Discography

News


Chicago further pushed the bounds of contemporary music with this incredibly diverse double album. Cited for its jazz excursions, Chicago VII brilliantly incorporated elements of folk, balladry, and Beach Boys-inspired pop.

Original Tracks
Click song for Lyrics

  1. Prelude To Aire (2:47)
    (Danny Seraphine)

  2. Aire (6:28)
    (Danny Seraphine / Walter Parazaider / James Pankow)

  3. Devil's Sweet (10:09)
    (Danny Seraphine / Walter Parazaider)

  4. Italian From New York (4:14)
    (Robert Lamm)

  5. Hanky Panky (1:53)
    (Robert Lamm)

  6. Life Saver (5:18)
    (Robert Lamm)

  7. Happy Man (3:16)
    (Peter Cetera)

  8. (I've Been) Searchin' So Long (4:28)
    (James Pankow)

  9. Mongonucleosis (3:27)
    (James Pankow)

  10. Song Of The Evergreens (5:21)
    (Terry Kath)

  11. Byblos (6:20)
    (Terry Kath)

  12. Wishing You Were Here (4:37)
    (Peter Cetera)

  13. Call On Me (4:03)
    (Lee Loughnane)

  14. Woman Don't Want To Love Me (4:36)
    (Robert Lamm)

  15. Skinny Boy (5:17)
    (Robert Lamm)

Bonus Track on Rhino Re-issue:
Click song for Lyrics

  1. Byblos (Rehearsal) (5:42)
    (Terry Kath)


Chart Information:

Chicago VII - March 1974 LP Chart Position #1

  • Call On Me / Prelude To Aire
    - Columbia Single #4-46062 (May 31, 1974)
    - Hot 100 Chart Position #6
    - Easy Listening Chart Position #1
  • Wishing You Were Here / Life Saver
    - Columbia Single #3-10049 (October 1974)
    - Hot 100 Chart Position #11
    - Easy Listening Chart Position #1
  • (I've Been) Searchin' So Long [edit] / Byblos
    - Columbia Single #4-46020 (February 21, 1974)
    - Hot 100 Chart Position #9
    - Easy Listening Chart Position #8

Band Members:

Peter Cetera: bass, vocals
Danny Seraphine: drums
Robert Lamm: melotron, keyboard, fender rhodes, ARP synthesizer, clavinet, piano, vocals
Lee Loughnane: trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals
Terry Kath: guitar, bells, vocals
Walter Parazaider: flute, soprano sax, tenor sax
James Pankow: trombone
Laudir Soares DeOliviera: percussion, congas

Additional Musicians:

David J. Wolinski on Devil's Sweet, Byblos: ARP synthesizer, melotron
James William Guercio on Happy Man, Song Of The Evergreens: acoustic guitar, bass
Jimmie Haskell on (I've Been) Searchin' So Long: strings
Wayne Tarnowski on Song Of The Evergreens: piano
Guille Garcia on Byblos: congas

Additional vocals on Wishing You Were Here: Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson

Additional vocals on Skinny Boy: The Pointer Sisters

Original Production Notes:

All compositions (c) 1974 Big Elk Music (ASCAP)

Produced by James William Guercio
Engineered by Wayne Tarnowski & Jeff Guercio
Mixed by Phil Ramone
Strings recorded by Armin Steiner at Sound Labs, Hollywood, CA
Recorded & Mixed at Caribou Ranch, Nederland, CO (August-December 1973)
Cover Design: John Berg & Nick Fasciano
Photography: Irve Kuusik
Lettering: Doris Halle

Brass Arrangements on Italian From New York by James Pankow & Robert Lamm
Brass Arrangements on Woman Don't Want To Love Me by James Pankow

Optional Party Background Noises on Mononucleosis:
Camelia Ortiz, Hank Steiger, Bobbi Roen, Julie Nini, Diane Nini

Devil's Sweet dedicated to Jo and Elvin Jones for their inspiration

The Pointer Sisters appear courtesy of Blue Thumb Records

Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson appear courtesy of Warner Brothers Records

Rhino Production Notes:

A&R/Project Supervision: Lee Loughnane, David McLees & Gary Peterson
Audio Supervision: Jeff Magid
Remastering: David Donnelly at DNA Studios, Studio City, CA
Bonus Selection Mixed by: David Donnelly & Jeff Magid at DNA Studios, Studio City, CA
Product Manager: Mike Engstrom
Liner Notes Coordination: Tim Scanlin
Editorial Supervision: Cory Frye
Editorial Research: Steven Chean
Art Direction & Design: Maria Villar
Additional Photos: London Features International (USA) LTD
Project Assistance: Bob O'Neill, Ingrid K. Olson, April Milek, Steve Woolard & Randy Perry
Special Thanks: Emily Simon, Bob Emmer, Lynda Lou Bouch, Laurie Gorman, Malinda Ramirez, David Millman, Nina Avramides, Debbie Aronofsky, Lisa Thomas & Steve Brumbach

Representation:
HK Management
Howard Kaufman & Peter Schivarelli
9200 Sunset Blvd. #530
Los Angeles, CA 90069

Original Issue Columbia #C2-32810, March 1974
Rhino Records Re-issue Date:  November 6, 2002
Rhino Selection #76177

Top of Page

THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT SECURED.

