Audio Autopsy 1975: Head East "Never Been Any Reason," A&M Records (+ Petra, John Schlitt)

For lead singer, John Schlitt, a reason finally became evident.

Rare, original version of “Flat as a Pancake” on the band’s own indy Pyramid Records, released in January 1975 on LP and 8-track. The Pyramid vinyl edition ended up selling 5,000 copies, with the 8-track selling 500. That level of retail action plus extensive regional airplay of “Never Been Any Reason” got A&M Records’ attention. The L.A.-based label picked up the album, and re-released it later in the year with a different cover (the orange and yellow checkerboard with pancake photo, shown below). They also switched the A/B sides on the LP, cassette and 8-track, thus taking “Never Been Any Reason” from Side Two’s leadoff position, and moving it to the album’s kick-off track. Many DJs (including this writer) never got past “Never Been Any Reason.” First CD release was in 1987.

Head Eats: The diner photographed, here, on the back cover☝of the A&M re-issue is the Rite-Way Diner, still in business (now as the Olivette Diner) at 9638 Olive Blvd, Olivette, Missouri (an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis):

Spotlight: Head East Lead Singer, John Schlitt

John Schlitt was born February 3, 1950 in Lincoln Illinois. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to the nearby central Illinois town of Mt. Pulaski. When he was 13, he joined a band called Vinegar Hills Hometown Band Something Different.

After graduating from Mt. Pulaski High in 1968, Schlitt enrolled at the University of Illinois in hopes of earning a degree in Civil Engineering. In 1972, he joined Head East as lead singer with some fellow students of the university. Juggling his new musical career and college work, Schlitt finally graduated from college in 1974 and dedicated himself full-time to his music career.

After a couple of founding members dropped out, Head East was solidified with members Schlitt, keyboardist Roger Boyd (who produced Flat as a Pancake), guitarist Mike Somerville (who wrote “Never Been Any Reason”), bassist Dan Birney, and drummer Steve Huston:

According to lead singer John Schlitt (per SongFacts), while coming up with “Never Been Any Reason” during pre-album club dates, they would sometimes introduce it as a song by Three Dog Night because club owners didn't want them playing original songs!

Head West

After recording Flat as a Pancake at the Peoria suburb, South Pekin’s Golden Voice Studio in 1974, midwest radio stations like St. Louis’s influential K-SHE, and Kansas City’s KYYS/KY-102, and others, started giving the album airplay enough to catch A&M’s ear.

By the time A&M’s album re-release hit the streets in June 1975, I was a 20-year-old part-time jock at Houston’s KLOL-FM, the leading commercial “progressive rock” station in the Bayou City. To my knowledge, 101 was not one of the stations on the Pyramid release. We had the A&M disc in rotation, though, and I remember playing “Never Been Any Reason” when I was on-air. Those days at KLOL are recounted here: