''Chicago XXX'' is the twentieth studio album, and thirtieth album overall, by the American band
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, released on March 21, 2006. It was Chicago's first album of entirely new material since 1991's ''
Twenty 1''.
Background
The album was recorded in
Nashville,
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
with horn sessions in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
over the summer of 2005. Production duties were handled by
Jay DeMarcus
Jay DeMarcus (born Stanley Wayne DeMarcus Jr.; on April 26, 1971) is an American bassist, vocalist, pianist, record producer and songwriter. From 1999 to 2021, he was a member of the country pop group Rascal Flatts.
Early life
DeMarcus was born ...
of the country group
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in 1999. The band members were Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background vocals). DeMarcus is LeVox's second cou ...
, who came to the project through a friendship with Chicago's bassist-singer
Jason Scheff
Jason Randolph Scheff (born April 16, 1962) is an American bassist, singer, and songwriter. From 1985 to 2016, he was the bassist and one of the lead vocalists for the rock band Chicago; he is the longest-serving member in the bassist/vocalist p ...
. DeMarcus used several session players for the album.
''Chicago XXX'' peaked at number 41 in the US during a brief chart stay, spawning minor hits "Feel" and "Love Will Come Back." This would be the last studio recording with long-time vocalist and keyboardist Bill Champlin, as he departed Chicago in August 2009.
Track listing
Personnel
Chicago
*
Robert Lamm
Robert William Lamm (born October 13, 1944) is an American keyboardist, guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He wrote many of the band's biggest hits, including " Questions 67 & 68", "Does ...
– acoustic piano,
Wurlitzer electric piano
The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is concept ...
,
Hammond B3 organ, vocals, horn arrangements (10)
*
Lee Loughnane
Lee David Loughnane (pronounced LOCK-nain; born October 21, 1946) is an American trumpeter, flugelhorn player, vocalist, and songwriter, best known for being a founding member of the rock band Chicago.
Early life and education
Lee David Loughna ...
– trumpet,
flugelhorn,
piccolo trumpet
*
James Pankow
James Carter Pankow is an American trombone player, songwriter and brass instrument player, best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago.
Early life, family and education
Born in St. Louis, Missouri of German and Irish descent, Pa ...
– trombone, horn arrangements (2-9, 11-13)
*
Walt Parazaider – saxophones,
flutes
*
Bill Champlin
William Bradford Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, musician, arranger, producer, and songwriter. He formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the band Chicago from 1981–2009. ...
– Hammond B3 organ, acoustic piano,
Fender Rhodes, vocals, BGV arrangements
*
Jason Scheff
Jason Randolph Scheff (born April 16, 1962) is an American bassist, singer, and songwriter. From 1985 to 2016, he was the bassist and one of the lead vocalists for the rock band Chicago; he is the longest-serving member in the bassist/vocalist p ...
– bass guitar, vocals, BGV arrangements
*
Tris Imboden
Gregory Tristan "Tris" Imboden (born July 27, 1951) is an American rock and jazz drummer. As a performer, he has been in studio sessions and on tour with some of the most notable and highest-selling musicians of all time. He was the drummer fo ...
– drums (1, 5, 7-13)
*
Keith Howland
Keith Howland (born August 14, 1964) is an American guitarist and singer. He was the lead guitarist for the veteran pop-rock band Chicago from 1995-2021.
Howland started playing the guitar at the age of seven, and he played in a number of band ...
– guitars
Additional musicians
*
Jay DeMarcus
Jay DeMarcus (born Stanley Wayne DeMarcus Jr.; on April 26, 1971) is an American bassist, vocalist, pianist, record producer and songwriter. From 1999 to 2021, he was a member of the country pop group Rascal Flatts.
Early life
DeMarcus was born ...
– keyboards, guitars,
loops, programming, acoustic piano (2), arrangements
* James Matchack – keyboards, loops,
sequencing, arrangements
*
Tom Bukovac
Tom Bukovac is an American session musician and producer. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in nearby Willowick, Ohio. He has been a Nashville-based musician since 1992. He previously owned 2nd Gear, a used music consignment shop in So ...
– acoustic guitar, electric guitar
*
Dann Huff
Dann Lee Huff (born November 15, 1960) is an American record producer and songwriter. For his work as a producer in the country music genre, he has won several awards, including the ''Musician of the Year'' award in 2001, 2004, and 2016 at the Co ...
– guitars (3-5, 7, 9, 11)
* Jack Kincaid – guitars (6)
* Yankton Mingua – guitars (6)
*
Dean DeLeo – guitars (12)
* John Brockman – drums (2, 6)
* Steve Brewster – drums (3, 4)
* Lee Thornburg – trumpet
*
Joseph Williams – additional backing vocals (2)
*
Bobby Kimball – additional backing vocals (3)
*
Shelly Fairchild
Shelly Fairchild (born August 23, 1977) is an American music recording artist. Signed to Columbia Records in 2004, she released her debut album ''Ride'' in early 2005. It produced the single "You Don't Lie Here Anymore", a No. 35 on the ''Bi ...
– lead vocal (4)
*
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in 1999. The band members were Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background vocals). DeMarcus is LeVox's second cou ...
(
Gary LeVox
Gary LeVox (born Gary Wayne Vernon Jr., July 10, 1970) is an American singer and songwriter. He is known for being the lead vocalist of the contemporary country music band Rascal Flatts, and his stage name was taken from the studio-console label ...
,
Jay DeMarcus
Jay DeMarcus (born Stanley Wayne DeMarcus Jr.; on April 26, 1971) is an American bassist, vocalist, pianist, record producer and songwriter. From 1999 to 2021, he was a member of the country pop group Rascal Flatts.
Early life
DeMarcus was born ...
and
Joe Don Rooney
Joe Don Rooney (born September 13, 1975 in Baxter Springs, KS) is an American musician. From 1999 to 2021, he was the lead guitarist and high octave harmony singer in the American country pop trio Rascal Flatts.
In addition to the Electric guitar ...
) – guest vocals (5)
Production
* Produced by Jay DeMarcus
* Production Coordinator – Mike "Frog" Griffith
* Recorded by Jeff Balding, Ben Fowler, James Matchack, Sean Neff and Chas Sanford.
* Assistant Engineers – David Frick Jay Goin, Jed Hackett, Jody Sappington, Aaron Walk and Tony Zeller.
* Tracks #1, 2 & 7-13 mixed by Jeff Balding, assisted by Jed Hackett.
* Tracks #3-6 mixed by James Matchack
* Digital Editing – Jed Hackett and Sean Neff
* Mastered by
Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering (Portland, ME).
* Photography by Jimmy Katz and Hugh Brown, assisted by Andy Strauss.
* Design by Hugh Brown, assisted by Andy Strauss.
Charts
Album - ''
Billboard'' (United States)
Singles - ''Billboard'' (United States)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicago 30
2006 albums
Chicago (band) albums
Rhino Records albums
Albums produced by Jay DeMarcus