Chicago X

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. Chicago X was released on June 14, 1976, to a receptive audience, 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 featured two top forty singles in Robert Lamm's composition, "Another Rainy Day In New York City", which peaked at #32 after a brief run in August 1976 and Peter Cetera's composition, "If You Leave Me Now", which became the band's first number one single in October of that same year. Originally written at the same time as Chicago VII's "Wishing You Were Here", "If You Leave Me Now" 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, and some band members felt the song's success changed the public's perception of the band, leading to more demand from Columbia Records for ballads, though they acknowledged that the band had started moving away from their political oriented music into the mainstream years earlier, beginning with 1972's Chicago V. Lamm and Kath, in particular, were uncomfortable with this turn of events. 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. "You Are On My Mind" was the third single for the album, reaching #49 in April 1977. 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 Danny Seraphine, Walter Parazaider, and Laudir 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. 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 had been performed live since 1976–1977.

Personnel

Production

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)