Chicago Performs "Alive Again" Live (10-25-1978) - Highest Quality Available! - with Dick Clark

This gem of a find features a rarely seen-and truly terrific-band introduction by the late, great Dick Clark, who was a class act and a big Chicago fan. Some additional footage following the band’s performance is also included which was never shown in the old low-quality video of this performance that’s been circulating among collectors for decades.
P.S. Happy 78th birthday to Mr. Peter Cetera today (9-13-22)!
Peter, as badly as I want to see it happen, I won't ask you to reunite with Chicago; however, I WILL ask you this: Would you PLEASE get back to playing the bass like this again, and would you PLEASE play (yes, PLAY) with Danny Seraphine again, even if it's for one night only??? That's all I ask, man. ;-)

[@turkfiles]

Chicago really shafted Danny n the 90’s when they let him go. After Terry Kath passed, it was Danny who kept his spirit alive through his incredible drumming! Doesn’t get much better than that. I don’t often say this about musicians, but Danny is one terribly underrated player. Terry, Danny and Peter on bass were a sight to behold. They just fed off one another and drove the band to unbelievable heights of musicianship!

[@Eighties_Child]

I couldn't agree more!

[@lamarravery4094]

Danny wasn't just their drummer, he was a founding member and made a lot of business decisions for the band to keep them going into the 1980s. He's the one who brought in David Foster and Bill Champlin, and he had the band renegotiate the contracts with their old manager since they got screwed out of millions. So basically, he saved the band, time and time again. He also wrote some memorable tunes.

[@Eighties_Child]

All true!

[@turkfiles]

@@lamarravery4094 indeed. I can’t believe that they fired him for doing something to save the band. They complained that he didn’t like using a click track to keep time. They brought in Jeff Porcaro, because he was like a human click track. I love Jeff ‘s abilities to this day. I have no bad feelings towards him. It was just another gig. Dang, it must have been just before Jeff’s death! After saying all of this, I have heard that it was Peter Cetera that brought David Foster in.

[@Eighties_Child]

Actually, as ironic as it sounds, Danny was the one who picked David Foster to produce Chicago 16. He also personally invited Bill Champlin to join the band. Funnily enough, Peter once said in an interview that he had never heard of David Foster before in his life when Danny first mentioned his name back in 1981 or so.

[@krejados1]

Danny's flat amazing. Speed, precision soul... a pleasure to listen to and a thrill to watch. All of them are.

[@Eighties_Child]

Well said! Totally agree!!!

[@christinepark1219]

My goodness, just... ALL. OF. THIS. Good God, where is the talent like this now? The talent, the passion - what a thrill. We had it good back then.

[@jessicagreene1773]

He is great and the drums without the bottom heads really open up!

[@mmee24]

Danny could swing so hard and brought those jazz sensibilities to Chicago's music. It was never the same after he was let go. He's killin' it here. Thanks for sharing this one.

[@Eighties_Child]

My pleasure, and you just summed up my exact sentiments regarding Danny's contributions to Chicago. Seraphine was as irreplaceable as Kath and Cetera.

[@edalexander6155]

Yes Danny was the heart and soul if the group. He never used click track. His clock was his own . He was like a fine high price elegant watch Seraphine inc.

[@edalexander6155]

Kath also not replaceable. Cetera also as far as voice. But a little to much of him. On the love ballads direction they where heading for. I think it missed with Kaths mind he didn't like the direction they where going in . Neither did Danny. First seven Albums where there best. Love the first double record set CTA . CHICAGO . CHICAGO AT CARNAGE HALL. AND THE WOOD LOOKING ALBUM CHICAGO 7. was my favorites

[@Eighties_Child]

So well said, Ed! Lee Loughnane makes my stomach turn when he makes the idiotic "[Tris] never has trouble finding the 1" comment. Playing with a dang metronome is cheating, plain and simple. Danny never needed one, and deterioration of drumming ability was NOT the true reason why he was fired. Anyone who's not deaf or dishonest knows that.

[@edalexander6155]

Also Danny was a percussion style drummer. Very rhythmic. There where all kind of different time signatures being used in early Chicago. The old God father of soul James Brown this is a man's world. Always made it known . My horn section and rhythm gtr are my time keepers. My drummer colors the sound and gives me the funky back beat . Off beat syncopation to drive the band. So the horn section can find and set the 1. Danny was fine. Listen to Trish on make me smiles Danny's trade mark small drum solo at the end of the song where it reaches a climax . Danny timing is so smooth and fluid . Amazing it was by Danny. Trish still to this day rushes the solo. To where it's missing something as if the bottom drops out. Very noticeable. Trish is what Chicago wanted later yrs a 4/4 time and ballad drummer. No syncopation

[@margaretrielly7323]

Peter Cetera + Danny Seraphine = KILLED IT HERE

[@Eighties_Child]

Nothing but the facts!

[@traghettatoredelcrostolo5266]

great!

[@carolwolf9614]

Oh Lord, that drummer, that bass player. This thing was lit. God bless Chicago

[@Wolfie66]

Danny Seraphine is incredible!

[@Eighties_Child]

I concur!

[@dejandobrivojevic1879]

Brilliant energy.... 1969-1979....faithful years for me and Chicago in transcendetal meaning...Rip Terry,You a always in my mind...

[@ryates16]

Danny is absolutely killing it on the drums in this performance! Love this live version.

[@jasongress8764]

Damn, Danny kicking ass on the skins there! That dude was flat killer, he’s so under the radar as far as the greats of rock, but he should be at or near the top.

