CHICAGO 1975

Jul. '75 - Old Days / Hide Away - Apr. '75 Chart Position 5

Oct. '75 - Brand New Love Affair / Hideaway - Chart Position 61

Tired is a word that comes up a fair amount when the members of CHICAGO look back on the September 1974 sessions that became Chicago VIII.
In the four years prior, they had spent more time on the road than at home, performing in Thailand, Japan, Denmark, Greece, and other locales far from their Los Angeles base. In 1972 the band played 16 countries in 20 days. In 1975, after the release of VIII, the band's popularity only continued to soar; they did a week-long run at New York's MADISON SQUARE GARDEN and set the house record at CHICAGO STADIUM.
But by the time they arrived at then-manager James William Guercio's CARIBOU RANCH studio in early August 1974, the musicians in CHICAGO were feeling the strain of being one of the biggest acts in pop music. "The schedule was so rigorous," trombonist James Pankow says, "that it was emotionally and physically challenging just to put material together."
The songs that began to emerge, though, went over just fine with fans. The album itself went #1 within three weeks of its March 1975 release, making it the band's fourth chart-topping LP. Not only that, but all of CHICAGO's records resurfaced in BILLBOARD, and by year's end they had registered worldwide sales of 20 million copies. "Those days were so extremely creative," Pankow notes. "We were real ripe in terms of keeping the creative juices flowing."
The relentlessly touring CHICAGO had become masters of the studio as well. By 1975 each member of the band had contributed material, making it more of a democracy when it came time to select tracks to record. Songs would arrive in different stages — Pankow.for example, wrote "Old Days" in New York, while on the road and at Caribou — and then be altered as various band members added their own touches. "VIII was a continuation of getting really good at how we made records," keyboardist and singer Robert Lamm says, summing up the album's strength. "It's really subtle."
Trumpeter Lee Loughnane adds, "We were honing our skills through the recording process. We were really learning to listen intently to each other, record one generation of brass, and then figure out what to do for the second generation of brass [on an overdub]."
But while they were learning and mastering the CHICAGO sound, they were also paying a price.
"We would jump from a tour to recording at the ranch, and maybe get a day to see the wife and kids," woodwind player Walter Parazaider recalls. "That was the reality of the situation.There was a lot of hard work, and we didn't think about it—we just did it."
Lamm, who had contributed the lion's share of songs to the group's repertoire, felt he was in a bit of a songwriting slump. "Harry Truman" came from Lamm spending a lot of time listening to the work of Randy Newman, and, when absorbed with "Old Days" and "Long Time No See", there's a distinct nostalgic air that hangs over VIII. Lamm recalls that those songs — along with the previous long-player's "Wishing You Were Here" — suggest "there was a certain longing to have a life other than the one we were living. Maybe we were missing time."
The individual tracks themselves are in many ways an extension of the pop-rock material that comprised Chicago VI. (VII was a two-LP set with two sides of jazz-flavored instrumentals). Oddly enough, VIII is the first CHICAGO record to feature a handful of tunes without horns. The band was now establishing itself as a rock 'n' roll force, showing the world — as they had on the previous five studio releases — that there was not a single musical genre they'd shy away from. The album's opener, "Anyway You Want", is an R&B burner; "Hideaway" takes its main riff from MOUNTAIN's "Mississippi Queen" and presents Peter Cetera's voice in a rare hard-rock vehicle; and "Oh, Thank You Great Spirit" finds guitarist Terry Kath seemingly paying tribute to Jimi Hendrix, who had been an early fan of the band and Kath in particular — the track even includes a snippet of Hendrix's "Purple Haze".
Softening the tone a bit are the string arrangements, handled by Patrick Williams, the film composer and arranger who would later work on Billy Joel's multimillion-selling The Stranger and Frank Sinatra's Duets projects. And while most of CHICAGO's songs during that time were delivered by a single singer, Cetera and Kath experimented by alternating the lead lines on "Ain't It Blue ?" (This multivocalist approach would become much more prominent on CHICAGO's 1980s records.)
"I think style is everything," Pankow says. "There are a lot of enormously gifted people who make music, but it's the ones with style who rise above. We prided ourselves on being able to make records that sound like the band live. All of our records were chronicles of where we were at at that time. In the long run, it makes it that much easier to play these songs live in any situation."
Pankow had a hefty role on VIII, handling the band's horn arrangements as usual, but he also stepped up to the plate — along with bandmates Lamm, Cetera, and Kath — to deliver songs. As a nonsinger, Pankow would need to stage what he terms "sing-offs" to determine who would take the lead on his compositions. He would choose Kath to handle "Brand New Love Affair - Part I & II". "When Terry sang "Brand New Love Affair" he added an earthy voice to the lush, sweet sounding track," Pankow says. "To me,Terry Kath was, at his best, a white Ray Charles. Ray was one of his favorite stylists, and it really shows [on this recording]. It was magical and remains of my favorite things [in our catalog]."
Pankow's "Old Days", a live staple for decades, had a different gestation period. "Peter [Cetera] hated the lyrics about Howdy Doody," Pankow recalls. "He says, ' I'm not singing it that way in concert. It dates us.' "Old Days" celebrates my childhood and all the imagery from those days. Perhaps it did date us, but when the band heard it, they all said, 'That's a hit song.' " And it was. When "Old Days" was released as a single in April 1975, it became the album's biggest track, reaching #5 on the BILLBOARD Pop chart. Other fan favorites would include "Harry Truman" (#13) and another Pankow composition, "Brand New Love Affair — Part I & II" (#61).
Along with the new album and string of hits, CHICAGO were also cultivating a creative relationship with another popular band. Prior to the recording of VIII, their producer-manager, James William Guercio, had become manager and bassist for The BEACH BOYS. Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Al Jardine had contributed background vocals on Vll's "Wishing You Were Here", and one can even feel a bit of 1970s BEACH BOYS influence in Lamm's "Never Been In Love Before", on VIII. (The California boys would later repay the debt with a very CHICAGO-inspired horn section on "Still Cruisin'"). The two groups would make their inaugural tour together in the summer after VIII, using their joint performances to support the "Get Out The Vote" program. More than 700,000 fans saw the double bill, which consisted of just 12 shows.
"We had the Midas touch," Pankow says."It was an ongoing miracle."
— Phil Gallo

