CHICAGO 1974 (RHINO)

Walter Parazaider - Flute (2), Soprano Sax (3), Tenor Sax (4-6, 8, 13-15), Alto Sax (9), Sax (12)

with
Laudir Soares De Oliviera - Percussion (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11-13, 16), Congas (2, 4, 6, 8)
David J. Wolinski - ARP Synthesizer (3, 8, 12), Mellotron, Piano (10)
James William Guercio - Acoustic Guitar (7), Guitar (12), Bass (10)
Jinnie Haskell - Strings (8)
Wayne Tarnowski - Piano ("Song Of The Evergreens")
Ross Salomone - Drums (15)
Guille Garcia - Percussion (7), Congas (9, 13, 15)
Diane Nini, Julie Nini, Camelia Ortiz, Bobbi Roen & Hank Steiger - Optional Party Background Noises (9)
Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson - Background Vocals (12)

The POINTER SISTERS (Anita. Bonnie.June & Ruth) - Vocals (15):
Produced By James William Guercio
Engineered by Wayne Tarnowski and Jeff Guercio
Mixed by Phil Ramone
Mixed by Phil Ramone
Cover Design by John Berg & Nick Fasciano
Lettering by Doris Halle
Photography/Irve Kuusik
This Reissue:
A&R / Project Supervision: Lee Loughnane, David McLees & Gary Peterson
Audio Supervision:Jeff Magid

Bonus Selection Mixed by David Donnelly & Jeff Magid at DNA STUDIO A, Studio City, CA

Remastering: David DonnellY at DNA MASTERING, Studio City, CA

Product Manager: Mike Engstrom

Liner Notes Coordination: Tim ScanLIN

Editorial Supervision: Cory Frye

Editorial Research: Steven Chean

Art Direction & Design: Maria Villar

Additional Photos: LONDON FEATURES INTERNATIONAL (USA) LTD Project Assistance: Bob O'Neill, Ingrid K. Olson, April Milek, Steve Woolard & Randy Perry

Representation: HK MANAGEMENT, Howard Kaufman & Peter Schivarelli

Special Thanks:

Emily Simon, Bob Emmer, Lynda Lou Bouch, Laurie Gorman, Malinda Ramirez, David Millman, Nina Avramides, Debbie Aronofsky, Lisa Thomas & Steve Brumbach
"Devil's Sweet" dedicated to Jo and Elvin Jones for their inspiration

Brass Arrangements on "Italian From New York" by James Pankow & Robert Lamm

*Brass Arrangements by James Pankow

Recorded & Mixed at CARIBOU RANCH, Nederland, CO (August-December, 1973)
Strings Recorded by Armin Steiner at SOUND LABS, Hollywood, CA

Chart Information:

May '74 - Chicago VII - Mar. '74 Chart Position 1

Apr. '74 - (I've been) Searchin' So Long / Byblos - Mar. '74 Chart Position 9

Oct. '74 - Call On Me / Aire - Jun. '74 Chart Position 6

Oct. '74 - Wishing You Were Here / Life Saver - Chart Position 11

NOTE:

This Album was Originally issued as COLUMBIA #C2-32810 (3/74); LPs #1. Numbers in italics (following Original release information) denote peak positions attained by Singles on Billboard's "Hot 100" and "Easy Listening" charts, respectively, and by this album on the "Top LP's & Tapes" chart - courtesy BPI COMMUNICATIONS and Joel WHITBURN's RECORD RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS.

Fan Information:
www.chicagotheband.com
www.ctaofTicialfanclub.com

Having watched each of their previous six albums go gold and eventually become million-sellers, when CHICAGO headed for Caribou Ranch in the late summer of 1973 to record their seventh disc, they had one style of music on their minds: jazz.

Not that any of the band members considered themselves jazz musicians — they were fans of the form and had even been the lone pop act to appear on a televised all-star tribute to Duke Ellington earlier that year. But as players under the CHICAGO aegis, their learning years were spent covering the soul sounds that emanated from Memphis,Tennessee, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in the 1960s. Instrumental, however, had become a key part of their live set, and several of the pieces that would eventually surface on Chicago VII had been well-exercised on the road over the previous year.

