'' is the seventeenth
Album by
American Rock band
Chicago and was released in
1984 . As the follow-up to
1982 's comeback ''
Chicago 16 '', ''Chicago 17'' consolidated on its predecessor's popularity by delivering their most popular album - currently six times platinum in the US alone and a
Grammy winner - and one which would spin off four Top 20 US hit singles, including the stark rocker "Stay The Night," ballads "Hard Habit To Break" and "You're The Inspiration," and the bouncy "Along Comes A Woman."
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, preferring 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.
This album would also be the last original Chicago album to date that would feature vocalist/guitarist
Peter Cetera . Despite the band's dramatic reversal of fortunes, Cetera - who had been debating his position in the band for years - left Chicago later in 1985 due to a combination of factors, one being his slow ballads interfering with the direction the rest of the band was aiming for (although the band's later albums would continue to feature slow ballads on the level of what Cetera himself had contributed). In fact, even though the band boasted three talented vocalists, Cetera did all of the lead vocals on the released singles. Since he was the most identifiable person in the group and the member who warmed the most to their new sound, Chicago were forced to find themselves another bass player with upper register vocals to fill Cetera's considerable shoes. Another reason Cetera chose to leave Chicago is because his desire to record a solo album was thwarted by the other members.
#"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
''Chicago 17'' (Full Moon/Warner Bros. 25060) reached in the US during a chart stay of 72 weeks. It also peaked at '''#24''' in the UK.
- Chris Pinnick - guitar
- Micheal Landau - guitar
- Paul Jackson - 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
- Ken Cetera - background vocals
- Donny Osmond - background vocals on "We Can Stop The Hurtin'"
- Richard Marx - background vocals on "We Can Stop The Hurtin'"
