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The following Chicago Ringtones are now available:
25 Or 6 To 4 / Already Gone / Call On Me
Caroline / Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
Feel / Feelin' Stronger Every Day / Free
Hard To Say I'm Sorry / Get Away
If You Leave Me Now / Just You 'N' Me
King Of Might Have Been / Love Will Come Back
Saturday In The Park / You're The Inspiration
* Std/other msg rates may apply - check your carrier contract for details. NOT a subscription service. Opt out: STOP to 66555. This is an a la carte, transactional service. No recurring subscription charges are involved. Each ringtone costs $2.49. No Credit Card Required - users will be charged on their wireless bill or minutes may be deducted from prepaid balance. Standard carrier fees may apply. Must be at least 13 years old and have bill payerís permission. Not all products are compatible with all mobile phones. For more information call 866-528-6192. Available mobile content subject to change at any time.
How did Chicago find themselves in the midst of such momentum, after 40 years in the business? Simply put: they're working for it and no one can stop them. "I think it's really remarkable," says James Pankow. "Not just the longevity, but we're still, in fact, a ticket in demand. Let's face it, we've outlasted some of the buildings we've played in." Funny, but true, and indicative of the band's reputation for memorable songs and live shows.
The new attention is a welcome reflection on an amazing career and up-to-the-minute snapshot of one of the best loved and most successful bands in rock history. Their hits in the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s have given the band a combined 19 gold albums, 13 platinum, 12 Top 10s, and 5 No. 1s. Of their singles, Chicago enjoys 20 Top 10 hits, five No. 1 records, and five gold singles. In all, Chicago has sold more than 120,000,000 records. Not bad for a band that began around a North Side kitchen table in the Windy City with one goal in mind: to make music rooted in rock, pop, R&B, jazz and swing.
Chicago's longevity means that some of rock's most influential musicians have been big Chicago fans. Over the years, countless fellow musicians from Janis Joplin, Brian Wilson, Al Kooper and Carlos Santana have given generous praise to Chicago. As Parazaider remembers with awe, "We had just started the band, and were playing at The Whisky in Los Angeles. After the show, I'm putting away my horns and this guy taps me on the shoulder. When I turn around, I see it's Jimi Hendrix, and he couldn't have been more complimentary to the band. I could barely speak, 'cause it was Jimi Hendrix, but he said he loved the band, and he told me a lot about what to expect from rock 'n' roll. Then, he took us on the road, like Joplin had done only a few months before. All before we'd ever made a record!"
Of course, in 1967, when the original members gathered at Parazaider's apartment to commit themselves to their fledging group, success was then measured in more modest terms. Each member had learned a variety of styles while playing for the many different racial and ethnic groups that populate Chicago. This musical fusion struck the lovely chord that became Chicago. Paramount for this nascent group was creating a rock 'n' roll band with horns. At the time, R&B artists like James Brown were upping the ante for horn sections, but it had not been attempted within the context of a rock band.
Initially called The Big Thing, they hit the Midwest club circuit in late 1967. Along the way, they raided a rival band, The Exceptions, for one of its members, Peter Cetera. In 1968, they began working with producer / manager Jim Guercio, who renamed them Chicago Transit Authority (soon simplified to Chicago), moved them to Los Angeles and signed them to Columbia Records.
'Chicago Transit Authority', their double-LP debut (April 1969), was an underground hit whose sales were fueled by their incessant touring. "In those days, I think it was 360 out of 365 days a year touring," remembers Parazaider. 'Chicago II' (January 1970), another two-record set, contained their first two Top 10 hits, "Make Me Smile" and "25 or 6 to 4." Their debut album held two more hits and also two of the band's most requested songs, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and "Beginnings," both written and sung by Robert Lamm. A third double album, 'Chicago III' (January 1971), consolidated their success, and they topped it with a whopping four-disc boxed set live album, 'Chicago At Carnegie Hall' (October 1971).
By 1972, "We could do no wrong," recalls Lee Loughnane. "Everything we did was golden." 'Chicago V' (July 1972) topped the charts for nine weeks and spawned the gold single "Saturday In the Park." 'Chicago VI' (June 1973) was No. 1 for five weeks and contained the hits "Feelin' Stronger Everyday," and "Just You 'N' Me," the latter a No. 1 in Cash Box and another gold single. 'Chicago VII' (March 1974) was yet another No. 1 LP whose hits included "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long," "Call On Me" and "Wishing You Were Here." 'Chicago VIII' (March 1975) had the group's fourth straight chart-topper, the nostalgic hit "Old Days." It's small wonder that 'Chicago IX - Chicago's Greatest Hits' (November 1975) eventually sold five million copies.
But it was 'Chicago X' (June 1976), the recipient of three Grammy Awards, that featured the band's biggest hit of the 1970s: the worldwide No. 1, "If You Leave Me Now." The lovely ballad catapulted Chicago into the highest levels of popular success. Another ballad, "Baby, What A Big Surprise," was the major hit off 'Chicago XI' (September 1977).
In early 1978, tragedy struck when guitarist Terry Kath was killed in a freak shooting accident. Devastated by the loss of their friend, the band nearly broke up, but eventually resolved to continue. To perpetuate Kath's memory, the band created a permanent scholarship in his name at their alma mater, DePaul's School of Music. Later that year, the band released 'Hot Streets' (October 1978), which became another million seller. Subsequent releases 'Chicago 13' (August 1979) and Chicago XIV (July 1980) brought the band to end of its contract with Columbia Records, who then released 'Chicago's Greatest Hits, Volume II' (November 1981).
