A lot of rock bands from the 1960s were known for their uniqueness as each of them were experimenting and improvising different styles and approach to their music.As Danny Fields mentioned on his book,there was no rock music at the time coz it was still waiting to be invented and every month there was an album that you've never heard before,an album that will change your life forever.
Awesomely led by the Beatles,the sixties was a decade of cultural revolution not only in music but in fashion,lifestyle and the way people think.Modern rock music has started and the way people listen and see its stars perform has never been the same.Thus,music has changed forever and it remains the pattern which rock bands still use today.There was a friendly competition between bands on both sides of the Atlantic as they answer each other off If not trying to top one another.
One such band with such uniqueness and known for its toughness and longevity is CHICAGO-the seven piece rock group from the Windy City.The band is now almost five decades of performing though the hits had stopped with 1989's Chicago 19.
The lineup was soon added by guitar virtuoso Terry Kath,pianist Robert Lamm,drummer Danny Seraphine and bass player Peter Cetera.They initially called themselves The Big Thing
The band was soon managed and produced by James William Guercio who also produced and managed The Buckinghams and Blood Sweat And Tears.The band has now changed its name to Chicago Transit Authority and released a self titled debut album in 1969.A single prior to the album's release was "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" was issued in 1968.The band shortened its name to Chicago when the real CTA threatened to file suit.The real CTA was,after all, a government-ran transport system.
The band's songs and albums would chart extremely well as they rule the seventies with a brass fist.Having multiple vocalists as the Beatles' did,Chicago spawned hit single after hit single and they took pride in mammoth album sales."Colour My World" Saturday In The Park" "Feeling Stronger Everyday" were a few of the band's biggest hits in the early seventies.
ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE
My favorite line on the film by the way was that of Lee Loughnane's when confronted by Robert Blake and another cop he sneered at them saying "You're stepping on pig shit".The film as they say was a box office disappointment.
CHICAGO X
The band was known for their albums wherein they would put numbers on,and Chicago X(ten) would be one of the big albums of the 1970s.Released in 1976,its carrier single "If You Leave Me Now" won a grammy award for Best Accompanying vocalists and Best Pop Vocal by a Duo Group or Chorus.The song went on to become one of the band's signature songs and one of their most enduring ever.
FIRST NUMBERLESS ALBUM AND DEATH OF TERRY KATH
1978 proved to be a traumatic year for the rest of the band as their guitarist Terry Kath died with self inflicted gun shot wound.Their 12th album,ironically not named Chicago XII became their first numberless album and instead was named Hot Streets-this is the first album of the band without Kath who was replaced by Donnie Dacus.
It was rumoured back then that the band was in the process of dissolution as Peter Cetera was reportedly unhappy with the group's musical direction.Earlier in the seventies,a full jazz album was proposed by Parazaider which both Cetera their producer James William Guercio and Kath had disagreed with,pointing it could mean a commercial disaster for the group.Instead,it was made into a double album to include both the jazz and rock sections.The album was conceived as Chicago VII and was released in 1974.It was rumoured that Peter Cetera wanted to leave the group as far back as 1978,as he knew that Kath's death might have an impact on the band that it will dissolve itself naturally.He was wrong about that,Chicago would then be a hit maker in the following decade which is the 1980s.
TRANSFORMATION
Chicago parted ways with Guercio in 1977 following the release of Chicago XI.On their 1980 album Chicago XIV the band hired producer Phil Ramone and recorded what would be their last album with a roman numeral in it.It was a commercial disaster as they say as the band was slowly moving into more adult contemporary.But it was a hit outside the US particularly "Song For You" one of Cetera's finest songs.
1982 saw the band collaborating with producer David Foster and the band skyrocketed back into the charts with the album Chicago 16--this is the first album by the way not to feature a roman numeral.The band's song "Hard To Say Im Sorry" written by Peter Cetera and David Foster was the band's biggest hit in that same year.
1984 was also a good year for the band with the album Chicago 17.Both their 16 and 17 albums would go platinum which is virtually unheard of for an act of such longevity,for the band's career is now over 20 years old.The 17 album sadly,is also the last album ever to feature bassist and vocalist Peter Cetera.He left the group in 1985 to pursue an impressively successful solo career.
Cetera was replaced by bassist Jason Scheff and the band would go on and record Chicago 18 in 1986.The latter would be the last Chicago album to be produced by David Foster and did very well in the charts.
The last album hitmaker for the band was 1989's Chicago 19 produced by Chas Sanford.After that all the hits stopped though the band continued touring and releasing more albums.Original drummer Danny Seraphine was fired in 1990 after several disagreements with the band.Chicago had replaced various musicians as the years went on.
(c) Keith Vernon Adagio
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