Peter Cetera - Who was keeping this guy quiet?

[achknalligewelt]

http://youtu.be/IvmeEyVd5w8

It's a bit late for the 'underrated bassists' thread from last week, but wow, I heard this at the weekend and was amazed. I have never seen Cetera mentioned on these pages, and feel I must remedy that with something from 1969. Astounding playing, especially over the coda. Enjoy!

Edited February 19, 2014 by achknalligewelt

[Dad3353]

They're all excellent players; special mention for Danny Seraphine (drums...). Definitely one of the best bands of all time, imo. "If you leave me now"..? Haunting; written by Cetera...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MikRS_EEGcQ

[Coilte]

I agree entirely about Cetera. A very under rated bassist and AFAIK has never got a mention here on BC.

Apart from his amazing singing voice, his driving bass lines played a big part in the over all "Chicago" sound.



On the subject of "Chicago" : Drummer Danny Seraphine's book gives a good insight into the workings of the band. A good read IMO.

[url="http://www.amazon.com/Street-Player-My-Chicago-Story/dp/0470416831"]http://www.amazon.com/Street-Player-My-Chicago-Story/dp/0470416831[/url]

[KevB]

Well one regular member in the past actually used to post under th name of 'cetera' so he certainly has been discussed in older posts and in 'underrated bassists' but not he most recent version, that topic has been done a number of times.

[lojo]

I suppose he is like a Kenny Rogers, in that he is seen more as a singer than a bass player.

[cetera]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1392818335' post='2373043']
Well one regular member in the past actually used to post under th name of 'cetera' so he certainly has been discussed in older posts and in 'underrated bassists' but not he most recent version, that topic has been done a number of times.
[/quote]

And I'm still here!
Peter Cetera is/was a wonderful bassist. Just check out anything from the first 13 Chicago albums for proof....
Melody, counterpoint, groove and a musical voice all of his own. Like the best of Jameson & McCartney rolled into one...

All my fave bassist are from that era - including, in particular, Tiran Porter of the Doobie Brothers

Edited April 25, 2014 by cetera

[KevB]

A-ha! Took some time but I knew I could flush you out eventually Checked out the AOR Starz website, looks a cracking gig to get.

Edited April 25, 2014 by KevB

[cetera]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1398453854' post='2434402']
A-ha! Took some time but I knew I could flush you out eventually Checked out the AOR Starz website, looks a cracking gig to get.
[/quote]
It would have been if we could have kept our lead singer....
Sadly noone these days seems capable of singing like Perry/Scholz/Gramm etc....

[KevB]

Saw [url="https://www.facebook.com/helltopayband"]this[/url] band recently in a pub, not sure if the singer can 'smooth' his voice out to do the AOR type stuff but his voice is way too good for pub gigs (very wide range and good power too), might be worth getting in touch as I recall him saying he did extra work as a wedding singer so presumably the main band doesn't take all his time up. Maybe a long shot...
Alternatively poach the guy from 'A Foreigner's Journey'

Edited May 12, 2014 by KevB

[BetaFunk]

Peter Cetera has been mentioned on here in the past but he probably isn't 'fashionable' at the moment. Just like basses, bass players go in and out of fashion. I'm sure there are many bass players around today who were influenced by him. I bought that first Chicago Transit Authority LP way back in 1969 and it still sounds great to me. Cetera and Jim Fielder of Blood Sweat & Tears are probably the two bass players that made me take a real interest in the bass guitar. Both were excellent players.

[Paul S]

DTK still not coming to Essex, Gary?

[gary mac]

[quote name='cetera' timestamp='1398433589' post='2434085']
All my fave bassist are from that era - including, in particular, Tiran Porter of the Doobie Brothers
[/quote]

Yep, one funky player

Edited May 15, 2014 by gary mac

[cetera]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1399928370' post='2449143']
Saw [url="https://www.facebook.com/helltopayband"]this[/url] band recently in a pub, not sure if the singer can 'smooth' his voice out to do the AOR type stuff but his voice is way too good for pub gigs (very wide range and good power too), might be worth getting in touch as I recall him saying he did extra work as a wedding singer so presumably the main band doesn't take all his time up. Maybe a long shot...
Alternatively poach the guy from 'A Foreigner's Journey'
[/quote]
Ah yes, I'm familiar with Hell To Pay....

Re: a Foreigners Journey - their old singer was with us for a while but he couldn't hack it! lol!

