Stay The Night was the first song i ever fell in love with. It was 1984-85 (I was 6 y.o. at the time) and had not discovered Queen yet.
In retrospective i find some connection.
Do you think Queen were at some degree influenced by that track or vice-versa?
Perhaps the similarities are more evident with 1986 era of Queen and the Princes of the Universe aesthetic/sound.
Stay The Night : link
Perhaps you are right but the connection i find is not exactly about the sound but mostly in terms of delivery, sense of adventure, dynamics/climax and the combination of aggression/sensibility Queen always had.
Also a quality of the audio to work as a vehicle for wide-screen mental visuals.
Wait a minute... There's quite a big difference here... And I'm one of the few that think Kath was one of the greatest ever. But Chicago didn't die with Kath... not even close. Whether you like the style or not, they went on to have their greatest commercial success AFTER Kath, not bad for losing a key member. ButKath was 1/6 of Chicago. Look at the horn arrangements Jimmy Pankow contributed throughout their catalog. Cetera was a great bass player who could sing live... as well as a fantastic songwriter. The core of Chicago lasted seventeen albums and when Cetera left, they went on to record 8 more albums including the recently released Stone Of Sisyphus.
While the styles changed, that was the times and that's what sold records. I didn't like Open Arms or The Search Is Over, but I still listen to my Journey and Survivor albums even now. Chicago had to do the same thing to keep their record company happy. They brought in David Foster who did his thing. Chicago 16 also features Toto band members Steve Lukather, Joseph Williams, David Paich, and Steve Porcaro, all of whom were once Chicago's labelmates at Columbia, which Toto was still signed to. Chicago 17... currently seven times platinum in the US alone and a Grammy winner - and one which would spin off four Top 20 US hit singles. "Horrible Pop Tripe"? You should check out the deep cuts off both those albums... the 'old Chicago' is there.
Queen, on the other hand, died in 1991. Made In Heaven was The Sky Is Crying. But I'll still buy the other members albums should they choose to produce one... it's only 16 bucks.
Try these:
Window Dreamin' - Chicago 13
No Tell Lover - Hot Streets
Thunder & Lightning - Chicago 14
Bad Advice, Follow Me - Chicago 16
Only You, Please Hold On - Chicago 17
Stone Of Sisyphus, Mah Jong - Stone Of Sisyphus
Feel - Chicago XXX
and if you're a fan of Big Band, check out the entire Night & Day album. Great Post-Kath stuff.
Do you think Queen were at some degree influenced by that track or vice-versa?
No, I don't see that connection at all. Maybe the fact that Queen started integrating keyboards & synths, but they were totally different as well. David Foster/Chicago used the Yahama DX and Fender Rhodes, as they were Robert Lamm's endorsers. Queen used, I believe, Oberheim synths. Maybe they got a good deal or something.
Chicago's reason for entering that genre was record company driven, as detailed in the band members bios. Queen pretty much had full control on what went on their albums.
Fair play, Microwave. Great post.
I have indeed heard Night & Day - excellent record. I'll have to check out those album nuggets you mentioned.
Chicago weren't the only band who were forced to reinvent themselves in the 80s. Look at Genesis and Yes. With very few exceptions, just about anyone who didn't see the business changing and adapt as necessary was dead by 1982.
One thing I don't fully understand is why some bands are able to maintain creative control and why others don't. Is it really just the luck of the draw? Working with the right people? Or not working with certain people?
And it seems to transcend time. Most artists on major labels have full creative control today, unless you're in the ultra-mainstream pop. 60s Motown was almost completely controlled by that label. Even in the 19th century, some composers were told to write music that was more accessible to the public. Like most things, I guess it's just a case by case basis.