"We were having a good time," CHICAGO trumpeter Lee Loughnane says of those shows, which often featured the group indulging in heavy improvisation. "The audience hated it. But that attempt is a rite of passage for any band that is aggressive and wants to not kowtow to commercial interests and maintain artistic integrity."

Chicago VII was the second album to be recorded at Caribou Ranch, the recording getaway built by the band's then-manager, James William Guercio, in a spot about an hour's drive outside of Boulder, Colorado.The members of CHICAGO — Loughnane, keyboardist and singer Robert Lamm, trombonist James Pankow, saxophonist Walt Parazaider, bassist and singer Peter Cetera, drummer Daniel Seraphine, and guitarist Terry Kath—made their way up to the studio, situated at an elevation of 8,500 feet. Instead of sampling the nightlife, the musicians spent time riding dirt bikes, chasing elk, taking target practice, and, according to Pankow/'living like mountain men." (Avowed city guy Walt Parazaider says he needed to head to Boulder every couple of weeks "just to suck in some carbon monoxide.")

Beyond the ranch's isolated location, the air had an effect as well."I remember the playing was difficult initially—you really had to move that air," Loughnane says."But as we came up for subsequent albums, the body remembered, and it changed to account for the thin air."

Once ensconced at Caribou, however, interest in a jazz project began to wane as various band members brought in more pop-flavored material as well as songs with lyrics. "There was a realization that if we released a jazz disc, we would have alienated everybody," says Lamm.

By the time all was said and done, Chicago VII was a double album— their first since /// and their last in the studio—featuring one disc of jazz-inspired pieces and another of pop music, much of it given a Latin feel by percussionist Laudir DeOliveira, formerly of Sergio Mendes' New Brasil '77."When you had a track record back then," Pankow remembers,"the record company would give its blessing to whatever you wanted to do. Our adventures were actually marketable."

VII immediately shot to #1 in April 1974 and yielded three Top 20 Billboard singles: "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (#9); "Wishing You Were Here,"a collaboration with The Beach Boys (#1 I); and Loughnane's debut CHICAGO composition, "Call On Me," charting the highest at #6.

"I sheepishly came in and asked,'Hey, gang, wanna listen to my song?'" Loughnane recalls."It didn't go over as well as I wanted, but the rest of the band just jumped in. Jimmy [Pankow] wrote the horn parts, and everyone contributed." Peter Cetera, the vocalist on the track, altered some of the words and created the bass line. It became, for Loughnane, "the epitome of a band song."

Collaborative efforts are scattered throughout VII, beginning with the three instrumentals that kick things off. For Pankow, who was arranging all of the band's horn charts, the album was the fruition of a style that began with Chicago Transit Authority and whose experimental roots took form on Chicago III. "My concept was to take a horn section and create a melodic thread like another lead vocal," he says."l would listen to the basic tracks with rough vocals and create a horn part that's an extension of those vocals rather than slots or punches that other arrangers use. It was a refinement of what I did on III—an intensified version."

"The stuff we did was not fusion," Lamm accurately states. "It's more listenable because of the structure within the pieces." Adds Parazaider,"These were our sincere interpretations of jazz."

Considering the doldrums that contemporary jazz was in at the time VII was recorded, in retrospect it's amazing that the instrumental don't show their age. Plenty of proven artists dabbling in jazz-rock fusion then would today prefer that their work of that era be struck from their discography.

"Prelude To Aire", "Aire", and "Devil's Sweet" — CHICAGO's tribute to theAdderley brothers, Julian (best known as"Cannonball") and Nat—stemmed from Seraphine, Parazaider, and Pankow delivering melodic assists."Danny had ideas on time changes," says Parazaider, the group's saxophonist and flutist,"and I had gone through school and studied composition, and thought, Why not give it a whirl to see what it's about? It was a good experience, but first and foremost I'm a player.Writing was a little scary."

