of order- REO Speedwagon was not a one hit wonder, and they have more than a handful of popular songs. Cronin is not he best singer in the world, but his voice worked for the Wagon. In 1981 they were still pretty huge, so if someone claimed to turn down REO then they were turning down a huge band.

[brent]

When I have commented it was to say that all of this was PRE Kevin completely. To say that it was before Kevin returned would be only half true, because it would be before Kevin was in the band the FIRST time.

1. Who knows who made the offer? Maybe the band didn't know about it. Maybe it was a producer or studio engineer trying to complete something to get his money out of it.
2. What secular band would admit to asking some no-name guy (at that time) and being turned down?
3. REO wasn't making any money at the time. Maybe Greg saw Petra as a more profitable venture.
4. Maybe eveyone was smoking too much mary jane and this was just a fig newton of his imagination that was transfered into reality?

Oh, and I never said they were a one hit wonder. They sold the MTV audience a ballad and got popular. Musically, they aren't very interesting at the same time. That was all.

One thing I do know is that I never purchased ONE CD from anyone because they almost were in a band. I don't see that as a good selling point. It should be dropped. The only people it matters to are the pimpers on the business side, trying to get some sales and ratings. Let the CURRENT music stand on it's own, because people really could give a rip about what might have been 35+ years ago.

[CatNamedManny]

When I have commented it was to say that all of this was PRE Kevin completely. To say that it was before Kevin returned would be only half true, because it would be before Kevin was in the band the FIRST time.

Ahh, I see. But that would be in 1972, which, as we all know, was the year Petra started and five years before Volz appeared on a single Petra song. So I have a hard time accepting that timeline, unless you're saying Volz turned down the offer in 1972 while he was in the e Band, did his own stuff with the e Band and Phil Keaggy in the meantime, then took the Petra job in '76. I could see that, but then it would be pretty clear Volz's own site is fudging things by making it sound like he chose Petra over REO Speedwagon.