Kenny Loggins - Footloose And Fancy Free

Kenny Loggins had already collaborated with composer Dean Pitchford on his 1982 album ‘High Adventure’ for the soaring arena rocker ‘Don’t Fight It’.  For two years Pitchford (who had won an Oscar in 1980 for co-writing ‘Fame’) had been working on the script and music for a proposed motion picture musical.  He’d already decided that he wanted Loggins involved in the recording process for one or more tracks, and if possible the title track.  The two consulted each other regularly, including in between tour dates for Loggins.  It was on one of those tour dates that Loggins met with mishap and fell off a stage in Utah, fracturing several ribs.  Loggins recovered enough to continue the tour, but was also aware that there was a fast approaching deadline to pen and record a title track for the proposed movie project.  Meanwhile, Pitchford had come down with a serious bronchial infection.  And so it was that both writers, in not the best of health, collaborated over a period of four days (between concert dates for Loggins), and penned the title track for the film ‘Footloose’.  To test the waters as it were, Loggins performed the newly crafted song on his next few dates, and the song was very well received.  The pair knew they were on a winner.

The motion picture ‘Footloose’ hit cinemas in early 1984.  It was one of the most eagerly anticipated films of the year.  The basic premise for the film was a young man Ren McCormack (played by Kevin Bacon) arrives in a small town with hopes and dreams beyond the boundaries of the conservative environment he finds himself in. Dancing and rock music has been banned by an over zealous town hierarchy.  Ren falls in love with the local Reverend’s daughter  Ariel (played by Lori Singer), and decides to defy the town’s conservative ways and dance till his feet won’t dance no more.  Eventually he prevails and dancing and rock music win the day.  The film’s theme song needed to embody the rebellious energy and spirit of the lead character.  Kenny Loggins’ ‘Footloose’ managed to do just that with it’s thumping percussion track, surging guitar riff, and inspiring vocals.  ‘Footloose’ bopped its way on to the U.S. Hot 100 in mid February of ‘84, and by the end of March had rocketed to #1, displacing Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ in the process.  As ‘Footloose’ the motion picture set box office records, the title track single spent three weeks at the pinnacle of the U.S. charts, and by May of ‘84 had done likewise on the Australian charts (UK#6).  ‘Footloose’ went on to become the 27th biggest selling song of all time from a motion picture.  It was eventually replaced at #1 by Phil Collins’ ‘Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)’ - not for the last time would Loggins be held off the #1 position by a Genesis connection.  Incidentally, for the first time during the rock music era, all five songs nominated for an Oscar for Best Song were #1 U.S. hits - ‘Against All Odds’ (Phil Collins); ‘Purple Rain’ (Prince); ‘Ghostbusters’ (Ray Parker Jr. - see previous post); ‘Footloose’ (Kenny Loggins); and the eventual Oscar winner ‘I Just Called To Say I Love You’ (from ‘The Woman In Red’) by Stevie Wonder.  The ‘Footloose’ soundtrack also contained another Kenny Loggins track, the uplifting rock number ‘I’m Free (Heaven Helps The Man)’ - in my humble opinion a better track than ‘Footloose’.

Following the mammoth success of ‘Footloose’, Kenny Loggins took time out to write some new material for what would be his first full album of new material in nearly three years.  The album ‘Vox Humana’ (Latin for ‘human voice’), hit stores during April of ‘85, alongside the title track single (US#29) - which had more than a faint echo of ‘Footloose’ about it.  The second single, ‘I’ll Be There’ (US#88), was nothing to write home about, though the guitar riff was catchy enough.  The third single, ‘Forever’ (US#40/OZ#94), was a tender ballad co-written with David Foster - Loggins later noted that the track had been translated into a dozen or more languages, several of which versions he’d sung on tour.  Other highlights on the ‘Vox Humana’ (US#41) album included the synth-pop number ‘No Lookin’ Back’, and the similarly synth laced ‘I’m Gonna Do It Right’ - everyone else was using synthesizers, so why should Kenny miss out.

