Chicago

[chris olivarez]

You're the meaning in my life

You're the inspiration

You bring feeling to my life

You're the inspiration

Wanna have you near me

I wanna have you hear me sayin'

No one needs you more than I need you

Do women really want to hear mush like that? Sounds pretty damn clingy to me.

Joe I'm afraid they do.

[JSngry]

Jim,

Was this the same Buckinghams that did "Kind of a Drag" or am I mixing them up with sombody else?

Same band, Not exactly the kind of group you'd expect to get those types of albums out of, but there they are. On more than a few occasions, those particular Buckinhams albums sound like rough drafts for Chicago's work-to-come.

The AMG profile of Guercio reads, in part thusly:

James William Guercio has produced hits for the Buckinghams, Chicago, and Blood, Sweat and Tears. Born in Chicago in 1945, uercio, as a teenaged guitarist, shared the stage with Mitch Ryder. During his college years, he studied classical composition. After relocating to Los Angeles, he broke into the city's highly competitive session scene, playing on various records. Becoming a songwriter, he wrote Chad & Jeremy's 1966 Top 30 pop hit "Distant Shores." Guercio became a staff producer in the L.A. division of Columbia Records, a division of CBS Records. He had three 1967 pop hits with the Buckinghams who were from his native Chicago: "Don't You Care," which peaked at number six, "Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)," and "Susan." Listening to these early sides, one can hear Guercio beginning to shape a brassy "downtown" horn sound that would characterize later hits by Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears.

An old college friend from his hometown, Walt Parazaider, invited Guercio to come hear his new band, the Big Thing. Impressed, he offered to become the band's manager and producer. The band accepted, and in summer 1968, Guercio flew them out to Los Angeles, rented them a house, and gave them an allowance of $75 a week. He also changed the band's name to the Chicago Transit Authority and lined up gigs for the band in area clubs where they became a popular attraction. While attending a barbecue party, Guercio was asked by Jim Morrison's girlfriend to change her flat tire. While in the middle of doing that, Blood, Sweat and Tears manager Bennett Glotzer asked him to produce the band's next Columbia album. Guercio said he was in the middle of recording an album for Chicago. Glotzer said if he would produce his band's next LP he would help him get a deal with Columbia Records. Guercio agreed and made the grueling L.A. to New York commute while recording what became the band's self-titled number one pop album which spawned the hits "Spinning Wheel" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy."

Guercio gave a tape of the Chicago Transit Authority to CBS Records president Clive Davis who offered a recording contract. The band's debut LP, The Chicago Transit Authority, was recorded in 15 days during January-February 1969 and issued in April of that year. The LP spawned two Top Ten pop hits: "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" and "Beginnings."

In January 1970, Guercio shortened the name to Chicago. Meeting resistance at radio stations for Chicago II, Guercio and Davis decided to creatively edit the LP's six-plus minute tracks, shortening them down to a more radio-friendly length of three minutes. The single versions of "Make Me Smile" and "25 or 6 to 4" made it into the Top Ten pop charts. Chicago 3 went to number two in winter 1971, sparking gold and platinum sales of the band's three previous albums. It also was the beginning of a streak of five number one platinum and double-platinum pop albums: Chicago V ("Saturday in the Park"), Chicago VI ("Feeling Stronger Every Day," "Just You 'N' Me"), Chicago VII ("(I've Been)Searchin' So Long," "Call on Me"), Chicago VIII ("Old Days"), and a greatest hits set Chicago IX.

At the peak of their success, animosity began to develop between uercio and the band, stemming from the band's disapproval of the pop tone of their music (they wanted to be more experimental), their grueling tour schedule, and they wanted a bigger share of the royalties. In an attempt to resolve the situation, Guercio shared a percentage of his royalties. Tensions swelled to the point that Guercio and Chicago parted ways in October 1977. Guercio went on to build Caribou Studios, a popular, successful recording studio in Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

[jazzbo]

One of my first shows in America was a stadium show of Chicago from the same general time frame as the Carnegie Hall box. It was pretty cool for me then.

Not as cool as seeing Santana in London was a year before that but what would be?

[BFrank]

One of my first shows in America was a stadium show of Chicago from the same general time frame as the Carnegie Hall box.  It was pretty cool for me then.

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I saw them about that time, too - at the Hollywood Bowl, 1971. I remember liking the show, but that's about all I remember about it.

[JSngry]

Saw them once, in either 73 or 74, when the pop tip was more than taking over. Apparently they were uncomfortable with this, because the show feature a lot of lengthy jamming, none of it particularly inspir(ed/ing). But Danny Seraphine was a damn good drummer.

Opening act was an unknown (then and now, at least to me) "jazz-rock" group (also on Columbia) called Madura. Actually enjoyed them more than I did Chicago! Anybody else remember them?

[Dan Gould]

While I agree that the Peter Cetera years were truly inducing, count me as a fan of the 70s hits. Chicago's Greatest Hits was the second album I ever owned (Endless Summer was the first) and I have always suspected that my affinity for the horn-driven music foreshadowed my turn to jazz 18 years later.

