Bill Champlin - Tenure With Chicago

Tenure With Chicago

In 1978 the day after Chicago guitarist Terry Kath died, Champlin received a call from someone connected to the group, suggesting that he audition to take Kath's place. Champlin turned down the offer, saying he could not fill that role. But in 1981, he collaborated with Chicago's drummer, Danny Seraphine, singing some backgrounds with Peter Cetera on a non-Chicago project.

Seraphine and Champlin co-wrote a few songs, and Champlin was invited to sing one song ("Sonny Think Twice") as a guest vocalist on what would eventually become Chicago 16. Champlin suggested to Seraphine that David Foster might be a good choice as a producer for Chicago at that time.

Seraphine began a campaign to get Champlin into the group, despite some obstacles (Robert Lamm, initially jealous at the prospect of another keyboardist, said, "What the hell do we need him for?" and Kenny Loggins personally called Champlin, saying, "What are you doing? Those guys are over!"). Reluctant at first, especially after hearing that he would be singing "Colour My World" ("I never really liked that one much"), Champlin finally said, "Why not? I'll give it a year", and joined the band in 1981. Champlin would be instrumental in the firing of Danny Seraphine a few years later.

In the meantime, he was the musical director for the television show Fridays and was featured singing several songs on 16, including "Bad Advice" and "Follow Me."

1984's Chicago 17 enhanced Champlin's presence in the group, when he wrote several songs ("Please Hold On" and "Remember the Feeling"), and sang (with Cetera) the hit single "Hard Habit to Break".

In 1988 Champlin's voice appeared prominently on several major hit singles: "Look Away", "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love", and "You're Not Alone" from Chicago 19. That year he also sang the theme to the television show In the Heat of the Night.

In 1990 Champlin wrote, produced, and sang lead on "Hearts in Trouble", a song for the movie soundtrack of Days of Thunder. Originally a solo song, the producers of the movie decided, for marketing purposes, that it be released under the name of Chicago; so the band's horn section added a brass arrangement to the track and subsequently it was released as a single. In the summer of 1990, Chicago launched their Hearts in Trouble Tour.

By the early 1990s, Chicago's popularity began to wane (Chicago Twenty 1, featuring the Champlin-sung hit "Chasin' the Wind", sold poorly), and the band recorded Stone of Sisyphus, a project that remained unreleased until June 17, 2008, fifteen years after it was recorded. Champlin sings on the tracks "Mah Jongg", "Cry for The Lost", "The Show Must Go On", and "Plaid."

Champlin made major contributions to Chicago's big-band tribute Night & Day Big Band in 1995, and to both editions of their Christmas album (Chicago XXV: The Christmas Album, re-released with additional tracks as What's It Gonna Be, Santa?).

He co-wrote four of the songs on the band's 2006 album Chicago XXX.

In 2008 one week after the U.S. release of the Champlin solo album No Place Left to Fall, Chicago and Champlin announced he would be departing from the group, which he did shortly after Chicago wrapped up their summer tour with powerhouse band Earth Wind and Fire. Chicago's management released a statement saying "Bill Champlin is no longer in Chicago. He was a long time band member and we wish him all the best as he embarks on his new solo project, for which he’s worked long and hard." Meanwhile, Champlin's publicist released a statement saying, "After 28 years with Chicago, singer-songwriter-keyboardist Bill Champlin is parting ways with the classic jazz/rock band to focus once again on his solo career."

In March 2010 Bill Champlin teamed up with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (KORK) in Oslo, Norway for a special performance which was aired on TV in Norway.