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Home , Chicago III, Chicago V, Chicago VI, Chicago VII, Chicago VIII, Chicago X

Redesign the board; put the emblem over the DePaul University sticker.

 The year was 1967 and the place was DePaul University in Chicago, . would soon be graduating with a Master’s Degree in . He was playing the in the Chicago Symphony and in a cover band. But Walter wanted to start a band, a band that was different than anything the had ever heard. He wanted to start a band where horns were the main feature, not just something in the background.

 He began recruiting friends who were also studying music at DePaul University

 First he recruited who was a prolific and rock drummer.

 Then he recruited . I think the main reason Terry was because he had a cool hat. He invited him into because if they were ever going hungry Terry could trap some squirrels. He was a very talented player. In fact the great once said of Terry’s guitar playing, “Man, I’m good, but this cat blows me away.” Terry also had a deep and raspy rhythm and voice that he got from listening to hours of .

 Next he recruited Lee Loughlane. He played the .

 Then . He played the . I know what you are thinking. Where can I get a shirt like that? These three men were like the Holy Trinity of Horns. They gave the band that distinctive Chicago sound.

 Now, two blocks away was Roosevelt University, and Walter recruited a classical pianist who was studying music there. He became one of the lead singers in the band as well as one of the best writers. As a classical pianist he gave their music, well, a classical feel.

 They had one more piece to fill and so they added who was also from Roosevelt University. Peter played the bass. He was “considered the standard for bass players in the 70’s.” He had an incredibly high tenor voice perfect for contrasting with baritones Kath and Lamm.

 These seven were often called a “Musician’s Band.” Because of their musical sophistication and training, they were greatly appreciated by those who had training in music and understood the complexity of what they were doing. They were a mixture of jazz, classical and rock. With their collaborative spirit the final product was something uniquely special. If you were looking for pretty melody lines and loves , this was not the band for you. These things played well on the radio, but it was not Chicago. They played the music they wanted to, with a disregard for the music industry.

Chicago Transit Authority ( I) – 1969 - #17 – (No hits; until years later)  In 1969, by the time the band started recording with they had a surplus of music. They wanted to do a , but NO ONE ever did a double album for their first album. It was too risky. Columbia Records finally agreed to the double album when the band agreed to take a cut in royalties.  The name of the band at this time was Chicago Transit Authority. The name of the album was the same.  Now from the beginning, Chicago had a commitment to be what they called a “faceless band.” The understatement of the reflects that. They wanted to make a statement that it was about the music and NOT the individuals.  (collaboration) By design, they did NOT have a leader. All decisions were made by group consensus. Everyone in the band wrote songs. Everyone in the band sang at times.  While on tour for the album, the real Chicago Transit Authority threatened to sue and so they changed their name to Chicago.

Chicago II – 1970 - #4 (3 Top Ten Hits)  This too, was a double album. Most people consider this album their Masterpiece.  After recording this album, Walter Parazaider made the statement: “If Bach were alive today, he would probably be playing in a band similar to Chicago.”  Most of Chicago’s early were long songs made up of shorter “movements” similar to a concerto in classical music. Chicago III – 1971 - #2 (1 Top 20; 1 Top 40)  Chicago III was AGAIN a double album.  By now you are noticing they never put a title on their albums. It is anti- commercialism. They said they wanted the music to speak for itself.  You can tell by the cover, that this is a highly political album. All of their albums to this point have had political overtones and a desire to make the world a better place to be. No romantic love songs. Chicago IV or sometimes called “Live at Carnegie Hall”  Their next album was a album that the band didn’t like. James Pankow said the horns sounded like kazoos. They were the first rock band to play at Carnegie Hall, a sign that the band was growing in popularity. – 1972 - #1 (9 weeks)  This is their first single album.  This album is by far their most political album. Most people consider this their 3rd best album. Creatively it is musical genius. Chicago VI – 1973 - #1 (5 weeks)  What happened to the faceless band? Chicago purists were outraged. However, they were more upset that for the first time, the album seem to take a small step to a more commercial, radio friendly sound. Chicago VII – 1974 - #1 (1 week) (3 top ten)  This album marks the first time the group had dissension. The group wanted to do a jazz-oriented album, but Guercio, the producer who had been with them since the beginning and Peter Cetera, the bass player, were concerned about the commercial risk. Eventually they compromised and made their last double album. It was mostly jazz, but it had enough radio friendly songs to make the album a success.

Chicago VIII – 1975 #1 (1 week)  A decidedly rock album complete with distortion guitar. Not their best work, but still very good. Chicago IX – 1975 - #1 (4 weeks)  THIS abomination was a Greatest Hits Album. (put two devils on the album cover) NEXT! – 1976 - #3  This album was more of a soul album.  Most notably there was one song that barely made the album. After they were done recording, Guercio felt like they needed one more song. He went only to Peter Cetera, who wrote and sang a love ballad called “.” Ironically, it went immediately to No. 1 all over the world. This made many of the band members uncomfortable, especially Robert Lamm and Terry Kath. They felt like public perception and expectations were changing, as well as the expectations of Columbia Records. Chicago XI – 1977 #6  Take a good look at this last one. It is the last REAL Chicago album you will see.  Soon after this album, producer James Guercio’s was fired for his heavy handed control and for stifling their creativity. He wanted them to be more commercial.  The frustration the band was feeling as they attempted to hold on to their early beginnings was reflected in the words written and sung by Danny Seraphine on this album: Take me back to Chicago, where music was all I had and life was so much simpler then. (possible revision)  Four months after the album came out, the band was having a party one evening after a . The room was filled with band members, family and friends. Terry Kath, the guitar player was cleaning his revolver and a lot of people in the room were nervous about it. To loosen everyone up, he said, “Don’t worry. It’s not even loaded.” He pointed the gun at his head and pulled the trigger. There was a bullet in the chamber.  The band mourned for months. They nearly broke up, but finally decided to hire another guitar player and producer.  The producer made changes quickly. Gone were the horns. They were moved to the background. Worse yet, some songs did not even have horns, they had (shudder) strings. Most of the songs were radio friendly love songs and almost all of the songs were sung by Peter Cetera who had the most commercial sounding voice.  To Chicago enthusiasts, the band was now officially dead.

Pause

 Although the band is dead, the Spirit of Chicago lives on.  The spirit of Chicago lives on in people like Chance the Rapper, a young man who wants to make a difference in the world and refuses to sign a record contract lest they strip him of his creative control. Chance the Rapper gives his music away for free.  So what do we learn from the story of Chicago? We learn that the world will try to squeeze you into its mold. The only way out is to Play What You Want to. And if you do, you would really look cool in Terry’s hat. (point) May he rest in peace. Thank you.

13 minutes without the red revision.