The best of Chicago

There are hits and hits and many more hits out of the ’70s and the group that produced many of them was Chicago. Far more than Bread or the Carpenters or America, it is the sound of Chicago that best exemplifies the white soul sound encompassing various music types that rose out of the period. Chicago played everything – rock, R&B, jazz, reggae and others. Their music proved to be so popular that the release of every album, simply titled Chicago and One, Two, Three and whatever number came next, was always a major event in the music industry. And the albums kept on coming. Truth to tell, if there was one stabilizing factor out of that turbulent time, it was the music of Chicago, which just kept on coming and coming and coming.

It has been 35 years since Chicago was introduced with the song Questions 67 and 68 and the band is now considered the most successful American rock band of all time, after of course, The Beach Boys. If the UK has The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, it is The Beach Boys and Chicago in the US. Not only that – the use of the horn section in rock and roll recordings, which the group pioneered, was picked up by other groups like Earth, Wind & Fire, The Commodores, Air Supply and others. In fact, the Chicago style remains in use by many pop acts up to now. If a producer wants a soaring, symphonic sound for a love song, they get a piano-based arrangement with lots of blowing just like Chicago.

While the faces of the members remain unfamiliar – only Peter Cetera made it as a soloist it can still be rightly said that the music of Chicago has stood the test of time. Chicago music is a happy one that never fails to bring smiles to listeners. Radio stations continue to play their hits. Thanks to television, kids today are swooning over I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love from the album Chicago 19. And with the current preoccupation with all things ’70s there is definitely more interest in Chicago songs by old and new fans. This fact is even more evident with the release of The Chicago Story, Complete Greatest Hits. Everything we remember from the group’s early days and more are in the album and it is indeed one of the best collections ever put together.

There are 39 Chicago hits included in the collection. Among these are If You Leave Me Now, Hard to Say I’m Sorry, You’re the Inspiration, Hard Habit to Break, Baby, What a Big Surprise, Look Away, What Kind of Man Would I Be? Love Me Tomorrow, I Don’t Wanna Leave Without Your Love, Just You ‘n’ Me, Happy Man, Wishing You Were Here, Colour My World, I’m a Man, Beginnings, Feeling Stronger Every Day, You Come to My Senses, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?, Saturday in the Park, Stay the Night, Old Days, Feelin’ Stronger Everyday and Make Me Smile.

The Chicago albums now number 26. The last one is Chicago 26: Live in Concert from 1999. It has been quite a while since this was released but that does not mean that the days of Chicago are over. The group – whoever remains out of the original members or an entirely new band with the same sound and using the same name – can surely come up with the new recording at any moment. Maybe the greatest hits collection can be labelled number 27. Then there will be "Chicago 28," 29, 30, and so on.

Chicago today is made up of original members Robert Lamm on vocals, keyboards and percussions; Lee Loughnane on trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion and vocals; James Pankow on trombone, percussion and vocals; Walter Parazaider on woodwinds, percussion and vocals; plus later recruits Bill Champlin on vocals, keyboards and guitar; Da Wayne Bailey on Guitar and vocals; Tris Imboden on drums and harmonica; and Keith Howland on guitar.

The Greatest Hits

I goofed: I gave the wrong dates for The Greatest Hits concert starring the Three Kings of Manila Sound, Rico J. Puno, Rey Valera and Hajji Alejandro in Monday’s column. The show will be held at the Music Museum at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, Saturday, Oct. 5 and Saturday, Oct. 19. Get your tickets now.