Chicago 16
Chicago 16 is the thirteenth studio album by the American band Chicago, released on June 7, 1982. It is considered their "comeback" album because it was their first album to go platinum since 1978's Hot Streets, it made it into the top ten of the Billboard 200, and it produced their second number one single in the United States, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry." The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in August, 1982, two months after its release, and platinum in December, 1982, six months after its release. The song, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
Chicago 16 is the first album in a decade-long association with new label Warner Bros. Records; the band's first project to be produced by David Foster, who had been called the "key" to their comeback; their first album to include songs by composers outside of the group; and it is also the first album since Chicago VI not to feature Laudir de Oliveira as a band member. It is also the first studio album to be released two years after the previous, as every other studio album was released once per year.
Background
The band brought in Sons of Champlin founder Bill Champlin as keyboardist and singer. The group also retained Chris Pinnick from the Chicago XIV sessions. Through the band's manager, Jeff Wald, and on suggestion of Danny Seraphine, producer David Foster would make contact with the band.Once they agreed to Foster producing the album, the producer radically redefined Chicago's sound for the 1980s, with all of the latest technologies and techniques; he also brought in outside songwriters and studio players to the sessions. Three members of Toto lent their expertise to the sessions. In 2015 former Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine defended this choice to change their sound:
The soft rock leanings of Peter Cetera and Foster permeate much of Chicago 16. The band was moving to a new label after an entire career at Columbia. Robert Lamm was also unavailable for the majority of the album's production because of personal issues, and the once-prolific writer only shared a sole partial writing credit on the release, with no lead vocal contributions. Lamm said of this change: In an interview in 2019, Cetera described the initial songwriting efforts from band members that were presented to Foster as "pure shit," blaming alcohol and drug abuse in the band for the decline in the quality of songwriting. Eventually, Foster and Cetera collaborated to write the album's two hit singles.
Percussionist Laudir de Oliveira was dismissed from the band after the Chicago XIV tour, as his Latin-American style would not fit with the "more pop-oriented sound" of the band.
Upon its June 1982 release, Chicago 16 was a hit album, especially as "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" became the band's second number one US single, going to number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The album ultimately went platinum and reached number nine on the Billboard 200 chart. The single would also be included in its lengthier form "Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away" on the Summer Lovers movie soundtrack. "Love Me Tomorrow", the second single lifted off the album, features a lengthy orchestration at the end. It went to number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number eight on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. A third single, "What You're Missing", was released and peaked at number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The Rhino remaster does not include the full-length versions of "What You're Missing" and "Love Me Tomorrow." The former was replaced with its single edit, and the latter had one piece removed near the end. However, it does include a Bill Champlin demo, called "Daddy's Favorite Fool", as a bonus track. A subsequent international release in 2010 has the original album restored, with additional bonus tracks of the single versions of "Hard To Say I'm Sorry", "What You're Missing", and Love Me Tomorrow" as well as "Daddy's Favorite Fool."
The original UK LP release contains "Rescue You" before "What Can I Say," unlike subsequent releases of this album.
Track listing
Outtakes
"Remember There's Someone Who Loves You" and "Come On Back" were recorded during the sessions and remain unreleased.Personnel
Chicago
- Peter Cetera – bass, acoustic guitar on "Hard To Say I'm Sorry", lead and backing vocals, BGV arrangements, rhythm arrangements
- Bill Champlin – keyboards, guitars, lead and backing vocals, BGV arrangements
- Robert Lamm – keyboards, backing vocals
- Lee Loughnane – trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet
- James Pankow – trombone, horn arrangements
- Walter Parazaider – woodwinds
- Danny Seraphine – drums, rhythm arrangements
Additional personnel
- David Foster – keyboards, synth bass, rhythm arrangements, additional horn arrangements
- Chris Pinnick – guitar
- Steve Lukather – guitar
- Michael Landau – guitar
- David Paich – synthesizers
- Steve Porcaro – synthesizers, synthesizer programming
- Jeremy Lubbock, Peter Cetera and David Foster – string arrangements on "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and "Love Me Tomorrow"
- Gerard Vinci – concertmaster
- Dave Richardson – lyric assistance on "What Can I Say"
Production
- Produced by David Foster
- Engineered and Mixed by Humberto Gatica
- "Hard To Say I'm Sorry/Get Away" mixed by Bill Schnee
- Mixing assisted by Walter Parazaider, Lee Loughnane and Jack Goudie.
- Second Engineers – Chip Strader, Britt Bacon, Don Levy, Bobby Gerber, Phil Jamtaas, Ernie Sheesely, Jeff Borgeson, Steve Cohen and David Schober.
- Recorded at Bill Schnee Studios and Record Plant ; Davlen Sound Studios ; Skyline Recording.
- Mixed at Studio 55.
- Photography by Aaron Rapoport
- Original Art Design and Direction by John Kosh and Ron Larson
- A&R/Project Supervisors – Lee Loughnane, Jeff Magid and Mike Engstrom.
- Bonus Selections mixed by David Donnelly and Jeff Magid
- Remastering – David Donnelly
- Editorial Supervision – Cory Frye
- Art Direction and Design – Greg Allen
- Project Assistance – Steve Woolard and Karen LeBlanc
Charts