Chicago - Make Me Smile - Chris Isaak Hour Interview March 09

[rickrudd]

Wow. The band is SO tight yet Champlin's vocals are so bad!

The new guy is much better. Saw them on HDNet the other night. AMAZING.

[ejlarsonstratford]

OMG! LMFAO listening to bill at 1/2 speed!!!

[typicalwebster]

Those harmonies are backing tracks. There are more than 3 people singing those choruses. They turned down the backing tracks for that last chorus, so you could hear the live vocals, which weren't bad, but you can tell a huge difference. Personally, I feel if your able to caver all the parts live, you don't need backing tracks. Then again, maybe Chicago wanted fuller-sounding vocals live, so they add a little pre-recorded material to the mix. Chicago rocks either way.

[richardg1968]

I have heard him sing this a few times, its just his vocals are mixed too loud in the mix, when they are in background during the chorus it sounds awesome. I think he is an amazing musician.

[nonnywohl]

wow not good on lead vocals. Nice voice not that day, sorry

[TheBeaugraham]

I would have hard feelings towards Cetera if i were Pankow. Cetera left the band to score about 4 or 5 songs on the radio in 25 years was it worth it Pete i dont think so. It just amazed me Peter left the band he did evolve or record better music he released the same garbage that Chicago was doing in the mid to late 80's what a Stupid move. I do agree that everyone should put their ego' s and bullshit aside and reunite one last time before its too late.

[soundlikeFabian]

I really like the backvocals! They sound better than before, Keith's guitarsolo is awesome...he's awesome

[TheBeaugraham]

Maybe Champlin's poor singing is on purpose because im sure he is sick and damm tired of singing the same songs over and over. It would be great if Bill could have perfomed some of his solo stuff and sons of champlin songs with the band. Also Chicago really needs to change their setlist they only perform their hits and some of them are boring and tiresome.

[cycojedi]

i wished he shut up during the harmony  what a asshole

[atp1962]

Bill sounds good on the songs he was original on but not this song. Robert or Lee would have done a much better job. Love to hear Keith on a few, I heard he could sing pretty good

[zebop]

What song is Bill singing, ha!

[bondurango]

@zebop Make Me Shoot You?

[yeoGlover]

@zebop Good old Bill-he made it interesting! Miss him I do in the band.

[carina2244]

Jimmy are you kidding me? The best lineup "ever"??? The best lineup ever was: Kath, Lamm, Seraphine, Cetera, Loughnane, Parazaider, Pankow, DeOliveira....PERIOD!! PERIOD!!! Never again will there be any lineup that even remotely comes close to the originals.....

That being said, "this" Chicago has its moments and I respect their musicianship (except Champlin whose style and voice I will never ever like).

[soundlikeFabian]

the greatest guitarist in Chicago ever, together with Terry

[theguitarzan]

Background Vocals sound AMAZING HERE! They have NEVER sounded this good live with Jason Scheff in the band (he sucks!).

Keith Howland ROCK!

[JulyN78]

Jason Scheff was in the band to fill in some big shoes (Peter Cetera's). So, let's give it a rest... He would never content everyone. But he's good... Not great, I gree. But not that horrible. I just don't like when he is on the lead vocals, actually.

Perfect Chicago only the ones living in the 70's saw... The Chicago with Terry Kath. He was brilliant.

Kisses from JulyN

[jkmehoff]

Was this after Tris Surgerey His Drummimg Siunded a lot better on This Performance

[drhey19]

@jkmehoff This was before his surgery. I believe it was recorded in October of 2008.

[soundlikeFabian]

wow awesome live version, the backvocals are amazing, Keith really rocks! they are soo good, and they are so awesome!!

[libralady1010]

Keith is so damn cute! He really is along with being a fantastic guitar player and vocals.

[diiiiiiiinamite]

I maybe wrong but I think Pankow probably meant that excluding the original lineup this is now the best lineup they have. Because over the years Chicago have had a few different members, i.e. Donnie Dacus, Chris Pinnick, Dawayne Bailey, Laudir de Oliveira and Bruce Gaitsch. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt anyway. The original band were amazing, but we can't get them all back so we move on and I still love to hear them sing a lot of the earlier stuff. Peace and love. xx

[ssdd1958]

Champlin's vocals pale compared to Terry Kath's. They would sound good in a cover band which (with apologies to the current lineup) w/o Kath, PC & Seraphine is what Chicago is now. Champlin's best work was when Cetera was still in the band but he fails to match Kath's soul when covering vocals from the earlier material. He's not alone,Scheff puts up a valiant effort covering PC, it's just not the same. Pankow's comments are the result of 25 yrs of hard feelings towards Cetera for leaving.

[bsharpinLondon]

I agree about Champlin. I have never figured how they thought he was a good fit. However I wonder what you mean about Pankow's hard feeligs towards Cetera leaving. My understanding is that he was one of the ones who wanted him booted because he thought his skills were eroding.

[ssdd1958]

I don't think Pankow felt PC skills were eroding. He did feel that way about Seraphine & that is documented. He was not alone in that thought but Seraphine felt politics were at the root of his firing. Pankow has suggested in interviews that the brass section & PC were at odds over the use of brass in the later years. He suggests PC did not want the brass to be featured as much. Important to note, Foster & PC were tight, the rest of the band had issues with Foster.

[bsharpinLondon]

I stand corrected. I was thinking of serraphine. Everything you said here is what I had heard/read as well. Thanks

[MrHippoDick]

Still a great sounding Group of guys,but Bill champlin is so God awful ugly he should wear a bag over his head when he sings.

[kincher23]

Gotta love Jimmy Pankow sticking up for this version, but it isn't the best lineup. Kepp Champlin and add back Cetera and Kath.

[drhey19]

Thanks for posting! Great band, great song!

However, the backing vocals sound overenginered and I don't think Jason Scheff owns another shirt.