Restless Heart

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Restless Heart is an American country pop band originally formed as a studio band to record demos. The band's original members comprised John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dave Innis (piano, keyboards, rhythm guitar, vocals), Greg Jennings (guitar, vocals), and Verlon Thompson (lead vocals); Thompson was replaced with Larry Stewart shortly before Restless Heart was signed to a recording contract in 1984.

Throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, the band saw considerable crossover success in both country music and adult contemporary, with a distinctive hybrid of mainstream country and soft rock influenced by the Eagles.^[1] In that same timespan, the band charted more than fifteen Top 10 singles on the Billboard country music charts, including six Number Ones. After the band's commercial success waned in the 1990s, Stewart left in 1992 for a solo career, followed by Innis' departure not long afterward; 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 1992 to utilize the entire five-piece lineup, on Koch Records. Although Koch's Nashville division closed by 2005, all five members continue to tour to this day.

[edit] History

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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 would have several major hits in the 1980's, notably "I'll Still Be Loving You," which enjoyed airplay on mainstream stations.

After releasing 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 four 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," which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The next album, 1994's Matters of the Heart, was largely ignored by radio, and the remaining three members disbanded at the end of 1994. Greg Jennings joined Vince Gill's band, John Dittrich joined the band The 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 quit the music busines and ran several small businesses. The original members (except Dave Innis) briefly reunited to record three new tracks for their second greatest-hits compilation in 1998, Greatest Hits. After a year long tour with Vince Gill and another year of dates on their own, Restless Heart went on hiatus for a few years.

In 2003, Paul Gregg placed a 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. 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, leaving the band without a record deal. They did, however, release a live album, "25 and Live", in 2007 which is available through their website.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles

• ^A"'Til I Loved You" entered the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in early 1992.
• ^B"When She Cries" also peaked at #4 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart.
• ^CSingles were not released due to closure of Koch Records' country music division.

[edit] Movie soundtracks

• 1987 - The Secret of My Succe$s - "Don't Ask The Reason Why"
• 1994 - Maverick - "Maverick"

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website