The Alliance / the foundations

Michael Richardson Aug 23, 2023

The Alliance opened for The Foundations who were touring the US with their hit "Build Me Up Buttercup". I was the roadie for the Alliance. The Foundations were using Marshall Amps which they brought over from England as Marshall was sponsoring the band and they were getting them free. They saw Gary's Les Paul that he was playing (Gary Richrath was our Rhythym Player and later on became lead player for REO Speedwagon) and went bananas over the guitar. Anyway we made a trade and traded the Les Paul for a Marshal Stack for our Bass Player. The Stack was so large it took two of us to stack it and it stood over my head and I am 6'6". Anyway our Bass Player needed a stool to stand on to adjust the controls on the head. The bass player gave Gary some money and he went to a pawn shop in some small town in Illinois where he had spotted another Les Paul (Earlier and in better shape than the one he traded. He bartered with the owner and got it for about $80 if I remember right. Boy are those days gone. Anyway That is the Les Paul he used on stage in his early REO days, and as far as I know he never sold it.