[@Eighties_Child]

Discerning listener! I couldn't agree more, Jason! Danny's my drumming hero.

[@Tom-iw3zh]

Now that it what highest quality music is. Great control of their instruments and voice at the speed of light!

[@cristianoceccato391]

Peter Cetera seriously underrated bass player… check out the mini bass break at the end!

[@Eighties_Child]

You're preaching to the choir with this guy. I'm a mega PC bass fanatic. LOL Be sure to check out his KILLER bass line on the live performance of "Street Player" that I uploaded.

[@72floyd]

Freakin' Danny Seraphine! Terry Kath gets all sorts of well deserved love and he is a giant. but equal respect for Danny an absolute freak on the kit!

[@Eighties_Child]

Yes, but don't forget the equally prodigious talent of Peter Cetera, bassist extraordinaire!

[@gigantor62]

I first heard this in Australia in early December '78 when I started my job as an apprentice motor mechanic. Ah memories.

[@davidporshia5081]

I’m so happy and grateful I got to see Chicago in 1971 on the Chicago III Tour with the great Terry Kath. Love these guys. They made a remarkable comeback from such a terrible tragedy of losing Terry. I feel sorry for this generation today. They don’t have great rock and pop music like we did. Chicago’s music evokes so many wonderful memories.....great melodies....the one of a kind horns of James Pankow, Walt Parazaider and Lee Loughnane.....creative jazzy groovin’ drumming of Danny Seraphine and tastefully percussion of Laudir de Oliviera....great keyboards, vocals and writing of Robert Lamm....solid bass work and superb vocals of Pete Cetera.....the soulful and unforgettable guitar and vocals of Terry Kath. And this live video clip is evidence of what excellent live musicians they are. Although Terry Kath was truly irreplaceable Donnie Dacus did a good job of stepping into that guitar chair. This video is an outstanding performance by the band. Chicago.....evidence of the Great “Old Days”.

[@Eighties_Child]

This is an amazing message. Thanks for sharing! Don't get me started on all the reasons to feel sorry for anyone born in the '90s onward. (Where does one begin, right???) Just sticking with music, it's as if the entire industry took a nosedive into the sewer (both musically and lyrically) as soon as the '80s ended. Granted, there have been a few "needles in a haystack" here in there, but nothing will ever compare to or rival any of the vocalists, musicians, and songs written and performed between the 1930s and the 1980s, with the peak "Golden Age" of popular music being circa 1958 to 1985. But how incredible is it that you got to see the band back in '71? Wow! So blessed!!! I also agree that Donnie was a lot better than most Chicago fans give him credit for, but the band erred in hiring a guy whose singing voice/range was closer to Cetera's than Kath's. Donnie was a fine singer, but he lacked that husky, blue-eyed-soul voice. In my opinion, the greatest guitarist Chicago hired after Terry's passing was Chris Pinnick. Unfortunately, Pinnick wasn't a singer.

[@ELPCOTILLION-SD1970]

My Favorite Album By These Chaps...

[@lamarravery4094]

Ah, the good ol days when Dick Clark still walked the earth.

[@Rockinroomsrob]

Danny is so much to watch here

[@paulgouldthorpe9108]

Danny’s drumming was incredible here!

[@ianman15]

The band was never the same after Peter Cetera left.

[@Eighties_Child]

Let's all just agree on this point and change the subject: "Chicago was never the same after Terry, Peter, and Danny left."

[@79steelymatt]

I personally cannot call anything after Danny and Peter left Chicago it was hard enough when Terry was so sadly lost

[@Eighties_Child]

You share my exact sentiments!

[@kennichols336]

😮I never knew how good that drummer 🥁 was until this video. Awesome 😎

[@jessicarangel7121]

He's a great drummer.❤

[@Eighties_Child]

Undeniable!

[@bluesmokerH1]

God Bless the boys from the Windy City!

[@SteveGuion]

I'm a firm believer that even before the death of Terry Kath, Chicago had started to die because Terry (and perhaps some others in the band) had gotten so messed up on drugs that they were losing focus, the quality of the songwriting was suffering and they had gotten soft, and lost whatever edge they had. Terry's death was like the culmination of a lot of things that were starting to die in that band. While many can question their decision to continue, and also question choosing Donnie D. to be Terry's replacement (seriously, what sane individual would want to try to fill those shoes?), this one song from that first post-Terry album is a kick ass tune worthy of being named amongst the best Chicago ever created. And this performance of that song is stellar. I don't know how anyone feels about this performance, but for me Danny's drumming takes it to a whole other level of greatness. What a drummer! And the vocals of Peter and Donnie are also superb.

[@ScornedRemnant3935]

Danny was smoking. Too bad he got canned later on.

[@billowspillow]

The quality of their output started to decline, in my opinion, when they moved to the ranch. So _Chicago VI_ and beyond. Lots of things to speculate as to why, but I feel that living in comfort and isolation surrounded by groupies and drugs didn't help.

[@Eighties_Child]

I strongly disagree that Chicago's output began to decline when they relocated to Caribou Ranch. In fact, the opposite is true. As Robert Lamm once remarked, that setting was akin to a "creative monastery" for the band. Two of their must-own albums, which are among my Top 3 favorite Chicago records (CTA being the other), are VI and VII. Both of those are masterpieces of Pop/Rock/Jazz-Rock.

[@fasteddie9867]

@@Eighties_Child totally agree--VII is a masterpiece

[@davidolson1242]

Laudir was really jamming on percussion as well.@@ScornedRemnant3935

[@joelbrown9780]

Every time I watch a Chicago reaction video, one person without fail gets a mention. The drummer. They don't make 'em like Danny anymore.