On the jazz side, Lamm delivered "Life Saver," "Hanky Panky" (a vehicle for Pankow's trombone skills), and the curiously titled "Italian From New York," featuring some rather wild electronic forays from Lamm. That "Italian" was actually DeOliveira, a Cuban who had joined the Cuban navy and jumped ship in Canada."He kept getting caught by the authorities and would insist he wasn't Cuban," Lamm says. "He kept trying to say he was an Italian from New York and was trying to get home.They never bought it."

Pankow delivered the autobiographical song that would be the first single,"(I've Been) Searchin' So Long," and its adjoining track, "Mongonucleosis." "'Searchin' ' is about a young man discovering himself as a person," he says. "'Mongonucleosis' is the celebration of that discovery." According to Pankow, the title is meaningless, though percussionist Mongo Santamaria was one of his favorite Latin artists, and the trombonist did have a bout of mononucleosis as a kid."It's just a fun, upbeat groove." The two contributions from bassist-singer Peter Cetera,"Happy Man" and "Wishing You Were Here", had distinctively different beginnings. Cetera came up with the "Happy Man" lyrics while riding his motorcycle on a Southern California freeway; he sang it into a tape player the following day, then presented it to the band. "Wishing" was composed during the recording sessions, explicitly to bring Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Al Jardine of The Beach Boys into the CHICAGO fold.The BEACH BOYS had just experienced changes in their lineup and had taken on Guercio as their bass player and manager. Guercio made the introductions at Caribou, and once the tape was rolling, according to Parazaider,"Cetera gave them an idea and let them go wild with their style, which they did."

The CHICAGO-BEACH BOYS relationship would later extend to the concert stage, first in the spring of 1975 on the 12-city "Beachago" jag.The two bands would hit the road together again in 1989 and 1997. "Being on the road with them was a real eye-opener," Pankow says. "We would watch them work— from a musicology standpoint, basically analyzing them as musicians to ascertain what gives their music that very identifiable step. Brian Wilson's songs are as good as it gets."

Chicago VII, a stellar mark of diversity within the band's catalog, is also a superb testament to the inspired playing of the band's late guitarist,Terry Kath. A fan of legendary jazz axemen Howard Roberts and Wes Montgomery, Kath used their work as a starting point for the record's jazzier material and on his own "Byblos," the title taken from a Tokyo jazz club where the band had played for a week. "The jazzy songs we just threw at [Kath], and he found it challenging," Lamm says. "We asked him to step up, and he did."

Those songs remained in CHICAGO's repertoire as they went on yet another extensive tour following the album's release.The primary difference from the concerts that preceded the VII sessions, however, was that the hits were back in the show too.

Parazaider remembers: "When we played the jazzier things— extended versions with lots of solos—as long as we also played 'Saturday In The Park,' the kids would freak out. It's pretty wild watching people dance to songs in 7/4 time."
— Phil Gallo

1. Prelude To Aire

(instrumental)

2. Aire

(instrumental)

3. Devil's Sweet

(instrumental)

4. Italian From New York

(instrumental)

5. Hanky Panky

(instrumental)

6. Life Saver

Just when I found myself
Back against the wall
You saved my life
With a telephone call
Far across the sea
The thought of me
I never thought I'd ever see
The happy days you brought to me

Lifesaver
Lifesaver
Lifesaver
Lifesaver
Lifesaver
Lifesaver
Hey lifesaver
Lifesaver
Play on

You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
Do anything for you
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
I'd do anything for you

You're a lifesaver honey
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
You're a lifesaver baby
Do anything for you
Do anything for you

You're a lifesaver honey
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
You're a lifesaver baby
Do anything for you
Do anything for you

You're a lifesaver honey
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
You're a lifesaver baby
Do anything for you
Do anything for you

You're a lifesaver honey
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
You're a lifesaver baby
Do anything for you
Do anything for you

