This is my tribute to a highly respected band – Chicago. I specifically gravitated towards their earlier aggressive Terry Kath jazz-rock era as per my CD albums below. To me, Terry Kath was the undisputed raw guts of Chicago.
I love their coordinated thematic album covers with the “Chicago” logo in various designs and naming their earlier album titles in Roman numerals. Chicago thinks long-term!
Formed in 1967, Chicago describe themselves as a “rock and roll band with horns”.
To me, Chicago is a “serious band”, akin to The Band. Where every band member is an accomplished musician.
Chicago is one of the longest-running and most successful rock groups, and one of the world’s best-selling groups of all time, having sold more than 100 million records.
My Chicago CD Collection (above image). I love their elaborate “Chicago” themed album cover variations – silver bar (II), American flag (III), wood (V), leather (VII), chocolate (X), etc.
The iconic “Chicago” logo, said to be inspired by the “Coca Cola” logo, was designed by the art director of Columbia/CBS Records, John Berg. Subsequent album graphic artworks is realised by the genius of Nick Fasciano.
All the Chicago early album releases are double or triple albums. Too pricey for this school boy when the albums were first released in the early 1970s. No question (67 and 68, song title pun), Chicago is a prolific band. Admittedly the songs were also too “complex” for my then formative academic mind.
It was only in my later years that I made my acquisitions of these hefty Chicago albums, better late than never. I even have two versions of the landmark “Chicago At Carnegie Hall” (IV) album.
My favourite Chicago album is their “Greatest Hits” album. A close second favourite album is “Chicago presents the innovative guitar of Terry Kath”. The third favourite album would be their first album (a double album!), “Chicago Transit Authority”.
Once, upon seeing Terry Kath perform at a Chicago concert, Jimi Hendrix quipped “that guitar player is better than me” and described Kath as “the best guitarist in the universe”.
I especially loved the Chicago songs featuring Terry Kath’s gruff vocals and virtuoso guitar masterworks. Akin to Fleetwood Mac albums where I gravitated to Christine McVie’s compositions.
My favourite Chicago song, alas, is not from any of their albums. It is the poignant 7:42 minute epic, “Tell Me (about the sun)” from the 1973 motorcycle movie, “Electra Glide In Blue”, produced and directed by James William Guercio. The song is sung by Terry Kath. The sad and shocking movie ending is akin to that of “Easy Rider”, both involving death on the road. Go watch both iconic movies.
I share with you the poignant lyrics (sadly still relevant today, if not more) below:
“Tell me about the sun
Tell me about the rain
Tell me about the fields
Tell me about the plains”
“Will they come again
I don’t know
Will they ever come again
I don’t know”
“God above, is there not anything that we might do
To try and make this world of ours a better place for me and you?”
“Tell me about man
Tell me so I can understand
Tell me somebody all about wars
Please try and tell me just how much more”
“Oh pray, it’s not too late
Oh no
Please everybody, everybody, everybody pray it’s not too late
It’s not too late”.
James William Guercio, Chicago’s manager and producer, is the owner of the legendary Caribou Ranch recording studio, a converted barn in a 4,000-acre ranch property in the Rocky Mountains. It was where iconic best-selling albums and songs were recorded – Elton John’s “Caribou”, “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” and “Rock of the Westies” albums, America’s “Hideaway” album amongst countless other albums by Chicago, Beach Boys, Supertramp, Rod Stewart, Billy Joel, Carole King, Stephen Stills, Waylon Jennings, Badfinger, Earth, Wind & Fire, Amy Grant, Rick Derringer, Joe Walsh, Dan Fogelberg, Return to Forever etc. were also recorded at Caribou Ranch.
James William Guercio is to Chicago, what Bob Gaudio is to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Crucial great producers for the two great iconic bands.
In 2020, Chicago received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2016, the original members of Chicago was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
