Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois.
The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, generating several hit ballads.
They had a steady stream of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Second only to The Beach Boys in Billboard singles and albums chart success among American bands, Chicago is one of the longest-running and most successful rock groups in history.[1]
According to Billboard, Chicago was the leading US singles charting group during the 1970s. They have sold over 38 million units in the US, with 22 gold, 18 platinum, and 8 multi-platinum albums.[2][3] Over the course of their career they have had five number-one albums and 21 top-ten singles.
Group history
Beginnings
The group of six called themselves The Big Thing, and continued playing top-40 hits, but realized that they were missing a tenor voice (Lamm and Kath both sang in the baritone range), so they added local bassist Peter Cetera.[4]
While gaining some success as a cover band, the group began working on original songs. In June 1968, they moved to Los Angeles, California under the guidance of their manager James William Guercio, and signed with Columbia Records.
After signing with Guercio, The Big Thing changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority.[1]
Their first record (released in April 1969), the eponymous The Chicago Transit Authority (sometimes informally referred to simply as CTA), was a double album – rare for a first release. It sold over one million copies by 1970, and was awarded a platinum disc.[5]
The album included a number of pop-rock songs—"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", "Beginnings", and "Questions 67 and 68": they would later be released as singles.
Soon after the album's release, the band's name was shortened to Chicago, when the actual Chicago Transit Authority threatened legal action.[6][7]
Early 1970s
The band released a second album, titled Chicago (also known as Chicago II), which was another double-LP.The centerpiece track was a seven-part, 13-minute suite composed by James Pankow called "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon". The suite yielded two top ten hits: "Make Me Smile" (No. 9 U.S.) and "Colour My World", both sung by Terry Kath.
Among the other tracks on the album: Robert Lamm's dynamic but cryptic "25 or 6 to 4" (Chicago's first Top 5 hit), which was a reference to a songwriter trying to write at 25 or 26 minutes to 4 in the morning, and was sung by Peter Cetera with wah-wah guitar by Kath; the lengthy war-protest song "It Better End Soon"; and, at the end, Cetera's 1969 moon landing-inspired "Where Do We Go from Here?".
The double-LP album's inner cover includes—in addition to the playlist—the entire lyrics to "It Better End Soon", and two declarations: "This album should be experienced sequentially" (this would suggest that Chicago is a concept album), and, "With this album, we dedicate ourselves, our futures and our energies to the people of the revolution. And the revolution in all of its forms."
The band recorded and released LPs at a rate of at least one album per year from their third album in 1971 through the 1970s.
During this period, the group's album titles invariably consisted of the band's name followed by a Roman numeral, indicating the album's sequence in their canon.
The exceptions to this scheme were the band's fourth album, a live boxed set entitled Chicago at Carnegie Hall, their twelfth album Hot Streets, and the Arabic-numbered Chicago 13. While the live album itself did not bear a number, each of the four discs within the set was numbered Volumes I through IV.
The distinctive Chicago logo was designed by Nick Fasciano (bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Coca-Cola logo) and has graced every album cover (except No. 15, Greatest Hits Vol. 2) in one form or another—for example, as an American flag on III, a piece of wood on V, a U.S. dollar bill on VI, an embroidered patch on VIII, a chocolate bar on X, a fingerprint on XIV, a computer silicon chip on 16, and a mosaic on 18.
In 1971, the band released Chicago at Carnegie Hall Volumes I, II, III, and IV, consisting of live performances, mostly of music from their first three albums, from a week-long run at the famous venue.
The packaging of the album also contained some rather strident political messaging about how "We [youth] can change The System," including massive wall posters and voter registration information. Nevertheless, Chicago at Carnegie Hall went on to become the best-selling box set by a rock act, and held that distinction for 15 years.
In 1972 the band released its first single-disc release, Chicago V, which reached number one on both the Billboard pop and jazz album charts. It featured "Saturday in the Park", which mixed everyday life and political yearning in a more subtle way.
It peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1972. Chicago would long open their concerts with the hit song. Another Lamm-composed hit song therein was "Dialogue (Part I & II)", which featured a musical "debate" between a political activist (sung by Kath) and a blasé college student (sung by Cetera).
In 1973, the group's manager, Guercio, produced and directed Electra Glide in Blue, a movie about an Arizona motorcycle policeman. The movie starred Robert Blake and featured Cetera, Kath, Loughnane, and Parazaider in supporting roles. The group also appeared prominently on the movie's soundtrack.
Other albums and singles followed in each of the succeeding years. 1973's Chicago VI was the first of several albums to include Brazilian jazz percussionist Laudir de Oliveira.
