"Those Guys Cannot Stand Me" Bill Champlin on His Ex Band Chicago
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I worked with Mr. Champlin as roady for about 15 of his years in Chicago, he is one of nicest people in the business!
...comes over as a very classy guy tbh
Mad respect for Bill! He was one of the best things that ever happened to that band and the fact that those guys can't appreciate his contributions is a loss of their own.
Saw Sons of Champlin with Boz Scaggs & Tower of Power about 1970 or so... fantastic show!
I bet Cold Blood was part of that lineup also.
Bill Champlin brought a whole new soulful voice to Chicago in the 80s and to replace a legend such as Terry Kath that was no easy task but Bill did an amazing job with his time in Chicago he didn't deserve what he got and it's Chicago's loss
Agreed. Terry passing away was heart breaking for them. Transitioning from their late 60’s beginnings to the 1980’s was a true challenge. Bill and Foster. Like it or hate it brought them into that decade… And they were successful..
"I Don't Want to Live Without Your Love" with Bill Champlin is the single most emotional and powerful vocal performance since Roy Orbison and "Crying"
Love your style Bill. Great stuff you've done over the years. ''Hard Habit to Break'' will always be in my top Chicago songs.
My jam!
I saw Bill and the Sons of Champlin at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, CA in 1967! Also saw Butterfield Blues band there with Mike Bloomfield...I was a lucky kid! I lived in the Hendrix generation...And I live today!
Bill Champlin's album 'Runaway' is still one of my favorite albums of all time.
It wasn't really promoted by Elektra Records, that's why it slipped through history.
If you like Champlin's music, please give it a listen.
Fantastic album. Zaragon profiled it some years back on his channel.
Being a trumpet player in high school, Chicago was "the" band. I got to see Terry Kath 8 times and words can't describe it. I still liked Chicago when Bill was with them. Years earlier, I had heard of Sons of Champlin but never actually heard their music. When Terry Kath died, that changed the whole dynamic of the band. I had just started getting into Tower of Power and from what I understand, Bill is friends with the core members.
At one point, I think he actually called Chicago, "Tower of Power Lite" from an interview I read. Correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks, Bill for your contribution to music.
Chicago is the best rock and pop band with horns...Tower of Power is the best horn band period.....
Being a Trumpet player and not having CHASE as a fav horn band is somewhat suspect...the original CTA band was incredible, BS&T, Edgar Winter's White Trash, Malo and Chase
@@chasefreak Suspect of what? Having subjective taste in horn players?
It’s better just to move on and do what you want to do musically. Life’s too short to waste time where you are not wanted. Chicago are road dogs, it’s their gig and they will do exactly what they want.
28 years is a damn good run for Bill with the group.
Congrats and best wishes to Chicago and Bill Champlin.
Side note: Bill once picked me up while hitchhiking in Sausalito on my way to Fairfax. He invited me to listen to the first Sons of Champlin album that was about to be released at his pad. I became a life long fan since then.
Excellent interview clips. Thanks for sharing these. I saw The Son's live in 74, and Chicago live in 75. Both experiences effected me as a young guitarist. I also saw Chicago live for the 18 tour. I'm a hardcore Chicago, Terry Kath fan, but I'm also a big fan of Bill Champlin.
Sons of Champlin...one of the greatest bands ever...Very underrated..
Bill has such a soulful voice killer musician
Chicago turned into a lounge act after Terry passed. The difference in their music before and after is striking.
Terrys tragic death changed EVERYTHING...for sure.
You are SO right. The original Chicago was, and still IS, one of my favorite bands of all time. All the infighting and stuff like that started years later when members started changing. I still have a sore spot for how they so unceremoniously voted out Danny Seraphine. A founding member, and they just kicked him out like it was nothing. Personal reasons for sure, but they used a different excuse like diminishing skills which was total BS as he went on to create California Transit Authority. The first era of that band was by far the best.
Couldn’t agree more. The first three albums were like nothing we had ever heard before. Then some pretty good stuff up to Kath’s tragic end. And then….vanilla pudding.
But on their later albums, Bill's songs were the coolest. Not at all "lounge-y." Rather, they had some really cool changes and drifted into Steely Dan kind of territory . Some of the other guys wrote more maudlin stuff.
