As I was digging around in my collection today, I pulled out two CDs worth of Chicago, recorded live in New York City in 1977. While this isn’t the best sounding show that I’ve got from Chicago, it was interesting to me at the time that I first got it a few years ago for several reasons:
1. Any day that someone hands you a vintage Chicago show with Terry Kath on guitar is a good day. 32 years ago when this show originally occurred, I was a few months shy of turning three years old – which means that I had no chance to see Kath and Chicago “back in the day” prior to Kath’s tragic death which happened less than a year after this show. Bootlegs of Chicago (and other bands) were hard for me to locate pre-internet, and thanks to shows like this one, I now have the opportunity to experience the tours for some of my favorite Chicago albums from back then.
2. Cool setlist! I was originally intrigued by this show when I saw “Anyway You Want” in the setlist – Chicago VIII was one of the early 70s-era Chicago albums to catch my ear, along with Chicago II – both are nicely represented here in this performance. This particular show dates from the era when the band was touring in support of Chicago XI.
3. The band is on fire! Just listen to Parazaider’s sax solo on “Just You ‘N Me” for one prime example.
The show was originally broadcast by WLIR at the time, and it’s apparent that this particular copy has gone through a few generations of “dude, you GOTTA hear this Chicago show” type moments, shared from friend to friend. It remains a worthy listen, and if perhaps you’re out there sitting on a better copy, feel free to get in touch – I’d love to hear it.
Chicago
Nassau Coliseum
Uniondale, NY
6/20/77
The One To One Benefit
Broadcast by WLIR-FM
Band:
Robert Lamm
Peter Cetera
Terry Kath
James Pankow
Walter Parazaider
Lee Loughnane
Danny Seraphine
Laudir De Olivera
Setlist:
Disc One:
Mississippi Delta City Blues
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
Call On Me
You Are On My Mind
Once Or Twice
Just You ‘N Me
Beginnings
Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon
Disc Two:
zipped download part one
zipped download part two
Anyway You Want
Question 67 And 68
Scrapbook
A Hit By Varese
If You Leave Me Now
Takin’ It On Uptown
Saturday In The Park
(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long
Mongonucleosis
Drum Solo
25 or 6 to 4
Encore:
I attended this show. It was the last of six times I saw Chicago with Terry Kath. It was a very sloppy performance but the setlist offset that with surprises like “A Hit By Varese” and “Questions 67 & 68”.
The choice of opening song was terrible though. I don't dislike MDCB, but it was not opening song material.
Great show! Never got to see them with Kath and every time I hear a show like this I
kick myself. The band plays pretty well here I thought and TK tears it up! Would love to hear a better recording of this also. Chicago needs to go back and put out an official bootleg series from the Kath era.
I'm with ya – an official bootleg series from any era would be awesome.
Somehow I don't see that happening, but maybe they'll at least start to mine
the vaults a little bit more in the next ten years. They've done a little
bit of that with the snippets of rare material that they put out on the DVD
that came with the box set, but I'd love to see some full-on releases, and
not just partial bits and pieces of classic material.
Great show! Never got to see them with Kath and every time I hear a show like this I
kick myself. The band plays pretty well here I thought and TK tears it up! Would love to hear a better recording of this also. Chicago needs to go back and put out an official bootleg series from the Kath era.
I'm with ya – an official bootleg series from any era would be awesome.
Somehow I don't see that happening, but maybe they'll at least start to mine
the vaults a little bit more in the next ten years. They've done a little
bit of that with the snippets of rare material that they put out on the DVD
that came with the box set, but I'd love to see some full-on releases, and
not just partial bits and pieces of classic material.
meu namoro com a minha esposa foi marcado com essa banda , fazia sucesso com a musica if you leave now, depois disso não ouvi falar mais da banda, deve ser porque peter cetera saiu da banda, tentei baixar varias vezes o dvd com esse show mas não consegui.
pound for pound this is one of the worlds greatest bands, theirs only a hand fill of bands that could match CHICAGOS talent if any at all.. terry kath, jimi called him one of his favorites, danny seraphine, buddy rich called him one of the great new drummers, duke ellington, called CHICAGO the duke ellingtons of rock music. any questions? scott muni wnew fm radio said best, CHICAGO success speaks for itself.
I’ve listened to this show (which was broadcast “live) more than any other for the last 35 years. I like the thick mix and thought they played well. There are some warts like a duet “If You Leave Me Now” which Peter should have sung himself. Terry was fantastic and Chicago died the same day as Terry.
I was at this show. The only band from that era which I’ve seen in their original line-up. They were better than their records promised!
One last note – the Nassau Coliseum gig was on 5-20-77, not 6-20.
Awesome…I would have loved to have seen the band “back in the day.” Since you’re a fan, you might be interested in this interview that I did recently with Robert Lamm.
As a longtime fan, it was cool to get the chance to talk to Robert.
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/chicago-robert-lamm-original-appeal-was-that-it-wasnt-all-the-same-genre/