Styx "Mr. Roboto (Single & Video)"

"Mr. Roboto" is a song written by Dennis DeYoung of the band Styx, and recorded on the Styx album Kilroy Was Here. It was also released as a 45 RPM single in a 4:44 single edit, which has the synthesizer intro and a bar at the finale removed (available on Greatest Hits released by PolyTel in Canada in 1992), with the song "Snowblind" (from their previous album Paradise Theatre) as the B-side. In Canada, it went to #1 on the RPM national singles chart. In the U.S., it reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1983.

The Japanese lyrics at the beginning of the song are as follows:

どうもありがとうミスターロボット (Dōmo arigatō misutā robotto)

また会う日まで (Mata au hi made)

どうもありがとうミスターロボット (Dōmo arigatō misutā robotto)

秘密を知りたい (Himitsu o shiritai)

The lyrics translate into English as follows:

Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto

Until the day we meet again

Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto

I want to know your secret

The lyric "Dōmo arigatō, Mr. Roboto" has entered popular culture as a catchphrase, appearing in media such as The Simpsons, Futurama, Archer, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Arrested Development, Eight Crazy Nights, Austin Powers in Goldmember, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, Man With A Plan, The Perfect Man and Mr. Robot.

The song tells part of the story of Robert Orin Charles Kilroy (ROCK), in the rock opera Kilroy Was Here. The song is performed by Kilroy (as played by keyboardist Dennis DeYoung), a rock and roll performer who was placed in a futuristic prison for "rock and roll misfits" by the anti-rock-and-roll group the Majority for Musical Morality (MMM) and its founder Dr. Everett Righteous (played by guitarist James Young). The Roboto is a model of robot which does menial jobs in the prison. Kilroy escapes the prison by overpowering a Roboto prison guard and hiding inside its emptied-out metal shell. When Jonathan Chance (played by guitarist Tommy Shaw) finally meets Kilroy at the very end of the song, Kilroy unmasks and yells "I'm Kilroy! Kilroy!", ending the song.

The robot-like catchphrase was created with a vocoder.

Stan Winston, who would become well-known through his work on Jurassic Park, designed the Roboto costume and mask, which are displayed prominently on the cover of the album Kilroy Was Here. The song's writer Dennis DeYoung did not think of the song as a single until his wife Suzanne, Dennis's friend Dave, and the staff at A&M suggested it as a good candidate. The track was released as the first single from the album at the last minute instead of "Don't Let It End" and turned out to be the band's last Top 5 US hit for eight years. As a result of this song, the Japanese phrase "domo arigato" entered popular American vernacular. In addition, many have cited this song and the album as potentially having alienated older fans, some calling it "jumping the shark" for the band. Though the song and album may not have resonated with older fans at the time, it remained relevant for younger generations, and James Young has said that due to the song, "we're a part of pop culture."

"Mr. Roboto" has been described as synthpop.

The song's video, directed by Brian Gibson, depicts Jonathan Chance (played by guitarist Tommy Shaw) walking into the Rock Museum to meet Kilroy, and a robot approaches. After this, it morphs into five robots moving and dancing (choreographed by Kenny Ortega). Shortly thereafter, the robots transform into the members of Styx, including a clean-shaven Dennis DeYoung (he shaved his trademark moustache off at the conclusion of the Paradise Theater tour in 1982). The video then alternates between the band playing the song on a stage and scenes from the Kilroy Was Here backdrop film. Then, the members of Styx morph back into the robots and DeYoung confronts the robots, screaming in the ear of one of the robots before collapsing. DeYoung awakens to see he is being experimented on and runs off. The video cuts back to the ending of the first scene and Jonathan Chance climbs on to the stage. Before the robot removes his mask to reveal Kilroy, another shot of the robot with lights on is used to end the clip.

Playing Mr. Roboto in the video was mime Robert Griffard.

Styx "Show Me the Way (Single & Video)"

"Show Me the Way" is a song written by Dennis DeYoung and released as the second single from Edge of the Century by Styx. It peaked at #3 on the pop singles chart in March 1991. It is, to date, Styx's 8th and last top 10 Billboard single.

Lead vocalist/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung, a devout Roman Catholic, originally wrote the song for his son Matthew as a pseudo-hymn about the struggle to keep the faith in a "world so filled with hatred". Released in December 1990, the song was slowly scaling the charts. In January 1991, just prior to the United States' entry into the Gulf War, Music Director Chris Taylor from WAVA-FM in Washington, D.C. and Knoxville DJ Ray Edwards from WOKI-FM each did their own customized "Desert Shield Mix" incorporating television and call-in comments from officials, soldiers and callers as well as C-SPAN's coverage of the House and Senate debates.

