'' is the thirteenth album by
American Rock band
Chicago and was released in
1979 . The follow-up to ''
Hot Streets '', ''Chicago 13'' is generally considered Chicago's least popular release, both critically and with fans. Its general lack of quality and bizarre performances and material are attributable to the mounds of Bolivian marching powder the band consumed during recording sessions.
Well aware that musical trends were evolving, with
Disco at its peak in 1979, Chicago and co-producer
Phil Ramone went for a slick sound, placing the band into a late
1970s clubbing context. While at the time they felt they were moving on and exploring new areas, Chicago's move into that territory, especially "Street Player", was reviled by critics and bewildered the group's rapidly dwindling fanbase. While all band members would contribute,
Robert Lamm and
James Pankow 's once-prolific songwriting had dwindled, while
Peter Cetera was still gaining in momentum, singing most of the lead vocals.
After recording sessions in
Montreal and
Hollywood , ''Chicago 13'' - which saw the band return to numbering their albums with their trademark name logo - was released that August and was preceded by
Donnie Dacus ' "Must Have Been Crazy" as lead single - a track that couldn't have been further removed from Chicago's well-known sound. As a consequence, ''Chicago 13'' was the first Chicago album to bear no significant hit singles, hurting their reputation greatly, especially since they had just re-signed with
Columbia Records for millions. With dismal reviews, ''Chicago 13'' only reached #21 - good enough to go gold, but well under expectations. Not long after its release, realizing that the union was perhaps not as well-fitting as originally thought,
Terry Kath 's replacement, Donnie Dacus, was let go. Now at the end of the 1970's and facing an uncertain future, Chicago pondered what their next move would be.
In
2003 , ''Chicago 13'' was remastered and reissued by
Rhino Records with a B-Side, Dacus' "Closer To You", and an alternate mix of "Street Player" as bonus tracks. (Trivia: The songs "Street Player" and "Closer To You" had previously been released by other artists -- "Street Player" by Rufus; and "Closer" by Stephen Stills, though with a Donnie Dacus lead vocal.)
#"Street Player" (
Danny Seraphine /David Wolinski) - 9:11
#"Mama Take" (
Peter Cetera ) - 4:14
#"Must Have Been Crazy" (
Donnie Dacus ) - 3:26
#"Window Dreamin'" (
Lee Loughnane /
Walter Parazaider ) - 4:11
#"Paradise Alley" (
Robert Lamm ) - 3:39
#"Aloha Mama" (Danny Seraphine/David Wolinski) - 4:11
#"Reruns" (Robert Lamm) - 4:29
#"Loser With A Broken Heart" (Peter Cetera) - 4:43
#"Life Is What It Is" (
Laudir DeOliveira /Marcos Valle) - 4:37
#"Run Away" (
James Pankow ) - 4:18
''Chicago 13'' (Columbia 36105) reached in the US during a chart stay of 10 weeks. It did not chart in the UK.
- David "Hawk" Wolinski - Synthesizer on "Street Player"
- Airo Moreira - percussion on "Street Player", "Paradise Alley", "Life Is What It Is" and "Run Away"
- Maynard Ferguson - trumpet on "Street Player"
- "P.C. Moblee" - lead vocals on "Window Dreamin'" and "Aloha Mama" (Moblee was actually Peter Cetera singing in a lower register. His appearance on the album is credited as "courtesy of the Peter Cetera Vocal Company").