Reaching a crossroads after 15 astounding years together might prompt some bands to consider retirement, but Chicago simply regrouped and recharged. They signed a long-tern contract with Warner Bros. Records / Reprise Records, and then recruited veteran Bill Champlin and turned to producer David Foster. The result was the million-selling 'Chicago 16' (June 1982), featuring the gold single "Hard to Say I'm Sorry." Recalls Parazaider, "A young girl came up to me at a concert and asked me to sign our first record. What she has was 'Chicago 16.'" The band now routinely has a multi-generation audience, with a whole new generation of fans.
'Chicago 17' (May 1984) turned out to be a landmark success for the group. Propelled by the mega-hits "Hard Habit to Break," and "You're the Inspiration," the album sold more than seven million copies. Shortly thereafter, bassist / vocalist Jason Scheff, son of famed Elvis Presley bassist Jerry Scheff, joined the band and sang the Top Ten hit "Will You Still Love Me?" from 'Chicago 18' (September 1986).
'Chicago 19' (June 1988) was another smash, featuring three Top 10 hits, "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love," the No. 1 "Look Away" and "You're Not Alone." A fourth song from the CD, "What Kind of Man Would I Be?" became a hit when it was included on 'Greatest Hits: 1982 - 1989' (November 1989), an album that remains a bestseller.
The '90s have seen Chicago's good fortune continue to grow. In 1990, Tris Imboden signed on as drummer, and the band released Twenty 1 later that year. On July 23, 1992, Chicago was honored with their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1994, the rights to Chicago's Columbia albums reverted back to the group, and they founded Chicago Records to reissue them.
Chicago's next CD was the delightful 'Night & Day (Big Band)' (May 1995) on Giant Records, on which the group lovingly revived Swing Era standards. The CD won acclaim and respect for the reverent way such classics as "In the Mood" and "Take the A Train" were "Chicago-ized." A highlight of 1996 was Chicago's headline performance at the Hollywood Bowl, playing with the famous Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. And as one of the more popular rock bands in cyberspace, the group launched their own website to compliment the already dozens of pages their fans have put up.
Coming off the road that summer, the group went to work assembling the tracks for 'The Heart of Chicago 1967- 1997'. It was here that the opportunities to work with Glen Ballard and celebrated composer James Newton Howard, as well as Lenny Kravitz presented themselves. "Kravitz is a cool guy," explains Parazaider. "He was completely gassed when it was suggested we work together. For us, new musicians always reduce tunnel vision." "Here In My Heart," co-written by Newton Howard and Glen Ballard (Alanis Morrissette), went all the way to No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary charts. Chicago celebrated their 30th Anniversary in style with a hit single and best-selling tour.
After a stellar 1998, Chicago unveiled plans to give their fans even more in 1999. The legendary rock 'n' roll band with horns followed up the gold success of 'The Heart of Chicago 1967 - 1997' with a second greatest hits collection, 'The Heart of Chicago 1967 - 1998, Volume II'.
'The Heart of Chicago 1967 - 1998, Volume II' featured 14 hits and two new songs, both produced by friend and E-Street Band member Roy Bittan (Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion, Madonna, etc.). "All Roads Lead to You" (by Desmond Child) and "Show Me A Sign" (by James Pankow and Greg O'Connor) are cut in the classic Chicago mold and fit the collection perfectly. Other hits on the 16-track CD include: "Old Days" (1972), "Love Me Tomorrow" (1982), "No Tell Lover (1978), "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (1974), "Call On Me" (1974), "Feelin' Stronger Everyday" (1973), and "25 or 6 to 4" (1970).
'The Heart of Chicago 1967-1998, Volume II' represented another fresh collaboration, in this case, with Roy Bittan. It is exciting to note that recording was so inspired that Chicago immediately returned to the studio with Roy to make their first-ever Christmas album, 'Chicago XXV' (November 1998), which eventually became yet another gold record for Chicago. 'Chicago 26 - Live In Concert' arrived in October 1999.
And now comes the Rhino reissue campaign of their entire catalog.
Amidst their hectic schedules, band members have found time to participate in a variety of worthwhile causes, including VH1's new "Save the Music" program, which fights to keep music programs in schools.
When asked what a successful rock group might ask of the future, James Pankow replies with a smile, "A little immortality would be real sweet." The dilemma, of course, is that 'immortality' implies an end to the present, and there is no end in sight. After 40 years of great music, and with a bright, busy future ahead, it would seem that no one ever told Chicago that it's okay to take a break.
Not surprisingly, Walt Parazaider would like to see the bar raised by accomplishing the singular feat of scoring a hit in each of the decades ('60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and the '00s). So far, only Chicago and The Rolling Stones have had hits in the last five decades.
One way or the other, the band will be on the road or in the studio. As Walt is fond of saying, "It's only our career!"
Robert Lamm Keyboards, vocals
Lee Loughnane Trumpet
James Pankow Trombone
Walt Parazaider Woodwinds
Bill Champlin Keyboards, guitar, vocals
Jason Scheff Bass, vocals
Tris Imboden Drums
Keith Howland Guitar
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Recordings available: Chicago Transit Authority (1969, 2002) |
HK Management David Milman
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