Kenny Loggins - vocals, guitars, keyboards; Vernon Porter - bass, vocals; Neil Larsen - keyboards, vocals; Steve Woods - keyboards, vocals; Mike Hamilton - guitar, vocals; Tris Imboden- drums
Although this 1982 Ohio area show features Kenny Loggins' full band, it has its most poignant moments during the unplugged "one to one" section of the show. Loggins was already a major solo superstar by the time this concert was taped for the King Biscuit Flower Hour, and he was now able to pepper his sets with both solo hits and Loggins & Messina hits, using the lesser-known, newer songs as transitions to the crowd favorites.
After a few band hits and tracks from his then-new LP, High Adventures (including an incomplete medley of "Whenever I Call You Friend" and "What A Fool Believes") he starts his acoustic segment. He does a down and dirty (very funky) solo guitar rendition of the Loggins & Messina smash, "Your Mama Don't Dance and Your Daddy Don't Rock N Roll." The crowd clearly loves this, as they do his half unplugged/half band rendition of "Danny's Song." Other highlights include the infectious "This Is It" (arguably the best single of his solo career), "I Gotta Try," and "Heart To Heart."
Kenny Loggins first came to prominence in Loggins & Messina, which formed in 1971. Loggins had been a staff writer at Liberty Records in Los Angeles, and when he and Messina met up, the highly successful partnership began. Messina had been a member of both Buffalo Springfield (with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, and Richie Furray) and Poco before becoming a record producer. The duo's first album, Sitting In… Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina, was initially a Loggins solo effort produced by Messina, but soon after, the duo became "Loggins & Messina." From the initial record, they scored two acoustic ballad hits with "Danny's Song" and "House At Pooh Corner."
By the time the second album came out, the two had become a bona fide duo, and shortly thereafter, enjoyed their first Top 10 hit with "Your Mama Don't Dance." A number of other hits followed over the next four years. In 1976, the duo decided to call it quits and pursue separate solo careers. Loggins, being the better of the two vocalists, had no problem making the transition to solo superstar. He had a number top hits, the most popular being the title song to the MTV-inspired teen drama, Footloose.
Although Loggins remains a solo act (recording and touring most years), he did take time in 2005 for a successful reunion with Messina, that resulted in a tour, live LP, and DVD.