1. Anyway You Want

Anyway you want me
It's alright with me
Anything you want
It's alright with me

Know that I love you
Know that I need you
Anyway you want
It's alright with me

Baby let me love you
Do what I want to do
Anyway you want
It's alright with me
Feels so good

Know that I love you
Know that I need you
Anyway you want
It's alright with me

Anyway you want
It's alright with me
Anyway you want
It's alright with me

Anyway you want
It's alright with me
Anyway you want
Woah now
It's alright it's alright
Baby now
It's alright it's alright
Baby let me tell you
Yeah yeah
Yeah Yeah
It's alright it's alright it's alright
It's alright it's alright it's alright ...

2. Brand New Love Affair ( Part I and II )

Wish I knew what was going wrong
Seems so very long since we laughed together
It's no good to be all alone
When you hurt a friend
And you both feel empty
What I'd give to erase the pain
Will we ever make friends
Is it over or shall we try again
For a brand new love affair

Seems to me
We are both afraid
That our love may fade and we just won't make it
Maybe soon we'll be friends again
Find ourselves and then
Really make it happen
What I'd give to erase the pain
Will we every make friends
Is it over or shall we try again
For a brand new love affair

Start all over again
And do it up the right way
Come together my friend
And celebrate the new day

I can hardly believe
How much I really love you baby
All our tomorrows will be
A love affair with you my lady

3. Never Been In Love Before

I've never been in love before
Not like this you taught me more
How among myself will I
Lift up on myself and cry
'Cause I thought I could not give
My thought would not let me live
How my feeling disappeared

You are lovely reason I
Am alive you satisfy
All my senses and you give
Me the confidence to grow
In a thousand different ways
Happy just to spend the days
Of my lifetime by your side

I want to be
Everything that I can
I want so much
To be more of a man
I want to grow
I want to know you better
Each day I'll try
To love you
'Cause I've never been in love before

You have a friend for life in me
If we ever disagree
If you have to go away
I will set you free with time
'Cause your hapiness is mine
May our light forever shine
When you always feel free

I want to be
Everything that I can
I want so much
To be more of a man

I want to live
I want to give my lifetime
Each day I'll try
To love you
'Cause I've never been in love before

4. Hideaway

You know I gotta go
Got to find a place
Get away
From the human race
Find a place where the air is clear
On a sunny day, sunny day
I got to find
A Hideaway, hideaway