You're a lifesaver honey
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby

7. Happy Man

Merely by chance
Very unsuspected
You caught my heart
Unprotectin' me
Now I'm fallin in love with you

Just when I thought
I was free and easy
You came along
To me soft and breezy
Now I've fallen in love with you
Woo hoo
I've fallen in love with you

And for the first time in my life
I know what it's like to be a happy man
Happy man
And for the first time in my life
You've given me something I can understand
Bein' a happy man

Be with me now
Love me forever
Leavin' you lady
Was something that I'd never do
I've fallen in love with you

All of my life it seems I have waited
Now I can say all these words I have stated untrue
I've fallen in love with you
Woo hoo
Fallen in love with you
Woo hoo

8. (I've Been) Searchin' So Long

As my life goes on I believe
Somehow something's changed
Something deep inside
Ooh a part of me

There's a strange new light in my eyes
Things I've never known
Changin' my life
Changin' me

I've been searchin'
So long
To find an answer
Now I know my life has meaning
Ow oh

Now I see myself as I am
Feeling very free
Life is everything
Ooh it's meant to be
When my tears have come to an end
I will understand
What I left behind
Part of me

I've been searching
So long
To find and answer
Now I know my life has meaning
Woah woah

Searching
Don't you know I'm hell yeah
For an answer
To the question
Oh yeah
For our minds
Baby
Baby it's true
It's only natural
It's only natural baby, yeah
Good things
In life
Take a long time
yeah yeah

9. Mongonucleosis

ok, this is what the words sound like. :)

Que pe chesa
Que pe chesa
Que pe chesa
Que pe chesa

10. Song Of The Evergreens

Listen to the briskly whistling winter evergreen
Whispering through the frozen morning light
And tell me what's to come
Saying my time is near
Never fear
How close each year
I'm winter
Reminding me to trade my t-shirts for my woven wools
Trade my sandals for my skis
Whispered warnings in the wind
Saying soon come the dancing snowflakes
They're kissing every tree
They're kissing you and me
Please hurry
Falling
Dazzling dancing diamonds from the sky
Prisms
Rainbow sparkled flurries in our eyes

Whipping across the frozen crystal metal pines of ice
Race the snow
We'll spend the mornings by our bed
They cuddle close and wine and dine
The setting sun
The morning light will blind those eyes
Shooting down the glistening
Outside
Screaming through the whispering pines
The freedom of each day
Will cleanse our minds
I can hardly wait for winter
I can hardly wait for the snow
I can hardly hardly wait for winter
I can hardly wait for the snow

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow
Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow
Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow
Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow ......

11. Byblos

I saw her once before; she didn't turn me on.
One night she stopped to talk to pass the time.
And then I saw her eyes; her softly smiling glow,
We sat and talked all night at Byblos.
She talked of feelings that I knew were true.
She painted me a picture using ev'ry shade of blue
It was light with laughter, At times it made me cry,
And now I'll never know just why I didn't ever try to hold her;
to squeeze her; to kiss her all night long, I never tried to pleaseher.

Then, soon she had to go;
I sat there all alone
And thought of things she said
The whole day through.
And then I realized,
I never took the time
To find out where she lived
Or where to call.
I thought that I would see
Her the next night,
Anticipating how I'd set myself right.

Then, I went back to Byblos;
I sat there and waited,
Feeling just a little nervous
And a little frustrated.

Then, soon, in she came,looking just the same
Oo, I could hardly wait to take her far from the game.
Then a person came in to the club
that I had to speak to
I explained the situation to her
And i thought she understood
But I guess she thought I was jiving her around
Cause when I looked for her, this is what I found
She was rapping with a real good friend of mine,
He was happening, I guess it was his time.
I really couldn't blame him, cause he was sad and lonely too.
But just talking to her did me so much good, I knew she'd do him good too.
Then I went home and I got it on,
Sat down to write these words when I was finally alone.
And then, about halfway through I wondered if someone knew
where she was, so I could give her a call,
And I found out that she was right down the hall,
Not too far away,
but that's ok, I'll just wait for the day when I can see
her again and spend some time.