Although released in the early 1990s, the song is very reminiscent of the classic Styx power ballad. Written in 6/8 time, the song begins quietly with the lone DeYoung on vocals and transitions into a big sounding vocal triad chorus. The bridge uses a solo DeYoung vocal praying and pleading that "if I see a light, should I believe? Tell me, how will I know?" followed by, on the album version, an acoustic guitar leading into an electric guitar solo. (On the single version, the acoustic guitar solo is eliminated.)

The single rose up the Billboard Hot 100 reaching #3 the week of March 16, 1991, and remained in the top 40 for 23 weeks. The song also hit No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart, remaining in the top 40 of that chart for 31 weeks. It also peaked at No. 4 on the Canadian pop charts. While that association undoubtedly buoyed the song's success and contributed to its lingering appeal, the single had not yet peaked when the war officially ended on February 28, 1991.

The song was Styx's fourth and final top 5 single to date (and 8th top 10 single), and comes in at No. 68 on the Billboard rankings of the top Hot 100 singles of 1991. The song also placed Styx among a handful of artists to have top 10 singles in three different decades, the 1970s ("Lady," "Come Sail Away", "Babe"), the 1980s ("The Best of Times," "Too Much Time on My Hands," "Mr. Roboto," "Don't Let It End"), and the 1990s ("Show Me the Way").

Despite the song's enormous success along with Babe, Don't Let it End and The Best of Times, it has not been performed live by the band since singer Dennis DeYoung was dismissed in 1999. DeYoung, however, still performs the song regularly on his solo tours.

The music video for this song was directed by Michael Bay.

Various Artists "Harley-Davidson Road Songs Vol. 2"

Harley-Davidson Road Songs Vol. 2 is a compilation of rock songs, released in 1998.

Track listing:

Disc: 1
  1. Keep Yourself Alive - Queen
  2. Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood & The Destroyers
  3. Bad Motor Scooter - Montrose
  4. Midnight Rider - Gregg Allman
  5. Look Over Yonder - Jimi Hendrix
  6. Easy Livin' - Uriah Heep
  7. Motor City Madhouse - Ted Nugent
  8. Renegade - Styx
  9. Rebel Yell - Billy Idol
  10. Street Of Dreams - Rainbow
  11. Highway Star - Deep Purple
  12. Two Tickets To Paradise - Eddie Money
  13. We're An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad
  14. Shadows Of The Night - Pat Benatar
  15. Highway Song - Blackfoot
  16. Bonus Track - Bonus Track

Disc: 2
  1. Day Of The Eagle - Robin Trower
  2. Whitesnake - Here I Go Again
  3. Flirtin' With Disaster - Molly Hatchet
  4. Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf
  5. Livin' In The U.S.A. - Steve Miller Band
  6. Hold On Loosely - 38 Special
  7. Drivin' Wheel - Foghat
  8. Under My Wheels - Alice Cooper
  9. Gone, Gone, Gone - Bad Company
  10. I'm A Man - Spencer Davis Group
  11. Face The Day - Great White
  12. Locomotive Breath - Jethro Tull
  13. Heading Out To The Highway - Judas Priest
  14. Walk Away - The James Gang
  15. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
  16. Bonus Track - Bonus Track

Styx "Greatest Hits"

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the American rock band Styx. It was released by A&M Records on August 22, 1995. It contains 16 tracks, 8 of which were Billboard Top 10 Pop Singles, another 4 that were Billboard Top 40 Pop Singles, and 4 that received heavy airplay on FM album oriented rock stations.

This album essentially replaced Styx's previous greatest hits album, Styx - Classics, Volume 15, which was released by A&M in 1987. That previous album had excluded the hit song "Lady" because the song was originally recorded for and released through Wooden Nickel Records (which also had a distribution arrangement with RCA Records). Because A&M/Polygram had been unable to secure distribution rights to the song, most of the classic lineup of Styx (Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, Chuck Panozzo and James "J.Y." Young) reunited to re-record the track at Dennis' home studio, The White Room. They were joined by uncredited session drummer Todd Sucherman, who filled in for John Panozzo due to Panozzo's failing health; Sucherman joined the band permanently in 1996, during the Return to Paradise tour. The track, which is very similar to the original, was titled "Lady '95".

With the exception of "Lady '95", Styx - Greatest Hits features the original album versions of all the other songs included in the compilation. "Come Sail Away" is presented here in its full 6:05 version and "Miss America" is here in its original studio version (despite the CD's packaging showing incorrect time listings for both tracks).

The "Lady '95" session led to Styx reuniting.