[@davidbrownstein1464]

True he's great, but have you watched this video featuring Leonid & Friends? Even Danny agrees that Javad is just super drumming during the song!

[@johnkramchuck7653]

The drummer is awesome 👌

[@Eighties_Child]

Agreed! Danny is one of the greatest ever.

[@raverwater1]

One of their best!♥️

[@pammcmonigle6061]

I was so fortunate to see these guys before Terry passed in the 70s. It was amazing.

[@Eighties_Child]

You are so very blessed! Which year? Town and venue? And do you remember the setlist? :-)

[@pammcmonigle6061]

@@Eighties_Child It was 1976 at the Omni in Atlanta. I don’t have the set list, but it was all their hits plus more. I was young and went with my big brother.

[@Eighties_Child]

Sweet! Thanks for sharing! You must have caught their Chicago X tour. :-)

[@RacManRhythm]

Danny Seraphine's on fire here... love it... the full band's in the energy zone...

[@bobettejennett8085]

A band that performed for all ages

[@jamesmatlock4078]

I may be in the minority, but I always liked Chicago’s upbeat songs more than their ballads. I only saw them in concert in the late 80’s after Cetera left. Still an amazing concert. There’s just something about a full band especially with a horn section that just loves to jam. Unfortunately, I have no musical bone in my body, but I enjoy great music. My son plays percussion in his school band and I’m trying to encourage him as much as possible. Wondering if I go ahead and get a drum kit, would that would inspire him to take extra lessons.

[@Eighties_Child]

When it comes to Chicago, you are definitely NOT in the minority for preferring their upbeat tunes to the slow ballads. And as far as your son goes, GO FOR IT! Every aspiring drummer/percussionist needs a good drum kit at home. :-)

[@richp4084]

Same.

[@michaelbaker3598]

I am an old heavy metal guy....but that horn section just gets my blood flowing!

[@johndenicola6173]

ABSOLUTELY, your son needs something at HOME so he is not limited to playing when he's in the band room. He NEEDS someting at home to go as far as he wants!

[@carolwolf9614]

Get your son that kit. Come hell or high water. Just do it. He'll thank you later :)

[@jbluezfan]

Hi energy to make you feel good those horns are magnificent 🎵

[@CharlesRBiggs]

Brilliant! Brought back many great memories. Amazing drummer.

[@Eighties_Child]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Glad you enjoyed seeing it again! And you are spot-on about the drummer. :-)

[@mrlafayette1964]

Cetera doing a great vocal/ bass

[@Eighties_Child]

Indeed! That was almost always the case from the late '60s through 1985. To hear one of Cetera's greatest live vocal performances and an even more killer bass line, check out my "Street Player" upload (video can be watched by following the link in the description or pinned post).

[@peterm4486]

We know this is not the Terry era but this was a great album!

[@Eighties_Child]

Thank you for saying that. Totally agree! Hot Streets (with the exception of "Little Miss Lovin'") is a great, underrated album.

[@bingus3671]

I know to every Chicago head it’s common knowledge, but the band would never sound as good without Terry. As much as I love his playing and think that he’s one of the top guitar players of all time, a guitar player can be replaced. Terry brought so much more to the band. He gave them their energy, a raunchy sense of jazz influenced rock n roll. He was also a songwriter, and my personal favorite of the 3 singers (Peter is no doubt the “best” singer, but Terry is my favorite). without his singing, it doesn’t feel right. Terry was the heart of Chicago through and through. What killed Chicago for good though was when they fired Danny. And when Walter parazaider retired, it was the final nail in the coffin. I appreciate that they’re still touring every year, but it’s a glorified tribute act now. The only original members are Lee, Jimmy, and Robert (and a lot of the time Robert is too sick to play).

[@Eighties_Child]

Sadly, Chicago has been a glorified tribute act since the '90s. Their "Night and Day" album and the first two Christmas albums are really enjoyable (almost entirely because of Robert's singing and the horn arrangements), but their live performances have not been pretty. Scheff was a vocal train wreck, and Champlin the over-singer wasn't much better. The newer replacements do nothing for me either, although Jeff Coffey is a very good singer-*much* better than Jason!

[@bighead758]

As somewhat of an oldhead that mostly listens to some variant of metal, I cycle back to my youth on occasion. Chicago was so very good. Saw them in '88/89 in just a midsize southern town - nothing special, about 5k people there. But they were Special . Played about an hour and a half, everyone there knew every word to almost every song. Amazing. How many bands can say that? The music really holds up. Whichever ones of them are still doing it: Thanks.

[@brucep9729]

Dick Clark always had an affection for these guys, as do we all! Remember watching that night. Was so glad they actually got to play live, because so many played to recording in those days.

[@Eighties_Child]

He sure did. I really miss Dick Clark. Such a pro!

[@lamarravery4094]

Dick Clark was the best. New Years isn't the same without him.

[@Eighties_Child]

You said it. I think ABC should have permanently canceled "New Year's Rockin' Eve" when Dick Clark passed or when he was unable to host anymore due to the tragic stroke he suffered.

[@ericbgordon1575]

If I'm not mistaken, this song was the last time James wrote one of Chicago's top 20 singles. I definitely enjoyed the energy and the fact that it was completely live, as opposed to the band mining the studio version. Even though he wasn't Terry, that's the reason the band chose Donnie, that they didn't want a Terry sound-alike to succeed him on guitar & vocals (for the moment).

[@rodneyvoshell9296]

Their first album without Terry Kath. Still much better than anything today in my opinion

[@Eighties_Child]

Agreed! No contest.