12. Wishing You Were Here

Sleepless hours and dreamless nights and far aways
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here
Heaven knows and lord it shows when I'm away
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here

Same old show in a different town on another day
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here
Even though you're far away, you're on my mind
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here

And I'd like to change my life, and you know I would
Just to be with you tonight, baby, if I could
But I've got my job to do, and I do it well,
Change my life) So I guess that's how it is.

Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here

On the road it's a heavy load, but I'll be by
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here
Pay the price, make a sacrifice, and still I'll try
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here

13. Call On Me

The feelin' was clear
Clear as a blue sky on a sunday day
Everything was you
'Cause no one made me feel
The way I felt with you
Call on me 'cause
I love you
You know I do
You love me too

Then came a change
When I said I would soon be leavin' you
Nothin' else to do
Please remember I never lose the thought of you
Call on me 'cause
I love you
You know I do
You love me too

You've got to find
Someone else to somehow take my place
Share his life with you
But if you need a friend
You can always count on me
Count on me 'cause
I love you
You know I do
You love me too

You can count on me oh
You can count on me
You can count on me baby
You can count on me
You can count on me oh
You can count on me
You can count on me baby
You can count on me
You can count on me oh
You can count on me
You can count on me baby
You can count on me
You can count on me oh
You can count on me

14. Women Don't Want To Love Me

Women don't want to love me
She says it makes her cry
Women don't want to love me
That's an alibi
Lovin' gets complicated
You have to want to try
Won't be simply stated
You gotta look for some perfection
You're gonna lose some affection
Cryin' bye

Women don't want to love me
She says she wants to go
Women don't want to love me
She's tired of feelin' low
'Cause lovin gets complicated
Just start with what you know
Won't be simply stated
Fill yourself with emotion
To earn yourself some devotion

Women don't want to love me
She hates to be alone
Women don't want to love me
She hates the telephone
'Cause lovin gets complicated
It's a little bit too fast
Won't be simply stated
We gotta fix this situation
With the final liberation
Of this man

15. Skinny Boy

Ow

Yeah, yeah

When I was a young skinny boy
My momma said to me
The world out there is hot and dirty
Mean as it wants to be
I know there's gonna be times when you're down and out
So listen now kid
Listen now son
I'll tell you what it's all about

You gotta try to keep your head above the water
That's what my momma told me
You gotta try to keep a step ahead of time
And even though you do some things you shouldn't ought to
Shouldn't ought to
If you love your brothers love will come back to you
Love'll come back to you
Love'll come back to you
Love'll come back to you

Live my life in so many ways
To find out who I am
Time's approaching
I really can say
Truly I understand
Got more livin' to do for myself
So run along now
Play along later
Stay up by the shelf
Sing it girls

Gotta try to keep your head above the water
Yes you do yes I do
You gotta try to keep a step ahead of time
Even though you do some things you shouldn't ought to
If you love your sisters love will come back to you
Love'll come back to you
Love'll come back to you

All the world is turnin' to stone
Slowly it will die
But that is something I never will see
I don't know why
Tryin' to take the world the best I can
Might be now
Probably be later
Stand up like a man
hey, hey

Gotta try to keep your head above the water
Yes you do yes you do yes you do
Gotta try to keep a step ahead of time
Even though you do some things you shouldn't ought to
Love your brothers and sisters, love'll come back to you
Love'll come back to you
Love'll come back to you ...

1. Prelude To Aire

2. Aire

3. Devil's Sweet

4. Italian From New York

5. Hanky Panky

6. Life Saver

7. Happy Man

8. (I've Been) Searchin' So Long

9. Mongonucleosis

10. Song Of The Evergreens

11. Byblos

12. Wishing You Were Here

13. Call On Me

14. Women Don't Want To Love Me

15. Skinny Boy

CHICAGO

VII

(1974 / 2002)

Bonus Track