And it certainly didn't help when Danny was fired.
A real pity there's bad blood. The Foster era along with Bill and Jason brought a whole new fan base into Chicago. They should be looking back at those original records with pride rather then prejudice.
And ironically, they were more commercially successful during that time.
I met Bill a few years ago at one of those outdoor festival gigs - both of our bands were set up caddy-corner from each other - he came over and introduced himself and we talked keyboard-shop for a while - what a friendly classy guy.
I’ve seen Chicago 10 times over the years I enjoyed seeing Bill , he was great as all of the members threw their time , over the many years ❤
I loved Chicago. Sadly the current keepers of the brand rather make money than worry about the employees. Just look at all the members that have bailed on that group.
When Bill says "They want to play their original stuff -- and they want to play it exactly as it was recorded" I understand what he is saying. There's another interview with him somewhere on UA-cam where he talks about Jason and himself singing at the concerts. The original band members wanted those two singers to sing like the original singers on the old songs. In essence, they wanted "Jason Scheff doing Peter Cetera" and "Bill Champlin doing Terry Kath" when singing the old songs.
Some years ago, I saw a reunited version of the Sons of Champlin. Both the lead guitarist (I forget his name) and Bill took several solos. And what struck me was that while the lead player had considerably more chops, he played pretty much what you'd expect. Whereas Bill may have played half as fast, but he took it in directions that were unexpected and musically surprising.
I remember thinking, "This is the kind of stuff that Bill absolutely COULDN'T get away with playing in Chicago (he was still with them at the time). In his own band, he can do it, and he does."
In the early 70s Bill and the lead guitarist for Moby Grape, Jerry Miller, had a group called the Rhythm Dukes in the Santa Cruz area. They were great and very funky.
I was going to San Francisco to see the sons when I was 17. Our band got to warm up the Sons at a gig in the east bay once. They were my favorite band for quite a few years. Great to see Bill still chugging along. Down to earth classy dude and a great soul.
Last time I saw the Sons (early 2000s) at Humphrey's Shelter Island the audience was nearly all musicians. Mic Gillette was playing that night as well so it was an added bonus. My brother, who played in several local bands was pointing out about 30-40 guys in the audience that he knew from other local bands. Bill is a very approachable down-to-earth guy who always has the time to talk with a fan or return an email.
Bill Champlin and Jason Scheff’s time in Chicago brought my favorite music of theirs. Seems like a band that will drag anyone who leaves, for any reason they can think up.
I was an avid of the Sons since Loosen Up Naturally. Loved their funky R&B vibe. Bill was a big influence on me as a singer, and as a guitar player, Terry was a guy I tried to emulate. Big fan of early Chicago as well. But after Terry Kath, they kind of became more of a pop/top 40 group, and I started to listen to other things. Jazz fusion, etc. When Bill joined Chicago, I was a little surprised. They did some really good stuff in that era, but mostly a bit outside my range of interest. I saw Bill some years back playing at Nicasio Roadhouse, he sounded as good as ever. Will always be one of my all-time favorite musicians.
I had the pleasure of opening for the Sons twice in 1967 in San Diego at a place called The Hippodrone the San Diego version of the Filmore. The name of our group was Maya we were the house band . The Sons came down from Marin and Simply rocked , Bill has an incredible voice and is a fantastic writer ask Bill what a Marin County knuckle is,we shared a few of those with the Band it was a great experience to to open for them ,it opened up my musical mind what could be done.
Loosen up Naturally Bill,All the Best
great musician.
Donnie dacus was incredible guitar melodic links, lead and of his Great Voice really impressed me.i bought hotstreets Album , and street player. Take A Chance was great. This guy really was a virtuoso on 🎸 and vocals
The West is the best! Sons of Champlin were so so good live, just funky and bad ass. Terry Haggerty's psychedelic gypsy jazz solos are off the charts ..
I hope some late 60s early 70s live gigs by the Sons pops up someday.
Life-long idol, AMAZING voice! I used to dis (old-speak for "insult") club bands who couldn't play the Son's music. I got to try out with them some time ago. They had already settled on a guy by the time I got to audition, but what an honor!!
Thanks!