[@MrJsfingers]

Danny and Peter held the rhythm section down.

[@Eighties_Child]

The Dynamic Duo!

[@appomattoxross6751]

A successful band who kept it together for 50 years. Not too easy.

[@demonpendragon5915]

Great Laudir de Oliveira on percusion.

[@Eighties_Child]

Laudir was the perfect complement to Danny's drumming. He was a sensational auxiliary percussionist!

[@AffordableEscapesShreveport]

As far as I'm concerned this band would never have made it as long as they did, without Pete. No question- As a Frontman he could do it all man! Yes Danny was exceptional.

[@Eighties_Child]

You are correct on both accounts, Deb. And the band was never the same post-1985. The thing is, both Peter and Danny were better with Chicago too, so all parties suffered by those two exits.

[@derekbaker3279]

I agree Deb, although I will add that, IMHO, it wasn't because Peter was 'carrying the band' after the mid-70s (I'm not implying that you suggested that...just adding it in because some folks may think that way...). Although Peter's contributions were significant & must always be valued by all fans of the band, IMHO there was plenty & vocal talent, songwriting abilities, skill with the media & connection with the audience from Terry/Donnie, Robert, Danny, James, James, Walter, Lee, and Laudir. FWIW, I'm not anti-Peter in any way...his great vocals and truly under-appreciated musicianship on the bass cannot be denied...however, I will suggest that what made Peter so important for Chicago during the latter part of the 70s & into the 80s was that (along with the raw talents & adaptability of the band) he truly helped extend the popularity of the band beyond the mid-70s & especially in the early-80s. That was due to a couple of factors, namely (a) his strong & clear 'true tenor' voice was very much what the much more pop-oriented industry/radio programers/public were craving, plus (b) new fans who were drawn to Chicago because of Peter's voice & image were inevitably pulled into Chicago's incredible late-60s & early/mid-70s catalogue. I don't know if record sales of late-60s & 1970s Chicago would support my hunch re reason 'b', but I do have friends who became fans of 'early' Chicago only after forming a musical crush on Peter, e.g. prior to getting hooked on Chicago in the late-70s & in the 80s, many of my friends did not know who Terry Kath was, but they eventually became admirers of Terry's talents & songwriting. And, yes, Eighties Child hit the nail on the head....Peter & Danny were not the same outside of Chicago, and I know plenty of people who loved Peter's many impressive contributions as a member of Chicago, but then quickly gave up on Peter's music after he went solo.

[@MichaelM-to4sg]

The bands heart & soul were Terry & Robert. They wrote the songs, sang the biggest hits and were the most talented musicians. Nothing against Pankow, Seraphine and Peter’s very skilled bass, the band goes nowhere w/Terry & Robert. When Terry died, the band became rudderless; Terry was gone and Robert, his best friend, was so distraught he temporarily left band. Nothing against Peter, somebody had to take over the reigns, but the sound, soul and versatility all changed. From a band the mixed blues, rock and an occasional jazz inspired rift, became a bubblegum pop band with fluffy love ballads. One could argue the band may have evolved similarly regardless of Terry’s loss, most rock bands of late 70’s changed quite dramatically in response to the disco movement. I personally don’t believe Terry would’ve allowed such a swing, if anything they would’ve gone more jazz like Steely Dan, but that just my opinion. As a fan of band that saw them perform live over half dozen times w/Terry, I never saw them live again after his death and never bought another album after Chicago VIII, which I haven’t listened to more than twice. On other hand, I listen to their albums w/Terry regularly, CTA and Chicago II are still fresh and brilliant. I think I’m on my 6th copy of Carnegie Hall, one of best live rock albums ever. 👍

[@lamarravery4094]

​@@derekbaker3279You forgot to mention David Foster. He was hugely responsible for the band's resurgence in the 1980s. Without Foster, I really don't think they would've succeeded. Foster knew how to get the sound he wanted to from the band and he wrote and cowrote and played a lot of instruments on their albums.

[@Eighties_Child]

Well, David Foster's relationship with Chicago is a very bittersweet thing, to say the least. Most fans of classic Chicago (i.e., 1967-1981, but especially the Kath years) deeply resent Foster and blame him (and/or Peter) for ruining the band's sound and turning them into a Soft Rock ballad band. There is actually a lot of truth to this point of view, but it is also undeniable that the band immensely benefited from the commercial resurgence they enjoyed on Chicago 16 and 17. My greatest beef with David Foster, other than his arrogance, is that he's the person responsible for killing Peter Cetera's passion for playing the bass. Sadly, his cheesy, lame keyboard/synth "bass" was enough to make PC-one of the greatest bassists God ever created-put his bass back in its case, almost permanently. Musically speaking, that is "unforgivable." ;-) That said, I really appreciate a lot of Foster's compositions, especially his work with Jay Graydon (great vocalist/songwriter) in the band Airplay. It's a shame they recorded only one album (1980). Nevertheless, that one album is a "Yacht Rock" gold mine!

[@lindaloe]

Amazing Preformance!!

[@Eighties_Child]

Agreed!

[@clintonreisig]

SUPER GROUP !

[@christinaschaeffer7276]

Man I love that one always makes me dance in my chair! I absolutely love how Peter is tapping into his inner Terry Kath a bit. Oh yeah ! They rock!

[@Eighties_Child]

Nicely put!

[@gordoh7634]

Nice comments about Danny Seraphine! He was and still is the Buddy Rich at jazz rock.