With the credits in the film theme bank accumulated from ‘Footloose’, Kenny Loggins was a name in demand in Hollywood.  The producers of a new Tom Cruise action vehicle contacted Loggins and asked if he’d be interested in lending his voice to one of the proposed singles associated with the film.  This time Loggins wouldn’t be needed to co-write the track (quite a change for an artist used to penning his own material), as that work had already been done by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock.  All that was required was for he to turn up at the studio and deliver the same impassioned rock vocal performance heard on the ‘Footloose’ soundtrack.  With producer Giorgio Moroder overseeing things, Loggins did his part behind the microphone, the result being the supersonic ‘Danger Zone’ from the motion picture ‘Top Gun’.  Whilst the soundtrack delivered up one chart topping hit - Berlin’s emotive ballad ‘Take My Breath Away’ - Loggins’ ‘Danger Zone’ went mighty, mighty close to soaring to the same heights.  Instead it was held at #2 (OZ#14/UK#45) by another Genesis connection - Peter Gabriel’s ‘Sledgehammer’ and Genesis’ ‘Invisible Touch’.  Regardless, ‘Danger Zone’ became one of the most recognisable motion picture hit songs of the 80s, further enhancing Kenny Loggins’ reputation as the go to man for motion picture soundtracks.

The same combination of Moroder /Whitlock (composers), Moroder (producer), and Loggins (vocalist) joined forces once more on the soundtrack to the Sylvester Stallone film ‘Over The Top’ in 1987.  ‘Meet Me Halfway’ was a slower tempo, more ‘balladish’ number, and found enough appeal among movie goers to peak at #11 on the U.S. charts mid year.  The track ended up being included on Loggins’ next album of original material, released in mid ‘88.  The lead out single was yet another movie related affair, this time as the theme song from the film ‘Caddyshack II’ - a logical move given Loggins’ successful outing with the first film.  ‘Nobody’s Fool’ (US#8) was a raucous, arena rocker that packed a sonic punch from the get go.  I recall purchasing the single on vinyl 45 and playing it relentlessly, especially enjoying the middle refrain featuring beautifully layered vocal harmonies.  So much did I enjoy playing ‘Nobody’s Fool’ that I all but wore out the grooves on the vinyl single.  I eventually tracked down an imported copy of the CD album (that was before the days of downloading - which yes I admit is easier, quicker, and cheaper), ‘Back To Avalon’ (US#69).  The album’s second single was a curious take of the Exciters’ 60s hit ‘Tell Her’ (US#76), whilst single #3 was the largely forgettable ‘I’m Gonna Miss You’ (US#82) which all but missed the Hot 100.  It’s not that ‘Back To Avalon’ was a bad album, but it was a meandering affair that detoured from the heart and soul of Kenny Loggins’ previous material.

Regardless, by the close of the 80s, Kenny Loggins had gained a well deserved reputation as the ‘king’ of the movie soundtrack.  Despite substantial chart success in the U.S. and Australia, like so many A.O.R. artists, significant success in Britain eluded Loggins.  That lack of chart success would continue to be a growing trend in Loggins’ career as the 90s dawned.

A three year hiatus occurred between the release of 1988’s ‘Back To Avalon’ and the next Loggins’ album, 1991’s ‘Leap Of Faith’ (US#71).  Part of the reason for the gap could be explained by Loggins undergoing a divorce in the interim.  The album reveals a much more reflective and introspective Loggins, lyrics wise, and a more mellow, approachable style of music.  Though the album didn’t yield any Hot 100 hit singles, it did make an impact on the ‘adult contemporary’ charts with three separate top ten entries.  The gently flowing ‘If You Believe’ (#9) was co-written by Loggins with George Harrison, Steve Wood, and Gary Wright.  ‘The Real Thing’ (#5) was a collaboration between Loggins and David Foster, the lyrics of which had been inspired by Loggins’ daughter.  The majestic ‘Conviction Of The Heart’ (#9) was declared by U.S. Vice President Al Gore as being the ‘unofficial anthem’ of the environmental movement.  Loggins performed the song live on Earth Day 1995 before an estimated audience of 500,000.

1993 and it was time for another live album, but this time with a difference.  ‘Outside: From The Redwoods’ (US#60) was Kenny Loggins’ version of an ‘unplugged’ affair, and included a mix of solo hits and hits from the Loggins & Messina era.  Michael McDonald guests on a version of ‘What A Fool Believes’.  Gone are the synthesizers and raucous guitar work of recent outings, with a return to a more organic, home grown feel to proceedings.

