Peter Cetera

[WarMan]

I rarely see Peter Cetera's name show up on a list of great bassists. Am I the only one who thinks he is one of the better bass players? His bass playing in the original Chicago lineup was second to none. He reminds me a lot of McCartney in his style. It's interesting that Chicago, along with the Beach Boys, were the top selling groups of the '70s, but it seems as though Chicago has been all but forgotten. Chicago outsold all of the other groups from the '70s that people seem to hold up. This was pre music video when you had to be good to maintain a long music career. Most of the "good" Chicago songs had very good Peter Cetera bass lines. I suspect that Cetera's lack of respect is due to the morphing of Chicago from a very hard-rocking band (CTA) to a sappy ballad band being produced by David Foster; and then his later solo (so long) post Chicago years.

 

I suspect that if Chicago had disbanded after Kath's death, or Cetera had died too soon, he would be remembered as one of the greats (which he really was.) Unfortunately, he's remembered as a ballad crooner.

[Funkee1]

I rarely see Peter Cetera's name show up on a list of great bassists. Am I the only one who thinks he is one of the better bass players? His bass playing in the original Chicago lineup was second to none. He reminds me a lot of McCartney in his style. It's interesting that Chicago, along with the Beach Boys, were the top selling groups of the '70s, but it seems as though Chicago has been all but forgotten. Chicago outsold all of the other groups from the '70s that people seem to hold up. This was pre music video when you had to be good to maintain a long music career. Most of the "good" Chicago songs had very good Peter Cetera bass lines. I suspect that Cetera's lack of respect is due to the morphing of Chicago from a very hard-rocking band (CTA) to a sappy ballad band being produced by David Foster; and then his later solo (so long) post Chicago years. I suspect that if Chicago had disbanded after Kath's death, or Cetera had died too soon, he would be remembered as one of the greats (which he really was.) Unfortunately, he's remembered as a ballad crooner.

I've mentioned him a few times. He's great! To play like that, and be one of the primary lead singers too.....impressive!

[bassman1956]

Agreed. He's one of my favs.

[bholder]

Didn't he have a son named "Et"?

[Super Bass]

Great bassist. He's been mentioned a good bit here.

[bassesofalessergod]

he used to have a house right by my dad's ski house in Sun Valley Idaho.

 

Apparently he's a nice guy.

[T. Alan Smith]

Chicago lub here!

[WarMan]

I was a die hard Chicago fan until the death of Kath. I went to four Chicago concerts when they were all alive. Cetera's melodic playing was probably the biggest influence in my interest in playing bass. But having said all of that, I've read quite a lot to suggest that his ego was at odds with the rest of the band. Apparently, the rest of the original band didn't want to move in the ballad direction, but Cetera did. I mean, he had a great voice, but I much preferered their cover of "I'm a Man," along with Introduction, Old Days, etc. to the later ballads. The first time I heard them was in the Long Beach Arena. They opened with a cover of the Beatle's "Magical Mystery Tour."

[Rhythm Junky]

I was just listening to him play "Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is". Nice bassline in that one.

[Les_Izzmor]

 

I suspect that Cetera's lack of respect is due to the morphing of Chicago from a very hard-rocking band (CTA) to a sappy ballad band being produced by David Foster;

 

 

 

As I recall from the Chicago Behind the Music the band didn't really want to be known as a "soft-rock" band, but Terry Kath was the guy who made them a kick-ass rock 'n roll band and their ballads all did so well the record company steered them in that direction after Kath's death.

 

To a man they all said they would have been known as a completely different band if Kath hadn't died.

[WarMan]

FYI, you can order two books containing note-for-note transcripts of the earlier Chicago songs. The books are not written in tab form but they have the complete bass lines to many of the early classics. I got mine from Bassbooks.com

[WarMan]

As a die hard fan, I thought they died with the death of Kath. He was a phenominal guitar player who I also think is a little underappreciated. To me Cetera was the heart, Lamm the concencious and Kath the soul of Chicago.

 

Chicago is rarely mentioned as a great band. It seems that groups like Tom Petty, The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steeley Dan, etc. are all held in higher esteem. I don't get it either. I was a child of the '70s and Chicago was very hot while I was in high school and college. They were much more popular than many of the groups that most critics hold up as the classic '70s groups. FYI, I liked most of the above mentioned groups.

 

Once again, I think their migration to a ballad, David Foster influenced, band forever tarnished their image. It's a shame.

[Funkee1]

As I recall from the Chicago Behind the Music the band didn't really want to be known as a "soft-rock" band, but Terry Kath was the guy who made them a kick-ass rock 'n roll band and their ballads all did so well the record company steered them in that direction after Kath's death. To a man they all said they would have been known as a completely different band if Kath hadn't died.