[@Eighties_Child]

I couldn't agree more, Gordo. Danny's my favorite drummer of all time. Back in middle school and high school, I was a drummer/percussionist for an award-winning marching band, and the Lord blessed me with the *awesome* privilege of getting to play a Chicago repertoire during my senior year (1998-1999), which means I got to pretend to be my drumming hero for several months on "Make Me Smile," "Saturday in the Park," "Just You 'N' Me," and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" (my personal favorite). Talk about being on cloud nine! We won the state championship with that show too. Needless to say, God is GOOD!!! :-)

[@gordoh7634]

@@Eighties_Child What kind and inspiring words! Anybody who uses a Snoopy Motif is awesome. Yes I played jazz drums in high school and college too. People don't realize that Danny was the only sober member of the band back in the hot streets album days. I think there was a lot of resentment once everybody sobered up and went to AA. Danny ended up getting kicked out of the band which is just a joke in my opinion. But hey life goes on he's an amazing guy. At least they didn't cut him out of the royalties.

[@Eighties_Child]

I share your sentiments, Gordo. Danny seems like a class act - so down to earth, humble, affable, honest, and appreciative. I’m so thankful that he finally got back into drumming in 2006, and I have enjoyed the California Transit Authority’s music, but they will never be Chicago. I feel the same way about the bands Peter has put together over the years for his live shows- enjoyable, but nowhere close to the real thing. Both Cetera and Seraphine should have remained with Chicago from 1985 to the present. Imagine the kind of albums they could’ve put out if both of them had kept playing bass and drums, respectively, and if all the members had put aside their differences and egos and continued to work together as a team and as a family of brothers, like in the old days. Present-day “Chicago” is a parody of their former selves, and honestly, tribute bands sound more like classic Chicago than they themselves do.

[@gordoh7634]

@@Eighties_Child Yes except for Leonid and Friends. The Russian cover band amazing stuff they're doing. And they toured the US. The thing about Peter though is unfortunately as we age we just can't hit the high notes. So it does take a new lead singer after a few decades it's just human nature. There are few exceptions out there Mickey Thomas formerly of Starship and Jon Anderson of Yes. The difference there is they are true tenors, where Peter is really more of a baritone with Incredible range.

[@Eighties_Child]

Leonid and Friends is actually the band I had in mind when I was thinking of Chicago tribute bands who sound better than post-Cetera Chicago (though certainly NOT as good as the original Chicago, as some people crazily say). I love most of their covers! As for Peter, even though he sings in a lower range now, given the fact that he's almost EIGHTY (can you even wrap your mind around that???), his golden voice is still unmistakably "Peter Cetera" and sounds fantastic, regardless of vocal range, and I would still rather have Peter Cetera singing in a lower key as a Chicago front man alongside Robert Lamm than any other vocalist. By the way, are you aware that Chicago came within a split second of hiring Mickey Thomas to fill the lead tenor vacancy when Peter left the band in '85? God gave PC one of those inimitable, distinctive, one-of-a-kind voices, but Mickey Thomas (and Bobby Caldwell, who was also in the running) also has some sensational pipes. Unfortunately, instead of Thomas or Caldwell (again, imagine the tunes Chicago could have made with either one of those cats!), the band went with an unknown, greenhorn 23-year-old kid who, on his best day, was only a mediocre vocalist who couldn't even reach Cetera's high range, which makes it all the more incomprehensible why he was ever hired. The fact is, Scheff routinely butchered Peter's vocal parts in concert, and it just kept getting worse as the years went on; but musical criticisms aside, Jason is a super nice, humble, stand-up guy. This is nothing personal!

[@harrypeters8306]

I saw Chicago at Hershey Pennsylvania in the late 70s, they opened with this song , I was so impressed by the group especially the guitarist , his solo was unforgettable!

[@user-ol9pl5bm3b]

Jackie Rogers Jr. on fire with that guitar solo!!!

[@Eighties_Child]

LOL!!!

[@MsKjdj]

Oh man ...Peter. Wow.

[@Eighties_Child]

"Wow" is an appropriate response both to his iconic singing gift AND his equally stunning bass playing abilities!

[@christinepark1219]

Seriously, right?!

[@edgallagher7097]

Peter Cetera - Probably the greatest of all time

[@magneto7930]

Great live performance!

[@abdulghofursubrata1517]

Big thank to you Mr. Eighties Child!

[@Eighties_Child]

You are welcome, Abdul!

[@elenitnavarro2163]

So good….

[@leefreed2060]

Absolutely amazing. Chicago rocks

[@Eighties_Child]

You have good taste in music, Lee. :-)

[@leefreed2060]

@@Eighties_Child over 6600 CDs and 1600 LPs in my collection. 🤘🤘

[@Eighties_Child]

Whoa . . . have you contacted Guinness yet?! ;-)

[@barnhousegarage]

Absolutely awesome 👌

[@sniffableandirresistble]

Forgot about this song

[@WB-1]

The GREAT, GREAT CHICAGO!!!

[@romelovesdan]

Walt and Lee's "Mr. Brady" perms!- The band gave a spirited and entertaining performance here.

[@Eighties_Child]

LOL re: Walt and Lee (and Donnie's) hair! The three worst male hairstyles of all time are the mullet, the Jerry-curl, and the man perm. Ha ha!

[@romelovesdan]

@@Eighties_Child Donnie probably thought his "Peter Frampton look" would get noticed by the girls...

[@Eighties_Child]

You're probably right in that assessment. Dacus, from what I've heard, was quite the womanizer.

[@nathanelder5285]

All live!!! Refreshing!

