B-side "Life Saver" Format 7" single Length 4:37 | Released October 1974 Genre Rock Label Columbia | |
"Wishing You Were Here" is a song written by Peter Cetera for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VII (1974), with lead vocals by Terry Kath (uncredited on the original album package), while Cetera sang the song's bridge. The third single released from that album, it reached #11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #9 on the Cash Box Top 100, and hit #1 on the Easy Listening chart.
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Kath and Cetera swap their usual instruments, with Kath on bass and Cetera on guitar. James William Guercio, Chicago's producer at the time, played guitar on the recording as well. Guercio appeared on stage with the band, playing acoustic guitar, when they performed the song on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve to ring in 1975.
The instrumental track for the song had been recorded before Cetera realized it was too low for him to sing, so Kath performed the lead vocal instead.
The Beach Boys' contribution
The Beach Boys were at Caribou Ranch when "Wishing You Were Here" was recorded, and three members of that band — Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson — joined Cetera in singing the harmonies.
The Beach Boys' collaboration with Chicago continued into 1975, where the two bands collaborated for the "Beachago" tour. "Wishing You Were Here," as well as other Chicago songs such as "Feelin' Stronger Every Day," were performed by the two bands together. The bands revived their collaboration for a second "Beachago" tour in 1989, during which they played this song. For the encore of one June 1989 performance, with Kath and Cetera no longer in the band, Beach Boys Mike Love and Carl sang Kath and Cetera's lead vocals, respectively.