- Chicago 17
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Chicago 17 
Studio album by Chicago Released May 14, 1984 Recorded Summer 1983 - Early 1984 Genre Soft rock, Adult Contemporary Length 41:53 Label Full Moon/Warner Bros. Producer David Foster Chicago chronology If You Leave Me Now
(1983)Chicago 17
(1984)Chicago 18
(1986)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic 
[1]Chicago 17 is the 17th album by American rock band Chicago and was released in 1984. As the follow-up to 1982's comeback Chicago 16, Chicago 17 capitalized on its predecessor's popularity by delivering their most popular album - currently seven times platinum in the US alone and a Grammy winner - and one which would spin off four Top 20 US hit singles, including the spare-sounding synth-rocker "Stay the Night" (#16), ballads "Hard Habit to Break" (#3) and "You're the Inspiration" (#3), and the bouncy dance-inflected "Along Comes a Woman" (#14). The album was the first to really embrace the MTV video age, and the four videos enjoyed widespread airplay, including the "Indiana Jones"-influenced "Along Comes a Woman."
Chicago 17 would once again spell a turning point for the group, as this would be the last studio album with bassist, vocalist, and founding member Peter Cetera.
Produced again by David Foster, the album expanded on the adult contemporary leanings of its predecessor, swelling Chicago's audience as a result. Chicago 17 was a slow burner, finally reaching #4 in the US in early 1985, even seeing significant - and rare - success in the UK, on the strength of its many hits.
Chicago had long promoted itself as a "faceless" band, to let the famous Coca-Cola styled logo (and the music) do the talking. However, with the advent of the music video age, the camera would ultimately focus on the band member who sang most (if not all) of the songs, despite the presence of two other lead singers.
This album was the last Chicago album with vocalist/bass player Peter Cetera. Cetera quit the band in July 1985 due to a combination of factors, including his desire to have a solo career alongside his band career, and a reduction in touring.
On the heels of their biggest album ever, Chicago found themselves in the unenviable position of finding another bass playing tenor. Cetera's replacement for Chicago 18 would be Jason Scheff, who is still with Chicago, and whose tenure in the band eclipses that of Cetera. Ironically, Scheff was discovered after submitting material for Cetera's first post-Chicago solo release, Solitude Solitaire.
In 2006, Rhino Records remastered and reissued the album, using the original analog versions of "Please Hold On" and "Prima Donna" and adding a Robert Lamm demo, "Where We Begin" as a bonus track.
Contents
Track listing
- "Stay the Night" (Peter Cetera/David Foster) – 3:49
- "We Can Stop the Hurtin'" (Robert Lamm/Bill Champlin/Deborah Neal) – 4:11
- "Hard Habit to Break" (Steve Kipner/Jon Parker) – 4:44
- "Only You" (James Pankow/David Foster) – 3:53
- "Remember the Feeling" (Peter Cetera/Bill Champlin) – 4:28
- "Along Comes a Woman" (Peter Cetera/Mark Goldenberg) – 4:14
- "You're the Inspiration" (Peter Cetera/David Foster) – 3:49
- "Please Hold On"* (Bill Champlin/David Foster/Lionel Richie) – 3:41
- "Prima Donna"* (Peter Cetera/Mark Goldenberg) – 4:33
- Featured in the 1983 movie Two of a Kind
- "Once in a Lifetime" (James Pankow) – 4:11
- "Where We Begin"** (Robert Lamm) - 3:53
"*" indicates an original analog version on the Rhino re-release
"**" indicates a bonus track on the Rhino re-releaseChicago 17 (Full Moon/Warner Bros. 25060) reached #4 in the US during a chart stay of 72 weeks. It also peaked at #24 in the UK.
Personnel
- Peter Cetera - bass, vocals
- Bill Champlin - guitars, keyboards, vocals
- Robert Lamm - keyboards, vocals
- Lee Loughnane - trumpet
- James Pankow - trombone
- Walter Parazaider - woodwinds
- Chris Pinnick - guitar
- Danny Seraphine - drums
Additional personnel
- Michael Landau - guitar
- Paul Jackson Jr. - guitar
- Mark Goldenberg - guitar
- Paulinho da Costa- percussion
- David Foster - synthesizer programming
- Jon Van Tongeren - synthesizer programming
- Erich Bulling - synthesizer programming
- Marcus Ryle - synthesizer programming
- Gary Grant - horns
- Greg Adams - horns
- Kenny Cetera - background vocals
- Donny Osmond - background vocals on "We Can Stop The Hurtin'"
- Richard Marx - background vocals on "We Can Stop The Hurtin'"
- David Pack - background vocals on "Where We Begin"
Chart positions
Album - Billboard (North America)
Year Chart Position 1984 The Billboard 200 4 Singles - Billboard (North America)
Year Single Chart Position 1984 "Hard Habit To Break" Adult Contemporary 3 1984 "Hard Habit To Break" The Billboard Hot 100 3 1984 "Stay The Night" The Billboard Hot 100 16 1984 "Stay The Night" Mainstream Rock Tracks 7 1984 "You're The Inspiration" Adult Contemporary 1 1984 "You're The Inspiration" The Billboard Hot 100 3 1985 "Along Comes A Woman" Adult Contemporary 25 1985 "Along Comes A Woman" Mainstream Rock Tracks 10 1985 "Along Comes A Woman" The Billboard Hot 100 14 References
Categories:- Chicago (band) albums
- 1984 albums
- Albums produced by David Foster
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