Chicago - still going strong after what - 40 years?

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 27 Apr 2010 7:02 pm

Horn sections! Yeah! Part of the soundtrack of my youth ... this song seems to have stood the test of time. This band had a sound and overall vibe that (with the possible exception of Blood, Sweat and Tears) that was unique. good to hear it again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ-pvc-fGpI&NR=1

Also ... great version of Beginnings with Earth, Wind & Fire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz1ntKkW ... re=related

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 27 Apr 2010 7:13 pm

Are you familiar with Dreams? I think they were an excellent band, although not as commercially successful: John Abercrombie, Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, Billy Cobham, Don Grolnick, Barry Rogers...really superior players. They didn't write their arrangements out, either--they did old school style, by calling stuff out and improvising parts until something clicked.

Some great playing by Randy Brecker here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0UZrGxzTSE

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 28 Apr 2010 7:18 am

Thanks Andy. Yeah, big Chicago fan here. All the horn based bands from that era really. Brings back a lot of memories. I'm sure they helped shape my musical direction even though I'm not a horn player. Big powerful sound that just completely engulfs the listener.

I'm trying to get a group I just jam with to work on the more guitar oriented 25 or 6 to 4 tune and maybe lean on a brass artist or 2 to help. Both the guitarist and I have horn synths in our arsenal, but nothing beats a big brass section like that.

Not to sidetrack your topic, but in a different style, the funk band Tower of Power horn based group is another fine one.

Ray Minich · Post by **Ray Minich** » 28 Apr 2010 2:19 pm

Chicago, Seen 'em six times since 1974.

Jerry, the Tower of Power horn section backed up Little Feat on the "Waiting for Columbus" LP.
Makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I hear "Mercenary Territory" from that LP.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 28 Apr 2010 2:24 pm

I have a vague recollection about the band Dreams, but never heard the actual music 'til now. Killer line up, Mike.

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 28 Apr 2010 4:18 pm

Tower of Power is tops, seen them a few times in the last few years always great, have about 5-6 original members with them now, Mick Gillette just rejoined.

Been buying all the back catalog on CD, some really great stuff of there own, along with all the albums they backed up on.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 28 Apr 2010 5:22 pm

They started off in the late 60s as an ass-kicking band that strove to make their success with muscular playing, then once the hits started and they became way popular it seems life became too good to really get down any more. 25 Or 6 To 4 was great but signaled the end of their best years along with Kath dying. It's obvious Hendrix who admired Terry's playing 'borrowed' from him.

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 28 Apr 2010 6:24 pm

Went to see them in '67 at a local college. They were great, but played sooo long we got tired and left.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 29 Apr 2010 1:54 am

I recall that one of their early albums - a 2-record set - had one entire LP side that was drum solo!

Indulgent in the 70s, they were.
- Yoda

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 29 Apr 2010 3:45 am

I like Chicago up to and including Chicago VI, but after that they turned into something else--the band Peter Cetera killed. Terry Kath's death was devastating to me as a kid. I remember where I was the day I heard about his death--a freshman in high school sitting in the music room.

The early 70s was an amazing time for artists in the music industry, though (I guess as long as you were somewhat commercially successful)--their first 4 LPs were at least double LPs, with Chicago IV being a 4 record set.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 29 Apr 2010 5:32 am

Terry Kath was AMAZING. It was indeed not a good thing for the band to lose him. I still dig their horn-fueled sound though the David Clayton Thomas-style over the top, Bar Mitsvah band vocals are still kind of a deal breaker for me.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 29 Apr 2010 9:09 am

I went to see them in the late 60s. I learned to play rhythm guitar watching and listening to Kath. I checked out his on stage set up. He used a little green 20watt Knight Allied Radio pa head as a preamp. Plugged his guitar into it and came right out of the speaker output into his Acoustic solid state amp. Probably had a dummy load resistor to keep from burning it up. My buddy just happened to have the exact same little Knight amp and gave it to me. I used that thing for years. If you had your guitar on about 7 it was clean and then when you rolled to 10 it was so nice.

Hendrix was on some dates with Chicago at some festivals. He thought Kath was the best!! When Kath died, that band was never the same. Then they had a second success doing those sappy power ballads for the girls and that was it. I have not seen them recently, but I would not doubt at all if they are still a good band.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 29 Apr 2010 6:47 pm

Another horny band of the late 60's that I loved was The Electric Flag......a rather eclectic gathering of talent....

