However, their fourth album simply titled Head East (1978) produced another hit with the band's cover of former Argent singer Russ Ballard's "Since You Been Gone",[2] which peaked at number 46.
[3][4] Head East also performed at the Culver Academies Graduation party in 1979, which in the prior years had been headlined by Styx and Quicksilver.
In March 1980, bassist Dan Birney and guitarist Mike Somerville left the band, while singer John Schlitt was fired due to drug dependency.
Steve Huston himself departed the band around this time and by the early 1990s had become a recording studio engineer based in Indianola, Iowa.
Meanwhile, the band continued touring, performing in venues around the Midwest, with new vocalist/rhythm guitarist Randy Rickman joining shortly after the Choice of Weapons album and serving as co-lead vocalist with Hansen.
[7][8] Co-founder, songwriter and original drummer Steve Huston died July 25, 2023 in Harris County, Texas at age 73.
[9] The band's 1975 single, "Never Been Any Reason", was featured in the 2005 movie adaptation of Clive Cussler's novel Sahara, and appears on the soundtrack to the 1993 coming-of-age drama Dazed and Confused, as well as being briefly heard in the film.
In 2011, Head East was inducted into the Iowa Rock n' Roll Music Association's Hall of Fame.
[10] As part of the induction concert, several former and current members united onstage to perform, including Steve Huston and John Schlitt.