[Jim Alfredson]

(Oh no - another bad memory - accompanying a singer who belted out "Let's hear it for the boy" (Madonna) Now that's ear worm (or grub) torture. Now that I think of it, I accompanyed a lot of bad 80s tunes for singers. 

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I am ashamed to know this, but "Let's Hear It For The Boy" was not sung by Madonna, but rather by Deniece Williams.

My sisters had the frickin' soundtrack and played it constantly, ok?! I swear...

[kenny weir]

I blieve the Sons of Champlin still perform ocassionally, Bill's comittments with, er, Chicago, notwithstanding.

Anyone seen them in recent years?

[BFrank]

I blieve the Sons of Champlin still perform ocassionally, Bill's comittments with, er, Chicago, notwithstanding.

Anyone seen them in recent years?

←

Haven't seen them recently, but they are playing Saturday night at the Great American Music Hall here in SF.

Here's the info for anyone in the neighborhood:

http://www.musichallsf.com/artist_pages/so...plin_052805.htm

[chris olivarez]

I saw them when they were still the Chicago Transit Authority. It was a good show and considering the fact that the admission was only 50 cents made it an even better show.

[Man with the Golden Arm]

saw them early on as well and a couple times after they "really" made it. the first was after the second album had been released with "25 or 6 to 4" as the acid test radio hit. my folks scored tix in the first row. they had the first two albums at home so it was cool seeing something that i was hearing all the time. lost much interest after the chocolate bar cover lp.

but you got to hand it to a band that comes on so strong out of the gate. double albums of classic stuff that made America great.

[catesta]

It was all over by 72 or so afaic.

←

That seems about right. A few bright spots here and there, but also a lot of real silly shit.

Still, as pointed out above they was real strong in the start.

[Jazz Kat]

It's just funny how much they have changed. My resource teacher described it as, "trying to pay the bills." I think it had something to do with the new band members around the time, they started recording sucky music.

[DrJ]

No doubt the "crap to strong material" ratio increased rapidly after the first couple records, but even up through around VIII (I think that's the one with the sewn patch on the cover - I remember 'cause I bought it back in grade school and it came with a way-cool iron-on T-shirt transfer! ) there is worthy stuff on each album. They went from being a reasonably cool jazz-influenced LP oriented band to a tight pop singles band in those years - so I agree with Dan Gould's assessment.

I still enjoy stuff like "Feeling Stronger Every Day," "Saturday In the Park,"

"Old Days," etc from those III-VIII years.

After Terry Kath's unfortunate death shortly after finishing VIII, they lost a lot of their remaining balls and it all rapidly devolved. Kath was a pretty cool guitarist IMHO, by the way. "Oh Thank You Great Spirit" on VIII was something. He had an instantly identifiable, appealing sound with the combo of axe/amp/pedal effects he used.

Edited May 27, 2005 by DrJ

[Jazz Kat]

Jimi Hendrix raved about him. He said he was better than him.

[Chuck Nessa]

Amazing no person has mentioned the "Chicago mob" connections to the group.

[BFrank]

After Terry Kath's unfortunate death shortly after finishing VIII, they lost a lot of their remaining balls and it all rapidly devolved. Kath was a pretty cool guitarist IMHO, by the way. "Oh Thank You Great Spirit" on VIII was something. He had an instantly identifiable, appealing sound with the combo of axe/amp/pedal effects he used.

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I believe (if AMG is correct) that Kath lived long enough to have made contributions through "XI". I had no idea that he made it that far, actually. My memory is getting foggy, I guess.

[JSngry]

the "Chicago mob"

Which one?

[Chuck Nessa]

the "Chicago mob"

Which one?

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The real one, not the recent imposters.

Jerry Vale/Chicago = same thing.

[JSngry]

Oh, I thought you meant that you, Kart, Litwieler, & Martin had a hand in their early doings.

[Chuck Nessa]

Oh, I thought you meant that you, Kart, Litwieler, & Martin had a hand in their early doings. 

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I think you must know where that finger must go now.

[JSngry]

Yes, Moe.

[Robert J]

(Oh no - another bad memory - accompanying a singer who belted out "Let's hear it for the boy" (Madonna) Now that's ear worm (or grub) torture. Now that I think of it, I accompanyed a lot of bad 80s tunes for singers. 

←

I am ashamed to know this, but "Let's Hear It For The Boy" was not sung by Madonna, but rather by Deniece Williams.

My sisters had the frickin' soundtrack and played it constantly, ok?! I swear...

←

See, I've partially purged myself by forgetting the singer... I just assumed, bad singer, catchy pop drivel... I still remember the woman I accompanied, and she was very enthusiastic, very peppy. Somehow I did it on stage with an acoustic piano alone, no beats or synth. 5 years later I saw Oscar Peterson on that same stage. I feel so ashamed...

[JSngry]

Catchy pop drivel, yeah, no doubt, but Deniece Williams is a very, VERY, VERY good singer.

[Robert J]

True Jim. I forgot that George Duke had something to do with it. Too bad some people's (80s) recordings get associated with the wrong representation of themselves (ie, "don't Worry, be Happy").