Great interview. I make no secret that I'm a big Cetera guy, so maybe I wasn't Bill's biggest fan. I think he came off great here. Big change in my opinion.
I love him with Dawayne Bailey and Jason! Their voices blend together so beautifully and if Dawayne had tried to start another band, him and those 2 plus John Keane would be an incredible supergroup! I’d love for you to do a video about Dawayne
Without Terry Kath and Peter , it’s not Chicago
And Danny
And Danny!
The life of the journeyman musician. As Bill implies, it’s all about the money…for him. I don’t blame him. He has to make a living having committed himself to music as a career. Chicago, the band, has to live with itself, knowing they lost the true, creative magic and spirit they produced with the first three albums. Yes, they might’ve made more money having moved to more pop via Cetera and Dave Foster and Bill Champlin, but they still have to live (rationalize) with the fact they were never able to capture the true magic of their earlier output. When I heard ‘Saturday in the Park,’ a good pop song, I wrote them off. I still listen to those first three albums quite a bit as some of the most creative rock music of the period.
As I say often…Enjoy the music. Dig it. Feel it. But never look behind the curtain…..
This guy never met a Terry Kath vocal he didn’t butcher! I’m with Chicago on this one. That’s what makes L&F so enjoyable. When I hear songs live, I want them to be replicated as closely to the studio recording as possible. To me, Coffey and Pardini were the closest Chicago ever got to the Kath \ Cetera sound. This guy went totally rogue with his vocals especially on “Make Me Smile.” Probably why Chicago had enough of him.
Yes, and AMEN!
Well, why did they keep him in the band so long?
The band was never the same for me after terry kath s passing
Champlins singing got Chicago through the post-Cetera era. Champlin was obviously treated no better than Cetera.
They allege in their documentary that Bill once said, "They're coming to see me". I doubt that ever took place.
Agreed, love him, hate him, the guy (and ironically David Foster) saved their outdated asses in the 80s
Yeah, he was NEVER a draw.@@christophercruz8359
And ironically, during the time that Champlin was in the band. They were more commercially successful.
Have respect for Bill’s music but he isn’t a good vocalist.
I spoke to Bill after a Chicago Christmas show in December of 2004. I asked him how things were going and he replied “I’m gettin’ too old for this shit!”. That pretty much summed up his feelings on that particular tour. I’d had spoken to him briefly two times before at other shows but Bill was more chatty after the 2004 show. Being a musician of many years myself I could feel the tension in Bill during our conversation. That was the last time I spoke to any of those guys. My brother in law was friends with Chicago’s manager so we got VIP passes after 3 shows over a 5 year span.
thye sons of champlain from marin county were a truly great band
Leonid & Friends
It seems to be a common theme with those guys. They’re dismissive of Cetera, Seraphine and Foster as well.
That's why they're not doing as great as they could be. They need to see a therapist and get to the roots of their jealousies.
any negative comment Bill has about Chicago is just some hot air....
It sounded to me like he wished them all the best, and it was them that "couldn't stand him" and wanted to return to their original sound. But it seems like they all enjoyed the cash, that the Foster/Cetera/Champlain era generated. After "7" and when Kath later passed, "Chicago 16" and "17" were a "bright" spot in their dried-up career.
The greatest thing in Chicago has always been the trombone work of Jimmy Pankow.
Chicago was lucky to have Bill. Bill has one of the best singers in rock and blues
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Thanks for the laugh
Ha. having been a longtime "original lineup" fan, I truly despised Champlin. Singing, sucked, Playing, sucked. Attitude, sucked.
Goodbye.
I was at The Barclays for the RRHOF induction and saw Dannys wonderful speech.
(Bill) "They want to play their original stuff -- and they want to play it exactly as it was recorded..." Well, yes. Yes, that's exactly what I want to hear. Especially the early years - albums 1 - 4. After Terry's death, no more Chicago.
The thing is, for the first seven albums, Chicago was more of a jazzy rock group, very into improvisation, and in that era, they often *did not* play their songs live exactly as they were recorded. If the studio recording of a song was four to six minutes, it could easily be ten to fifteen minutes live. They loved to jam and improvise, live, from '69 to 74. That was one of the great things about the band.
