Chicago made the most of things as one of the first groups to appear after the Kennedy Center opened in September 1971, debuting a signature song. Keep scrolling to hear their muscular early version of “Saturday in the Park” from an upcoming multi-format release of this historic concert.
Founding trumpeter Lee Loughnane and engineer Tim Jessup returned to the original multi-track tapes to complete Chicago at the John. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C. (9/16/1971). Set for release by Rhino on Sept. 27, the 26-track live collection will be available in 4LP, 3CD and digital configurations. Preordering is already underway.
The Kennedy Center performance, recorded on Sept. 16, 1971, features the classic-era lineup of Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Loughnane, James Pankow, Walt Parazaider and Danny Seraphine. They focused on Chicago’s first three studio albums, moving from the upbeat “25 or 6 to 4” to ballads (“Colour My World” and “Beginnings”), jazz-influenced tracks (“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”) and extended song suites like “Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon.” The complete track listing is also below.
READ MORE: Top 10 Chicago Songs
Chicago would return to the studio just days later to begin work on Chicago V – the group’s first No. 1 album. They were already road-testing key tracks. “Case in point: We did ‘Saturday in the Park’ for the first time at the Kennedy Center show,” Loughnane says in a news release. “You’ll notice that we hadn’t yet decided on who would sing the lead vocal. Also, Robert hadn’t written Part 2 of ‘Dialogue’ yet.”
Before now, the only previously released song from Chicago at the John. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C. (9/16/1971) was “Goodbye,” which appeared on 2018’s Chicago: VI Decades Live.
Chicago at the John. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C. (9/16/1971) Track Listing
Tuneup and Band Introduction
“Dialogue”
“Loneliness Is Just a Word”
“In the Country”
“Poem for the People”
“A Hit by Varèse”
“A Song for Richard and His Friends”
“Lowdown”
“Goodbye”
“Beginnings”
“Make Me Smile”
“So Much to Say, So Much to Give”
“Anxiety’s Moment”
“West Virginia Fantasies”
“Colour My World”
“To Be Free”
“Now More Than Ever”
“Fancy Colours”
“Saturday in the Park”
“Mother”
“It Better End Soon”
“I’m a Man”
“Free”
“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (Free Form Intro)”
“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”
“25 or 6 to 4”
Chicago Albums Ranked
This list of Chicago albums reminds us once more of the opposing forces that always drove the band.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso