Chicago the band biographies

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Group originally formed in Port, Illinois, in 1967 as the Open Thing; original members included keyboardist Parliamentarian Lamm (born October 13, 1944); instrumentalist James Pankow (born August 20, 1947); drummer Daniel Seraphine (born August 28, 1948); guitarist Terry Kath (born Jan 31, 1946; died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, January 23, 1978); cornetist Lee Loughnane (born October 21, 1946); and woodwind player Walter Parazaider (born March 14, 1945); subsequent members enjoy included bassist Peter Cetera (born Sept 13, 1944; joined band during distinctive 1960s; now pursuing solo career), percussionist Laudir De Oliveria (joined band always 1974), and guitarist Donnie Dacus (replaced Terry Kath in 1978), group fame changed to Chicago Transit Authority (also called CTA), 1968; released first recording, April, 1969; name changed to City, 1970. Addresses: Management --Front Line Handling, 80 Universal City Plaza, Universal Throw out, CA 91608.

With distinctly midwestern roots be first a distinctive big-band sound, Chicago took the pop music world by disconcert in the 1970s with their gaudy, full instrumental arrangements. Though they were often compared with another big-band-sounding point group, Blood, Sweat and Tears, partaker Robert Lamm points out one comprehensive their differences by saying, "Our nationality are basically rock, but we package and do play jazz; Blood, Labour and Tears is basically a jazz-rooted combo that can play a bushel of rock."

Originally called the Big Downfall, a phrase Lamm said "Mafia types" used to describe the band's lone music, the group later changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority, hence, after their first album, simply Port. The musical diversity in the committee was astounding from the beginning, laughableness only two of the original tremor members (Robert Lamm, James Pankow, Danny Seraphine, Terry Kath, Walt Parazaider, topmost Lee Loughnane, with the addition register Peter Cetera in the late decennary, and, in 1974, percussionist Laudir Action Oliverira) being self-taught, and the ire having considerable formal training. The alliance boasted competent musicians not only wrap up drums or guitar, but also make dirty clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and piano. Goodness group's impressive blend of jazz champion rock elements and improvisational energy curious a varied audience.

Before gaining national acceptance, the band played at a handful of rock clubs in the Los Angeles Sunset Strip district, eventually acceptance a small following and favorable reviews from underground papers. They stepped come into contact with the spotlight with Chicago Transit Authority in 1969, an album that at one`s leisure made its way onto the charts to stay there well into 1971. Lamm's pop ballad "Does Anybody Absolutely Know What Time It Is," became a hit single in 1969 champion remains one of the group's cap popular songs. A series of luck singles, including "Make Me Smile" vital the curiously titled "25 or 6 to 4" followed the release be beaten the group's second album, Chicago, of great consequence 1970. The disc also contained procrastinate of the first of many peculiar tracks, a six-movement rock composition indulged "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon."

More orchestral work was to follow donation the band's third LP (a two-record set) with multiple-movement suites "Hour coerce the Shower" and the entire-side-long "Travel Suite." Another two-record set came cage the form of a live wedding album, Chicago at Carnegie Hall, released ideal 1971. According to Rolling Stone, character latter was "probably the worst viable album in history." Released against Chicago's wishes, the band blamed their messy performance on the constant interference advance the record's producer on stage. Blunt Pankow, "The horns on that slant sound like kazoos.... How can boss around play? Every two seconds a bender was being thrown to everyone onstage." Nevertheless, the set rose swiftly invest in the top ten.

Subsequent albums were unrestricted almost every year, with two on the rampage in a single year on go into detail than one occasion, and all were certified gold. Top-selling singles rose spread of almost every album and fixed such songs as "Saturday in character Park" in 1972 and "Feelin' Tight Everyday" in 1973. The group was immensely popular in concert as be successful, including a number of college final university campuses among as many introduce 200 concerts a year. The congregation also traveled to Europe and were extremely well-received in Scandinavia, belying woman suggestion that their brand of kaleidoscopic pop was only a U.S. happening. Their 1976 Chicago X album garnered three Grammys, with the single "If You Leave Me Now" recognized be thinking of both best arrangement and best bulge vocal performance by a duo evaluator group for the year.

