Published: Sept. 9, 2017
http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_stories/2017/09112017-country-group-restless-heart-still-worth-a-ticket.asp
Country group Restless Heart still worth a ticket
Band recorded 13 straight top-10 hits in late 1980s, early
1990s
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043
Almost two months ago, country music group Restless Heart
played at the annual Country Thunder Festival in Twin Lakes. Tens of thousands
of fans attended the show.
But on Sept. 16, the band, who once had six straight No. 1s
and 13 straight top-10 songs in the late 1980s, will play in a far more
intimate setting for a couple hundred people at the Schauer Arts and Activities
Center in Hartford.
There are two shows — 3 and 7:30 p.m. — and the opening act
is Laura Joy.
While it’s fun to play in front of large crowds, Greg
Jennings, lead guitarist and background vocals for the group, said the smaller
setting is just the way they like it.
“You’re a lot closer to the audience, everybody has a good
seat and the sound is usually better,” Jennings said. “With a smaller facility
like that, there’s a lot more energy that gets transferred. We really like
that.”
Restless Heart will start the Schauer Center’s 2017-18
season, with the theme “Red Hot.”
Jennings said he’s received positive reviews from other
performers about the Schauer Center and is looking forward to performing there.
The group plays tonight in Grand Junction, Colorado, before
heading to play in Eau Claire on Friday and then in Hartford. After Hartford,
the band heads west to Wendover, Nevada, to play a show Sept. 22.
“We don’t get up (to Wisconsin) as much as we used to,”
Jennings said. “I wish we did.”
He added, “We always have a great reception when we come up
there and the fans that come to see us.”
Restless Heart was formed in 1984 with John Dittrich (drums,
vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dave Innis (keyboards, vocals),
Jennings and Verlon Thompson (lead vocals).
The band was signed by RCA Records’ Nashville division. But
before the band started recording, they were already down one member. Thompson
left the band to become a solo singersongwriter and guitarist for Guy Clark.
Larry Stewart took Thompson’s place and later in 1984, the
band’s selftitled debut album dropped in
stores. The first single released was “Let the Heartache Ride,”
which reached No. 23 on the U.S. country charts. But the next three each
cracked the top 10, including “(Back to The) Heartbreak Kid,” reaching No. 7.
The band’s next studio album — “Wheels” — was its biggest
success in late 1986.
On that album was the band’s first No. 1 hit, “That Rock
Won’t Roll.”
“I remember exactly where we were,” Jennings said when he
and his bandmates learned of the group’s first No. 1 song. “We were at radio
station in Philadelphia and we got the word we just went No. 1 and it was like
... we couldn’t believe it. We worked for something for so long and it came
true.”
The rock may not roll, according to that single, but the
band got rolling after the single’s success.
Their next five singles all reached No. 1 on the country
charts, including three reaching No. 1 in Canada. Those songs included “I’ll
Still Be Loving You,” “Why Does It Have to Be (Wrong or Right),” and “Wheels.”
The album was certified gold.
In 1988, the band’s next album — “Big Dreams in a Small
Town” — enjoyed similar success, reaching gold certification, with the help of
No. 1 hits “The Bluest Eyes in Texas” and “A Tender Lie.”
Nearly 30 years later, that run of six straight No. 1 hits
is still surreal for Jennings and his bandmates.
“It was like a dream come true,” Jennings said. “We were at
a great place in a great time. We had a great team of people around us with RCA
Records. They were just great to us.
“We opened for a number of their big acts, like Alabama and
The Judds. Right from the get-go we had a built-in audience and we had an
opportunity to reach a lot of people. It was a magical time.”
Making the accomplishment more special was when they
accomplished it. In that time of country music, Restless Heart was going up
against acts including Alabama, The Judds, Hank Williams, Jr. and George
Strait.
In 1989, Strait was the Country Music Association’s
Entertainer of the Year.
“There was a huge amount of competition in those days,”
Jennings said. “To reach No. 1 was quite a feat. Anytime you can do that ...
you just keep your fingers crossed with each release and hope for the best.”
The band’s run of top-10 hits continued into the
1990s with “Dancy’s Dream” in 1990 (No. 5). In 1991, “You
Can Depend on Me” reached No. 3. The band’s last top-10 hit was “When She
Cries” in 1992 at No. 9.
The song “Tell Me What You Dream” with Warren Hill was No. 1
on the U.S. and Canada adult contemporary charts in 1993.
“I think we had a lot of great songs that we really believed
in,” Jennings said.
Since then, they’ve had only two top-40 hits. There are
several reasons behind that. One of them was the band disbanded twice after
1994 as the guys looked at other career options or just needed a break. They
got back together in 2002.
“I think we still play and sing at a high level,” Jennings
said. “We still enjoy touring and seeing the fans. We’ve got a great legacy to
continue with and we’ve got some great songs that we still enjoy playing.”
The last album they released was a Christmas album and a
compilation album, both in 2013.
“I think there’s a lot of music left in us,” Jennings said.
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