[@pauli6043]

How about Donnie Dacus' background vocals! Totally harmonizing with Cetera. Definitely worth noting

[@Eighties_Child]

Absolutely. I love Donnie's high harmonies with Cetera, especially throughout the Hot Streets album and the *amazing* concert Chicago recorded at the Greek Theater on August 11, 1978.

[@michaelbaker3598]

Excellent point

[@ScottCheatham]

Donnie Dacus was an amazing guitarist. Sad that he was chased from the band after only two albums.

[@Eighties_Child]

Well said.

[@davidmoser3535]

Dacus was widely known for being a talented jerl-ask Chicago, Stephen Stills, and many others

[@dellcoats4648]

This is a uplifting song in the wake of terrys death

[@MrBlackbriar69]

Great track 👍👍👍👍👍

[@OFLHLGZ28]

Awesome!

[@1pianorock]

Drumming is absolutely hot steak only a silver platter

[@Eighties_Child]

Ha ha! I love that analogy!

[@edgallagher7097]

Greatest band ever no doubt

[@1dognight166]

Remember this becoming a number one hit . Good seeing Dick Clark ,exceptional and class act.

[@Eighties_Child]

Yes, he was!

[@lamarravery4094]

It actually reached #14 on billboard.

[@wavehifi]

One heck of a performance

[@dougpeters1625]

what the hell were they thinking when they let Danny go he's a beast

[@robertgross2519]

That he was a beast! Read his autobiography!

[@terrywalker9092]

Danny the drummer was the unsung hero of Chicago. Terry Kath was a great lose. Peter Cetera took them to new heights.

[@Eighties_Child]

Nicely put!

[@ELPCOTILLION-SD1970]

But Ironically Left In 1982...

[@Eighties_Child]

@ELPCOTILLION-SD1970 Actually, Peter left the band in the spring of 1985, essentially because they wouldn't let him do like Phil Collins and record another solo album while still with the band, and because the record company/management demanded that he get right back in the studio and record Chicago 18 and then promptly return to touring. Ridiculous music business "red tape."

[@terrywalker9092]

@@Eighties_Child I knew he left. I was fortunate enough to see him as the front man in the mid 80's.

[@Eighties_Child]

Hey, Terry (nice name). I was responding to the person who thought that Peter left Chicago in 1982. But you are very blessed to have seen Chicago while Peter was still there. Not fair! :-)

[@Trenchant463]

Donnie did an awesome job stepping in for Kath in a tough situation and as an outsider. Great harmony vocals too. The band is really tight here.

[@mikeharlan9614]

The band sounds great here but Dacus was fired a year later. He never really fit in.

[@brentbailey3621]

Dang - amazing

[@bethtyree6346]

Great song

[@Nwk843]

Pure soul rock jazz show, brilliant 🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹🍹gardel 🎖️🏆👏🍻🍻🍻🍻🫂💙✈️✈️✈️

[@Menyhard]

I love there energy

[@mikemullen1413]

Wow!

[@smittykins]

I saw this first-run. I even taped it-using an *audio* tape recorder!

[@Eighties_Child]

Cool!

[@80sVidLover]

I was in high school, but I do not remember this show! Of course, I had tons of homework so TV was usually a Saturday night thing

[@hammer44head]

Sounds so different without Terry but they sound pretty good and this was a pretty dang good performance. I wouldn't critique the guitar playing cause i think its pretty good, what they really missed of the original Chicago was that 3 singer blend of Terry, Peter and Robert's vocals. Terry had that soulful Ray Charles like voice that added a very unique dimension they had alone. Though Terry's guitar work is unequaled and crap we knew that to be the case then no matter who they got. Where were you gonna get a singer with a Ray Charles voice that could also play like Terry? They couldnt, maybe a singer but a singer and guitarist in one package? Forgetaboutit! Glad i came across this performance and thanks for posting it Eighties Child.

[@Eighties_Child]

Well said about the vocal differences. This is why the band ultimately hired Bill Champlin. Unfortunately, Bill's over-singing was often obnoxious. In the studio, he exercised self-restraint and sounded great, especially when singing with Peter; but he's no Ray Charles or Terry Kath. I'm probably in the minority, but I think Chicago's music suffered more by losing Terry's *voice* than by losing his guitar playing.

[@hammer44head]

@@Eighties_Child - well for the last few years Terry was alive, Chicago wasnt into playing like they were early on with the full power of Terry's guitar howling like a banshee. They had really gone more commercial, with some brilliant pop songs and some jazz/pop stuff. Certainly not the sonic blast of the first few albums. Nice chatting with you Eighties and thanks more for the great posts....Hammer.

[@williamj.sheehan2001]

@@Eighties_Child That is an excellent point, E.C.

[@josephosheavideos3992]

@@Eighties_Child In some ways, I agree with you about Terry the singer being harder to replace than Terry the guitarist. Most people could accept that any other guitarist would, at best, only come close to Terry's virtuosity on the fretboard. However, Chicago's vocals had always been predicated on a three-lead singer troika. Given how many classic Chicago songs relied on Terry's unique voice (Make Me Smile, Dialogue, Wishing You Were Here, Free, etc.), it is no wonder that his death irreparably damaged the band artistically.

[@Eighties_Child]

Precisely my point!

[@tomcarr4630]

WOW!!!!!!!!’

[@Eighties_Child]

Well said! :-)

[@omarpenn7395]

Danny 💯💯💯

[@Eighties_Child]

Agreed!

[@scottweisel3640]

They certainly didn’t mail it in on this performance.

[@Nacios007]

The thing is, he has retired all the way now :( He earned it tho.