While Styx Greatest Hits is by far and away the best selling Styx compilation (certified 2x platinum) and contains all of 8 Top 10 Singles and many key classic rock radio tracks, there are some notable omissions. Most notably, "Rockin' the Paradise" which peaked at #8 on the Top Rock Tracks chart in 1981 and is a concert staple, and "Boat on the River" which is Styx's biggest international hit, are both absent from the compilation. In addition, top 30 hits "Love at First Sight" (#25), "Why Me" (#26) are also absent. Other missing mid-chart hits include "Mademoiselle" (#34), "Music Time" (#40), "Sing for the Day" (#41), "High Time" (#48), "Nothing Ever Goes as Planned" (#54), and "Borrowed Time" (#64). Notable missing rock tracks include "Love Is the Ritual" (#9 Rock Tracks), "Snowblind" (#24 Rock Tracks), and "Light Up". Most of these are included in the follow up collection Styx Greatest Hits Part 2, or the career-spanning Come Sail Away – The Styx Anthology (aka Styx Gold). The only charted songs that have never been included in a compilation are "Why Me", "Music Time" and "High Time".

Styx "Edge Of The Century"

Edge of the Century is the twelfth studio album by Styx, released in 1990. It was the first Styx album featuring A&M solo artist Glen Burtnik, the only album to feature the Dennis DeYoung/James Young/Glen Burtnik/Chuck Panozzo/John Panozzo lineup, and the last album to feature John Panozzo on drums before his death in 1996.

The album spawned three singles. "Show Me the Way" was written by DeYoung and peaked at #3 on both the Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart and Adult Contemporary Chart due to the Gulf War Troops adopting the song as an anthem. Some radio stations played an edited version with the children of troops singing. "Love Is the Ritual", (Pop singles peak #80) written by Burtnik and Plinky, and "Love at First Sight", (Pop singles chart peak, #25) written by Burtnik, DeYoung and Young, were also released as singles, but neither garnered the same amount of success as "Show Me the Way".

The album was certified gold by the RIAA.

Styx "Kilroy Was Here"

Kilroy Was Here is the eleventh studio album by the rock band Styx, released on February 22, 1983. The album is named after a famous World War II graffito, 'Kilroy was here'. It was the final album of original material to be released by the "classic" lineup of Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, James "J.Y." Young, John Panozzo, and Chuck Panozzo.

The album is certified platinum by the RIAA. As of 2016, it is the last studio album by the band to be certified platinum.

The band created the album Kilroy Was Here partly as a mocking response to fundamentalist Christian groups and other anti-rock-music activists who had previously influenced the Arkansas State Senate to pass a bill requiring that all records containing backward masking be labeled as such by the manufacturer. Cited in the legislation were albums by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Electric Light Orchestra, Queen, and Styx.

"Heavy Metal Poisoning", the fifth track on the album, begins with the backmasked Latin words "annuit cœptis, novus ordo seclorum". Translated from the Latin, these words mean "[he/she/it] has favored our undertakings, a new order of the ages". These are the two mottoes from the Great Seal of the United States on the reverse side of the United States one-dollar bill.

Kilroy Was Here was conceived by lead singer Dennis DeYoung as an album and accompanying stage show, which opened with a short film of the same name. While the supporting tour was a financial disaster, the album debuted at #10 on the Billboard 200 in its first week and sold over 1 million copies (although some sources say 2.5 million copies) and peaked at #3 on the US charts; however, it broke the streak of multi-platinum albums for Styx, and ushered in a more keyboard-oriented, theatrical direction. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, James Young talked about the creative differences in the band, and what led to their breakup: "Dennis really wanted to do these soft, intimate love ballads, and that was against the grain for me and Tommy Shaw, so our differences got magnified, because Dennis was insisting on going outside the boundaries we lived with. He's an assertive and strongly opinionated guy."

The album's somewhat rock-operatic story tells of a future where rock music is outlawed by a fascist government and the "MMM (the Majority for Musical Morality)". The story's protagonist, Robert Orin Charles Kilroy (DeYoung), is a former rock star who has been imprisoned by MMM leader Dr. Righteous (Young). He escapes using a disguise (according to the album's famous song "Mr. Roboto") when he becomes aware that a young musician, Jonathan Chance (Shaw), is on a mission to bring rock music back.

The album spawned two hit singles, "Mr. Roboto" and "Don't Let It End".


Despite the album's financial and chart success, after the Kilroy tour, the songs were not performed live in subsequent tours, with the exception of segments from "Mr. Roboto" and "Heavy Metal Poisoning" performed in the 'Cyclo-medley'. DeYoung did perform the songs "Mr. Roboto" and "Don't Let It End" during his solo tours.

Three of the four videos for the album - "Mr. Roboto", "Don't Let It End", and "Heavy Metal Poisoning" - were filmed at the same time and used footage from the minifilm. A fourth video, "Haven't We Been Here Before", was filmed a few months after the album was released; it did not interact with the album's story.