What are the 30 official albums?

[cyrenaica]

I have had the opportunity to see the band several times as well as
interview various members over the last 25 years, and as a result,
collect their albums. However, with the CD age making it easy for any
fly by night label to make an album, I have lost track. Here is my
supposed list of their albums....but I would appreciate any corrections
that need to be made

1969 Chicago Transit Authority (Columbia)
1970 Chicago (Columbia)
1971 Chicago III (Columbia)
1971 Live At Carnegie Hall (Columbia)
1972 Chicago V (Columbia)
1973 Chicago VI (Columbia)
1974 Chicago VII (Columbia)
1975 Chicago VIII (Columbia)
1975 IX Chicago's Greatest Hits (Columbia)
1976 Chicago X (Columbia)
1977 Chicago XI (Columbia)
1978 Hot Streets (Columbia)
1979 Chicago 13 (Columbia)
1980 Chicago XIV (Columbia)
1981 Chicago's Greatest Hits, Volume 2 (Columbia)
1982 Chicago 16 (Warner Brothers/Full Moon)
1984 Chicago 17 (Warner Brothers/Full Moon)
1986 Chicago 18 (Warner Brothers/Full Moon)
1988 Chicago 19 (Warner Brothers/Reprise)
1989 Chicago's Greatest Hits 1982-1989 (Warner Brothers/Reprise)
1991 Twenty 1 (Warner Brothers/Reprise)
1993 Night And Day: Big Band (Giant)
1997 The Heart of Chicago 1967 - 1997 (Warner Brothers/Reprise)
1998 The Heart of Chicago, Volume 2 1967 - 1998 (Warner
Brothers/Reprise)
1998 Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album (Chicago Records)
1999 Chicago XXVI -- The Live Album (Chicago Records)
2002 The Very Best of Chicago: Only The Beginning (Rhino)
2003 Box Set (Rhino)
2003 What's It Gonna Be Santa? (Rhino)
2006 XXX (Rhino)

I've sorted of aligned myself with the 'record company du jour' in
creating this list, thus leaving out 1991's Group Portrait (Columbia)
and 2003's Chicago Story: The Complete Greatest Hits 1967-2002.

Chicago 22 - In separate interviews, I have been told by one band
member that Night and Day: Big Band is Chicago 22 (he provided me the
above list in March 2000 up to Chicago XXVI), and by another that SOS
is Chicago 22 (which fits in well with the 'record company du jour'
theme). Both band members are original members.

[T&D@NC]

Pardon the OT question. In any of your interviews with the band was the
question answered as to why the band never released SOS on their own? I've
heard the record company(s) didn't "get it " and that is why a the big
labels did not release it. That, I don't get. SOS is fantastic and I would
run out and but it the day it went on sale. The real shame is not to be able
to hear this fantastic music live. I recently acquired a copy (from a very
nice person) and cannot put it down. The music stands up today and does not
sound one bit dated. Does the band realize how good this album is?? Unless
there are legal reasons it cannot be released? I would appreciate any
insight. Thanks

Terry

"cyrenaica" <cyre...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1155652678....@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

[cyrenaica]

I never asked this question, and all of the interviews I did dealt with
the current state of the band, the current tour, etc. I worked with a
small media outlet and the owner only wanted fluff questions asked.

I've been reading this forum for years so I know that there are people
here who probably know the answer to your question

[Tom Duller]

I don't know this for a fact. It just seems to me that a large percentage of
the people who would buy it already have it. Like Terry does now too. Still if
they released it, I'd go buy a copy. Especially if they put some bonus tracks
on like they have been on Rhino.

I bought all their albums up to 17 or so and then bought cassettes (sp?) of a
lot of my favorites and then CD's after 21 when I finally got a CD player.
Then bought them all again when Rhino re-released them (as far as they have).
So....I wouldn't feel too guilty about having a bootleg of SOS, uh, if I did.

Tom

p.s. I haven't seen them for a few years, but they used to play some of the
SOS songs in concert.

In article <1155664757.7...@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>,

[Wayne]

I would argue that there should be one correction to this list, "What's
It Gonna Be Santa?" is really just a reissue of Chicago XXV (w/ some
new songs, similar to the other Rhino reissues). The 29th album
probably should be "2005 Love Songs (Rhino)".

Wayne

[cyrenaica]

That's also a possibility.............basically, a band member provided
me a list of 1 through 26.....as mentioned in my earlier post. They
just released Chicago XXX....so, of all the albums in between, it would
be nice to know which are truly considered 27, 28, and 29 :)

I gave my thoughts, and would love to hear the ideas of others. :)

KPL

[Fred Haak]

You also have to figure that Dawayne co-wrote a lot of the material and is
no longer with the band. Would they really want to promote Dawayne,
regardless of how good he was and SOS was? And Tom is right, a lot of
copies are out there but yes, I would buy one too.

Fred

[rdvirus]

That's a nice list you have. I heard Bill Champlin and Robert Lamm on
the radio a few months back discussing the albums and they also
mentioned Night and Day as the 22nd album...HOWEVER........on page 55
of the notes that come with Chicago: The Box, it says about songs 12-14
on Disc 5

Tracks 12-14
>From Chicago 22/Stone of Sisyphus
Full Moon/Reprise [unissued]
Produced by PETER WOLF.......

You can all read the rest

I take that to mean that Chicago 22 was Stone of Sisyphus...regardless
what your band member friend said....or Bill....or Robert.

Liner Notes don't lie!

Rob