Length 45:16 | Release date 10 July 1972 | |
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Released July 10, 1972 (1972-07-10) Similar Chicago albums, Jazz fusion albums | ||
Chicago V is the fourth studio album by American rock band Chicago and was released in 1972. It is notable for being the group's first single album release, after having released three consecutive double albums and a box set of live material.
Contents
History
Following the release of Chicago III in 1971, the group changed from producing double albums, with many songs arranged in extended suites, in favor of more concise tracks on a single album. Chicago V is also notable for Robert Lamm's prolific songwriting; eight out of its ten tunes are composed solely by him. Terry Kath wrote and sang the album's final track "Alma Mater", which showcased his acoustic guitar abilities and although bassist Peter Cetera didn't contribute any compositions to the album, he still sang and played bass, even using a wah-wah pedal on his bass on "While the City Sleeps"; this would be the last album to not have any compositions from Cetera during his tenure in the band. The song "A Hit by Varèse" is a tribute to French-American composer Edgard Varèse.
Recorded just before Chicago at Carnegie Hall was released in late 1971, Chicago V was cut in just over a week and held over for release until the following summer. Released shortly before the album, the single "Saturday in the Park" was the band's biggest hit to that point, reaching #3 in the US. Chicago V was critically acclaimed and became the biggest hit album of 1972, becoming Chicago's first #1 album and spending nine weeks atop the charts in the US. In the UK, the release managed to reach #24. The follow-up single "Dialogue (Part I & II)" (#24) also became a Top 30 hit in the US.
In 2002, Chicago V was remastered and reissued by Rhino Records with three bonus tracks: a rehearsal of Lamm's "A Song for Richard and His Friends", which was debuted at Carnegie Hall, an early rehearsal of Kath's "Mississippi Delta City Blues" (which would later be re-recorded and released on Chicago XI), and a single edit of "Dialogue".
On August 17, 2011, Warner Japan released this album as a hybrid stereo-multichannel Super Audio CD in their Warner Premium Sound series.
Bonus track (2002 re-issue)
- "A Song for Richard and His Friends (Studio version without vocals)" (Lamm) – 8:15
- "Mississippi Delta City Blues (First recorded version with scratch vocal)" (Kath) – 5:28
- "Dialogue (Part I & II) (Single edit)" (Lamm) – 5:02
Personnel
Production
Charts
Album
Single
Songs
1A Hit by Varèse4:54
2All Is Well3:46
3Now That You've Gone5:01