[bubinga5]

i can't see the astounding bit, but yes, he's on the money with the groove.. the drummer is fantastic. do love Chicago.


by the way dad3353 that is a fabulous record.

Edited May 17, 2014 by bubinga5

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1400369890' post='2453333']
great record, but is it just me thinking there is nothing astounding about his playing on this particular record. ?
[/quote]
I think that's exactly the point for me Andrew. He's just doing what a bass player is supposed to do and doing it superbly.

What was that old saying about less is more?


P.S. I was referring to 'I'm a Man' and NOT 'If You Leave Me Now' which i loathe!

Edited May 17, 2014 by BetaFunk

[BetaFunk]

The first two Chicago Transit Authority albums are great. A super tight band with great tunes and nothing like the later aor/pop albums they churned out.


[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI5aD6m7ub0"]https://www.youtube....h?v=XI5aD6m7ub0[/url]

Just listen to those horns at 1.15 onwards.........!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uy0ldI_1HA

Edited May 17, 2014 by BetaFunk

[Panamonte]

The guitarist in my band has been banging on about the first two Chicago albums for a while and this thread jogged me to download them. For someone whose previous experience of the band was the the rather winsome ballad If You Leave Me Now when it was in the UK charts back in the 70s it's been quite a revelation!

[Grangur]

Chicago were a great band. "25 or 6 2 4", and "Colour my world" are among my favourites.

Edited May 18, 2014 by Grangur

[BassTractor]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1400370936' post='2453339']
The first two Chicago Transit Authority albums are great.
[/quote]

This!
I mean: Huh? There are two of them?
Anyway, a few albums after that/those are very good too, I feel, before it goes quicklyfastly downhill.


[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1400387561' post='2453362']
"25 or 6 2 4", and "Colour my world" are among my favourites.
[/quote]

Aye! Unforgettable!
(You are aware it's "25 or 6 [b]to[/b] 4", yes? As in: 25 or 26 minutes before 4 AM?)


I'd advise anybody to track down Chicago II and Chicago IV. Quite rare though.

Edited May 18, 2014 by BassTractor

[bubinga5]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1400370139' post='2453336']
I think that's exactly the point for me Andrew. He's just doing what a bass player is supposed to do and doing it superbly.

What was that old saying about less is more?


P.S. I was referring to 'I'm a Man' and NOT 'If You Leave Me Now' which i loathe!
[/quote]sorry Geoff. i edited my post.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1400399496' post='2453390']
sorry Geoff. i edited my post.
[/quote]
No need to Andrew. I think that it's because i heard all this stuff when it was 'new' and there's probably a little bit of nostalgia is involved!!!

The bass playing on those first two Chicago albums is great but very much of it's time. A time when whatever electric bass you played was usually listed as 'Fender Bass'.

[Paul S]

Out of curiosity how is his surname pronounced? I made the error of thinking it was of Italian derivation, so che-teh-rah but, accordingly to Wiki he is of Polish/Hungarian extraction.

And a nice old live clip of 'I'm a Man' - 'doing what a bass player is supposed to do'
http://youtu.be/j8vY3vAbAdQ

[Coilte]

[quote name='Panamonte' timestamp='1400372229' post='2453342']
The guitarist in my band has been banging on about the first two Chicago albums for a while and this thread jogged me to download them. For someone whose previous experience of the band was the the rather winsome ballad If You Leave Me Now when it was in the UK charts back in the 70s it's been quite a revelation!
[/quote]

Yeah, this happens quite a lot. Most people's idea of "Chicago" are songs like "If you leave me now". The music on their first three or four albums is light years different. After these albums, I lost interest in the band as their music steadily became more radio friendly.

I particularly love Cetera's playing on "Introduction" from the first album. Someone asked about the pronounciation of his name. On an early live album, Terry Kath introduces a song and the singer (Cetera). He pronounced it as..."setERa "


Here is Cetera in full flight on "Introduction" :


[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V41bEZPo-J4&feature=kp"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V41bEZPo-J4&feature=kp[/url]

[Dingus]

Chicago were great back in the early days, but it has to be said that in their latter era , some of the music churned out by Chicago and Pete Cetera has been so awful that it they should have been prosecuted. Tracks like "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and "The Glory Of Love" were diabolical. The very worst kind of cheesy schmatlz . Not even funny.

Edited May 18, 2014 by Dingus

[KevB]

The diabolically massive hits you mean? Always the problem. Stay musically interesting and play to small crowds of musos or 'churn out' stuff that sells millions of albums that actually allows you to keep making albums at all. A moral dilemma indeed.