Take Me Back to Chicago
| "Take Me Back to Chicago" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Side A of the US single | ||||
| Single by Chicago | ||||
| from the album Chicago XI | ||||
| B-side | "Policeman" | |||
| Released | May 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 2:57 (Single version) 5:17 (Album version) | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriters | Danny Seraphine, David "Hawk" Wolinski | |||
| Producer | James William Guercio | |||
| Chicago singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Take Me Back to Chicago", originally released on the Chicago XI album, was a 1978 chart hit in the U.S. and Canada for the band Chicago. The song features Chaka Khan on backing vocals, and the last to feature Terry Kath.
Released as a single in May 1978, the song reached No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 62 on the Cash Box Top 100 in the United States.[1] In Canada, it peaked at No. 66. On the adult contemporary charts, it reached No. 39 in the U.S. and No. 21 in Canada.
Critical reception
[edit]Billboard called the song "a cool, easy tempo number which is perfect radio fare for summer" and highlighted the "soft, smooth opening" that "gives way to a hotter sound of horns and soulful female voices".[2] Cashbox wrote that song "bears the group’s distinctive mark of classy horn arrangement and tight vocals" and that Kath's presence on the track "was keenly felt".[3] Record World thought that the song possessed one of the band's "best melodies and arrangements in some time", adding that it would be "a likely hit".[4]
Personnel
[edit]- Robert Lamm – keyboards, lead and backing vocals
- Terry Kath – guitars, backing vocals
- Peter Cetera – bass, backing vocals
- James Pankow – trombone
- Walter Parazaider – saxophone
- Lee Loughnane – trumpet
- Danny Seraphine – drums
- Laudir de Oliveira – percussion
- Additional personnel
- David "Hawk" Wolinski – ARP synthesizer
- Chaka Khan – backing vocals and "incredible preach"
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5] | 66 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[6] | 21 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[7] | 63 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[8] | 39 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Top 100 1978-06-17". Cashbox Magazine. Archived from the original on 2022-09-01. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
- ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. May 6, 1978. p. 96. Retrieved October 15, 2025 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Singles | Feature Picks" (PDF). Cashbox. May 6, 1978. p. 18. Retrieved October 15, 2025 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. May 13, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved October 15, 2025 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4595." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4596." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- ^ "Chicago Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- ^ "Chicago Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
