Restless Heart
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- This page refers to the country music band. For the Whitesnake album, see Restless Heart (Whitesnake album).
| Restless Heart | |
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| Years active | 1984–1996; 1998; 2003–present |
| Genres | Country, soft Adult Contemporary |
| Labels | RCA Records (former), Koch Records (current) |
| Members | Verlon Thompson (lead vocals; 1984), Larry Stewart (lead vocals; 1984-1992; 1998; 2003-present), Paul Gregg (bass, vocals; 1984-1996; 1998; 2003-present), John Dittrich (drums, vocals; 1984-1996; 1998; 2003-present), Greg Jennings (guitar, vocals; 1984-1996; 1998; 2003-present) Dave Innis (keyboards, vocals; 1984-1993; 2003-present) |
Restless Heart is a country pop band originally formed as a studio band to record demos. The members have diverse musical backgrounds, and developed a sound that has been compared to The Eagles. Primarily a country band, they crossed over to Adult Contemporary with singles from their Wheels and Big Iron Horses albums, and enjoyed their biggest crossover hit with "When She Cries" in the winter of 1993.
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[edit] History
Nashville record producer Tim DuBois created the band in 1984 to record demos of songs that DuBois had written. 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. He was replaced by Larry Stewart, who had known Dave Innis when both had attended Belmont University. The band named themselves after a song on their first album.
After recording two new tracks for their first greatest-hits compilation, 1991's The Best of Restless Heart, Larry Stewart left the band to pursue a solo career, which resulted in three albums and a Top 10 country hit, "Alright Already." Keyboardist Dave Innis also left the band in 1993 after the success of "When She Cries." The next album, 1994's Matters of the Heart, was largely ignored by radio, and the remaining three members disbanded by 1996. Greg Jennings joined Vince Gill's band, John Dittrich joined the band Buffalo Club (which enjoyed one-hit-wonder country success in early 1997 with the Top 10 "If She Don't Love You"), and Paul Gregg apparently returned to demo work. The original members (except Dave Innis) briefly reunited to record a Christmas song and three new tracks for their second greatest-hits compilation in 1998, simply titled, Greatest Hits. After a tour with Vince Gill, Restless Heart again disbanded.
In 2003, Paul Gregg placed an emotional phone call to Dave Innis, whom he had not had any contact with in ten years. Restless Heart reunited two months later, began touring, and released a single called "Torch of Freedom."
In 2004, Restless Heart, now signed to Koch Records, went into a Muscle Shoals, Alabama recording studio to record their first full-length album featuring the original lineup since 1990's Fast Movin' Train.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Restless Heart (1985): #10 (Country)
- Wheels (1986): #1 (Country), #73 (Billboard 200)
- Big Dreams in a Small Town (1988): #4 (Country), #114 (Billboard 200)
- Fast Movin' Train (1990): #6 (Country), #78 (Billboard 200)
- The Best of Restless Heart (1991): #25 (Country), #144 (Billboard 200)
- Big Iron Horses (1992): #26 (Country), #116 (Billboard 200)
- Matters of the Heart (1994)
- Greatest Hits (1998): #47 (Country)
- Still Restless (2004)
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US Country | US Adult Contemporary | |||
| 1985 | "Let the Heartache Ride" | - | #23 | - | Restless Heart |
| 1985 | "I Want Everyone to Cry" | - | #10 | - | Restless Heart |
| 1986 | "(Back to the) Heartbreak Kid" | - | #7 | - | Restless Heart |
| 1986 | "'Til I Loved You" | - | #10 | #33 1 | Restless Heart |
| 1986 | "That Rock Won't Roll" | - | #1 | - | Wheels |
| 1987 | "I'll Still Be Loving You" | #33 | #1 | #3 | Wheels |
| 1987 | "New York (Hold Her Tight)" | - | - | #23 | Wheels |
| 1987 | "Why Does It Have to Be (Wrong or Right)" | - | #1 | #11 | Wheels |
| 1988 | "Wheels" | - | #1 | - | Wheels |
| 1988 | "Bluest Eyes in Texas" | - | #1 | - | Big Dreams in a Small Town |
| 1988 | "A Tender Lie" | - | #1 | - | Big Dreams in a Small Town |
| 1989 | "Big Dreams in a Small Town" | - | #3 | - | Big Dreams in a Small Town |
| 1989 | "Say What's in Your Heart" | - | #4 | - | Big Dreams in a Small Town |
| 1990 | "Fast Movin' Train" | - | #4 | - | Fast Movin' Train |
| 1990 | "Dancy's Dream" | - | #5 | - | Fast Movin' Train |
| 1990 | "When Somebody Loves You" | - | #21 | - | Fast Movin' Train |
| 1991 | "Long Lost Friend" | - | #16 | - | Fast Movin' Train |
| 1992 | "You Can Depend on Me" | - | #3 | - | The Best of Restless Heart |
| 1992 | "Familiar Pain" | - | #40 | - | The Best of Restless Heart |
| 1993 | "When She Cries" | #11 | #9 | #2 | Big Iron Horses |
| 1993 | "Tell Me What You Dream" (ft. Warren Hill) | #43 | - | #1 | Big Iron Horses |
| 1993 | "Big Iron Horses" | - | #74 | - | Big Iron Horses |
| 1993 | "Mending Fences" | - | #13 | - | Big Iron Horses |
| 1993 | "We Got the Love" | - | #11 | - | Big Iron Horses |
| 1994 | "Baby Needs New Shoes" | - | #52 | - | Matters of the Heart |
| 1998 | "No End to This Road" | - | #33 | - | Greatest Hits |
| 1999 | "Little Drummer Boy" | - | #58 | - | - |
| 2003 | "The Torch of Freedom" | - | - | - | - |
| 2004 | "Feel My Way to You" | - | #29 | - | Still Restless |
"When She Cries" also peaked at #4 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart.
1 "'Til I Loved You" peaked at #33 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the spring of 1992.
