James Young Looks Back on 50 Years of Styx: Exclusive Interview

The roots of Styx started with two fraternal brothers who “fought like hell” however “beloved music,” as Tommy Shaw lately informed followers.

The Panozzo siblings had already been taking part in music with Dennis DeYoung for near a decade by the point they solidified the band’s lineup with the arrival of guitarists John Curulewski and James “J.Y.” Younger, who joined in 1969 and 1970 respectively.

Inking their first document contract with Wood Nickel Information in February 1972 formally began the clock on Styx as a band with a nationwide presence, though it might take them a number of years to search out their footing with radio airplay and document gross sales. Shaw joined in 1975.

A long time later, the members of Styx are again on the street for the most recent run across the nation with their former rivals in REO Speedwagon. The present lineup options Younger, Shaw, bassist/vocalist Ricky Phillips, keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan, drummer Todd Sucherman, guitarist/vocalist Will Evankovich and bassist/vocalist Chuck Panozzo, who nonetheless makes periodic visitor appearances with the group.

We caught up with Younger at first of their Reside and UnZoomed tour, which additionally options Loverboy, to debate Styx’s storied historical past.

What are a few of your first recollections of coming throughout the REO guys?
REO Speedwagon was a band that has had many permutations, even earlier than Styx. I feel they fashioned in Champaign, Sick., on the College of Illinois. I don’t know if everybody was a scholar there to begin. A few of them have been, in all probability. However REO Speedwagon was an element earlier than Styx signed their first recording contract in 1972. Kevin Cronin grew up not removed from the place I did, though I by no means actually met the person. He talks about how there was a battle of the bands going again to earlier than any of us had a recording contract. There have been highschool bands competing in a highschool battle of the bands at Brother Rice Excessive College on the south facet. I had this pretty blonde feminine girlfriend who went round and in some way charmed many individuals to provide them their voting tickets. Kevin says, “And that’s why you guys received! As a result of we should always have received that one!” But when it takes a blonde, I’ll discover a blonde! [Laughs.]

What did being from Chicago contribute to the spirit of Styx?
Styx have been all from the south facet of town, thought of the working class facet of city. The Panozzo brothers’ dad, he was an worker. Dennis’ dad was an worker of some scenario. John Curulewski’s dad was an worker. My grandfather got here from Europe and began a enterprise after which my dad took over that enterprise. So I got here from enterprise house owners. The remainder of the blokes, their dad had been workers. However after we lastly obtained that factor collectively, there was an amazing steadiness. All the items have been in place regardless that I didn’t essentially see it at that cut-off date. Their tastes have been so totally different than mine and I needed to study to compromise, which I used to be recognized to not be very compromising. [Laughs.] Dennis and the Panozzos, they have been extra of a pop cowl band, however Dennis and I began writing after which John Curulewski began writing. Finally, we obtained a recording contract in 1972. We signed it on 2/22/72 and simply handed the fiftieth anniversary. So, 5 a long time of Styx and the world nonetheless exists. We didn’t kill it.

Watch the Video for ‘Mr. Roboto’ by Styx

Not even with “Mr. Roboto.”
[Laughs] Properly, “Mr. Roboto,” I used to be so in opposition to that tune – as a result of this factor is focused at seven yr olds. However the craziest factor is, it’s the one 45 RPM single that Styx put out that has bought one million information. I refused to play it, notably after Dennis was not concerned within the band anymore. He didn’t need to go on the street after which sued us over the usage of the identify and what have you ever. We went out with out him. However perhaps two or three years in the past, all of us sat down. “Okay, we’ve been taking part in the identical songs for a very long time. Is there any tune that perhaps we’re overlooking that the followers actually need to hear?” We sat down our merch man. He will get all the complaints from folks. “How come they didn’t play this? How come they didn’t play that,” as they’re leaving the venue and he’s making an attempt to promote them a shirt. He’ll hear all the complaints. Plus, our lighting director who has to face far again within the corridor so she will be able to see the complete perspective and learn how to flash this mild on that, and so on. The 2 of them stated, “Probably the most requested tune by folks leaving that [you] don’t play is ‘Mr. Roboto.’” So we began taking part in it once more.

Dennis is a really energetic man. Was he all the time that approach, even within the early days of the band?
Oh yeah, Dennis was the oldest man within the band and he’s clearly a really proficient man. The Panozzo brothers reside down the road from him, so it was sort of pure for them to not less than try to work collectively, which they did. My trademark was “Cunning Woman,” as a result of going to engineering faculty, I had a man with electronics who may get the suggestions that [Jimi] Hendrix will get at first of [the song]. I stated, “I’ll play no matter you guys need. I simply need to have the ability to do ‘Cunning Woman,’ and I’ll simply associate with the whole lot else.” So we did that after which simply co-existed. They have been a working band, so we have been in a position to earn money. I drove a cab part-time in Chicago to make ends meet. It took a couple of yr to get that recording contract after which we devoted the entire thing there. Finally, Dennis wrote “Woman,” which was a chart single when it first got here out. It obtained re-released a few years later after the third or fourth album got here out. That truly charted nationally and obtained to No. 1 in each market, as a result of the document firm lastly labored it. We simply hadn’t had the juice and our supervisor was a no one that was making an attempt to make a reputation for himself as effectively, however I don’t assume he knew how the sport was performed. Finally, you must drive down quite a lot of blind alleys generally to actually discover the open street.

How did “Crystal Ball” evolve from the second you first heard it?
It was an acoustic factor that Tommy had already written when he got here to audition for the band. We had already heard he was nice and will play and sing. He was in a position to exchange John Curulewski in that regard, no sweat. Actually, that tune, we sort of collaborated in the end on the association, however in the event you’re going with lyrics and melody, Tommy wrote that. It was straightforward. [Laughs,] Tommy may play that acoustic and I may play the electrical. From there on, we actually obtained to know one another. We had already had success. When “Woman” turned successful, that sort of opened the door for us to get higher live performance billings. Tommy added [a lot] to the band, as a result of he’s an amazing showman in his personal proper and an amazing singer. The three half harmonies, which have been our trademark, taking a Three Canine Night time [approach], it sort of went on from there.

I moved in with my higher half as soon as we obtained the recording contract. We weren’t married, [and] that was very a lot to my mother and father’ chagrin. Finally, I made a decision, “Properly, let’s go to metropolis corridor and get married. We don’t need to have a giant setting.” So we signed a recording contract in February, launched our first document slightly bit afterward, my higher half and I moved in collectively after which we in the end obtained married – all in 1972. In order that was sort of the inspiration of the entire Styx factor, from my standpoint. Then, Tommy got here alongside in late ‘75 when John determined he was fed up with Dennis. Tommy match proper in and “Crystal Ball,” the tune he introduced in, turned the title of his first album with us.

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