CHICAGO – OREGON STATE FAIR 1995 SOUNDBOARD MASTER

Description

Oregon State Fair, Salem, Oregon, USA 31st August 1995 STEREO SBD
★Completely unreleased PA stereo soundboard!

　KRW_CO has unearthed a previously unreleased soundboard recording of the August Salem concert from the 1995 tour of “NIGHT & DAY BIG BAND,” a classic album from the Jason Scheff era and a cover album showcasing Chicago’s true big band sound!

　For Japanese people, the most familiar recording of Chicago’s 1995 performance is the television broadcast of their Budokan concert at the end of the year, but other than that, the number of recordings is limited. And now we have this completely unreleased PA stereo soundboard recording.

　Therefore, it’s not a polished mix like the one at Budokan, but from the opening, the horns, which are so characteristic of Chicago, explode with a directness that feels like they’re flowing directly into your brain through your ears. The sheer power that only a PA soundboard can offer is fully displayed.

　The release of “NIGHT & DAY BIG BAND” delighted fans because the big band concept worked well, resulting in a return to Chicago’s signature horn-heavy sound after a long time, and their live sound from yesteryear was truly revived on stage.

　Chicago, who had been completely reliant on ballads and synthesizers, suddenly pushed forward with powerful horns, and the way this comes through on the PA soundboard as an incredibly clear and raw sound is truly breathtaking.

　Not only is the realistic impact incredible, but the sound quality itself is so clear that one can’t help but think it should have been released on pressed CD. This is truly a wonderful recording that has been unearthed.

　A major factor in Chicago’s success during this period was the burgeoning unplugged movement. As a result, their hit song “Look Away” was performed in a simple acoustic arrangement by Bill Champlin and Keith Howland, instead of the full-on synth-heavy band arrangement.

　Of course, cover songs from “NIGHT & DAY BIG BAND,” starting with “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” are incorporated throughout the set. However, perhaps because it had only been released three months prior, the standard “Moonlight Serenade,” which was heard at the Budokan, is not performed, a pattern typical of this period in 1995.

　The second half of the show began with “Just You ‘n’ Me,” followed by a string of classic hits. However, the inclusion of the standard “In The Mood” between the killer tracks “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” and “25 or 6 to 4” was a sight unique to the ‘NIGHT & DAY BIG BAND’ tour.

　A surprising discovery from the now-nostalgic 1995 ‘NIGHT & DAY BIG BAND’ tour. This superb, never-before-seen soundboard recording showcases the powerful sound that recaptured Chicago’s signature horn-heavy sound!

Disc:1 (58:01)
1. Old Days
2. You’re the Inspiration
3. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
4. Free
5. Hard Habit to Break
6. Colour My World
7. What Kind of Man Would I Be
8. Look Away
9. Night and Day
10. Make Me Smile
11. Drum Solo
12. Band Introductions
13. Beginnings

Disc:2 (43:06)
1. Goody Goody
2. Just You ‘n’ Me
3. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is
4. Bass Solo
5. I’m a Man
6. Hard to Say I’m Sorry / Get Away
7. In the Mood
8. 25 or 6 to 4
9. If You Leave Me Now

Robert Lamm – keyboards, vocals
Lee Loughnane – trumpet, flugelhorn, backing vocals
James Pankow – trombone, backing vocals
Walter Parazaider – saxophones, flute, backing vocals
Bill Champlin – keyboards, vocals
Jason Scheff – bass, vocals
Tris Imboden – drums, harmonica
Keith Howland – guitar