"Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon" | |
---|---|
Song by Chicago | |
from the album Chicago | |
Released | January 26, 1970 |
Recorded | August 1969 |
Genre | |
Length | 12:55 |
Label | Columbia Records |
Songwriter(s) | James Pankow |
Producer(s) | James William Guercio |
"Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon" [ sic ], also known as "The Ballet" and "Make Me Smile Medley", is a nearly thirteen-minute mini-rock opera/song cycle/suite from Chicago's 1970 album Chicago (also called Chicago II). It was the group's first attempt at a long-format multi-part work.
It was composed by James Pankow, who got the inspiration to write the "Ballet" from his love of long classical music song cycles. According to a May 2018 interview with the Charleston Gazette-Mail , the songs were written in an attempt to win back his ex-fiancee, Terrie Heisler, [1] who was at the time attending West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia. [2]
"Ballet" takes up most of side two of Chicago and consists of seven tracks, three of which are instrumentals:
The final track, "Now More Than Ever," is a single-verse reprise of the suite's opening song, "Make Me Smile." The vocal songs within the suite can be viewed as telling the story of a man searching for a far away lost love and attempting to rekindle the love they had shared. Two of these songs reached the top ten on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100: a single edit of "Make Me Smile (/Now More Than Ever)" (#9, 1970) and "Colour My World" (#7, 1971).
The instrumental movement "West Virginia Fantasies" incorporates instrumental counterpoint extensively between the horns, guitar, and keyboards, exemplifying Chicago's skill at composing and arranging complex pieces.
The suite was recorded as a single track, titled "The Ballet," on their album Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert in 1999. The version on the 2005 DVD Chicago & Earth, Wind & Fire — Live at the Greek Theatre is called "Make Me Smile Medley," named after the suite's opening song.
Chicago is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1967. The group began calling themselves the Chicago Transit Authority in 1968, then shortened the name to its current one in 1969. Self-described as a "rock and roll band with horns," their songs often also combine elements of classical music, jazz, R&B, and pop music.
Terry Alan Kath was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who is best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He played lead guitar and sang lead vocals on many of the band's early hit singles alongside Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera. He has been praised by his bandmates and other musicians for his guitar skills and his Ray Charles–influenced vocal style. Jimi Hendrix cited Terry Kath as one of his favorite guitarists, and considered Kath to be "the best guitarist in the universe".
Chicago is the second studio album by the American rock band Chicago, released on January 26, 1970, by Columbia Records. Like their debut album, Chicago Transit Authority, it is a double album. It was their first album released under the name Chicago—the band's prior name, Chicago Transit Authority, was changed due to a threatened lawsuit from the actual mass-transit operator bearing the same name—and the first to use the now ubiquitous cursive Chicago logo on the cover.
Chicago VII is the sixth studio album by American rock band Chicago. It was released on March 11, 1974 by Columbia Records. It is notable for being their first double album of new material since 1971's Chicago III and remains their final studio release in that format. It features session percussionist Laudir de Oliveira, who would become a full-fledged band member for the release of Chicago VIII the following year.
Chicago VIII is the seventh studio album by American rock band Chicago, released on March 24, 1975 by Columbia Records. Following the experimental jazz/pop stylings of Chicago VII, the band returned to a more streamlined rock-based sound on this follow-up.
Chicago IX: Chicago's Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album, and ninth album overall, by the American band Chicago and was released in 1975 by Columbia Records in both stereo and SQ quadraphonic versions.
Chicago XI is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Chicago. It was released on September 12, 1977, through Columbia Records. It was both the last to feature guitarist and vocalist Terry Kath prior to his death in a gun accident just over four months later, and the last to be produced by longtime associate of the band James William Guercio.
Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert is a live album by the American band Chicago, their twenty-sixth album overall, released in 1999. Their second live album to be released in the US, it was Chicago's first of the sort since 1971's Chicago at Carnegie Hall and 1972's Live in Japan, though the band had released commercial VHS tapes of two concerts in the early 1990s.
James Carter Pankow is an American trombone player, songwriter, and brass instrument arranger who is a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for his brass arrangements, and for being one-third of Chicago's brass/woodwind section alongside Lee Loughnane and Walter Parazaider.
Lee David Loughnane is an American trumpeter, flugelhorn player, vocalist, and songwriter who is a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He is best known for being one-third of Chicago's brass/woodwind section alongside James Pankow and Walter Parazaider.
Chicago & Earth, Wind & Fire – Live at the Greek Theatre is a live concert DVD by American bands Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire. The recording was made from two appearances at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California at the end of their joint tour in 2004. The DVD was certified platinum just two months after its 2005 release.
"Make Me Smile" is a song written by James Pankow for the rock band Chicago with the band's guitarist, Terry Kath, on lead vocals. Part 1 of Pankow's 7-part "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon" song cycle/suite, it was recorded for their second album, Chicago, which was released in 1970. The song "Now More Than Ever", a separate track from the same song suite, serves as a reprise of the song and appears edited together with it on many later versions, including a single edit, on several greatest hits collections, and in many live performances.
"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" is a song written and sung by Robert Lamm and recorded by the group Chicago. It was included on their 1969 debut album Chicago Transit Authority and released as a single in 1970.
"Free" is a song written by Robert Lamm as a part of the "Travel Suite" for the rock band Chicago and recorded for their third album Chicago III (1971), with Terry Kath singing lead vocals. It was the first single released from this album, and peaked at #20 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
"Just You 'n' Me" is a song written by James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their fifth studio album Chicago VI (1973). The lead vocals are sung by bassist Peter Cetera.
"Old Days" is a song written by James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VIII (1975). It was the second single released from that album with lead vocals by Peter Cetera.
"Alive Again" is a song written by James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Hot Streets (1978), with Peter Cetera singing lead vocals. The first single released from that album, it reached No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, "Alive Again" spent two weeks at No. 11.
Live in Japan is a live album by American rock band Chicago, released in November 1972. It was recorded over the course of three days at the Osaka Festival Hall on the band's tour in support of Chicago V in 1972. The group recorded Japanese-language versions of "Lowdown" and "Questions 67 And 68" to coincide with their Japan performances. They performed both songs in Japanese during their stay, which are documented on this album.
"Colour My World" is a song written by American musician James Pankow, one of the founding members of the rock/jazz fusion band Chicago. Part of Pankow's "Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon" song cycle/suite, it was recorded for their second album Chicago, also called Chicago II (1970). Terry Kath sings the lead vocal, and Walter Parazaider performs the memorable flute solo.
"Brand New Love Affair" sometimes alternatively listed as "Brand New Love Affair (Parts I and II)", is a song written by James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VIII. The song peaked at #61 on the charts. Guitarist Terry Kath sings the first half while bassist Peter Cetera sings the second half. Keyboardist Robert Lamm played the distinctive Fender Rhodes electric piano on the song—the intro particularly showcases its lush vibrato bell-like sound.