Chicago (Graham Nash song)

Last updated
"Chicago"
Chicago by graham nash US single side-A.png
Side A of the US single
Single by Graham Nash
from the album Songs for Beginners
B-side "Simple Man"
ReleasedMay 1971
Genre Rock
Length2:55
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s) Graham Nash
Producer(s) Graham Nash
Graham Nash singles chronology
"Chicago"
(1971)
"Military Madness"
(1971)

"Chicago" (often listed as "Chicago / We Can Change the World") is the debut solo single by English singer-songwriter Graham Nash, released in 1971 from his debut solo album Songs for Beginners . The song reached number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 29 on the Cash Box Top 100. [1] It is his highest-charting single. In Canada, "Chicago" peaked at number 19. [2] The song also made the Dutch charts in 1971, peaking at number 5.

Contents

Background

The title and lyrics of the song refer to the anti-Vietnam War protests that took place during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the subsequent trial of the Chicago Eight, where protest leaders were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot. The first line of the song, "So your brother's bound and gagged, and they've chained him to a chair", refers to Black Panther leader Bobby Seale, [3] the sole African-American defendant, who was gagged and chained to a chair in the courtroom following repeated outbursts in protest of rulings by Judge Julius Hoffman.

The line "Won't you please come to Chicago just to sing?" refers to Nash pleading with bandmates Stephen Stills and Neil Young to come to Chicago to play a benefit concert for the Chicago 8 defense fund. The chorus contains the lines, "We can change the world / Rearrange the World".

On the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young live album, 4 Way Street (1971), Nash dedicates the song to "Mayor Daley", a sardonic reference to Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley, who was notoriously antagonistic towards anti-war protesters. CSN and CSNY played the song live throughout their career.

In June 2008, in Denver, Colorado, CSN played a slightly rewritten version of the song called "Denver", in anticipation of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. [4]

Chart performance

Personnel

Sherbet cover

In 1973, Australian band Sherbet recorded an extended version of Chicago for their album On with the Show , which went for over 10 minutes. Sherbet also performed a live version of the song on Australian TV show GTK. [8]

David Gilmour cover

In August 2009, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour released an online version, titled "Chicago - Change the World", on which he sang and played guitar, bass and keyboards, to promote awareness of the plight of Gary McKinnon. It featured Chrissie Hynde and Bob Geldof, plus McKinnon himself, and was made with Nash's support. [9] A remix of the track later developed into the album Metallic Spheres , credited to The Orb and David Gilmour. [10]

Hip hop samples

In 1999, the rappers Kanye West and Beanie Sigel sampled Chicago on the single "The Truth"; in 2003, Westside Connection used the same sample for their single "Gangsta Nation".

Use at protest events

Graham Nash expressed displeasure toward Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for the "unauthorized" use of the song at anti-vaccine rallies. Nash disagrees with Kennedy regarding vaccine hesitancy and felt that the original intent of his protest song was being co-opted for an unrelated cause that he did not believe in. Nash was concerned that people would mistakenly believe that he supports Kennedy's anti-vaccine campaign. Nash's manager suggested a "cease and desist" letter would be issued. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young</span> American and British folk rock supergroup

Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) was a folk-rock supergroup made up of the American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and the English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by the Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, they were called Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY). They are noted for their intricate vocal harmonies and lasting influence on American music and culture, their political activism and their tumultuous relationships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Stills</span> American musician (born 1945)

Stephen Arthur Stills is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Manassas. As both a solo act and member of three successful bands, Stills has combined record sales of over 35 million albums. He was ranked number 28 in Rolling Stone's 2003 list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and number 47 in the 2011 list. Stills became the first person to be inducted twice on the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to Neil Young, "Stephen is a genius".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Crosby</span> American singer and guitarist (1941–2023)

David Van Cortlandt Crosby was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelia in the mid-1960s, and later as part of the supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash, who helped popularize the California sound of the 1970s. In addition to his music, Crosby was known for his outspoken personality, politics, and personal troubles; he was sometimes depicted as emblematic of the counterculture of the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Nash</span> English musician and songwriter (born 1942)

Graham William Nash is an English-American musician, singer and songwriter. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodstock (song)</span> 1970 single by Joni Mitchell

"Woodstock" is a song written by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. At least four notable versions of the song were released in the same year, 1970. Mitchell's own version was first performed live in 1969 and appeared in April 1970 on her album Ladies of the Canyon and as the B-side to her single "Big Yellow Taxi". This publication was preceded by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's version, which appeared on their March 1970 album Déjà Vu and became a staple of classic rock radio and the best-known version in the United States. A third version, by the British band Matthews Southern Comfort became the best known version in the United Kingdom, and was the highest charting version of the song, reaching the top of the UK Singles Chart in 1970. A fourth version by studio project the Assembled Multitude also became a chart hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Barbata</span> American drummer (1945–2024)

John Barbata was an American drummer who was active especially in pop and rock bands in the 1960s and 1970s, both as a band member and as a session drummer. Barbata served as the drummer for The Turtles, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jefferson Airplane, and Jefferson Starship. Barbata claimed to have played on over 60 albums in an uncredited capacity.

<i>CSN</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash

CSN is the third studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, released on Atlantic Records on June 17, 1977. It is the group's second studio release in the trio configuration. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart; two singles taken from the album, Nash's "Just a Song Before I Go" and Stills' "Fair Game" charted on the Billboard Hot 100. It is currently the trio configuration's best selling record, outselling 1969's Crosby, Stills & Nash by 200,000 copies. It has been certified quadruple platinum by RIAA.

<i>Daylight Again</i> 1982 studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Daylight Again is the fourth studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their third studio album in the trio configuration. It peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the final time the band made the top ten before the death of David Crosby in 2023. Three singles were released from the album, all making the Billboard Hot 100: "Wasted on the Way" peaked at No. 9, "Southern Cross" at No. 18, and "Too Much Love to Hide" at No. 69. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA with sales of 1,850,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Cross (Crosby, Stills and Nash song)</span> Song performed by Crosby, Stills & Nash

"Southern Cross" is a song written by Stephen Stills, Rick Curtis, and Michael Curtis and performed by the rock band Crosby, Stills & Nash. It was featured on the band's Daylight Again album and was released as a single in September 1982. Stephen Stills sings lead throughout, with Graham Nash joining on the second verse. Because David Crosby did not reunite with Stills and Nash until the album was well underway, his vocals are not featured on the album version, although he did appear in the video and subsequently sang the song with the group in live performances. The single was a success on the charts, reaching No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in late November and early December 1982. As of 2022, it was the group's final hit in the Billboard Top 40.

<i>Songs for Beginners</i> 1971 studio album by Graham Nash

Songs for Beginners is the debut solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. Released in May 1971, it was one of four high-profile albums released by each member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the wake of their chart-topping Déjà Vu album of 1970, along with After the Gold Rush, Stephen Stills and If I Could Only Remember My Name. Songs for Beginners peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, and the single "Chicago" made it to No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has been certified a gold record by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crosby & Nash</span> Musical duo

Crosby & Nash were a musical duo that maintained a separate career in addition to the solo endeavors of David Crosby and Graham Nash, and separate from the larger aggregate of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Crosby and Nash performed and recorded regularly during the 1970s, issuing five albums including three of original studio material. After the more or less permanent reformation of Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1976, the duo continued to play sporadic concerts from the 1980s through the second decade of the 21st century, issuing another studio album in 2004 and going on an extended concert tour in 2011.

<i>After the Storm</i> (Crosby, Stills & Nash album) 1994 studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash

After the Storm is the seventh studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their fifth studio album in the trio configuration, released on Atlantic Records in 1994. It would be their last release on Atlantic, excepting reissues, for almost two decades. It peaked at No. 98 on the Billboard 200, the lowest charting position of their eight studio albums. It is also their lowest selling album, with sales near 200,000.

<i>Carry On</i> (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album) 1991 compilation album by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Carry On is a compilation album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, issued on Atlantic Records in 1991, generally for the European and Australian markets. It is a two-disc sampler of their four-disc box set, CSN, released two months previously in the United States and the United Kingdom. It features material spanning 1968 through 1990 from their catalogue of recordings as a group in addition to selections from Crosby & Nash, Manassas, and their individual solo albums. It was reissued on 30 June 1998 on the WEA International record label. This compilation should not be confused with the Stephen Stills box set of the same name released in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teach Your Children</span> 1970 single by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

"Teach Your Children" is a song written by Graham Nash in 1968 when he was a member of the Hollies. Although it was never recorded by that group in a studio, the Hollies did record it live in 1983. After the song was initially recorded for the album Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1969, a much more enhanced version of the song was recorded for the album Déjà Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, released in 1970. As a single, the song peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts that year. On the Easy Listening chart, it peaked at No. 28. In Canada, "Teach Your Children" reached No. 8. Reviewing the song, Cash Box commented on the "incredible soft harmony luster" and "delicately composed material." Billboard called it "a smooth country-flavored ballad that should prove an even bigger hit on the charts [than 'Woodstock']." Stephen Stills gave the song its "country swing", replacing the "Henry VIII" style of Nash's original demo.

