Here in My Heart (Chicago song)

Last updated
"Here in My Heart"
Here in My Heart.png
Australian CD cover
Single by Chicago
from the album The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997
A-side "The Only One"
ReleasedMarch 1997 (1997-03)
Recorded1997
Genre
Length4:15
Label Reprise
Songwriters
Producer James Newton Howard
Chicago singles chronology
"Dream a Little Dream of Me"
(1995)		"Here in My Heart"
(1997)		"The Only One"
(1997)

"Here in My Heart" is a 1997 song written by Glen Ballard and James Newton Howard and performed by Chicago. Keyboardist Bill Champlin sang the lead vocals for the verses and chorus and the band's bassist Jason Scheff sang the bridge.

Contents

It was one of two new songs from The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997. "Here in My Heart" was the group's eighth and final number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and also reached No. 59 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. [1] It was the band's first song to appear on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart since "You Come to My Senses" in 1991 and their first to top that listing since "Look Away" in 1988. [2]

Background

"Here in My Heart" was originally intended to be part of a movie score; it later received lyrics from Ballard and Howard and was submitted to Chicago for inclusion on their The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997 compilation album. [3] Lee Loughnane called "Here in My Heart" a "great song" and expressed surprise that it did not "cross over into the top ten." Walter Parazaider felt that "Here in My Heart" could have benefited from additional horns from himself, Loughnane, and James Pankow, but was otherwise pleased with the song. [4] Pankow was more critical of the song, particularly with the mixing of the horns. He had previously provided feedback to Howard on how to adjust the mix more to his specifications, but said that these recommendations were ignored. [5]

I worked with him and he sent me a rough mix, and I said, 'Hey James, the horns are buried. You can't even hear them.' He said, 'Oh well. That's just a rough mix. Don't worry about it, I know your level.' And I said, 'Not only that, but the tenor's too hot in the mix. It doesn't have that round, fat Chicago characteristic to it.' And he said, 'Yeah, yeah, I know.' And then I got the final mix. No change. That was 'Here In My Heart'. I found it more than a little insulting that the guy would stroke me and tell me this is just a rough mix and then for posterity, forever on disc and for the rest of the world to hear is a horn section that sounds like shit. It's not mixed properly. [5]

Critical reception

Billboard wrote that the song "combine[s] the sugar-pop gloss of its Peter Cetera era with the horn-laden jazz of its prog-rock salad days", adding that the end result was "mildly engaging, though not wildly commercial." [6] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic felt that "Here in My Heart" "fell flat" as a song on The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997. [7]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1997)Peak
position
US Radio Songs ( Billboard ) [8] 59
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [9] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)Position
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) [10] 17

See also

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 55.
  2. ↑ Bronson, Fred (July 12, 1997). "'Kisses' Goes Out To Chicago's 'Heart'" (PDF). Billboard . p. 102. Retrieved November 2, 2025– via World Radio History.
  3. ↑ Hogan, Ed. "Here in My Heart". AllMusic . Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  4. ↑ The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary edition (Liner Notes). United States: Rhino. 2007. R2 309116.
  5. 1 2 Kruger, Debbie (June 16, 2000). "Chicago: 34 years and Counting" . Goldmine . p. 102. Retrieved December 12, 2025– via Rock's Backpages.
  6. ↑ Flick, Larry, ed. (12 April 1997). "Singles" (PDF). Billboard . p. 66. Retrieved 2 November 2025– via World Radio History.
  7. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997 Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  8. ↑ "Chicago Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Chicago Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  10. ↑ "1997 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 52. December 27, 1997. p. YE-82. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
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