IN THE GROOVE (July 11, 2023)

Hang on, kids. We’re taking that magic train to Chicago! 🚅

Today I chose “25 or 6 to 4”, Chicago’s signature song, for four simple reasons:

1. I fell in love with Chicago’s sound the minute I heard them
2. Singer Peter Cetera has one of the best rock voices around
3. Any rock band that has a badass horn section is aces in my book
4. There’s some crazy wicked good guitar playing action going on here

Written in 1969 by Robert Lamm, one of Chicago’s seven founding members, the curious title of “25 or 6 to 4” refers to the specific time of day when the song was composed. Opening lyrics: “Waiting for the break of day” — at 25 or 26 minutes to 4 AM (that is, 3:35 or 3:34 AM). No (implied) psychedelic mystery; it’s really as simple as that. 😎

Peter Cetera sang lead on this track – despite his jaw being wired shut. A few months before the recording session, the band went to a baseball game at Dodger Stadium, where their hometown team, the Chicago Cubs, beat the Dodgers, leaving four marines angry and ready to take their aggression out on someone. That someone was Cetera, who was singled out by his long hair as much as his team loyalty. The ensuing brawl sent him to intensive care with his jaw broken in three places. When it came time to record the song, Cetera’s jaw was still wired shut! You’d never know by listening to him here.

From 1970,  here is Chicago doing their signature song, “25 or 6 to 4” featuring Peter Cetera on bass and lead vocals and Terry Kath ripping it up on lead guitar.

Yeah, baby! That’s how you play the guitar! 🎸

In 1969, while Robert Lamm was working on today’s song, Woodstock came knocking on Chicago’s door and they were booked to play the event. However, at the time, the band was under contract to concert promoter Bill Graham, and he retained the right to reschedule them. He did exactly that, sending Chicago to play at San Francisco’s famed Fillmore West. That left an empty slot to be filled at Woodstock, so Graham simply scheduled another band that he managed to play in that spot. The name of that band was Santana.

That leads us to the question of the day: Did you attend Woodstock or any other similar musical event? Tell us something about your experience.

I’ll kick things off: I did not attend Woodstock (although I did see The Beatles at Shea Stadium!). My parents laid down the law and absolutely refused to let me go. Now, I was a rebel and did pretty much what I wanted to do but this would have been a tough one for me to pull off. Me and Mr. Bill more than made up for missing Woodstock by seeing more concerts than we can remember, many at the legendary Fillmore East. We keep saying one day we should compile a list of every group we saw in concert. We better do it while our memories are still intact!

Now it’s your turn; who’s up for sharing a story about your concert-going days?

Thanks for joining me today In The Groove. I had a blast! Stay tuned for more great music coming this week.

Be well and happy, my friends; it’s a jungle out there.

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian StoryTeller

NAR © 2023