Chicago VII, the band's double-disc 1974 release, their 1975 release, Chicago VIII, featured the political allegory "Harry Truman" and the nostalgic Pankow-composed "Old Days".
Both hits reached the Top 15, with the latter reaching the top five. That summer also saw a joint tour across America with The Beach Boys, with both acts performing separately, then coming together for a finale.
They released Chicago X in 1976; Cetera's ballad "If You Leave Me Now" climbed to the top of the charts and remained there for two weeks. The song also won Chicago their only Grammy award, for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1977.
Ironically, the tune almost did not make the cut for the album; "If You Leave Me Now" was recorded at the very last minute. The success of the song would foreshadow a later reliance on ballads. The group's 1977 release, Chicago XI, included Cetera's ballad "Baby, What a Big Surprise", a No. 4 U.S. hit which became one of the group's last hits of the decade.
Time of transition
The year 1978 began with a split with manager James William Guercio. Then, on January 23, guitarist/singer-songwriter/group co-founder Terry Kath died of an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound. One account describes Kath's drunken last words to guitar tech Don Johnson: "Don't worry, guys. It isn't even loaded. See?"[8]After auditioning over 30 potential replacements for Kath, Chicago decided upon guitarist/singer/songwriter Donnie Dacus, who joined the band in April 1978 just in time for the Hot Streets album (he was also being filmed for the musical Hair at the time).
Its energetic lead-off single, "Alive Again", brought Chicago back to the Top 15; James Pankow wrote it "originally as a love song but ultimately as recognition of Kath's guiding spirit shining down from above."[9]
Hot Streets, with producer Phil Ramone now at the helm, was Chicago's first album with a title rather than a number and was the band's first LP to have a picture of the band (shot by photographer Norman Seeff) featured prominently on the cover (with the ubiquitous logo downsized), two moves that were seen by many as a way to indicate the band had changed following Kath's death.
To a degree, the band returned to the old naming scheme on its subsequent releases, although most titles would now bear Arabic numerals rather than Roman numerals.
(Coincidentally, Hot Streets, the band's twelfth album, peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard charts; it was Chicago's first release since their debut to fail to make the Top 10.)
The release of Hot Streets also marked a move somewhat away from the jazz-rock direction favored by Kath and towards more pop songs and ballads. Dacus stayed with the band through the 1979 album Chicago 13 (Dacus is also featured in a promotional video on the DVD included in the Rhino Records Chicago box set from 2003). 13, again produced by Phil Ramone, was the group's first studio album not to contain a Top 40 hit.
1980's Chicago XIV, produced by Tom Dowd, relegated the horn section to the background on a number of tracks, and the album's two singles failed to make the Top 40. Chris Pinnick handled the guitar duties but did not sing.
He would remain with the band through 1985. Believing the band to no longer be commercially viable, Columbia Records dropped them from its roster in 1981 and released a second "Greatest Hits" volume later that year to fulfill its contractual obligation.
In late 1981 the band had a new producer (David Foster), a new label (Warner Brothers), and the addition of keyboardist/guitarist/singer Bill Champlin (of Sons of Champlin) and guitarist Chris Pinnick (who had played on XIV and subsequent tour); percussionist Laudir de Oliveira also departed at this time along with former Buckingham and sax player Marty Grebb, who had joined the group briefly for the XIV tour.
Foster brought in studio musicians for some of the tracks on Chicago 16 (including the core members of Toto), and Chicago once again topped the charts with the song "Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away", which was featured in the soundtrack of the Daryl Hannah film Summer Lovers.
The following album, Chicago 17, became the biggest selling album of the band's history, producing two more Top Ten singles—"You're the Inspiration" and "Hard Habit to Break" (both No. 3 hits)—and two other singles: "Stay the Night" (No. 16) and "Along Comes a Woman" (No. 14).
Peter's brother, Kenny Cetera, was brought into the group for the 17 tour to add percussion and high harmony vocals.
Lead vocalist Peter Cetera's desire to record a second solo album (he'd done his eponymous first one in 1981) and not continue with the band's tour schedule caused him to leave Chicago in 1985.
Although other band members (including Lamm and Champlin) have released solo material, Cetera has proved the most successful—topping the pop charts with The Karate Kid, Part II theme song "Glory of Love", and with "The Next Time I Fall" (a duet with Amy Grant).
Two more songs—a 1988 solo hit called "One Good Woman" (No. 4 U.S.) and a 1989 duet with Cher called "After All" (No. 6 U.S.)—reached the Top Ten.