[@Eighties_Child]

Well, when an artist/entertainer says he has "retired," you can't ever believe them. Consider how many "farewell tours" the Eagles, Phil Collins, and other artists have had. LOL! Peter will be back some day. I can feel it in my bones, man. ;-) I honestly think he was just spooked over the pandemic, which was just emerging when he made those comments on that podcast. Now that it's largely over and he's had three years off the road and out of the studio, I'd say he's just itching to sing and play (hopefully!) in some capacity again.

[@waltersimmons946]

@Eighties Child Peter did a podcast interview in 2019 announcing his retirement, and he said he had enough traveling at odd hours to be at places at certain times plus he said he was getting out before he lost voice and as we all know, he had lowered keys to many of his songs live over the years. He was asked by the interviewer if he would sing locally in Idaho, and Cetera said no "I'll learn to be an out of work singer" . One more thing , more interviews Cetera did in the past are being put on the internet and I heard him on one of the interviews say, he had quit before and what brought him back was because David Foster had contacted him years before and asked him would he be interested in singing with an orchestra and Cetera agreed. Those concerts are on KZbin. I believe Cetera is done . He didn't reunite with Chicago and he did NO FARWELL concerts as a soloist. He seemed serious and sincere in retiring for good.

[@smittykins]

I saw this first-run. I even taped it-with an *audio* tape recorder!

[@Eighties_Child]

Hey, Walter. I am well aware of all that you mentioned. In fact, I listened to that particular podcast interview long before it was ever published on KZbin or anywhere else. (I happened across it in iTunes a few years ago when I was randomly searching Peter's name.) I simply choose to remain an optimist. Peter himself always says, "Never say never." ;-) Take care!

[@geraldblackburn4883]

Me too, the kids of '60 !

[@philm.6113]

Donnie Dacus tried his best. He was good in the movie Hair. RIP Terry Kath.

[@randysteele6741]

Donny was a great player in his own right and was a great slide player.

[@stratplayr6997]

Quite honestly, for any guitarist to come in to fill Terry Kath's shoes was a no-win situation. DD did a good job, given the circumstances.

[@studiodlux]

Peter and Danny really killin here !!

[@Eighties_Child]

Yes, but they kill it even more here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hp-1c6ala9x2hck (link to video is in the description)

[@studiodlux]

@@Eighties_Child yup, saw that original airing!

[@bibchr]

Danny showing how and why he alone is Chicago's drummer.

[@Menyhard]

Nice

[@davidlayne4147]

I think I've seen videos where NBC Sports used pieces of this song for their football pregame show.

[@Eighties_Child]

Cool!

[@davidmoser3535]

NBA

[@billybandyk0720]

​@@davidmoser3535 NFL on CBS during the L8 1970s-Early 1980s often played "Alive Again" b4 & upon return from commercial breaks (along w/Heart's "Crazy On You" & Elton John's "Mama Can't Buy You Love").

[@debbiesims138]

I think this is the last of their albums I bought.

[@MrJsfingers]

I wish they did No Tell Lover here also. My fav off of Hot Streets

[@Eighties_Child]

I agree. That song features one of Cetera's most beautiful bass lines, as well as some of Danny's smoothest drumming, and a phenomenal horn chart. Sadly, I have yet to find a clean, decent-quality recording of that tune performed live while Peter was in the band. It makes absolutely no sense either, because that was a Top 20 hit for them (their last Top 40 hit, in fact, until "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" in 1982).

[@MrJsfingers]

@@Eighties_Child you and me both. I’ve searched high and low for it. I don’t like how they do it now. Nothing against Lee since he co-wrote the tune but the change the key etc and it doesn’t sound great imo

[@contimano33]

First album after Terry.

[@Eighties_Child]

Indeed. I love _Hot Streets_!

[@richardwalker9826]

pretty good performance for a live broadcast - classic seventies! comparable to what Kansas and Boston and other performers were doing back then.

[@Tom-iw3zh]

Pretty good? It smoked. Danny's drumming is above excellent! And the rest of the band was up at that level too!

[@Eighties_Child]

I agree, Tom. The phrase "pretty good performance" is a bit of an injustice!

[@robertgross2519]

The main problem with Donnie is ... he wasn't Terry Kath. He was in an impossible situation.

[@bobscott7127]

Great energy! It's probably not a popular opinion, but I think that Pank wrote this band's best tunes.

[@Eighties_Child]

Jimmy definitely wrote some all-time classics, as did Cetera, but I've gotta go with Robert Lamm. By the way, Peter has said that he always enjoyed playing Bobby's songs more than anyone else's, and he once called Lamm "one of the all-time great American songwriters."

[@lamarravery4094]

Chicago had many great songwriters in the band. Something for everyone, they were our Beatles.

[@Eighties_Child]

Well said! Fitting too, given the fact that the members of Chicago (especially Peter) were all huge Beatles fans and often covered their tunes live. Speaking of which, it's a crying shame that they didn't record an album of classic Pop, Rock, and R&B covers while Terry, Peter, and Danny were all in the band. I've heard over the years that such a record was actually planned at one point, but the idea got scrapped.

[@joelfox6695]

Great song love chicago but it's not the same without Terry kath

[@Eighties_Child]

That's the biggest truism among all these KZbin comments.

[@Saltfly]

Crazy you say that. I get it is incredibly sad what happened. But the song is arguably one of their finest

[@randytrader3026]

I don't think Donny Dacus actually filled Terry Kaths position very well.. but then who could..