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 30 Apr 2010 9:32 am

While we're on the horn band thing there was a band out of Boston called the Colewell/Winfield Blues Band that had one album out on Verve,They weren't very well known but I got to seem them in the Village at The Thanksgiving "Blues Bag" at the Cafe A Go-Go?they had a killer version of the Lou Rawls classic "Dead End Street" I found a link,If you can find a copy you'll love it.http://www.punkblowfish.com/ColwellWinfield.html

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 30 Apr 2010 12:01 pm

HowardR got in before me...

The Electric Flag album, "A Long Time Comin'", is one of my very favorite albums ever. I liked the first B,S,&T album, with Al Kooper, but never cared for them after that, and Chicago never connected with me. Given the comments here, maybe I should go back and give them a listen from my perspective now.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 30 Apr 2010 12:23 pm

Brint Hannay wrote:I should go back and give them a listen from my perspective now.

Say no more - http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/chicago/ 2 shows from 8/17/69 at The Fillmore West

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 30 Apr 2010 1:53 pm

I saw them in the summer of 1970 at Tanglewood in the Berkshires, a beautiful outdoor setting. Great band, great memories. Here's a youtube clip from that show 40 years ago: Click

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 30 Apr 2010 7:40 pm

Doug Beaumier wrote:I saw them in the summer of 1970 at Tanglewood in the Berkshires

I noticed 'The Vault' now has The Who @ T-wood/'70. Maybe you were there...

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 1 May 2010 11:36 am

After Peter Cetera left, Chicago welcomed a new lead singer/bass player to the group named Jason Scheff. Jason's dad was Elvis Presley's bass player at one time, and the first Chicago song to feature Scheff on lead vocals was their 1986 single "Will You Still Love Me". Cetera left in mid 1985 and Scheff came on board, so Jason Scheff is now Chicago's lead singer and has been with them for 25 years.

Brett

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 1 May 2010 5:18 pm

'The Vault' now has The Who @ T-wood/'70. Maybe you were there...

Yes, I was at that show, The Who, Tanglewood 1970... and the summer before that, August 1969 The Who at Tanglewood, two weeks before Woodstock. Those were some of the best shows I ever saw. The atmosphere was awesome, outdoors, under "the shed". I have great memories from those daze.

There are about 50 clips on youtube from the 1970 Who show at T'wood. Here's one---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbk5xXHqShI
One of my memories is walking down to the edge of the stage (there was little to no security in those days)... and standing about 25 feet from Pete Townshend and Keith Moon for the entire show. Similar experiences with Chicago, Led Zepp, the Dead, and many others.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 2 May 2010 8:20 am

Pete Cetera played pedal steel on a Chicago song...Something about "Sunshine" can't remember the exact title but it sounded like the Beatle's "Good Day Sunshine".

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 2 May 2010 8:30 am

I was wrong the song is "Wake Up Sunshine"from Chicago II and the steel guitar player is J.G. O'Rafferty - Pedal Steel...any info on him?

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 2 May 2010 1:09 pm

Doug Beaumier wrote:Yes, I was at that show, The Who, Tanglewood 1970
One of my memories is walking down to the edge of the stage (there was little to no security in those days)... and standing about 25 feet from Pete Townshend and Keith Moon for the entire show. Similar experiences with Chicago, Led Zepp, the Dead, and many others.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 3 May 2010 5:27 am

Pete Cetera took a few steel lessons from Rusty Young, where Rusty told him that Jim Messina was leaving Poco. P.C. then recommended Paul Cotton, whom he knew from the local scene. (That's what I've read)

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 3 May 2010 1:40 pm

Joachim Kettner wrote:Pete Cetera took a few steel lessons from Rusty Young, where Rusty told him that Jim Messina was leaving Poco. P.C. then recommended Paul Cotton, whom he knew from the local scene. (That's what I've read)

That very well could be true. The band that Paul Cotton was in was called Illinois Speed Press which featured Paul Cotton and fellow killer guitarist, Kal David. Kal still performs as a solo act:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzwa8mFqpPY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE43BNezaXs

Illinois Speed Press:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f03oyfcSXPY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPurHfElzyA

Regarding Chicago and BS&T, I've always felt both band's were best on their first albums ("Chicago Transit Authority" and "Child Is Father To Man", respectively)

Chicago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lghDG9vYfRQ

BS&T
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqycvOTtnFU

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn