Some Interesting Chicago Facts

 There are many "traditional" rock bands that have existed through the years, but none have been more sucessful with throwing together jazzy brass sounds with traditional rock than Chicago (apart from, perhaps their rivals, Blood, Sweat, & Tears). For this Friday read, here are some interesting Chicago facts you may (or may not) have known.

They were called Chicago Transit Authority

The name is derived from the mass-transit agency that serves the Chicagoland, and so was the name of their 1969 debut LP. Some time after, fear of a lawsuit prompted the band to delete the "Transit Authority" part of their name and stick to simply "Chicago." Interestingly enough, today there is a tribute band to them called the California Transit Authority - pretty apt as the band relocated to Los Angeles by the 70s.

They (almost) played Woodstock

In early 1968, Chicago was offered to play Woodstock, but not having released an album yet, and not having much material, promoter Bill Graham rescheduled them to play at the Filmore West two years later. Their fill-in was Santana.

Their logo is a play on the Coca-Cola logo

In the photo above is their logo as it appears on their second LP, Chicago. Notice, especially the "C."

Their first three LPs were double

Hard as it is to believe it's true; it wasn't until 1972's Chicago IV, featuring the top 10 hit, Saturday in the Park, that the band issued a single discer. 

Their albums follow a nomenclature

Unlike most artists that name an album after a particular song, or epymously, Chicago used their name followed by a Roman Numeral for every record released throughout the 70s - and it's been reinstated with 1998's Chicago XXV Christmas album. The only exceptions to the rule in the 70s were the 1978 LP Hot Streets, and its 1979 follow-up Chicago 13. Arabic numberals were used between 1982's Chicago 16, and 1988's Chicago 19. 

Make me Smile and Colour my World are actually part of a longer suite

Given that prog rock was rampant at the time of their 1970 album release, trombonist James Pankow wrote a lengthy composition, Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon - featuring two Terry Kath-sang records, Make me Smile and Colour my World. 

About the "u," in Colour my World, Pankow said that it was used to go with a lyric in the song, as the song mirrors the image of love as in a Technicolor movie. Neither Pankow, nor the rest of the group are Brits. 

They collaborated with The Beach Boys

Chicago's 1974 single, Wishing You Were Here (NOT TO BE CONFUSED with Pink Floyd's 1975 WISH you were Here) features backing vocals from Carl and Denis Wilson, and Al Jardine. I myself thought it was Floyd when I originally heard as I was aware of Floyd's song at the time, but not of Chicago's.

They recorded 25 or 6 to 4 TWICE

The mega hit appeared for the first time on 1970's Chicago, and was again recorded, in a slower tempo, for their 1986 LP Chicago 18 featuring new vocalist Jason Scheff. 

...and speaking of which, 25 or 6 to 4 is NOT drug-related

Don't get the wrong idea folks. The title refers to an experience of writer's block at "25 or 26 minutes to 4" (in the morning, of course) - a la 3:35 (or 3:34) AM. 

Terry Kath's death was an accident

His girlfriend, Camelia Emily Ortiz spoke broadly of Kath's interest in guns and ammunition. One evening at a party at roadie Don Johnsn's home in Woodland Hills, Calif, Kath was spinning a .38 Revolver around his fingers, followed by a semi-automatic 9mm. He assured Johnson that neither gun was loaded, but when he proved with the 9mm, what Kath didn't know was that there was a round in it. Seconds after firing the shot into his temple, Kath was no more.

Kath's last words were, and I quote, "What do you think I'm gonna do? Blow my brains out?!"

The band had two phases

Fans consider "classic Chicago," to be the horn-driven sound of the 70s; however, by the early 80s, Chicago adopted a soft rock, balladey sound that became the basis of original vocalist, Peter Cetera's solo work. 

Cetera was (partially) inspired by Phil Collins

Phil Collins, of Genesis fame, launched his solo career parallel to his Genesis work to slience any speculation or rumor that Genesis were breaking up. In 1985, Cetera proposed the idea to his fellow bandmates; however, keyboardist Robert Lamm was not okay with the idea, so Cetera quit the band. Although younger, his replacement was Jason Scheff, with whom the group scored their last few top 10 hits with Will You Still Love Me? (1986), and Look Away (1988). 

NO MEMBERS, OTHER THAN CETERA, PLAYED ON HARD TO SAY I'M SORRY

This is perhaps the final kicker of this post, and an unbelievable one at that; however, Cetera is the only Chicago member on this track from their first horn-less LP, Chicago 16 in 1982. Instead Toto's Steve Lukathar, David Paich, and the Procaro brothers, Steve and Jeff contributed the backing music. 

Hope you all learned something from this. Feel free to comment.


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