Hideaway
Hideaway
Hideaway
Hideaway

You know I gotta leave
Got to find a place, any place
Get away
From the city pace, city pace
I gotta go out where the air is fresh and clear
On a sunny day, sunny day
And I got to find
A hideway, yeah yeah

5. Till We Meet Again

I want to share the love that fills my being
If your willing
Come along
Take of me this evening and this love
If you're lonely
Come let's be
There's no time for shyness
How fast night turns to day
Let's just light love's fire
And lay embraced till it burns away
Kiss goodbye and journey on to new loves
Keep your own love
Till we meet again

6. Harry Truman

America needs you
Harry Truman
Harry could you please come home
Things are looking bad
I know you would be mad
To see what kind of men
Prevail upon the land you love

America's wondering
How we got here
Harry all we get is lies
We're gettin' safer cars
Rocket ships to mars
From men who'd sell us out
To get themselves a piece of power

We'd love to hear you speak your mind
In plain and simple ways
Call a spade a spade
Like you did back in the day
You would play piano
Each morning walk a mile
Speak of what was going down
Eith honesty and style

America's calling
Harry Truman
Harry you know what to do
The world is turnin' round and losin' lots of ground
Oh Harry is there something we can do to save the land we love
Oh woah woah woah

America's calling
Harry Truman
Harry you know what to do
The world is turnin' round
And losin' lots of ground
So Harry is there something we can do to save the land we love
Oh
Harry is there something we can do to save the land we love
Harry
Harry is there something we can do to save the land we love

7. Oh Thank You Great Spirit

Pulling myself out of a dead sleep
With the impression of the dream still fresh in my mind
Before I'm even awake, the words, the music were complete

I woke up that mornin'
Feelin' so rested and young
My mind was clear of all the problems
That been hasslin' my head
I couldn't quite understand why
I felt so fine
I felt so free
So beyond it all
As I turned towards the bed
I understood as all came clear

As I turned towards the bed
I understood as all came clear

I saw myself lyin' there
Didn't have a care
Piece of mind was finally mine
Now free to fly
Into the blue sky
Oh great spirit
Fly away
Oh great spirit
Just fly
Fly
Oh fly away

8. Long Time No See

What you been doin, ain't you got no one
Where you been keepin' yourself my friend

Have you been hidin' underground writin'
Foolin' yourself in your special way

Where's your old lady
She was a nice girl
Maybe it's best that she went away

You will be losin' nothing can change you
Hapiness spits in your face always

Where are you going, what will you see there
You never learn nothin' by runnin' away

What you been doin, ain't you got no one
Where you been keepin' yourself my friend

Lonliness growin' Emptiness showin'
Finding your peace two or three times a day
three times a day

9. Ain't It Blue?

Done the things I said I would
Some of them were pretty good
Suddenly they changed the game
I only know it's not the same no more
I don't know what to do the rules I knew

Ain't it sad
Ain't it sad
Ain't it true
Ain't it true
Ain't it blue
Ain't it blue

The life i live is pretty nice
Of course I had to pay a price
Lots of folks depend on me
Erase all kinds of slavery
I don't know what to do the rules I knew

Ain't it sad
Ain't it sad
Ain't it true
Ain't it true
Ain't it blue
Ain't it blue
Ain't it blue

Sometimes I want to walk away
I felt like that just yesterday
But when this song is in my head
I try my best 'till I'm dead and gone
I don't know what to do the rules I knew

Ain't it sad
Ain't it sad
Ain't it true
Ain't it true
Ain't it blue
Ain't it blue
Ain't it blue

10. Old Days

Old days
Good times I remember
Fun days
Filled with ship of pleasure
Drive-in movies
Comic books and blue jeans
Howdy Doody
Baseball cards and birthdays
Please take me back
To the world gone away
Memories
Seem like yesterday

Old days
Good times I remember
Gold days
Days I'll always treasure
Funny faces
Full of love and laughter
Funny places
Summer nights and streetcars
Take me back
To the world gone away
Our good memories
Seem like yesterday

Old days ...

1. Anyway You Want

2. Brand New Love Affair ( Part I and II )

3. Never Been In Love Before

4. Hideaway

5. Till We Meet Again

6. Harry Truman

7. Oh Thank You Great Spirit

8. Long Time No See

9. Ain't It Blue?

10. Old Days

CHICAGO

VIII

(1975)
RHINO • Special Edition 2002

Bonus Tracks