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"Keep the Fire Burnin'"
"Keep the Fire Burnin'"
Single by REO Speedwagon
from the album Good Trouble
B-side	"I'll Follow You"
Released	June 1982
Recorded	May 1982
Genre	Rock
Length	3:53
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Kevin Cronin
Producer(s)	Kevin Beamish, Kevin Cronin, Alan Gratzer, Gary Richrath
REO Speedwagon singles chronology

"Keep the Fire Burnin'" is a song by REO Speedwagon from their 1982 album Good Trouble. This single was the only track from the Good Trouble album to make the top ten on the pop charts, cresting at number seven.^[1]

Background

It is also the only tune from the album to feature Kevin Cronin on keyboards (piano), which, although primarily the band's lead singer and acoustic/rhythm guitarist, he had begun using (in the studio) on the You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish album.^[2]

This is the only song from the band's Good Trouble album to have been performed live in its entirety following its supporting tour in 1983. Despite that fact, however, it is still a significant rarity in the band's setlists that has only been performed a handful of times over the last 35 years. In the past couple of decades, Kevin Cronin has played a shortened version of song during solo acoustic sets during REO concerts. More recently, in 2022 and 2023, the entire band has played a remixed version of the song in its entirety at select concerts. For unknown reasons, the song is the only one of the band's major hit singles that was not included on their compilation album The Hits.

Reception

Cash Box said that "the song isn't much different from a lot of the band's material since 'Roll With The Changes' and it's just a tad more melodic and uplifting than 'Don't Let Him Go.'"^[3] Billboard said that "urgent uptempo rhythms, surging organ and vaulting vocals all continue the platinum style perfected on Hi Infidelity."^[4]

Personnel

REO Speedwagon^[5]

Kevin Cronin – lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic piano, acoustic guitar
Gary Richrath – electric guitar
Neal Doughty – organ
Bruce Hall – bass
Alan Gratzer – drums

Additional personnel

Tom Kelly – backing vocals
Richard Page – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Canada (CHUM)^[6]	2
Canadian RPM Singles Chart^[7]	10
Germany Media Control Charts^[8]	68
US Billboard Hot 100^[9]	7
US Top Rock Tracks^[9]	2
US Cash Box^[10]	10
US Radio & Records (R&R)^[11]^[12]	8

Year-end charts

Chart (1982)	Position
Canada (RPM Top 100 Singles)^[13]	88
US Billboard Hot 100^[14]	50
US Cash Box^[15]	63

References

^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Top Pop Singles 1955-2012. Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research, Inc. p. 703. ISBN 978-0-89820-205-2.
^ REO-Speedwagon – Keep the Fire Burning/I'll Follow You single
^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 12, 1982. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
^ "Top Single Picks". Billboard. June 12, 1982. p. 99. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
^ REO Speedwagon, Good Trouble. Sony Music Entertainment. 1982. p. 4.
^ "CHART NUMBER 1333 – Saturday, August 07, 1982". Archived from the original on 7 November 2006. Retrieved 2015-02-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). CHUM. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
^ "Top Singles – Volume 37, No. 2, August 28, 1982". RPM. RPM Music Publications Ltd. August 28, 1982. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
^ "REO Speedwagon - Keep the Fire Burnin'". officialcharts.de. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Artist Chart History – REO Speedwagon". Billboard charts. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending AUGUST 7, 1982". Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. Retrieved 2015-02-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
^ REO Speedwagon
^ "Charts!". Archived from the original on 2015-02-11. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
^ "Top Singles – Volume 37, No. 19, December 25, 1982". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
^ "Top 100 Hits for 1982". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1982". Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Cash Box magazine. Retrieved 19 February 2015.