In fact, I'll go on a slight tangent, and suggest that David foster has been the death of many a great band.Rufus- Last album produced by David fosterAverage White Band- Innovative R&B band. Last album, Produced by David foster (at least until they attempted a comeback recently)Earth, Wind and Fire- As great a song as "After the Love is gone" is, it was their last really big hit, and it is WAAAAAAAAYYYY Different that "Serpentine Fire"See what I mean???

[BoundandBlocked]

Has anyone checked out Stone of Sisyphus? It's supposed to hearken back to the days of yore when they still brought the rock.

[WarMan]

+ 1,000 to David Foster. In fact I think the ending to one of the Foster/Cetera songs sounds a whole lot like the St. Elsewhere theme song. I think dying groups try David Foster before ending up in Branson or PBS.

[J.]

If you leave me now, you take away the biggest part of me.... ooooooooh--oooooooh--ooooooh- no, baby please don't go.

[ThudMaker]

It's all about the groove. The Foster stuff wasn't groovy.

[Super Bass]

FYI, you can order two books containing note-for-note transcripts of the earlier Chicago songs. The books are not written in tab form but they have the complete bass lines to many of the early classics. I got mine from Bassbooks.com

 

Thanks for this. I'll check it out.

[WarMan]

You're welcome. The books are:

 

Chicago - Transcribed Scores Volume 1

 

Chicago - Transcribed Scores Volume 2

 

The two books contain the complete transcripts for all instruments. 25 or 6 to 4 also has Kath's great guitar solo. I wish it would have had their version of "I'm a Man" but they didn't write that one.

[WarMan]

I've listened to a little of the post Kath/Cetera Chicago, including the Stone of Sisyphus. It's just not Chicago to me. Pankow and Lamm stopped writing songs long ago. Kath and Cetera were also significant song writers.

 

The current lineup is like a Chicago cover band. Champlin, Scheff and their rotating guitar lineup are good musicians but they are not Kath and Cetera. Champlin sounds like cheesy lounge singer when he sings "Make Me Smile. " Scheff butchers "25 or 6 to 4." Scheff's a great bass player and good singer, but he doesn't sound like Cetera. None of their guitar players sound or sing like Kath. Their horn section looks like they should be on the stage at Branson.

 

But they still tour often and draw big crowds, so someone still likes them. I've still got my Chicago / Beach Boys Endless Summer tank top from 1975. That tour was awesome. Chicago and the Beach Boys each did separate sets than they combined on some of each other's songs.

[TheBurkMan]

Cetera, use to continually poll high in Downbeats best electric jazz bassist polls thru-out the seventies. His Bass lines on the whole CD of Chicago V are exceptional. He had the Jamerson thing going but was actually a bit more melodic. Kath would have been considered right there with Hendrix, Clapton, and Beck, had Chicago and David Foster not sullied his name after his death.

 

Not only that, Cetera and Kath were both very soulful singers. Did any band have more quality vocalist then Chicago with Cetera, Kath and Lamm? All were solo act quality vocalist. Up thru the first seven albums they were a great band.

 

Has anyone here heard CTA (CALIFORNIA Transit Authority)? They were a band formed by Danny Seraphine. They came out with a CD last year. Pretty cool.

[WarMan]

I've heard of them. I think they play a few Chicago songs. He was a great drummer for them. Chicago was stupid to fire him. Supposedly, Pankow said that he was "neglecting his craft." What craft was there to playing Foster and Warwick songs? I heard that he used programmed drums on his later albums with Chicago. Pankow's muse dried up long ago, but it was great while he had it.

[Tolka]

I was always a big Cetera/Chicago fan. For me their best was their debut album CTA. The track "Introduction" is just amazing. I read somewhere that Cetera was never really fond of the horns. He loved the freer tracks with just himself, guitar and drums.

 

I also read that he has recently taken up the bass again after a long solo singing career.

[JeffBass]

 

I was always a big Cetera/Chicago fan. For me their best was their debut album CTA. The track "Introduction" is just amazing. I read somewhere that Cetera was never really fond of the horns. He loved the freer tracks with just himself, guitar and drums. I also read that he has recently taken up the bass again after a long solo singing career.

 

 

I'm not so sure he didn't enjoy singing and playing the old stuff. I never got that impression of him after reading a fairly lengthy interview in Bassplayer magazine. He's a decent, thoughful guy. One of his early ballads just took off on the charts (highlighting his golden voice) and after that there was always pressure to create another hit, both within the band and from the record executives. Some of Cetera's best ballads (Searchin) had nice horns in them but the producers felt that other songs shouldn't include horns. It's hard to argue with the success of it all, the band just changed. I think Peter felt the tension and thought it best to move on.

[Hopi]

One of my favorites of his, is his lines in Call on Me. And I'm big on fingerstyle playing (believe he used a pick on that one).