Chicago V
| Chicago V | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Chicago | ||||
| Released | July 10, 1972 | |||
| Recorded | September 20-29, 1971 at Columbia 30th Street Studios, New York | |||
| Genre | Rock, jazz rock | |||
| Length | 45:16 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | James William Guercio | |||
| Chicago chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Chicago V | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Rolling Stone | (not rated)[2] |
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.
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; seven out of its nine 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.[3]
Track listing
| Side One | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocals | Length |
| 1. | "A Hit by Varèse" | Robert Lamm | Lamm | 4:56 |
| 2. | "All Is Well" | Lamm | Lamm | 3:52 |
| 3. | "Now That You've Gone" | James Pankow | Terry Kath | 5:01 |
| 4. | "Dialogue (Part I)" | Lamm | Kath, Peter Cetera | 2:57 |
| 5. | "Dialogue (Part II)" | Lamm | Lamm, Kath, Cetera | 4:13 |
| Side Two | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Vocals | Length |
| 6. | "While the City Sleeps" | Lamm | Lamm | 3:53 |
| 7. | "Saturday in the Park" | Lamm | Lamm, Cetera | 3:56 |
| 8. | "State of the Union" | Lamm | Cetera | 6:12 |
| 9. | "Goodbye" | Lamm | Cetera | 6:02 |
| 10. | "Alma Mater" | Kath | Kath | 3:56 |
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
- Peter Cetera – bass, wah-wah bass, lead & backing vocals
- Terry Kath – electric & acoustic guitars, lead & backing vocals
- Robert Lamm – piano, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, Hohner Pianet, lead & backing vocals
- Lee Loughnane – trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion, background vocals
- James Pankow – trombone, percussion, background vocals, brass arrangements
- Walter Parazaider – saxophones, flute, percussion, background vocals
- Danny Seraphine – drums, congas, antique bells, percussion
Production
- Produced by James William Guercio
- Engineered by Wayne Tarnowski
- Logo Design – Nick Fasciano
- Album Design – John Berg
- Photography – Jim Houghton and Earl Steinbicker
- Lettering – Beverly Scott
- Remastering – Joe Gastwirt
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Billboard Black Albums | 33 |
| 1972 | Billboard Pop Albums | 1 |
| 1972 | Billboard Jazz Albums | 1 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | "Dialogue (Parts I & II)" | Billboard Pop Singles | 24 |
| 1972 | "Saturday in the Park" | Billboard Pop Singles | 3 |
Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – US | Gold | July 31, 1972 |
| RIAA – US | Platinum | November 21, 1986 |
| RIAA – US | Double Platinum | November 21, 1986 |
References
- ↑ Planer, Lindsay. "Chicago V - Chicago : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
- ↑ "Chicago: Chicago V : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". RollingStone.com. 1972-12-07. Archived from the original on 2010-01-23. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
- ↑ "Warner Premium Sound 17 August 2011 releases" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2011-11-03.
| Preceded by Honky Château by Elton John |
Billboard 200 number-one album August 19 - October 20, 1972 |
Succeeded by Super Fly (soundtrack) by Curtis Mayfield |