Post by erik on Jan 22, 2022 12:12:26 GMT -5
One of the many memorable 1970's hits from rock's premiere jazz-influenced group is in this week's Pop Music Hits Spotlight.
I’VE BEEN SEARCHIN’ SO LONG (Chicago; CBS; 1974)—Formed in 1967 as the Chicago Transit Authority in the Windy City in 1968, until the umbrage of Mayor Richard Dailey forced them to shorten it just to the city’s name, Chicago became probably the greatest example of a rock band reconnecting rock to big-band jazz, with a fairly sizeable horn and brass section. Although Blood, Sweat, and Tears beat them to the punch in that respect, Chicago’s success, starting in 1970, was quite remarkable, extending well into the 1980’s. Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, and Peter Cetera were the front-line performers, but it was their brass and woodwind players Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, and Walter Parazaider that defined the band’s sound from the beginning. Hits like “25 Or 6 To 4”, “I’m A Man”, and “Make Me Smile” gave them their first Top 40 hits in 1970; and the band’s popularity with listeners and fans far outpaced (and would continue to outpace by a long distance) the critical consensus, which was frequently against them. Most notably, throughout their career, every one of their albums had eponymous titles, with the group’s name followed by a Roman numeral. Again, this didn’t put them in good stead with the critics; but listeners of AM Top 40 and FM rock radio didn’t mind. One of their most unique singles, “I’ve Been Searchin’ So Long”, was recorded at producer James William Guercio’s Caribou Studio complex in Colorado for their album Chicago VII. Incredibly, the song is on an album that, for its first twenty-six minutes, is entirely a jazz instrumental album; and when the song came on, one couldn’t help notice the mix of ARP synthesizers to go along with the mellow brass flourishes alongside Cetera’s lead vocals. Once “I’ve Been Searchin’” came out as a single in April 1974, it was a sizeable hit for the group, hitting #9 on the Hot 100, and #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart, just a month and a half later. It remained a fan favorite even after Cetera left the group in 1985. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016; and on October 16, 2020, they were also given a Lifetime Achievement Grammy from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
I’VE BEEN SEARCHIN’ SO LONG (Chicago; CBS; 1974)—Formed in 1967 as the Chicago Transit Authority in the Windy City in 1968, until the umbrage of Mayor Richard Dailey forced them to shorten it just to the city’s name, Chicago became probably the greatest example of a rock band reconnecting rock to big-band jazz, with a fairly sizeable horn and brass section. Although Blood, Sweat, and Tears beat them to the punch in that respect, Chicago’s success, starting in 1970, was quite remarkable, extending well into the 1980’s. Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, and Peter Cetera were the front-line performers, but it was their brass and woodwind players Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, and Walter Parazaider that defined the band’s sound from the beginning. Hits like “25 Or 6 To 4”, “I’m A Man”, and “Make Me Smile” gave them their first Top 40 hits in 1970; and the band’s popularity with listeners and fans far outpaced (and would continue to outpace by a long distance) the critical consensus, which was frequently against them. Most notably, throughout their career, every one of their albums had eponymous titles, with the group’s name followed by a Roman numeral. Again, this didn’t put them in good stead with the critics; but listeners of AM Top 40 and FM rock radio didn’t mind. One of their most unique singles, “I’ve Been Searchin’ So Long”, was recorded at producer James William Guercio’s Caribou Studio complex in Colorado for their album Chicago VII. Incredibly, the song is on an album that, for its first twenty-six minutes, is entirely a jazz instrumental album; and when the song came on, one couldn’t help notice the mix of ARP synthesizers to go along with the mellow brass flourishes alongside Cetera’s lead vocals. Once “I’ve Been Searchin’” came out as a single in April 1974, it was a sizeable hit for the group, hitting #9 on the Hot 100, and #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart, just a month and a half later. It remained a fan favorite even after Cetera left the group in 1985. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016; and on October 16, 2020, they were also given a Lifetime Achievement Grammy from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.