REO Speedwagon - Take It On The Run (Live in Tokyo, Japan 1981)

REO Speedwagon Playlist https://rumble.com/playlists/HePlw1rGBSg

On September 29, 1981, REO Speedwagon performed at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, during their Hi Infidelity tour, which was the peak of their commercial success following the album's release in November 1980 (selling over 10 million copies worldwide). The classic lineup—Kevin Cronin on vocals/guitar, Gary Richrath on lead guitar, Neal Doughty on keyboards, Bruce Hall on bass, and Alan Gratzer on drums—delivered a high-energy set to a Japanese audience, blending arena rock power with melodic hooks from Hi Infidelity tracks like "Keep On Loving You" and "Take It on the Run," alongside earlier classics such as "Ridin' the Storm Out." The performance, captured on FM broadcast exemplifies their polished, radio-friendly sound and superior live execution during this era, when they were transitioning from heartland rock roots to international stardom.

REO Speedwagon, formed in 1966 in Champaign, Illinois, built a loyal following through relentless touring in the 1970s before exploding into superstardom in the 1980s with the 1980 masterpiece Hi Infidelity, a slick pivot from hard rock to radio-friendly pop-rock that sold over 10 million copies and spent 15 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200, spawning four massive singles: the chart-topping “Keep On Loving You,” “Take It on the Run,” “Don’t Let Him Go,” and “In Your Letter.” The album’s follow-ups Good Trouble (1982) and Wheels Are Turnin’ (1984) kept the momentum with hits like “Keep the Fire Burnin’” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” while the band’s high-energy live shows—including a historic appearance at Live Aid in 1985 alongside members of the Beach Boys—cemented their arena-rock legend status. Though mainstream success faded after 1987’s Life as We Know It, REO Speedwagon has sold over 40 million records worldwide, charted 13 Top 40 hits, and remains one of America’s most enduring and beloved live acts more than five decades later.
R.E.O. Speedwagon (1971)
R.E.O./T.W.O. (1972)
Ridin' the Storm Out (1973)
Lost in a Dream (1974)
This Time We Mean It (1975)
R.E.O. (1976)
You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish (1978)
Nine Lives (1979)
Hi Infidelity (1980)
Good Trouble (1982)
Wheels Are Turnin' (1984)
Life as We Know It (1987)
The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken (1990)
Building the Bridge (1996)
Find Your Own Way Home (2007)
Not So Silent Night ... Christmas with REO Speedwagon (2009)