The post-Cetera era
Cetera was replaced in September 1985 by bassist/singer/songwriter Jason Scheff, son of Elvis Presley's bassist Jerry Scheff, who joined the band for the final Foster-produced album Chicago 18, which included the No. 3 single "Will You Still Love Me?", a Top 5 Adult Contemporary and Top 20 Pop song ("If She Would Have Been Faithful..."), and also a version of "25 or 6 to 4" with a video that got airplay on MTV.Soon after the album was recorded, the band hired guitarist Dawayne Bailey from Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band. Bailey and Scheff had previously played in bands together, so Scheff introduced Bailey to the band in time for the Chicago 18 tour.
In 1988, the band replaced producer Foster with Ron Nevison and Chas Sanford, and they topped the charts again with the Diane Warren-composed single "Look Away", from the album Chicago 19.
The album also yielded two more Top 10 hits, both with Bill Champlin singing solo lead for the first time and another Top 5 single that would officially be a release from the forthcoming greatest hits record.
Chicago 19 was followed in short order by Greatest Hits 1982-1989, which included the aforementioned No. 5 hit "What Kind Of Man Would I Be?", a slightly remixed tune originally included on 19 and sung by Jason Scheff.
The album's other Top Ten hit, "You're Not Alone", reached No. 10 in early 1989. During 1989, Chicago did a concert tour with The Beach Boys (and would do so once again in 1997).
The band continued in the decade of the 1990s, with another personnel change: founding member Danny Seraphine was succeeded in 1990 by drummer Tris Imboden, who first appeared on the 1991 album Twenty 1.
Imboden was the longtime drummer for Kenny Loggins. Chicago was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on July 23, 1992.
In 1993, Chicago wrote and recorded their 22nd album, Stone of Sisyphus. although it was not released by its record company, Reprise [Warner Music Group]. The album did see a release in June 2008.
Starting on their 1994 tour, Chicago's 1995 album Night & Day Big Band, consisted of covers of songs originally recorded by Sarah Vaughan, Glenn Miller, and Duke Ellington.
Session guitarist Bruce Gaitsch handled the guitar work, and the album featured guest appearances by Paul Shaffer of "David Letterman" fame, and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry.
In 1998, Chicago released Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album' and a live album in 1999, Chicago XXVI.
Chicago since 2000
As of February 2012, four of the six surviving founding members (major songwriters Lamm and Pankow, plus Loughnane and Parazaider) remained providing continuity, while Jason Scheff has been with the band 25 years, Tris Imboden 20 years, and Keith Howland 15 years.The band licensed their entire recorded output to Rhino Records (after years with Columbia Records and Warner Brothers).
In 2002, Rhino released a two-disc compilation, The Very Best of Chicago: Only The Beginning, which spans the band's career. The compilation made the Top 40 and sold over 2 million copies in the US.
Rhino also began releasing remastered versions of all of the band's Columbia albums.
Chicago continued to appear in venues worldwide. In 2004–2005 they toured jointly with the band Earth, Wind & Fire.
The group released Chicago XXX, on March 21, 2006, their first all-new studio album since Twenty 1. Two songs from this album, "Feel" and "Caroline", were performed live during Chicago's Fall 2005 tour.
During March 2006, Chicago made a multi-week appearance at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, which was repeated in May of the same year.
In July 2006, the band made a series of US appearances with Huey Lewis and the News. Chicago toured the summer of 2007 with the band America.
On October 2, 2007, Rhino Records released the two-disc The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition, a new greatest hits compilation spanning their entire forty years, similar to The Very Best of: Only the Beginning, released four years earlier.
In 2009, Chicago reunited with Earth, Wind & Fire for yet another joint tour.[10]
In August 2009, Bill Champlin left the band to focus on his solo career.[11]
His replacement was keyboardist Lou Pardini. Drew Hester also joined the band in 2010.[12]
In 2010 Chicago toured with the Doobie Brothers. A performance in the City of Chicago that became a video for the HDNet cable channel featured the Doobies joining Chicago for two encore tunes. The band also appeared on the American Idol 9th season finale.[13]
On July 24, 2011, the band performed at Red Rocks in Colorado, accompanied by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. This was the first time Chicago played a full-length symphonic concert.
The band re-teamed with producer Phil Ramone (who produced Hot Streets, Chicago 13, and the new tracks for the expanded Christmas re-release What's It Gonna Be, Santa?) to record a new Christmas album.
Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three was released in October 2011. In the meantime, Rhino released Chicago XXXIV: Live in '75, a concert from 1975.
In 2012, Chicago again teamed up with the Doobie Brothers for a joint tour.[14] That same year, Drew Hester left the group to be succeeded, first by percussionist Daniel de los Reyes, then by Walfredo Reyes (ex-Santana).
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