Lyrics:

1) Prelude To Aire - Danny Seraphine

*Instrumental*

2) Aire - D. Seraphine - W. Parazaider - J. Pankow

*Instrumental*

3) Devil's Sweet - D. Seraphine - W. Parazaider

*Instrumental*

4) Italian From New York - Robert Lamm

*Instrumental*

5) Hanky Panky - Robert Lamm

*Instrumental*

Top of Page

6) Life Saver - Robert Lamm

Just when I found myself
Back against the wall
You saved my life
With a telephone call
Far across the sea
The thought of me
I never thought I'd ever see
The happy days you brought to me

Lifesaver
Lifesaver
Lifesaver
Lifesaver
Lifesaver
Lifesaver
Hey lifesaver
Lifesaver
Play on

You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
Do anything for you
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
I'd do anything for you

You're a lifesaver honey
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
You're a lifesaver baby
Do anything for you
Do anything for you

You're a lifesaver honey
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
You're a lifesaver baby
Do anything for you
Do anything for you

You're a lifesaver honey
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
You're a lifesaver baby
Do anything for you
Do anything for you

You're a lifesaver honey
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby
You're a lifesaver baby
Do anything for you
Do anything for you

You're a lifesaver honey
You're a lifesaver honey
I'm a lot braver too
I'm a lot braver too
You're a lifesaver baby

Top of Page

7) Happy Man - Peter Cetera

Merely by chance
Very unsuspected
You caught my heart
Unprotectin' me
Now I'm fallin' in love with you

Just when I thought
I was free and easy
You came along
To me soft and breezy
Now I've fallen in love with you
Woo hoo
I've fallen in love with you

And for the first time in my life
I know what it's like to be a happy man
Happy man
And for the first time in my life
You've given me something I can understand
Bein' a happy man

Be with me now
Love me forever
Leavin' you lady
Was something that I'd never do
I've fallen in love with you

All of my life it seems I have waited
Now I can say all these words I have stated untrue
I've fallen in love with you
Woo hoo
Fallen in love with you
Woo hoo

Top of Page

8) (I've Been) Searchin' So Long - James Pankow

As my life goes on I believe
Somehow something's changed
Something deep inside
Ooh a part of me

There's a strange new light in my eyes
Things I've never known
Changin' my life
Changin' me

I've been searchin'
So long
To find an answer
Now I know my life has meaning
Ow oh

Now I see myself as I am
Feeling very free
Life is everything
Ooh it's meant to be
When my tears have come to an end
I will understand
What I left behind
Part of me

I've been searching
So long
To find and answer
Now I know my life has meaning
Woah woah

Searching
Don't you know I'm hell yeah
For an answer
To the question
Oh yeah
For our minds
Baby
Baby it's true
It's only natural
It's only natural baby, yeah
Good things
In life
Take a long time
yeah yeah

9) Mongonucleosis - James Pankow

Que pe chesa
Que pe chesa
Que pe chesa
Que pe chesa

Top of Page

10) Song Of The Evergreens - Terry Kath

Listen to the briskly whistling winter evergreen
Whispering through the frozen morning light
And tell me what's to come
Saying my time is near
Never fear
How close each year
I'm winter
Reminding me to trade my t-shirts for my woven wools
Trade my sandals for my skis
Whispered warnings in the wind
Saying soon come the dancing snowflakes
They're kissing every tree
They're kissing you and me
Please hurry
Falling
Dazzling dancing diamonds from the sky
Prisms
Rainbow sparkled flurries in our eyes

Whipping across the frozen crystal metal pines of ice
Race the snow
We'll spend the mornings by our bed
They cuddle close and wine and dine
The setting sun
The morning light will blind those eyes
Shooting down the glistening
Outside
Screaming through the whispering pines
The freedom of each day
Will cleanse our minds
I can hardly wait for winter
I can hardly wait for the snow
I can hardly hardly wait for winter
I can hardly wait for the snow

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow
Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow
Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow
Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow
Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow
Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow
Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow

Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow
Snow snow snow snow snow snow snow snow

Top of Page

11) Byblos - Terry Kath

I saw her once before; she didn't turn me on.
One night she stopped to talk to pass the time.
And then I saw her eyes; her softly smiling glow,
We sat and talked all night at Byblos.
She talked of feelings that I knew were true.
She painted me a picture using ev'ry shade of blue
It was light with laughter, At times it made me cry,
And now I'll never know just why I didn't ever try to hold her;
to squeeze her; to kiss her all night long, I never tried to please her.