<i>4 Way Street</i> 1971 live album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

4 Way Street is a live album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, and their second album as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was originally released as Atlantic Records SD-2-902, shipping as a gold record and peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. A document of their tour from the previous year, the live recordings presented were taken from shows at the Fillmore East on June 2 through June 7, 1970; The Forum on June 26 through June 28, 1970; and the Auditorium Theatre on July 5, 1970.

Gregory Allen Reeves is an American bass guitarist. He is best known for playing bass on Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's album Déjà Vu (1970).

<i>Metallic Spheres</i> 2010 studio album by the Orb featuring David Gilmour

Metallic Spheres is the tenth studio album released by ambient techno group the Orb in October 2010 and features the Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and the Killing Joke bassist Youth. It spent three weeks on the UK charts, reaching number 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song)</span> Protest song performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

"Ohio" is a protest song and counterculture anthem written and composed by Neil Young in reaction to the Kent State shootings of May 4, 1970, and performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was released as a single, backed with Stephen Stills's "Find the Cost of Freedom", peaking at number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 in Canada. Although live versions of "Ohio" and "Find the Cost of Freedom" were included on the group's 1971 double album 4 Way Street, the studio versions of both songs did not appear on an LP until the group's compilation So Far was released in 1974. The song also appeared on the Neil Young compilation albums Decade, released in 1977, and Greatest Hits, released in 2004.

<i>Carry On</i> (Stephen Stills album) 2013 box set by Stephen Stills

Carry On is a 4-CD career retrospective box set by Stephen Stills. It features highlights from his career as a solo artist and with groups including The Au Go Go Singers, Buffalo Springfield, Manassas, and various permutations of CSN&Y. The tracks are arranged in general chronological order of release. The album also includes previously unreleased material.

<i>CSNY 1974</i> 2014 live album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

CSNY 1974 is a live album by Crosby, Stills, & Nash, and their seventh in the CSNY quartet configuration. Issued on Rhino Records in 2014, it consists of concert material recorded in 1974 on the band's tour during the summer of that year. It was issued in several formats: a standard compact disc box set consisting of three audio discs and a standard DVD; as one pure audio Blu-ray disc and a Blu-ray DVD; and a more expensively packaged limited deluxe edition consisting of the material on six vinyl records along with the Blu-ray discs and a coffee table book. Three single disc samplers were also issued: one of the acoustic material exclusively available at Starbucks in the United States and Canada; a second at normal retail outlets; and a third included as a covermount disc to the 250th anniversary issue of the UK music magazine Mojo issued as "an exclusive audio-visual sampler of the new CSNY 1974 box set." Each of the non-sampler sets also contained a 188-page booklet, and all formats were released the same day, with the Mojo sampler arriving with the September 2014 publication of that edition. The three-disc and DVD package peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200, while the Starbucks sampler peaked at No. 37 and the selections sampler at No. 81.

References

  1. 1 2 "Top 100 1971-07-31". Cashbox Magazine . Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  2. 1 2 "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  3. "Mr. Fish: Mr. Fish in Conversation With Graham Nash - Interviews -Truthdig". Truthdig. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  4. Crosby, Stills & Nash - "Denver" (6/26/08) - Antiwar DNC. 27 June 2008. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. Retrieved 31 March 2016 via YouTube.
  5. "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 70" (in French). InfoDisc. 1971-09-23. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  6. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1971" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  7. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1971" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  8. Chicago- Sherbet on YouTube
  9. "Chicago" . Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  10. Ewing, Jerry (10 August 2023). "David Gilmour and The Orb's Metallic Spheres remixed and reimagined". Louder. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  11. Lochrie, Conor (2022-01-23). "Graham Nash Slams RFK Jr. for Using His Song in Anti-Vax Rally Video". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 2023-06-11.