Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Take It on the Run
| cover = Take It on the Run cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = REO Speedwagon
| album = Hi Infidelity
| B-side = Someone Tonight
| released = March 1981
| recorded = September 18, 1980
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 3:59
| label = Epic
| writer = Gary Richrath
| producer =
| prev_title = Keep on Loving You
| prev_year = 1980
| next_title = Don't Let Him Go
| next_year = 1981
| misc =
}}
"'Take It on the Run'" is a song by American rock band REO Speedwagon off the band's ninth studio album 'Hi Infidelity' (1980). The song was written by lead guitarist Gary Richrath. "Take It on the Run" was the follow-up single behind the group's number-one hit, "Keep on Loving You". The single went gold on April 17, 1989. "Take It on the Run" has appeared on dozens of "various artists" compilation albums, as well as several REO Speedwagon greatest-hits albums. The 2017 song "Messin' Around" by Pitbull featuring Enrique Iglesias interpolates "Take It on the Run".
Background
According to REO Speedwagon lead singer Kevin Cronin, the original title to the song was "Don't Let Me Down." Cronin said that:
Cronin says that he insisted that the title should be "Take It on the Run" and that he added the line to the refrain "Youre under the gun / So you take it on the run," which he says "either makes sense or it doesnt, but it sure sung well and it sure rhymed, and it was a spur-of-the-moment thing that when I heard the rest of the song, thats what I felt."[ Cronin also particularly praised the opening line "Heard it from a friend, who heard it from a friend" saying that "somehow, it captures the imagination and hooks you in."][
]
According to Cronin, Epic Records was not convinced that "Take It on the Run" was good enough to be released as the follow-up single to "Keep On Loving You" and wanted to release "In Your Letter" instead, but the band insisted on releasing "Take It on the Run."[
]
The song's music video was the ninth video played on MTV's first day, August 1, 1981. However, due to technical difficulties the video went to black just 12 seconds into the song, and never did finish.
Personnel
'REO Speedwagon'
*Kevin Cronin lead vocals, acoustic guitar
*Gary Richrath lead guitar
*Bruce Hall bass, backing vocals
*Neal Doughty keyboards
*Alan Gratzer drums, backing vocals
Charts
It was released as a single in 1981 and reached number five on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 chart. It also reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart.
Weekly charts{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1981)
!Peak position
|-
|Australia (Kent Music Report]
|style="text-align:center;"|30
|-
|Canada ('CHUM')[. CHUM. Retrieved 18 February 2015.]
|align="center"|2
|-
|Canadian 'RPM' Singles Chart
|align="center"|4
|-
|Germany Media Control Charts
|align="center"|55
|-
|Irish Singles Chart[ Note: REO Speedwagon must be searched manually.]
|align="center"|14
|-
|Radio Luxemburg Singles
|align="center"|16
|-
|New Zealand Singles Chart
|align="center"|44
|-
|UK Singles Chart[ Note: REO Speedwagon must be searched manually.]
|align="center"|19
|-
|US 'Billboard' Hot 100
|align="center"|5
|-
|US Top Rock Tracks
|align="center"|6
|-
|US 'Cash Box'[. 'Cash Box' magazine. Retrieved 18 February 2015.]
|align="center"|4
|-
|US 'Record World'
|align="center"|3
|-
|US 'Radio & Records (R&R)'
|align="center"|3
|}
Year-end charts
Certifications
Sources
Category:1980 songs
Category:1981 singles
Category:REO Speedwagon songs
Category:1980s ballads
Category:Hard rock ballads
Category:American pop rock songs
Category:Songs about infidelity
Category:Songs written by Gary Richrath
Category:Epic Records singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Kevin Beamish
Category:Song recordings produced by Gary Richrath
Category:Song recordings produced by Kevin Cronin
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