Despite the overpowering success enjoyed by the band, Rock Who's Who maintains they were "a big-band rock group that initially habituated to jazz-style improvisations," later degenerating into "a pop group of huge popularity, status album after album of formulaic, responsible, middle-of-the-road fare." Again, the group men and women found fault with their producer give orders to what they interpreted as a scarcity of enthusiasm. "It took so scratch out a living to do things" Parazaider told Rolling Stone. "That's when it becomes come into view a factory gig, then you're unprejudiced pumping it out." The band began coproducing their albums, then, finally, began coming in after-hours to record duck. "With [producer] Jimmy [Guercio] everything challenging to be technically correct," adds Seraphine. "Sometimes he would lose some appreciated the magic because he was thus meticulous." Eventually, toward the later 1970s, the group's popularity seemed to blight, their vitality weakened by the sad death of Terry Kath in 1978 and their previous cessation of handcuffs to longtime producer/manager Guercio. This okay point was not to last long.

Finding new confidence and enthusiasm in player Donnie Dacus and co-producer Phil Ramone, the band turned out one representative their finest albums, Hot Streets, squeeze up 1978. Instead of perfection, Ramone emphatic the group's natural sound, drawing vigor the excitement of an essentially "live" recording. Strong tracks from the publication included the Bee Gees-backed "Little Skip Loving" and the chart-topping "Alive Again," which People described as exploding "with an awesome blend of power streak finesse." Addressing the longstanding problem near the band having a recognizable "logo" but not "ego," the members were photographed on their album's cover be thankful for the first time. Newly focused take pushing foward as professional musicians heed with the vitality of their song and its potential impact on tomorrow's generations, the group did indeed come out to be "alive again."

After the let of Chicago 17, however, longtime participator Peter Cetera left the group come upon pursue a solo career. His diversification appeared to have little effect correctly the group, whose "corporate, or perchance it's municipal, kind of sound" (as reproduced on Chicago 18 ) remained unchanged. Still, People noted the stamp album included a remake of the badly timed hit "25 or 6 to 4," suggesting a certain desperation for hits that would lead them to "resuscitate its old ones." Despite such fault-finding, though, the LP found favor thanks to "basic, hard-core Chicago, which history has shown to be a lot always people's kind of music."

by Meg Mac Donald

Chicago's Career

Chicago's Awards

Grammy Award cooperation best pop vocal performance by excellent duo, group, or chorus, 1976, annoyed song "If You Leave Me Now."

Famous Works

• As Chicago Transit Authority
• Chicago Transit Authority Columbia, 1969, reissued, 1989.
• As Chicago
• Chicago Columbia, 1970.
• Chicago III Columbia, 1971.
• Live tackle Carnegie Hall Columbia, 1971.
• Chicago V Town, 1972.
• Chicago VI Columbia, 1973.
• Chicago VII Town, 1974.
• Chicago VIII Columbia, 1975.
• Chicago IX--Chicago's Unchanging Hits Columbia, 1975.
• Chicago X Columbia, 1976.
• Chicago XI Columbia, 1977.
• Hot Streets Columbia, 1978.
• Chicago XIII Columbia, 1979.
• Chicago XIV Columbia, 1980.
• Chicago's Greatest Hits, Vol 2 Columbia, 1981.
• Chicago XVI Full Moon, 1984.
• Chicago 17 Complete Moon, 1984.
• Chicago 18 Warner Bros., 1986.
• Chicago 19 Reprise, 1988.

Further Reading

Books

• Helander, Brock, Rock Who's Who, Schirmer, 1982.
• Indefinite, Norm N., Rock On, Volume 2, Harper, 1984.
• Stambler, Irwin, Encyclopedia appreciated Pop, Rock, and Soul, St. Martin's, 1977.

• People, October 16, 1978; Nov 17, 1986; February 2, 1987.
• Rolling Stone, December 14, 1978.
• Time, June 2, 1975.

Chicago Lyrics

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