The Chicago Chronicles
To many fans of their songs, the band, Chicago, might comes in various perceptions. Their massive ballad hits that runs everlasting until now such as “If You Leave Me Now”, “You’re The Inspiration”, “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” and many more has reached over-the-top prestige to some listeners who adored the songs without even knowing the band’s details. To some other, Peter Cetera’s image might be a little hard to let go, eventhough Jason Scheff has filled them with every same persona. To the ballads heroes they still stood up until now, Chicago was musically known as a pop rock-jazz fusion band who started their carreer particularly as an experimental rock band back in 1967. Been in a long run, Chicago is one of the longest running and most successful US pop rock groups that sold over 120 million albums worldwide, took over 22 Gold, 18 Platinum, 8 Multi-Platinum and 12 Top Ten albums. 5 of them were no.1 with 21 top ten hits. Critics may noted these records though to most listeners and fans, their classical achievement was a bunch of the ballads with one simple quality. CLASSICS.
Chicago was formed by the name of “The Big Thing”, from music students’ collaboration in a late-night jams in DePaul University-Chicago ; Walter Parazaider (saxophone), James Pankow (trombone), Lee Loughnane (trumpet) who filled in the rarely horn sections in a rock band, Terry Kath (guitar), Robert Lamm (keyboard), Danny Seraphine (drums) and Peter Cetera (bass). Their success over the clubs brought them signed with Columbia with a new name, Chicago Transit Authority. They released their first record, a double self-titled album in April 1969 with a wide range of experimental sounds including jazz, latin and soft rock which produced 3 radio-hits : “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?“, “Beginnings“, and “Questions 67 and 68“. Soon after this, they shortened the name to only Chicago. Chicago II, the second album that again came in double-LP set with a classical touch, introduced their other hits, “Make Me Smile”,” Colour My World” and “25 or 6 to 4″. Besides the experimentally unique sounds, this band filled their lead vocal section not only to one personels. Cetera, Kath and Lamm has their own leads in various songs. The period after noted the band’s specifity named their albums with the roman numbers (with the exception of a live album, “Chicago at Carnegie Hall and Hot Streets”), and the famous logo created by Nick Fasciano. Their success got bigger in 1972 with a single hit from Chicago V, “Saturday In The Park”, which brought this band to the jazz charts, and also got a supporting role in a biker-movie produced and directed by their manager, titled Electra Glide In Blue.
The next album, Chicago VI reached the charts with the hits, “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” and “Just You ‘n Me”, then Chicago VII with “Wishing You Were Here” feat The Beach Boys on background vocals, and “(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long”. With this album, they had drowned more in jazzy tunes but in other hands also culminated their rock felt in a softened side of a ballad, though the horns still soaring as their unique specialty (for a trivia; in the VH1’s Behind The Music interview years later, James Pankow said that these horns once made a record company didn’t want to signed them). Chicago X in 1976 then for the first time turned the band to classic status with the everlasting love song, “If You Leave Me Now”, which not only topped the charts for two weeks, but far greater, won their first and only Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1977. Their massive success in 70′s decade has closed with another single from Chicago XI, “Baby, What A Big Surprise”, before the tragedy of Terry Kath who died of self-accidental gunshot wound and the band’s split with their long-time former manager, William Guercio. Donnie Dacus who then filled Kath’s position marked another exception of a Chicago’s Roman numbered album title in “Hot Streets” which colored the music into some more rockin’ energy, and this keeps on until the next Chicago XIII who also produced by Phil Ramone and didn’t have any single in the top 40. Dacus was replaced with Chris Pinnick in 1980’s Chicago XIV, and this marked their split with Columbia who ends the contract with their second Greatest Hits album.
These didn’t last long, though, as the first round of the 80′s brought a new succesfull phase in Chicago history. With David Foster as the new producer and Warner as their new label, the great Bill Champlin entered the band. With Champlin’s hard-rockin’ voice that somehow also gave a soulful jazz felt and more colorful keyboard sounds, Chicago climbed to the top of their carreer and changed the Roman numbered style in their album titles into usual numbers. Chicago 16, which brought many studio musicians including the core members of Toto, once again reached the top charts with the extra-ordinary ballad “Hard To Say I’m Sorry”/Getaway” as the lovetheme of a lessknown romantic flick Summer Lovers, followed by “Love Me Tomorrow”. This David Foster’s selling touch keeps coming in the next Chicago 17 with another classic ballads, “You’re The Inspiration” and “Hard Habit To Break” (which collaborates Cetera’s soft voice and Champlin’s rock touch powerfully), along with two other singles, “Stay The Night” and “Along Comes A Woman”. Peter Cetera’s brother, Kenny, also brought into the band in percussion section and high harmony vocals. These four remarkable hits has made a record in their music history, as the album became their biggest selling album and everyone’s favorites. After the success, lead vocalist Peter Cetera decided to go solo (the first solo album was in 1981) and leaving the band. His solo album, Solitude/Solitaire, also produced by David Foster, which featured the great lovetheme from the movie Karate Kid II, “Glory Of Love” and a duet with Amy Grant, “The Next Time I Fall”, competing with the next Chicago 18 in the charts. This rivalry between the band and their former front-man has brought many news-speculations those days, and ended with the Cetera’s successful winning in the charts. Chicago 18, though, still has three singles in the charts, “Will You Still Love Me” that reached no.3, “If She Would Have Been Faithful” and high-tech version of “25 Or 6 To 4″. Chicago 18 also became the final Foster-produced album, and marked the birth of Cetera’s replacement, Jason Scheff, who was also a bassist as Cetera did, and has a very similar voice and also singing style. Dawayne Bailey, a young guitarist from Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band, has also entered the band and add the touch of rock to Chicago. Surviving a post-Cetera era, comes Chicago 19 with the new producer ; Ron Nevison and Chas Sanford, which brought the hits “Look Away” (written by Diane Warren), “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love”, “We Can Last Forever”, “What Kind Of Man Would I Be” and “You’re Not Alone”. Another rivalry came again as Peter Cetera’s third solo album was released closely, but this time, Chicago wins. This year, their friendships with The Beach Boys moved on in the second joint-concert tour.