Then, soon she had to go;
I sat there all alone
And thought of things she said
The whole day through.
And then I realized,
I never took the time
To find out where she lived
Or where to call.
I thought that I would see
Her the next night,
Anticipating how I'd set myself right.

Then, I went back to Byblos;
I sat there and waited,
Feeling just a little nervous
And a little frustrated.

Then, soon, in she came, looking just the same
Oo, I could hardly wait to take her far from the game.
Then a person came in to the club
that I had to speak to
I explained the situation to her
And i thought she understood
But I guess she thought I was jiving her around
Cause when I looked for her, this is what I found
She was rapping with a real good friend of mine,
He was happening, I guess it was his time.
I really couldn't blame him, cause he was sad and lonely too.
But just talking to her did me so much good, I knew she'd do him good too.
Then I went home and I got it on,
Sat down to write these words when I was finally alone.
And then, about halfway through I wondered if someone knew
where she was, so I could give her a call,
And I found out that she was right down the hall,
Not too far away,
but that's ok, I'll just wait for the day when I can see
her again and spend some time.

Top of Page

12) Wishing You Were Here - Peter Cetera

Sleepless hours and dreamless nights and far aways
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here
Heaven knows and lord it shows when I'm away
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here

Same old show in a different town on another day
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here
Even though you're far away, you're on my mind
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here

And I'd like to change my life, and you know I would
Just to be with you tonight, baby, if I could
But I've got my job to do, and I do it well,
Change my life) So I guess that's how it is.

Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here

On the road it's a heavy load, but I'll get by
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here
Pay the price, make a sacrifice, and still I'll try
Ooo ooo ooo, wishing you were here

Top of Page

13) Call On Me - Lee Loughnane

The feelin' was clear
Clear as a blue sky on a sunny day
Everything was you
'Cause no one made me feel
The way I felt with you
Call on me 'cause
I love you
You know I do
You love me too

Then came a change
When I said I would soon be leavin' you
Nothin' else to do
But please remember I'll never lose the thought of you
Call on me 'cause
I love you
You know I do
You love me too

You've got to find
Someone else to somehow take my place
Share his life with you
But if you need a friend
You can always count on me
Count on me 'cause
I love you
You know I do
You love me too

You can count on me oh
You can count on me
You can count on me baby
You can count on me
You can count on me oh
You can count on me
You can count on me baby
You can count on me
You can count on me oh
You can count on me
You can count on me baby
You can count on me
You can count on me oh
You can count on me

Top of Page

14) Woman Don't Want To Love Me - Robert Lamm

Woman don't want to love me
She says it makes her cry
Woman don't want to love me
That's an alibi
Lovin' gets complicated
You have to want to try
Won't be simply stated
You gotta look for some perfection
You're gonna lose some affection
Cryin' bye

Woman don't want to love me
She says she wants to go
Woman don't want to love me
She's tired of feelin' low
'Cause lovin' gets complicated
Just start with what you know
Won't be simply stated
Fill yourself with emotion
To earn yourself some devotion

Woman don't want to love me
She hates to be alone
Woman don't want to love me
She hates the telephone
'Cause lovin' gets complicated
It's a little bit too fast
Won't be simply stated
We gotta fix this situation
With the final liberation
Of this man

Top of Page

15) Skinny Boy - Robert Lamm

Ow
Yeah, yeah

When I was a young skinny boy
My momma said to me
The world out there is hot and dirty
Mean as it wants to be
I know there's gonna be times when you're down and out
So listen now kid
Listen now son
I'll tell you what it's all about

You gotta try to keep your head above the water
That's what my momma told me
You gotta try to keep a step ahead of time
And even though you do some things you shouldn't ought to
Shouldn't ought to
If you love your brothers love will come back to you
Love'll come back to you
Love'll come back to you
Love'll come back to you

Live my life in so many ways
To find out who I am
Time's approaching
I really can say
Truly I understand
Got more livin' to do for myself
So run along now
Play along later
Stay up by the shelf
Sing it girls

Gotta try to keep your head above the water
Yes you do yes I do
You gotta try to keep a step ahead of time
Even though you do some things you shouldn't ought to
If you love your sisters love will come back to you
Love'll come back to you
Love'll come back to you

All the world is turnin' to stone
Slowly it will die
But that is something I never will see
I don't know why
Tryin' to take the world the best I can
Might be now
Probably be later
Stand up like a man
hey, hey

Gotta try to keep your head above the water
Yes you do yes you do yes you do
Gotta try to keep a step ahead of time
Even though you do some things you shouldn't ought to
Love your brothers and sisters, love'll come back to you
Love'll come back to you
Love'll come back to you


Top of Page