[@Eighties_Child]

Donnie was a very good guitarist and an underrated vocalist, but he had the unenviable job of filling *un-fillable* shoes.

[@drummingdanny84]

Nobody. But there were some great axemen: Bruce Gaitsch, Dawayne Bailey, Keith Howland, and Chris Pinnick.

[@davidborboa4301]

No one did

[@johnnykay4340]

Nobody could replace Terry Kath ... one of the most underrated guitarists of all time.

[@Eighties_Child]

And yet Kath's singing is even more underrated, and in my opinion, the loss of his blue-eyed, Ray Charles-like vocals was a bigger musical blow to Chicago's sound.

[@angusmcpherson]

Dick Clark usually had lipsync perfomances. Not this time!

[@Eighties_Child]

Indeed not! On this short-lived variety show, his musical guests actually got to sing and play live, in contrast to American Bandstand. Let's all be grateful that he invited Chicago to perform on the former instead of the latter!

[@derhandtrommler]

Never seen them with Donnie Dacus before. He's good, but he seems like the odd man out onstage.

[@Eighties_Child]

Donnie was a great guitarist and an underrated vocalist, but he had the unenviable job of filling *un-fillable* shoes. He was a lot younger than the other members of the band and definitely had a different fashion sense and stage presence. Ha ha!

[@mben-david2064]

@@Eighties_Child I was canned from a band a few years ago because I dressed wrong and was too old so I get it. Dacus was not a good choice to follow TK.Both his performing style and his chops were too far removed from TK’s. They needed a blues driven stylist who could write i that genre’.Dacus definitely had high quality talent,but he was doomed from jump street.

[@Eighties_Child]

I agree. Chris Pinnick played more like Terry, but he didn't sing. Still, I think Pinnick remains the best guitarist Chicago ever hired following Terry's passing. He really clicked with Cetera and Seraphine, particularly in a live setting. Those three guys really COOKED on the 16 and 17 tours, especially on the Ballet. Check out "Live at Park West" from '82 and "Live in Japan" from '84.

[@derhandtrommler]

@@Eighties_Child unfortunately most of us will never know how well Chris did as he wasn't in the band very long.

[@johnwoods2736]

@@derhandtrommler I loved Chris Pinnick's live playing with Chicago. Because he was seen as a "hired hand" rather than a member of the band he got pushed to the back of the stage! He came across as the polar opposite to Donnie Dacus in terms of stage personability as being pretty quiet and reserved, even when he was playing a sizzling and imaginative solo! Look at the 1984 live version of "25 or 6 to 4" to see what a great player he was.

[@ltjoseph9042]

Rock guitarist commenting: I owned 1 Chicago record and it was Hotstreets

[@Eighties_Child]

Really??? Wow. That's a comment I've never heard before. Great compliment to Donnie, for sure! (The title track as well as "Take a Chance" and his live soloing better showcases how good of a player he was, as opposed to the album version of "Alive Again," which features a very underwhelming solo. But he shredded that solo in a live setting. See here for a good example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHXOpJVvYqqdgcU) Oh, and be sure to check out Chicago's first 11 albums and admire the prodigious playing of Terry Kath.

[@randysteele6741]

If you haven't seen it already, check out Donny's blistering slide solo on Little Miss Lovin' on a Chicago concert video elsewhere on KZbin. Amazing. I'm going to piss off some old fans, but his slide added a dimension missing from Terry's style. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge TK fan, but it was refreshing to hear an all-out slide mashup on a Chicago tune.

[@warrenenglish942]

I saw this when it first aired and haven't seen it since. I remember it being not as good as this. My opinion: Dacus' solo doesn't fit in here. It is, however, good to see this.

[@Eighties_Child]

This feedback makes me smile (couldn't resist). :-)

[@Redshoes51]

Never was the same after the death of Terry Kath…

[@daveeverhart5834]

Agreed. How could they be though? You have got to give them credit though...this was one hell of a performance, after Terry....

[@MYSONMYBUDDY]

Agreed, but Pete leaving was the dagger & when Danny left I lost interest in replacements but still respect originals!

[@steveg5382]

Do you know about Leonid & Friends? If not...check them out.

[@michaelbaker3598]

You are so right....this was the turning point from a great band to ..what they became in the 80s. I do love this video because how many bands did you ever see perform live on American bandstand type show

[@supersport22]

True but this is pretty darn good.

[@jeankincaid1135]

Not the same without Terry. But the new guy was OK

[@Jessica_Roth]

Did Robert Lamm pee in the director's cornflakes or something? You barely see him, bar in the long shots past Donnie Dacus. Huh. I'd like to give Donnie a chance…but he's not really bringing anything to the table, IMO. We're almost in Dave "Adequate" Amato territory IMO. Danny is absolutely killing it, though.

[@Eighties_Child]

"Alive Again" is not the best example of Donnie's guitar-playing ability. If you want to hear him really shine, check out the title track "Hot Streets," which is a killer tune. I love his melodic licks on "Take a Chance" too (great song), and his live soloing better showcases how good of a player he was than, for example, the album version of "Alive Again," which features a very underwhelming solo. But he *shredded* that solo in a live setting. See here for a good example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHXOpJVvYqqdgcU

[@derekbaker3279]

Regarding the lack of shots of Robert Lamm. Correct me if I am wrong, but Lamm's use of drugs was beginning to be a problem, and he also was still struggling to find his mojo in the wake of Terry's death. I have seen other vids & interviews where Lamm is lacking the enthusiasm, drive, and passion of social issues that he demonstrated during the 1970s. So, perhaps, that's why he is not seen in a lot of shots.