Not on after Terry; but after Peter left. Love Jason Sheff; but Terry, Peter, & Liam, were the voices of Chicago!
...and the legendary woody #5
I loved the Sons! By the time Bill hooked up with Chicago, I had lost interest in what Chicago had become. He seems like a great uy. Thanks, John!
Different strokes for different folks i guess 🤷🏻♂️ I grew up with the 16-19 albums and they were fenomenal pop albums. I like the early period as well. But imo nothing beats that eighties period! 👌👌👌
it's not a secret nor is it not understandable that the older Chicago members have a distant relationship with Bill Champlin. Chicago was adrift for several years after the death of Terry Kath. David Foster was brought in to build a "new" Chicago around a pop keyboard sound and a new singer to compliment Peter Cetera. All you have to do is listen to the Foster produced version of Chicago and you hear his bubble gum formulaic sound that sold records but it gutted the life blood of Chicago, the horns. If you were in the horn section, or if you were Robert Lamm and you're used to writing the songs, and now Foster is making you feel like a puppet on a string, handing all the power in the band to Cetera, Champlin and Foster, and you and the horn section were founding members, you better believe you'd feel like Champlin and Foster were invading your territory. That's common sense. Cetera was like a lot of alpha males in rock, from Axl Rose to Roger Waters to Sting who think they are the band. Once Chicago ridded themselves of Foster, Cetera and Champlin, the remaining members were allowed to be what they considered Chicago to be all along-a great, powerful horn and guitar driven band. They don't score hits anymore, and they don't need to. if you actually got them on your show I guarantee you to a man they would tell you they are much happier today than they were in the Foster/Champlin era, and that's far more important than stroking David Fosters ego.
The horn section was lucky to have singers like Kath, Cetera, and Lamm. Sorry but those voices made the band. Any horn section could have worked. The horn players while talented had far too much creative control.
I saw them in concert about seven years ago, when they still had Jason Scheff, Lou Pardini, and Tris Imboden. Walt Parazaider was still there playing flute and sax. I thought the show was absolutely perfect. They played pretty much all of my favorite numbers, including non-hits like "Dialogue". The encore was "Free" and "25 Or 6 To 4."
First,Chicago was pretty much over when Terry died. Second ,Chicago was really over when Peter left. Bill Champlin is a great Musician, But he did not belong in Chicago. He was a friend of David Foster and wormed his way into the Band.David Foster took a great Band with a original sound and turned them into a soft rock generic sounding band.Yes they sold more records, But to me that was not Chicago anymore.
Bill Champlin is one of those Mega-Cats. He will play...no matter what. people who criticize him can't approach his work ethic and stamina. Thank you, Bill....and Bill (if you see this) I lost all interest in Chicago after Foster. Just sayin.
I have a friend who sent me a clip of Bill playing a gig in Mukilteo. I was surprised it had happened the night before. I had no clue that he was playing anywhere near here and I live in Everett. I would have been there if I had known. I have ALWAYS like Bill and his work with 'Sons'. I knew that he wrote with other people and did other work before Chicago... I was excited when I heard he had joined... but I just never thought he fit... I appreciate the work he did with the band but I felt the band was trying to make up for the loss of Terry the wrong way... I dislike all of Fosters work with Chicago and yet... I love all of his other work. Peter... took advantage of a shitty situation. He wanted to go solo before Terry had passed and I know that Terry also wanted to do side work at least... I know there was a 'snow' problem in the band at the time and Peter never cared for the horns as such and he took advantage.. I know Danny brought David in but it was the relationship of Peter and Foster that turned them into Air Supply2.....
I also know that Robert and Guerecio started after the 8th album tour to have the band playing only their greatest hits.. and maybe a deep cut each tour,....
A few years ago I saw Chicago with the Doobie Brothers. The Doobies were rockin but Chicago was butchering the old songs with improvisation. I left the concert yelling "blasphemy" because I came to hear the original songs and was anything but. I did see Chicago in Frankfurt, Germany December 1969 and it was incredible with Kath, Cetera and Lamm.
