Chicago (band) 1. Biography. 1.3. Time of transition.

Chicago (band)

1. Biography.

1.3. Time of transition.

1978 was a tragic and transitional year for Chicago. The year began with an acrimonious split with long-time manager James William Guercio (which had actually occurred three months earlier). Then, on January 23, guitarist/singer/songwriter/group co-founder Terry Kath died of an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound. Another version describes Kath's drunken last words to guitar tech Don Johnson: "Don't worry, guys. It isn't even loaded. See?"^[3] Kath was the group's leader onstage, and for many longtime fans, its musical soul. Terry Kath's stunning death could have meant the end for Chicago, but encouraged by friends and admirers such as Doc Severinsen, the group held fast and soldiered on.

After auditioning over 30 potential replacements for Kath, Chicago decided upon guitarist/singer/songwriter Donnie Dacus, who joined the band in April 1978 just in time for the Hot Streets album and its energetic lead-off single "Alive Again", which brought Chicago back to the Top 15. The group was briefly re-energized by Dacus, whose long blond hair and rock star image stage presence seemingly overshadowed his musical abilities. The kinetic Dacus may have been out of character for the normally laid-back Chicago, but he could sing and play, and the band responded by delivering some of their tightest live performances ever. Hot Streets, with producer Phil Ramone now at the helm, was Chicago's first album with an actual title rather than a number and was the band's first LP to have a picture of the band featured prominently on the cover (with the ubiquitous logo downsized,) two moves that were seen by many as a way to indicate the band had changed following Kath's death. To a degree, the band returned to the old naming scheme on its subsequent releases, although most titles would now bear Arabic numerals rather than Roman numerals. The release of Hot Streets also marked a move somewhat away from the jazz-rock direction favored by Kath and towards more pop songs and ballads. Dacus didn't last long, only staying with the band through the 1979 album Chicago 13 (Dacus is also featured in a promotional video on the DVD included in the Rhino Records Chicago box set from 2003). 13, again produced by Phil Ramone, was the group's first studio album not to contain a Top 40 hit.

1980's Chicago XIV, produced by Tom Dowd, relegated the horn section to the background on a number of tracks, and the album's two singles failed to make the Top 40. Production values were spare, perhaps due to the lean, stripped-down New Wave music that was popular at the time. Chris Pinnick handled the guitar duties and came close to the "Kath sound," but did not sing. He would remain with the band through 1985. Believing the band to no longer be commercially viable, Columbia Records dropped them from its roster in 1981 and released a second "Greatest Hits" volume later that year to fulfill its contractual obligation.

The second major phase of the band's career took off in late 1981 with a new producer (David Foster), a new label (Warner Brothers), and the addition of keyboardist/guitarist/singer Bill Champlin and guitarist Chris Pinnick (who had played on XIV and subsequent tour); percussionist Laudir de Oliveira also departed at this time along with former Buckingham and sax player Marty Grebb, who had joined the group briefly for the XIV tour.

Foster brought in studio musicians for some of the tracks on Chicago 16 (including the core members of Toto), and Chicago once again topped the charts with the single "Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away". This was followed up by a song that barely missed the top 20, "Love Me Tomorrow." The following album, Chicago 17, became the biggest selling album of the band's history, producing two more Top Ten singles ("You're the Inspiration" and "Hard Habit to Break") (both #3 hits) and two other singles ("Stay the Night" (#16) and "Along Comes a Woman" (#14). Peter's brother, Kenny Cetera, was brought into the group for the 17 tour to add percussion and high harmony vocals.

Lead vocalist Peter Cetera's desire to record a second solo album (he'd done his first one in 1981) and not continue with the band's gruelling tour schedule caused him to leave Chicago in 1985. Although other band members (including Lamm and Champlin) have released solo material, Cetera has proved the most successful, topping the pop charts with The Karate Kid, Part II theme song "Glory of Love," and also with Amy Grant on "The Next Time I Fall". Two more songs, a 1988 solo hit called "One Good Woman" (#4 U.S.) and a 1989 duet with Cher called "After All" (#6 U.S.) reached the Top Ten.