Into the 90s, Chicago released Twenty-1 on 1991, with another hit single, “You Come To My Senses”, along with other ballads “Explain It To My Heart” and “Chasin’ The Wind”. Founding drummer Danny Seraphine was replaced after a conflict in the band with Tris Imboden from Kenny Loggins’ band (Seraphine later formed The California Transit Authority, a non-recording band who played lots of Chicago songs in its shows), and Chicago made their way to Hollywood Walk Of Fame in the next year. Recorded a failed release album in 1993, Stone Of Sisyphus, Chicago then continued their tour in 1994. The tour then resulted in Chicago’s attempt to put on some different sounds in their next album, Night And Day in 1995. With the atmosphere of big bands, they covered some classic numbers from Sarah Vaughan, Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington. With the hit single “Dream A Little Dream” featuring vocalgroups Jade, the album also featured some westcoast musicians, Bruce Gaitsch, Paul Shaffer and Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, and sold successfully as a refreshment in their sounds and style. The next release is the greatest hits album titled The Heart Of Chicago : 1967-1997 for celebrating their 30th anniversary, featured two new singles, “Only One” and “Here In My Heart” (later followed by the second volume featuring new single “All Roads Lead To You”, written by Desmond Child). Dawayne Bailey was replaced by Keith Howland. Two of the next release was consider quiet rare. One was a Christmas Album which brought back their style using Roman numbers (Chicago XXV), and Chicago XXVI, a live album featured the band’s jazzy numbers, “If I Should Lose You”, that actually became a radiohit in some Asian countries.
Through the change of band’s personnels almost over four decades and other ups and downs spectacles, Chicago still stands tall to all his fans and musiclovers. Despite the two-disc Greatest Hits anniversary compilation titled Only The Beginning (2002) that sold over 2 million copies in the US, The Chicago Story (2003), 2005’s Love Songs compilation, 2007’s The Best Of Chicago:40th Anniversary Edition and the re-releasing of all remastered Chicago’s Columbia albums with several bonus tracks that marked their new collaborations with Rhino Records, four remaining founding members; Lamm, Pankow, Loughnane and Parazaiders, the Champlin-Scheff perfect harmony and Tris Imboden-Keith Howland parts has again brought us Chicago XXX (2006 ; debuting at no.41 US album charts) that comes with the band’s usual recipe, and also the long lost 1993’s unreleased Stone Of Sisyphus. They even released their joint tour with Earth, Wind & Fire DVD, Live At The Greek Theatre, which certified platinum status just two months after its launching. While XXX has “Feel and Caroline” as its single, two strong ballads: “King Of Might Have Been” and “Love Will Come Back”, Stone Of Sisyphus has the melodious, still a ballad, “Love Is Forever” & “Let’s Take A Lifetime”.
Like James Pankow said, “I think it’s really remarkable. Not just the longetivity, but we’re still, in fact, a ticket in demand.” That’s how Chicago’s still on in the midst of such momentum. They’re working for it and no one can stop them. US charts may consider these kind of music as an old-fashioned one, but for overhalf of Europe and Asian including Japan, Philippines and Indonesia, their music is truly one everlasting piece, especially their loveliest ballads that catapulted them into the highest level of their music carreer (one of them entitled “Song For You”, which is never got into charts when it was released but became a classic love songs in Asia).
Chicago Asian Tour Live in Concert : Indonesia
Date: Friday, September 11, 2009
Time: 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Location: Sentul International Convention Center, Bogor, Indonesia
Ticketing:
- Platinum Rp. 1.000.000,-
- Gold Rp. 800.000,-
- Silver Rp. 500.000,-
Chicago are:
Robert Lamm – Vocals, keyboards, guitar
James Pankow – Trombone, keyboards, vocals, percussion
Walt Parazaider – Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet
Lee Loughnane – Trumpet, flugelhorn, keyboards, vocals, guitar
Bill Champlin – Vocals, keyboards, guitar
Jason Scheff – Bass guitar, vocals
Tris Imboden – Drums
Keith Howland – Guitar, vocals
For more information, please contact: + 62 21 7222067
More info to come, stay tune!
“A little immortality would be real sweet.” (James Pankow)
For more details info on each Chicago personnels, go to the official website :
http://www.chicagotheband.com/
*pictures taken from Chicago’s official website
Written by: Daniel Irawan
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