I always liked Bill Champlan’s approach and stylings to the music of Chicago. He was one of my favorites to watch and listen live. Studio recordings are very produced. That’s why it’s recorded so it never dies. When a band is live, I love to hear renditions that are different from studio recordings taking liberties, adlibing, improvising while keeping respect to the original melody and chords of the song. I always thought Bill was a master at this but just like most egotistical “jazz snobs” they can’t just be content with that after a while they have to do more and more until it just gets too far from what the original intent of the song was. If it wasn’t for Chicago, I don’t even think Bill Champlain would’ve been on the map as a recognizable voice lol he’d probably still be doing jingles like in The Heat of The Night so suck it up Bill., give credit where it’s due. You think you’re way better than you really are. Be grateful Chicago made you lots of money too because most of those songs you were on weren’t even yours to begin with. You never hear a guy like Michael McDonald talk about things like this. I love Bill but sometimes he reminds me of this grump old jazz musician who never really made it huge similar to “Whiplash” 😂😂
I always though it was curious that they fired him just after he release a solo album that had Peter Cetera guest star on a couple of songs. I wish someone would ask him if that's really why they fired him.
Which solo album was that? Not Burn Down the Night?
Solitude/Solitaire 1986. It wasn’t the band but their management and the record company that wouldn’t allow him to continue to produce his own albums and have a solo career at the same time.
They probably got tired of him doing solo stuff
No, it's that Peter didn't want to play bass anymore and wanted to cut out touring more than half Chicago's dates per year so he could tour with his solo stuff. Robert Lamm has 9 solo albums, but it doesn't interfere with Chicago's touring schedule.
@@karensaldanha4760interesting
WHERE CAN I SEE THE DOCUMENTARY?
Seems like a good guy. I hate hearing about squabbles and backstabbing in these groups, but it seems to be normal. With as many members as this band has, it is almost expected. David Foster really saved the band. I loved Bill's performances on 16 and 17.
Bill Champlin was one of the all time greatest vocalists ever.
Chicago went through phases. They were always good. The early band were awesome musicians.
Guercio years were the best.
That 1st album by the Sons of Champlin is just as good as the debut album by the Chicago Transit Authority. IMO.
Last year on one of the day time shows for Christmas, they didn't let the lead singer sing, Lamm did... same year, Rockefeller center...the trumpet player sang.. pre-ma-donnas
You want real Chicago better than the original guys Leonid and Friends! Mind blowing perfection 😊 Chicago couldn't perform their own music live as good as these Russians do.
Completely agree. Saw L&F before Covid and it was outstanding.
THE PLAYERS - Bill Champlin w/ Keith Howland, Jeff Coffey, & Gordon Campbell
Video from 2018, when Bill Champlin would never rejoin Chicago……..Jason Scheff left in 2016, and then Tris Imboden / Jeff Coffey departs Chicago in 2018 when Walfredo Reyes, Jr moves from percussion to drums then Neil Donell becomes the singer and then Brett Simons plays bass until 2022, when Eric Baines becomes the current bassist for Chicago…..
It was Terry Kath’s Band.
Chicago had some hits with Champlin, but the band were not even close to the greatness of the 70s Chicago. He was lucky he got to be in Chicago.
Without Champlain, Foster and Cetera.......the band would have ceased to exist after Terry Kath died. Chicago wasn't ever going to be the band that it was. It needed "new" life!!
I was never a huge Chicago fan, but I like some of their stuff and respect them. The thing that's funny about them (at least for me) is they have to be the most un-funky band with horns I have ever heard. They are COMPLETELY on the opposite end of the funk spectrum from say Tower of Power. It's if they try to sound as suburban and WHITE/BLAND as much as they can. It's everything, and most definitely their horn arrangements.
Was never the same band without Dennis DeYoung.
Lol. I assume you’re joking….
I think Bill and Robert butted heads quite frequently.
Imagine singing the only #1 hit for a band and being treated like a door mat…
Shame on the old boys of Chicago…
They should give back the coin they made when Foster produced their later albums….
I thought the heading was referring to the City of Chicago…😂
To me Chicago hasn't been Chicago since Terry passed and peter Cetera left
The son's of Champllin. Good albums
Champlin saved Chicagos collective ass after 81 so to speak
Chicago is an immitation Sons of Champlain band.
