"Colour My World" is a song written by American musician James Pankow, one of the founding members of the rock/ jazz fusion band

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

. Part of Pankow's " Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon"

song cycle A song cycle (german: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle, of individually complete songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rarel ...

/suite, it was recorded for their second album ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

'', also called ''Chicago II'' (1970).

Terry Kath Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 – January 23, 1978) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He played guitar and sang lead vocals on many of the band's early hit singl ...

sings the lead vocal, and Walter Parazaider performs the memorable flute solo. The song was initially released as the B-side to "

Make Me Smile "Make Me Smile" is a song written by James Pankow for the rock band Chicago with the band's guitarist, Terry Kath, on lead vocals. Part 1 of Pankow's 7-part " Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon" song cycle/suite, it was recorded for their second ...

" in March 1970. It was re-released in June 1971 as the B-side to the re-release of " Beginnings"; this second single reached on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Colour My World" is the first significant hit by Chicago to largely abstain from their heavy woodwind and brass oriented sound. It became a popular "slow dance" song at high school proms, university dances and weddings during the 1970s. Chicago continues to perform the song, either on its own, or as part of the Ballet. Since Kath's death in 1978 and being brought back into their set list in 1982, lead vocals were performed by Bill Champlin until 1991, when Robert Lamm took the lead. It has been sung by trumpeter Lee Loughnane since 2009. Frank Sinatra wanted to record a version of the song on the condition that Pankow write an additional verse. Pankow declined the offer. The song is notable for only containing one verse and the flute solo.

Personnel

– lead vocals * Robert Lamm – keyboards * Peter Cetera – bass * Danny Seraphine – drums * Walter Parazaider – flute

Sources

Chicago (band) songs Songs written by James Pankow Barbara Fairchild songs 1970 singles 1971 singles Song recordings produced by James William Guercio Columbia Records singles 1970 songs {{1970s-single-stub