Chicago 18

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Chicago 18
Studio album by Chicago
Released September 29, 1986
Recorded Spring - Summer 1986
Genre Rock, Adult Contemporary
Length 45:19
Label Full Moon/Warner Bros.
Producer David Foster
Chicago chronology

Chicago 17
(1984)		 Chicago 18
(1986)		 Chicago 19
(1988)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Chicago 18 is the fifteenth album by the American band Chicago, released in 1986. As the successor to 1984's multiplatinum smash hit Chicago 17, this album marked a new era for Chicago: their post-Peter Cetera years.

After Cetera quit the band for a solo career in 1985 after he requested to do solo albums while still being with them (similar to the arrangement between Phil Collins & Genesis at the time) and Chicago denied the idea, Chicago eventually hired Jason Scheff, son of Jerry Scheff (who had backed up Elvis Presley for years), to replace Cetera's high register vocals and bass duties. In a twist of fate, Scheff was discovered after submitting a song demo for consideration on Cetera's second solo album. With Scheff's uncanny ability to replicate his predecessor, Chicago was able to continue. Although founding member Robert Lamm still took an active part in the band, the most used voices in Chicago now belonged to their two newest recruits: Scheff and Bill Champlin, who had joined the band in 1981.

Because their sound was now so rooted in mid-1980s soft rock, Chicago again sanctioned the production duties of David Foster to create a familiar follow-up to Chicago 17. After his third consecutive album with them, Chicago would attempt to broaden their sound with new producers on their next project. On Chicago 19, radio would once again embrace ballads, this time from the pen of Diane Warren.

The band decided on recording an updated high-tech remake of "25 or 6 to 4" (#48) but it failed to scale the charts. Trombonist James Pankow is listed as a co-writer on the classic Lamm tune. Chicago then retreated safely back into ballad-mode, and the follow-ups "Will You Still Love Me?" (#3) and "If She Would Have Been Faithful..." (#17) became major hits. Newcomer Scheff was the singer on all three releases. The album also featured a brief, a cappella horn riff, Pankow's "Free Flight." Chicago 18, while still going gold, saw a noticeable drop-off in album sales following Cetera's departure (17 went platinum six times). The album did not fare well on the charts either, peaking at #35. Thus, Chicago emerged as a singles band having major hits, but with merely competent album sales from this point on.

Track listing

  1. "Niagara Falls" (Steve Kipner/Bobby Caldwell) – 3:43
  2. "Forever" (Robert Lamm/Bill Gable) – 5:17
  3. "If She Would Have Been Faithful..." (Steve Kipner/Randy Goodrum) – 3:51
  4. "25 or 6 to 4" (Robert Lamm/James Pankow) – 4:20
    • A new recording of the 1970 hit that originally appeared on Chicago
  5. "Will You Still Love Me?" (David Foster/Tom Keane/Richard Baskin) – 5:43
  6. "Over and Over" (Robert Lamm/James Newton Howard/Steve Lukather) – 4:20
  7. "It's Alright" (Bill Champlin/David Foster) – 4:29
  8. "Free Flight" (James Pankow) – 0:25
    • An uncredited track
  9. "Nothin's Gonna Stop Us Now" (Jason Scheff/Buzz Feiten) – 4:25
  10. "I Believe" (Bill Champlin) – 4:20
  11. "One More Day" (James Pankow/Carmen Grillo) – 4:14

Chicago 18 (Full Moon/Warner Bros. 25509) reached #35 in the US during a chart stay of 45 weeks. It did not chart in the UK.

Outtakes

"When Will the World Be Like Lovers?" (Robert Lamm/Tom Keane/David Foster) - 4:24

The song was recorded sometime during the sessions with David Foster for Chicago 18 but was ultimately left off the album. The song has since surfaced online in some bootlegs. A re-recorded version appears on Robert Lamm's 1995 solo album Life Is Good In My Neighborhood.

Personnel

Additional musicians

References

  1. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r3862/review
Chicago
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