Solitude/Solitaire

Solitude/Solitaire, released in 1986, is the second solo release by former-Chicago member and lead vocalist Peter Cetera, his first album after leaving the band. It includes the #1 hits "Glory of Love" and "The Next Time I Fall" (with Amy Grant). Both singles reached the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Produced by Michael Omartian (who later produced Another Perfect World in 2001) the album was Cetera's greatest solo success.

Commonly mistaken for his first solo album, which was really the self-titled Peter Cetera, Cetera recorded this album after leaving Chicago in 1985. Being a prominent songwriter for the band, many of the songs present of Solitude/Solitaire are rumored to originally have been slated for Chicago 18, especially "Big Mistake" and "Daddy's Girl".

While "Big Mistake" was due to be the first single from the album, "Glory of Love", co-written by Cetera and producer David Foster was released instead. That song, from the movie The Karate Kid, Part II, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts, and helped make Solitude/Solitaire a hit album (eventually going Platinum). The follow-up single, "The Next Time I Fall", was also a major success and topped the charts. Later singles released from the album included "Big Mistake" and "Only Love Knows Why".

Solitude/Solitaire, a slickly recorded and produced album, marked a high point in Cetera's career, where he achieved success for the first time on his own (in fact, selling more copies than Chicago 18, Chicago's first album without Cetera). As time progressed, he became less appealing to the general public and more appealing to the adult contemporary audiences, and consequently, this was his highest selling solo album.

Track listing

1. "Big Mistake" (Peter Cetera, Amos Galpin) – 5:39
2. "They Don't Make 'em Like They Used To" (Cetera, Erich Bulling) – 4:04
3. "Glory of Love" (Cetera, David Foster, Diane Nini) – 4:20
4. "Queen of the Masquerade Ball" (Cetera, Michael Omartian) – 3:50
5. "Daddy's Girl" (Cetera, Mark Goldenberg) – 3:46
6. "The Next Time I Fall" (with Amy Grant) (Bobby Caldwell, Paul Gordon) – 3:43
7. "Wake Up To Love" (Cetera, David Wolinski, Omartian) – 4:29
8. "Solitude/Solitaire" (Cetera, Omartian) – 4:58
9. "Only Love Knows Why" (Cetera, George Bitzer, Omartian) – 4:29

Solitude/Solitare reached a peak of #26 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA, selling over 1,000,000 copies in the United States.

Production

• Produced By Michael Omartian & Erich Bulling
• Engineers: Britt Bacon, Terry Christian, Khaliq Glover, John Guess, Ray Pyle
• Mixing: Terry Christian, John Guess
• Mastering: Steve Hall

Personnel

• Drums: Paul Leim, Chester Thompson
• Percussion: Kenny Cetera, Peter Cetera, Jeff Porcaro
• Bass: Peter Cetera
• Keyboards: Michael Omartian
• Synthesizers: Willie Alexander, Steve Azbill, Erich Bulling
• Guitars: Peter Cetera, Dann Huff, Ray Parker, Jr.