STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - CHICAGO - CHICAGO VII

[maggot]

Good morning vinyl junkies and welcome to the Thursday edition of Stuck In The Vinyl Again. Today we remember founding member, guitarist and vocalist, Terry Kath, of the Chicago based band, Chicago, on this, the 42nd anniversary of his death. He died in 1978 following an accidental gunshot wound to the head. He was 31 years old. With him in mind we spotlight their sixth studio album Chicago VII. The double LP was released March 11, 1974, on the Columbia label and produced by James William Guercio. It peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified Platinum in the US. Three singles were released ; "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long" (#9 Hot 100) , "Call on Me" (#6 Hot 100, #1 Adult Contemporary) , and (#11 Hot 100, #1 Adult Contemporary). Notable guests on the record are The Pointer Sisters and Al Jardine, Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys.

1. "Prelude to Aire"  Instrumental    2:47
2. "Aire"  Instrumental    6:27
3. "Devil's Sweet"  Instrumental    10:07

Side Two

4. "Italian from New York"  Instrumental    4:14
5. "Hanky Panky" Instrumental    1:53
6. "Life Saver"     5:18
7. "Happy Man"    3:34

Side Three

8. "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long"     4:29
9. "Mongonucleosis"     3:26
10. "Song of the Evergreens"     5:20
11. "Byblos"     6:18

Side Four

12. "Wishing You Were Here"     4:37
13. "Call on Me"     4:02
14. "Woman Don't Want to Love Me"     4:35
15. "Skinny Boy"     5:12

Chicago :

Peter Cetera – bass guitar, lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar on "Wishing You Were Here"

Terry Kath – guitar, lead and backing vocals, bass guitar on "Wishing You Were Here", sleigh bells on "Song of the Evergreens"

Robert Lamm – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Moog synthesizer, Mellotron, clavinet, ARP synthesizer, lead and backing vocals

Danny Seraphine – drums, percussion, bass drum and hi-hat on "Byblos"
Lee Loughnane – trumpet, flugelhorn, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Song of the Evergreens"
James Pankow – trombone, percussion, backing vocals
Walter Parazaider – saxophones, flute

With :

Laudir de Oliveira – percussion
David Wolinski – ARP synthesizer, acoustic piano, Mellotron, Fender Rhodes
James William Guercio – guitars, bass

Jimmie Haskell – strings
Wayne Tarnowski – acoustic piano
Ross Salomone – drums

Guille Garcia – percussion

Bobbi Roen, Camelia Ortiz, Diane Nini, Hank Steiger and Julie Nini – background party noises on "Mongonucleosis"

Al Jardine, Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson – backing vocals on "Wishing You Were Here"
The Pointer Sisters – backing vocals on "Skinny Boy"

Production
Produced by James William Guercio
Engineered by Wayne Tarnowski and Jeff Guercio
Strings recorded by Armin Steiner at Sound Labs (Hollywood, CA).
Mixed by Phil Ramone
Cover Photo – John Berg and Nick Fasciano
Photography – Urve Kuusik

Phonographic Copyright (p) – CBS Inc.
Copyright (c) – CBS Inc.
Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Terre Haute
Recorded At – Caribou Ranch
Mastered At – The Mastering Lab
Mastered At – Customatrix