Very interesting. Like a lot of Chicago fans, I always felt the "real" band ended with the passing of Terry Kath, an incredible and underappreciated musician. IMO, David Foster was the worst thing to happen to the band, because while the production values were top-notch, the depth of the soul/feeling in the music that we heard from CTA through Chicago XI was just gone.
That said, though, I did think Bill Champlin was a strong addition to the band, with great versatility between his vocals, keyboard playing, and guitar work.
I can’t get passed that the band ‘can’t stand’ him. He helped them cross the bridge into the then modern era. It wasn’t just Kath passing away but the whole music scene changed as it always will… Bad mouthing people the way Bill has been just piss’s me off. A simple thank you would be in order…
The way Bill performs 'Habit to Break' live is odd.
For me Chicago ended with the death of Terry Kath and Chicago 11. After that, Peter Cetera’s big head and hatred for the horns that took attention away from him turned the band into his personal background track. Though it got better after Peter left, it still never returned to its former Terry Kath era greatness.
IMO Bill got them through the 80’s
I was a huge Chicago fan.
The Chicago mistique and legacy would be huge...if they would have stopped, after Terry Kath's death.
I've seen them a few times, since.
Hoping for....I don't know....something interesting to happen.
To no avail.
Sad what they became after Kath.
Even sadder today.
Chicago has become a second or third class, Chicago tribute band.
Give it up, boys...your embarassing yourselves, and have tainted your legacy.
Sad.
Literally who? Then again, I didn't follow Chicago very much after Terry Kath died. He was the heart and soul of the sound that I liked from Chicago. I had no use for Chicago after that.
Curious who Chicago hates me. Champlin or Cetera
Saw them in late ‘90’s at Wolftrap, terrible. I blamed sound engineers, outside venue. Early 2ks went to, I believe, a DC location but ??? name???. Indoors….terrible.
There's more than one member left?
The last few times seeing Chicago with Bill, he was just mailing the show in. He had no interest whatsoever 😮
After they pushed Bill out, Chicago became a greatest hits act. That kind of band needs relevant new music to go out there to play. Bill, on the other hand, released two solid albums.
I saw them with the Doogie Brothers and I think the Doobies stole the show. Chicago is good but without Peter Cetera they're resigned to the casino circuit tour.
Jason and Trist. Who the hell are they? I saw Chicago on the UMBC gym floor in like 1970 just after CTA was released before anybody knew who they were and followed them thru whenever Cetera left. After that, they ceased to exist for me except for their catalog that I grew up with. The later years didn't even matter to me, because it really wasn't Chicago. No Terry and no Pete. C'mon man. Well maybe Lamm, but not really.
Without Terry Kath there is no Chicago period…
Interesting how hypocrisy works. They can do a great song like "If This Is Goodbye" with straight faces, yet they can't be bothered to make up with Bill and anyone else they've driven out of the band with their drama?
I've heard Champlin on different people's projects over the years, plus Chicago. His voice is like fingernails on a blackboard. I absolute can't stand anything he does.
Anyone who wasn't an original member was just a stand-in.
I've always loved Chicago from the beginning on. And Terry Kath, Peter Cetera and Danny Seraphine were heavy losses. But when they fired Bill Champlin, that gave me the rest and from then on, I've lost interest in further band activities, because since then it has been clear that Chicago has been nothing but a faceless band with interchangeable figures.
Sorry Mr. Lamm, your ego with all honor, but a band without their characteristic voices like Cetera and Champlin is worth less than half.
Maybe it's just me, but I always thought Robert Lamm wrote and sang the best songs in Chicago. I believe without Lamm they would have been just another horn band. I used to call Chicago "Robert Lamm & the 7 Little Sheep."
After "Chicago 5", what did he write that was so great?? Peter Cetera and even James Pankow (and later David Foster) penned the majority of good songs
All the hits Bill gave Chicago. After Terry Kath the would have disappeared
Champlin and his wild falsetto vocal wailings and the terrible way that he interpreted songs both instrumentally and vocally really ruined this band. His singing, which is a twangy country style didn't fit Chicago's music at all.
never liked his vocal style to much vocal riffs that were not good
Foster is a narcissist.
Why can't you just leave quietly Bill, you made a living singing songs written by some amazing talent, go write your own music, try and do a show not including Chicago in your Sets, what's that?, you can't!