Chicago X

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For other uses, see Chicago 10 (disambiguation).

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Chicago X
Chicago - Chicago X.jpg
Studio album by Chicago
Released June 14, 1976 (1976-06-14)
Recorded September 1975, March - April 1976, at Caribou Ranch, Nederland, CO
Genre Rock
Length 38:12
Label Columbia
Producer James William Guercio
Chicago chronology
Chicago IX – Chicago's Greatest Hits
(1975)Chicago IX – Chicago's Greatest Hits1975		 Chicago X
(1976)		 Chicago XI
(1977)Chicago XI1977
Singles from Chicago X
  1. "Another Rainy Day in New York City"
    Released: June 1976
  2. "If You Leave Me Now"
    Released: July 1976
  3. "You Are on My Mind"
    Released: March 1977
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 3/5 stars[1]

Chicago X is the eigth studio album, and tenth album overall, by the American band Chicago and was released on June 14, 1976. The album is notable for its soulfulness, and it ended up being a turning point in the band's career thanks to one song.

Background

After recording Chicago VIII in a state of exhaustion, Chicago did not return to the studio until the spring of 1976, feeling refreshed after a substantial break away. While making Chicago X, the band felt satisfied that they were making a solid record, yet the feeling — especially with producer James William Guercio — was that there might be a paucity of hits on the album. Robert Lamm's "Another Rainy Day in New York City", Terry Kath's "Once or Twice" and James Pankow's "You Are on My Mind" were strong enough to be singles, but Guercio was keen to include Peter Cetera's composition, "If You Leave Me Now" - originally written at the same time as Chicago VII's "Wishing You Were Here" - on Chicago X.[2] The song was one of the very last to be completed and, according to reports, was very nearly left off the final product. Band member Walter Parazaider has been quoted as saying he heard the song on the radio while cleaning his pool and initially thought "it sounded like McCartney," not realizing it was his own band's work. The song became the band's first no. 1 hit in the US and UK, it changed the public's perception of Chicago, leading to more demand from Columbia Records for Cetera ballads. Lamm and Kath, in particular, were uncomfortable with this turn of events, and it led to a growing dissatisfaction with Guercio's control over the band, contributing to his 1977 dismissal.

Chicago X was released on June 14, 1976, to a receptive audience, especially after "If You Leave Me Now" had become such a big worldwide hit, giving Chicago their first UK chart album in years (no. 21), though it missed no. 1 in the US, resting at no. 3. The album is also notable for the lead vocal debut of trombonist James Pankow. Different band singers tried "You Are On My Mind", but Pankow felt they were not nailing it the way he heard it, so producer Guercio said, "You sing it," and that effort landed on the final album. Trumpet player Lee Loughnane also contributed a lead vocal for his song "Together Again", and both Pankow and Loughnane contributed lead vocals for the Chicago XI follow-up. "You Get It Up" was sung by the entire band in unison — thus the album's atypical crediting of Seraphine, Parazaider, and de Oliveira with "vocals".

In early 1977, Chicago X won three Grammy awards; two were for "If You Leave Me Now" and one for John Berg's trademark artwork, which resembled a Hershey bar this time out. They were also nominated for Album of the Year, but lost to Stevie Wonder's classic Songs in the Key of Life.

In 2002, Chicago X was remastered and reissued by Rhino Records with an early rendition of Chicago XIV's "I'd Rather Be Rich" by Lamm, as well as Kath's "Your Love's An Attitude" — both cut in 1975 — as bonus tracks.

For the summer 2007 tour, the band included "You Are on My Mind" with Pankow again on vocals — the first time this song has been performed live since 1976–1977.

Track listing

Side One
No. Title Writer(s) Vocals Length
1. "Once or Twice"   Kath Kath 3:01
2. "You Are on My Mind"   Pankow Pankow 3:24
3. "Skin Tight"   Pankow Cetera 3:20
4. "If You Leave Me Now"   Cetera Cetera 3:58
5. "Together Again"   Loughnane Loughnane 3:53
6. "Another Rainy Day in New York City"   Lamm Cetera 3:03
Side Two
No. Title Writer(s) Vocals Length
7. "Mama Mama"   Cetera Cetera 3:31
8. "Scrapbook"   Lamm Lamm 3:28
9. "Gently I'll Wake You"   Lamm Lamm 3:36
10. "You Get It Up"   Lamm Cetera/Kath/Lamm/Loughnane/de Oliveira/Pankow/Parazaider/Seraphine 3:34
11. "Hope for Love"   Kath Kath 3:04

Personnel

Chicago
Additional personnel

Production

  • Produced by James William Guercio
  • Engineered by Wayne Tarnowski
  • Assistant Engineer – Tom Likes
  • Strings recorded by Armin Steiner at Sound Labs (Hollywood, CA)
  • Mastered by Doug Sax
  • Album Cover Concept – John Berg
  • Logo Design – Nick Fasciano
  • Candy Bar Photo – Columbia Records Photo Studio
  • Inside Photography – Reid Miles

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1976 Pop Albums 3

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1976 Another Rainy Day in New York City Pop Singles 32
1976 Another Rainy Day in New York City Adult Contemporary 2
1976 If You Leave Me Now Pop Singles 1
1976 If You Leave Me Now Adult Contemporary 1
1977 You Are on My Mind Pop Singles 49

References

  1. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r3853/review
  2. ↑ http://www.humbleandfredradio.com/listen-to-humble-and-fred/2015/09/peter-cetera-september-28.html
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