Kenny Loggins career, in a way, came full circle with his 1994 album ‘Return To Pooh Corner’ (US#65 - #7 Kids Album).  As Loggins recalls in the liner notes to his 1997 Greatest Hits CD - “I originally wrote ‘House At Pooh Corner’ when I was supposed to be studying for finals as a high school senior.  It was my farewell to childhood.”  The song was recorded by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band way back in 1971.  The title track ‘Return To Pooh Corner’ (#25 US Adult Contemporary) was a return to the spirit of that original song, and headed up an album of songs recorded for children to enjoy.  Other tracks included covers of ‘Rainbow Connection’, John Lennon’s ‘Love’, and Paul Simon’s ‘St. Judy’s Comet’.  The album confirmed just what a versatile performer Kenny Loggins had become.

1996 saw Loggins return to soundtrack duties on the ballad ‘For The First Time’, produced by Peter Asher, and featured in the George Clooney/Michelle Pfeiffer romantic comedy ‘One Fine Day’.  In keeping with the romance theme, Kenny Loggins’ next album of original material surfaced in 1997 under the title ‘The Unimaginable Life’ (US#107).  Whilst the 1991 ‘Leap Of Faith’ album dealt with the aftermath of Loggins’ divorce, this album immersed itself in the courting and marrying of the new love in his life.  Loggins has a strong hand in most of the writing credits, though his new wife Julia contributes, along with the likes of Jonathan Butler, Babyface, and David Foster.  At the time, Loggins referred to the album as “the most ambitious, artistic undertaking of my career”.  Maybe he was caught up in the moment there, but the album does offer up a genuine insight into Loggins the artist, and the man.  Some might call it self indulgent but a companion book of the same name was also released, chronicling the Loggins’ love affair.

Over the ensuing decade or more, Kenny Loggins has continued to demonstrate his versatility as both writer and performer, releasing two Christmas themed albums (‘December’, ‘Christmas Time Is Here’ - mixing original with traditional material), and another two children’s albums, ‘All Join In’, and ‘More Songs From Pooh Corner’ - what a busy little corner that must be.  2003 witnessed the return of Kenny Loggins the adult contemporary artist on the album ‘It’s About Time’, featuring guest appearance from old friends Michael McDonald and Richard Marx.  After a few years sabbatical, and a change of facial hair style, Loggins returned in 2008 with ‘How About Now’, a melding of his roots in folk rock, with country tinged rock thrown in for good measure on the track ‘I’m A Free Man Now’.

Though having a recording career spanning 40 years, it still seems apparent to this author that the name Kenny Loggins will forever be associated primarily with those huge soundtrack hits of the 80s.  No bad thing necessarily, but it bears remembering the versatility and complexity of the artist behind those songs.

Kenny Loggins - Solo But Calling On Some Friends

Following six years of successfully collaborating as part of a duo, Kenny Loggins took time out to catch his breath and set about exploring the very territory that he had originally set out to explore - before being sidetracked as one half of Loggins & Messina - that of a solo artist.

He resurfaced in April of 1977 with his debut album, ‘Celebrate Me Home’ (US#27).  The album was a more mellow affair, positioned well within the spectrum of soft rock, which was beginning to dominate the U.S. charts at the time.  Billy Joel’s producer Phil Ramone came on board to co-produce with Loggins.  The only single to chart was the more up tempo ‘I Believe In Love’ (US#66), though the title track also stood out, the lyrics inspired by, no surprise, Loggins’ desire to return home following recording sessions in New York City.  But despite no major hit single, ‘Celebrate Me Home’ notched up platinum sales Stateside.

While his debut set didn’t contain any stand out hit singles, Loggins’ sophomore solo release in mid 1978, ‘Nightwatch’, contained two, though only one would chart under the Kenny Loggins name.  ‘Whenever I Call You “Friend”’ was a beautiful crafted and seductive slice of soft rock, penned by Loggins in partnership with Melissa Manchester (see previous post).  Rather than record it as a duet with Manchester, Loggins called on another friend in the form of Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac - Loggins had opened for Fleetwood Mac earlier in his career.  Their voices blended perfectly and the combination yielded a top five hit in the U.S. (#5/OZ#26).  Loggins penned only one track on the album by himself (‘Somebody Knows’), choosing to collaborate on several others.  One of those writers who penned a song in partnership with Loggins was Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers.  Together they penned the sublime ‘What A Fool Believes’, recorded in its original form by Loggins, but in early 1979 the track would chart all the way to #1 in the U.S. sung by McDonald for the Doobie Brothers.  The Doobie Brothers version of ‘What A Fool Believes’ also won Grammys for ‘Record of the Year’ and ‘Song of the Year’.  The album ‘Nightwatch’ contained some thoroughly up tempo tracks such as ‘Easy Driver’ and ‘Down ‘N Dirty’, mixed with more mellow affairs such as the soulful ‘Somebody Knows’.  All in all it produced enough commercial appeal to sell platinum (US#7/OZ#70).

