Alive Again (Chicago song)

"Alive Again"
Single by Chicago
from the album Hot Streets
B-side"Love Was New"
ReleasedOctober 1978
Genre
Length3:32 (single version)
4:10 (album version)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)James Pankow
Producer(s)Phil Ramone & Chicago
Chicago singles chronology
"Take Me Back to Chicago"
(1978) 		"Alive Again"
(1978) 		"No Tell Lover"
(1978)

"Alive Again" is a song written by James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Hot Streets (1978), with Peter Cetera singing lead vocals. The first single released from that album, it reached No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[1] In Canada, "Alive Again" spent two weeks at No. 11.[2]

"Alive Again" was Chicago's first new single after their split with producer James William Guercio. It was also their first single after the accidental death of Terry Kath; Donnie Dacus played guitar on the recording.[3]

Recording and Production

According to Mike Stahl, Chicago's live audio engineer at the time, members of Chicago's rhythm section–Robert Lamm, Donnie Dacus, Peter Cetera, and Danny Seraphine–came into the studio, started jamming, and played what they thought was a run-through of "Alive Again" but which producer Phil Ramone had recorded. Despite recording the rhythm track ten more times, the run-through had the "feel" he was looking for, so it made the album.[4]

After the recording of "Alive Again" had been completed, Chicago's brass section recorded with the Bee Gees on their song, "Tragedy". Inspired by his work with Barry Gibb, James Pankow rewrote the brass charts for "Alive Again" and the song was rerecorded. Mike Stahl said the new arrangements gave the song a whole new "feeling" and "sparkle".[5]

Cash Box said it has " aggressive horns, high riding vocals, tight and melodic structure and a bright optimism."[6] Record World said that the song "rocks stronger than previous [Chicago] releases with the guitar work and Cetera's lead vocals of prime interest."[7]

Chart performance

  • The opening guitar and horns riff of this song was used in the opening highlights montage by the NBA on CBS from 1979 to 1981.[11]
  • An instrumental version was used as the opening theme to the syndicated radio show The Don & Mike Show in 2003.

References

  1. ^ a b "The Hot 100: Week of December 9, 1978". Billboard Charts Archive. Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 30, no. 12. December 16, 1978. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  3. ^ Ruhlmann, William James (1991). "Chicago Group Portrait Essay". aln3.albumlinernotes. Columbia Records. p. 8. Archived from the original on 2019-03-28. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  4. ^ "Mike Stahl Recalls: Mixing Chicago Live In The 1970s - Page 5 of 6". ProSoundWeb. 2017-05-19. Archived from the original on 2019-04-30. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  5. ^ "Mike Stahl Recalls: Mixing Chicago Live In The 1970s - Page 6 of 6". ProSoundWeb. 2017-05-19. Archived from the original on 2019-04-30. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  6. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 21, 1978. p. 28. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  7. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 21, 1978. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  8. ^ "Chicago Chart History: Adult Contemporary". Billboard Charts Archive. p. 4. Archived from the original on 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  9. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles: Week ending December 9, 1978". Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  10. ^ "Top 200 Singles of '78 – Volume 30, No. 14, December 30 1978". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2018-05-14. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  11. ^ "Culture Desk: N.B.A. Music". The New Yorker. 2014-04-17. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on 2017-05-28. Retrieved 2019-04-30.


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