Tag: Chicago the Band

The number one album today in 1973 …

… was the number one selling rock box set until 1986, and remains the best selling four-album set of all time.

(more…)

Today in 1964, the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night” hit number one and stayed there for 14 weeks:

Today in 1965, Bob Dylan took the stage at the Newport Folk Festival and played with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. The controversy was that Dylan played electric, not acoustic, guitar.

Contrary to myth, Dylan didn’t leave after three songs because he was upset at the crowd’s reaction. Dylan left after three songs because those were the only songs the band knew. He did return to play two acoustic songs at the behest of Peter, Paul and Mary.

Today in 1969, Crosby, Stills and Nash performed at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

The band asked Neil Young to join them at the end of the concert, and liked the result so much they asked him to join the band.

Young joined, then quit, then rejoined, then quit. (I am told by someone more conversant than me with CSNY that Young didn’t like merely being a member of the group.)

(more…)

Today in 1970, after Joe Cocker dropped out due to illness and unable to get Jimi Hendrix, promoter Bill Graham (possibly at Hendrix’s suggestion) presented Chicago in concert at Tanglewood, a classical music venue in Lenox, Mass.:

I would have loved to go to this concert, but I was 5 years old at the time.

The number one song today in 1973:

The number one R&B song today in 1979:

Today in 1980, AC/DC released “Back in Black,” their first album with new singer Brian Johnson, who replaced the deceased Bon Scott:

(more…)

One strange anniversary in rock music: Today in 1968, Paul McCartney and Jane Asher attended a concert of … Andy Williams:

Eleven years later, not McCartney, but Elton John became the first Western artist to perform in the Soviet Union.

Four years later, David Bowie’s suggestion reached number one:

(more…)

Today in 1966, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who decided to replace for the evening the tardy drummer Keith Moon and bass player John Entwistle with the bass player and drummer of the band that played before them at the Ricky Tick Club in Windsor, England.

When Moon and Entwistle arrived and found they had been substituted for, a fight broke out. Moon and Entwistle quit … for a week.

The number one single today in 1967:

(more…)

The number one album today in 1975 was “Chicago VIII”:

(more…)

Cleveland.com reports on Chicago’s upcoming (and grossly tardy) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction:

Every Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee has a handful of songs (or more) you can play that kill any doubt about their candidacy.

Chicago’s career has spanned more than 40 years, driven by two golden periods – one of experimentation and another of pop/soft rock supremacy.

Within that time were unforgettable songs fans will find themselves revisiting leading up to Chicago’s induction in New York City next week:

‘Beginnings’ (1969)

Robert Lamm’s lyrics are untouchable here. But it’s important to note you’ll come across a few versions of “Beginnings.” The single version is trimmed down and highlights the band’s ability to craft a hit. However, the full-length album version (from Chicago’s debut) will leave you in awe.

’25 or 6 to 4′ (1970)

If there’s a song that proves how talented of a rock band Chicago was at its peak, “25 or 6 to 4” is it. Not surprisingly, the song, which features Chicago’s guitar work at its best, has become a highlight of the band’s live shows.

‘Make Me Smile’ (1970)

The James Pankow-penned “Make Me Smile” began as a section in the seven-part “Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon” from “Chicago II.”

However, it was an immediate standout. The group wisely recognized “Make Me Smile’s” radio friendly nature. It earned Chicago a top-10 hit. The song is also a worthy tribute to the life of guitarist (and lead singer on the song) Terry Kath.

‘Saturday in the Park’ (1972)

Chicago’s late career soft-rock run would earn the band its fair share of critics. But during the 1970s, Chicago was able to effortless merge is jazz fusion sound with infectious hooks. The best example of that is “Saturday in the Park,” the band’s most inescapable hit thanks to the amazing horn section of Walter Parazaider, Pankow and Lee Loughnane.

‘A Hit By Varese’ (1972)

Some would argue this is Chicago’s big song (maybe beside the massive hits). “A Hit by Varese” is the greatest opening track of Chicago’s career (from its fifth album) and showcased the band’s transition to more simplistic songwriting. The jazz rock is still there, but this is the sound of a band refining its music and recognizing how big it was becoming.

‘If You Leave Me Now’ (1976)

Say what you want about Chicago’s super-soft 1976 chart-topper, but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think it’s a key contributor to the band’s fame and, thus, it’s Rock Hall induction. And while we’re being honest, Peter Cetera delivers, hands down, the best vocal performance of any Chicago song. There, I said it.

Hard to Say I’m Sorry’ (1982)

Chicago’s career can be divided into two parts. There was the jazz-fusion and heavy experimentation phase, followed by a soft-rock centric that began with the success of “If You Leave Me Now.” Still, heading into the 1980s, many had written Chicago off as a band that lived and probably died in the 1970s. “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” proved that was not the case. Yes, it highlights an era many early Chicago fans want to forget. But it also showcases Cetera and company’s ability to craft standout pop hits in a decade that had a lot of them.

It’s hard to say the writer is wrong. (If you stop reading this now … oh, never mind.) If you’re looking for an introduction to the group, there’s always, well, “Introduction”:

For musical versatility, it’s hard to top “I’m a Man”:

Want a ballad? Want the Beach Boys?

Need a sports sounder?

Want a non-violent political song?

For live performance, there’s “Free,” which is expanded considerably live from its album version …

… particularly when you can play with another group known for its horns:

This shows what’s impressive about Chicago beyond its nearly five decades of existence. The group perfomed everything from hard rock to, well, radio-friendly ballads, and is still recording and touring today.

The texting shorthand term “smh” (“shakes my head”) didn’t exist in 1955 because texting didn’t exist in 1955.

But surely “smh” was invented for things like this: Today in 1955, CBS talent scout Arthur Godfrey made a signing decision between Elvis Presley and Pat Boone.

Godfrey chose Boone, who had a successful recording career, but not anywhere close to Presley’s. (On the other hand, Boone well outlived Presley.)

(more…)

The Beatles had quite a schedule today in 1963. They drove from Liverpool to London through the night to appear on the BBC’s “Parade of the Pops,” which was on live at noon.

After their two songs, they drove back north another three hours to get to their evening performance at the Swimming Baths in Doncaster.

The number one song today in 1965:

(more…)