Kenny Loggins recruited producer Tom Dowd to co-produce his third solo album, ‘Keep The Fire’, released in late ‘79.  The lead out single was the pop rock classic ‘This Is It’, another Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald collaboration, which knocked on the door of the U.S. top ten (#11/OZ#85) early in 1980 - the song’s lyric had been inspired by Loggins’ father.  The album’s title track was released as the second single, and ‘Keep The Fire’ received a warm reception at #36 on the U.S. Hot 100.   The source album delivered Loggins his third straight platinum disc for sales in the U.S. (#16/OZ#95).

As Loggins & Messina had done so before hand, Kenny Loggins opted for a double album of live material relatively early into his tenure as a solo artist.  ‘Alive’ (US#11/OZ#72) contained all the hits from the first three studio albums, including a live version of the song ‘I’m Alright’.  Loggins had penned ‘I’m Alright’ as his first foray into motion picture soundtrack writing.  The playful song ended up being the theme track for the comedy ‘Caddyshack’.  The studio version of the song hit US#7 late in 1980 (OZ#53), and has become synonymous with both the film and dancing gophers.

1982 saw a return to the studio for Kenny Loggins, this time with co-producer Bruce Botnick.   The sessions resulted in the August ‘82 release of the album ‘High Adventure’, complete with a buccaneer looking Loggins on the front cover.  The opening track of the album also served as the opening single.  ‘Don’t Fight It’ saw Loggins in partnership with Journey front man Steve Perry (see previous posts).  In the notes to his 1997 Greatest Hits package, Loggins refers to ‘Don’t Fight It’ as a warm-up of sorts to push his music into more straight up arena rock territory.  The song works on that level really well, and was co-written by Dean Pitchford, a key player in Loggins’ future success as a proponent of harder rocking music.  ‘Don’t Fight It’ managed to hit the canvass at #17 on the U.S. charts late in ‘82.

The second single, ‘Heart To Heart’ (US#15), was penned by Loggins, Michael McDonald, and prolific composer David Foster.  It was a more soulful, mellow affair, featuring McDonald on backing vocal.  Loggins would later refer to the song as a “bridge between islands”, whatever that means.  The insistent rhythm of ‘Heartlight’, a song inspired by writing of children from the Heartlight School, pushed up the charts to US#24 in early ‘83.  The combined momentum of all three singles pushed sales of the ‘High Adventure’ album to gold status (US#13).  But the highest adventures of Kenny Loggins’ recording career were still to come.

Login to Loggins & Messina

Some artists’ careers are defined by a particular song that makes them instantly recognisable in the eyes of the general public.  A signature moment that brings them to the conscious mind of even the most casual consumer of popular music.  For Kenny Loggins that song was ‘Footloose’, a pulsating boot scootin’ blast of pop rock which hit the top of the charts across the world during 1984.  But though a lot of people would identify Kenny Loggins by saying, “Isn’t he the guy who did Footloose?”, it would be a gross disservice to define his career by just that one shining moment.  By the time ‘Footloose’ got millions of toes-a-tappin’, Kenny Loggins had already been making hit records for over a decade.

Kenny Loggins was born into the world in Everett, Washington in January of 1948.  He moved with his family (as most kids do) to Seattle (his father was a travelling salesman), before settling in Alhambra, California during his formative years.  Music ran in the family (his cousin Dave Loggins went on to have a US#5 hit in 1974 with ‘Please Come To Boston’) and young Kenny took up the guitar in earnest during his teen years.  By the time he was attending Pasadena City College, Loggins knew with certainty that he wanted to pursue a career in music.  He played in a local band, Gator Creek (which recorded briefly with Mercury Records), alongside keyboardist, and future record producer, Michael Omartian (who was later a creative force behind Rhythm Heritage - 1976 US#1 hit with ‘Theme From S.W.A.T.’).  He went on to play with the band Second Helping (signed to Viva Records), all the while honing his skills as a songwriter.

By 1969, the skills honing paid off when Loggins was employed as a professional songwriter with Wingate Music, a publishing outlet for ABC Records.  Loggins continued to play live, touring with one time psychedelic rock outfit, the Electric Prunes, briefly, but was more regular as a songwriter.  It was during this period that he penned ‘House at Pooh Corner’ (seriously no pun intended there), which was offered to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to record, becoming a hit for them during 1971 - Loggins in fact penned four songs for the band, all included on their ‘Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy’ album.

By September, 1970, burning the midnight oil as both performer and composer brought the reward of a recording contract with Clive Davis’ Columbia Records label - it didn’t hurt that Columbia A&R staffer Don Ellis was a Loggins family friend.  It was Ellis who soon introduced Loggins to another recent Columbia recruit, a young performer, songwriter, and producer by the name of Jim Messina.  Messina had been born in Maywood, California just a month before Loggins was born.  He was raised in Harlingen, Texas and had been playing in bands since he was 13.  By 1965, Jim Messina was also working as a recording engineer and producer for the likes of Sunset Sound.  He was a member of Neil Young’s band Buffalo Springfield during 1967 (‘For What It’s Worth’ - US#7), and during the late 60s was co-founder of the hugely popular country rock outfit Poco (who later also featured the likes of Eagles’ Randy Meisner and Timothy B. Schmidt in their ranks).  Messina left Poco after three albums (around the time he met Loggins), and was also contracted to Columbia as a solo performer, but it was his skills as a producer that would initially lead him to work with Kenny Loggins.

Loggins asked Messina to ‘sit in’ on some of early recording sessions, happy to pick the creative brain of someone with considerably more studio experience (as both producer and engineer) than himself.  And with his experience with Buffalo Springfield and Poco, Messina brought some serious credentials to the table.  In addition to his production work, Messina too had been signed to Columbia as a performer.  As the sessions for Loggins’ debut album wore on, it was clear to both he and Messina that their musical styles, playing, and singing complimented each other.  Messina started to spend as much time in the recording booth as at the producer’s control desk.

It was a case of happenstance that Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina ended up recording an album’s worth of material, essentially as a duo - Loggins would later claim that his and Messina’s creative partnership was more of an ‘informal union’ as each was formally contracted to Columbia as solo artists.  Regardless, Kenny Loggins’ debut album, released in the first half of 1972, ended up being credited to Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina: Sittin’ In’ - makes sense as producer Messina had also ‘sat in’ on so many of the recording sessions as a performer.  He also contributed to writing 6 of the album’s 11 tracks, contributed ‘first guitar’, and shared lead vocals on several tracks, including one of the album highlights, ‘House at Pooh Corner’.  The album introduced listeners to a laid back and engaging brand of country/folk rock.  Loggins and Messina soon hit the live circuit in support of the album, with their live debut at the Troubadour, in Los Angeles billed as the Kenny Loggins Band with Jim Messina.  The debut set sold slowly initially, but as word of mouth got out it climbed the U.S. charts to a respectable #70, and went on to be platinum accredited.  Another track from the album, ‘Danny’s Boy’, was recorded by Anne Murray in 1973, and became a U.S. Top 10 hit.

With such a promising start it was logical that Loggins and Messina establish a more formal creative union.  And so it was that late 1972 saw the release of the first ‘official’ Loggins & Messina album, titled appropriately enough, ‘Loggins & Messina’ (US#16/OZ#65).  The album featured the duo’s first, and ultimately biggest’ hit single.  ‘Your Mama Don’t Dance’, penned by Loggins and Messina, was a raunchy, rocking little number that quickstepped its way to #4 on the U.S. Hot 100 (OZ#30), late in 1972 (the track was later covered and a top 10 hit for hard rock band Poison during 1989).  The Messina penned ‘Thinking Of You’ was beautifully engaging and engaged with the U.S. top 20 early in ‘73 (US#18/OZ#65).  The duo called on some old friends to contribute in studio, with keyboardist Michael Omartian, and Poco steel guitarist Rusty Young playing on the sessions.  The platinum selling album featured a gamut of track lengths, from the one minute country jaunt of ‘Just Before The News’, through to the seven minute country rock epic of ‘Angry Eyes’.

By late ‘73, Loggins & Messina revealed their nautical side on the ‘Full Sail’ album. The lead single was ‘My Music’ (US#16/OZ#65), a rock and roll pastiche not a million miles away from ‘Your Mama Don’t Dance’ (why change a winning formula).  Another highlight was the opening track, the island-rock anthem ‘Lahaina’ (reminds me of Harry Nillson’s ‘Coconut’).  The album ‘Full Sail’, in keeping with its album cover motif, navigated its way into the U.S. Top 10.

As prolific as the duo was proving in-studio, Loggins & Messina had become a major drawcard on the live circuit, impressing audiences with an invigorating blend of folk and country rock numbers.  A live album was warranted, no….make that a live double album was warranted, and it was released in mid ‘74.  ‘On Stage’ had been recorded from a series of early ‘74 concerts and featured all the hits and crowd favourites to date, including a 21 minute version of the psychedelic rock edged ‘Vahelava’, which took up an entire side on the original record release.  ‘On Stage’ went on to sell platinum numbers and found its curtain call at #5 on the U.S. charts (OZ#97).

For studio album #4, Loggins & Messina delivered a ‘Mother Lode’ of ten new songs.  On casual listening, the album was more low key and introspective, both in sound and theme. It was also unusual in that there were no Loggins/Messina writing collaborations.  Highlights included ‘Be Free’, a mandolin etched marathon at seven minutes, and another seven minute epic with the slow tempo country rock number ‘Move On’.  And speaking of moving on, ‘Mother Lode’ moved comfortably into the U.S. top ten (#8/OZ#89) early in ‘75.

As if to remind people they were capable of delivering more than grandiose seven minute tracks, Loggins & Messina dipped into their childhood memories to retrieve 14 hits from the 50s which they could rework to their liking.  1975’s‘So Fine’ (US#21/OZ#83) offered up presentable covers of the likes of Don Gibson’ ‘Oh, Lonesome Me’, Gene Pitney’s ‘Hello Mary Lou’, and Bobby Darin’s ‘Splish Splash’.  Though an admirable tip of the hat to some of their rock and roll and country heroes, ‘So Fine’ proved a dip of the sales chart for Loggins & Messina.

Perhaps looking to reinvent the wheel, the duo employed a new backing band, and an accent on lush string arrangements for their 1976 studio album, ‘Native Sons’ (US#16).  The title track simply dripped with nostalgia, whilst the Messina penned ‘When I Was A Child’ did the same albeit lyrically.  The highlight for mine was the more contemporary soft rock sounding ‘Wasting Our Time’.  The album went gold but further confirmed a slide in commercial trending for Loggins & Messina.

The second half of ‘76 saw Columbia release a compilation album titled ‘The Best Of Friends’ (US#61), though it was apparent that Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina had moved past the status of ‘best friends’, at least creatively, by that stage.  As it was confirmed that the duo of Loggins & Messina had officially parted ways, the record label saw no reason not to cash in one last time with yet another double album of live material.  ‘Finale’ (US#83) was far less engaging than its predecessor ‘On Stage’, but that was probably more reflective of being the after taste of the Loggins & Messina creative brew.

Though selling albums in respectable numbers, critical plaudits largely eluded Loggins & Messina.  Regardless, they established a place as one of the most successful duo’s of the 70s.  But given they were originally signed as solo artists, it seemed entirely logical that Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina pursue what a six year creative partnership had interrupted.  Jim Messina recorded a number of solo albums, including ‘Oasis’ (1979), and ‘Messina’ (1981), before rejoining Poco for the 1989 reunion album ‘Legacy’.  But the majority of his creative endeavours have been focused on production work, with some touring thrown in for good measure.

In 2005, Columbia release the compilation ‘The Best Of Loggins & Messina: Sittin’ In Again’.  The good reception for the album inspired the duo to reunite and embark for a nationwide tour during the summer of 2005.  The tour spawned a DVD and album release titled, ‘Loggins & Messina: Sittin’ In Again at the Santa Barbara Bowl Live’.  Subsequent Loggins & Messina tours took place over the next few years.

In between times Kenny Loggins embarked upon a solo career of seemingly limitless possibilities.