Chicago replaces Jason Scheff on lead vocals and bass

[tj]

Chicago announced this week on Facebook that they have replaced their lead singer and bassist, Jason Scheff, after 30 years with the band. The usual "we thank him, wish him well, bs." Scheff has been on a leave to deal with family issues for a few months, but said specifically about it a couple of months ago that he was still a member and not going anywhere.

Obviously, something was up. The band is in the middle of a tour with Earth wind and fire. It's similar to how they replaced Bill Champlin several years ago. Dropped him with little prior notice while touring. What's odd to me is that the only original member left who hasn't taken time off during a tour the past few years is Robert Lamm. All 3 of the horn players have been out for one reason or another. Most of the recent YouTube video I have seen has a fill in on sax.

I guess it goes to show that 30 years doesn't mean that you will be there forever.

[verslibre]

Another band far past its prime that needs to call it a day. Sorry.

[tj]

Bill Champlin quit. He was tired of doing the same songs every night, the same way and burned out. Andrew should have that interview if I remember correctly, but I read an interview somewhere by Champlin, and he said as much. Champlin wanted to do his own music.

http://www.antimusic.com/news/16/Octobe ... ears.shtml

And

http://newsok.com/article/3399868

I'm not sure that I could find them now, but I read a couple of interviews with Champlin at the time that left a strong impression that he was let go. He was OK with it, acknowledging that musically he was at a different place than what Chicago wanted to do, but still surprised. I'll look for them.

[tj]

Bill Champlin quit. He was tired of doing the same songs every night, the same way and burned out. Andrew should have that interview if I remember correctly, but I read an interview somewhere by Champlin, and he said as much. Champlin wanted to do his own music.

http://www.antimusic.com/news/16/Octobe ... ears.shtml

And

http://newsok.com/article/3399868

I'm not sure that I could find them now, but I read a couple of interviews with Champlin at the time that left a strong impression that he was let go. He was OK with it, acknowledging that musically he was at a different place than what Chicago wanted to do, but still surprised. I'll look for them.

http://somethingelsereviews.com/2011/06 ... REVIEWS%29

[verslibre]

Jason Scheff is 54!

[tj]

"Champlin, in the latest SER Sitdown, makes it clear that he didn’t quit. “I was fired two days after the American release of my album,” he told us. “It made me look like an asshole that I would walk away in the middle of the tour. I had no idea that would happen, though I should have seen it coming. It was a lot of things.”

I guess that says it all. I stand corrected. Big mistake by Chicago to let him go. From what I was hearing about Jason Scheff, his voice was gone anyway. Champlin can still sing. Good lord, Scheff has to be pushing 70. My son saw Bob Dylan last weekend and talked about how everyone was saying he couldn't sing anymore at the concert. I said hell, he couldn't sing in the 60's. Did you think decades of time would improve it? You went to see history. You saw history. Myself, I haven't been to a Chicago concert since the 90's. They've come here twice in the past three years, I had no desire to see them. To me, like the Beach Boys, they are simply kicking a dead horse. I wish Toto would have come here. Thanks for posting this. I always thought Champlin was simply burned out on Chicago and wanted to do his own thing. After all, he must be pushing 70 himself.

Champlin's statements have been a little ambiguous, I think, since most of the questions he is asked are about current projects. This was the only example that I found where he specifically stated that he was fired.

I have never been a big fan of him specifically, but appreciate his work and talent. Same with Scheff. His bass playing is really good.

I love most of Chicago music, with the exception of the Diane Warren crap from the late 80s that the label forced on them. Even their newest album from a couple of years ago had some good music.

They have toured every year for almost 50 years consecutively. Robert Lamm's voice still holds up well, but I imagine that Scheff's tenor is much more difficult to control for him at his age. Not a bad voice, but hard to sing like he used to.

[Abitaman]

I hate to see Jason go, as much as I hated to Bill leave. I did not really become a Chicago fan until Bill joined and then went back and listened to their stuff. Bill and Peter had a good chemistry going on with each other that was missing from their 70's stuff. I was surprised that I like Jason when he joined. Took me a little bit to get use to his voice, but by the second release with him I liked him better than Cetera. Jason and Bill made an even better combination together than Bill and Peter.

[tj]

This probably has something to do with it.
I can't imagine giving up a 30 year gig to do an American Idol wanna be show on MTV. Also, he looks in this picture like he's had some work done on his face.

http://kwbe.com/abc_classicr/chicago-si ... d35788690/

[tj]

Jason Scheff is 54!

He is much younger them I thought. I know more about his Dad. He must have felt like a little kid when he joined Chicago.

[Ehwmatt]

Not surprised. I saw them in August and paid pretty good money for the tix. Showed up to the venue having NO idea Scheff was then on hiatus and began panicking that the show would be terrible. But the fill-in -- and hopefully permanent replacement -- Jeff Coffey, is awesome (and has a couple great solo CDs in his own right). Given how good Coffey was, it was very obvious leaving the venue that Scheff would never play with Chicago again. Scheff is by all accounts an awesome guy, but even he would admit his voice has been struggling for at least a decade.

I get so sick of people blindly saying a legacy band is "done" just because some members aren't there anymore. Use your ears. The show I saw was one of the best I've seen in a long time.

Now, in contrast, listen to Journey live. THAT's a band that's done.

[Abitaman]

I would not say Journey is done, but they are standing on one leg that has a bad knee and a twisted ankle.

[verslibre]

When bands turn into their own tribute bands, like Yes and Chicago have, then, yeah, maybe it is time to call it.

Even Blue Oyster Cult, a band without an original offering in nearly 15 years, still has its two most important members at the helm (they had three, but Allen Lanier left in 2007, and passed away in 2013).

[Memorex]

I would not say Journey is done, but they are standing on one leg that has a bad knee and a twisted ankle.

I just don't understand this. They are doing great business. When the crowds start to shrink, not increase, is when I think you can say things are dwindling down. Since 98, they have increased over time to being an act that brings quite the crowd to each show, each year. It will fade soon enough, but it's not there yet.

Album sales, they are already on the other side of the grass, but as a band, I don't think so.

[tj]

I would not say Journey is done, but they are standing on one leg that has a bad knee and a twisted ankle.

I just don't understand this. They are doing great business. When the crowds start to shrink, not increase, is when I think you can say things are dwindling down. Since 98, they have increased over time to being an act that brings quite the crowd to each show, each year. It will fade soon enough, but it's not there yet.

Album sales, they are already on the other side of the grass, but as a band, I don't think so.

Chicago doesn't seem to play to huge crowds, but then never has. They continually draw a good average though, every year for almost 50 years consecutively. The music live still sounds awesome and they change it up fairly often. 4 of the original 7 guys are still there, so I suppose that should be worth something.

[Abitaman]

I would not say Journey is done, but they are standing on one leg that has a bad knee and a twisted ankle.

I just don't understand this. They are doing great business. When the crowds start to shrink, not increase, is when I think you can say things are dwindling down. Since 98, they have increased over time to being an act that brings quite the crowd to each show, each year. It will fade soon enough, but it's not there yet.

Album sales, they are already on the other side of the grass, but as a band, I don't think so.

Journey, mush like most of the bands from that time, do not seem to want to be more than a best of band. Chicago even fits into this.
But Journey seems to be pulled into different directions by it members, and the band is a side project. It seems to me, that Journey will so crash into a heap, unless the band comes together as a band or gets some new blood that will light a fire in them.

[tj]

Journey, mush like most of the bands from that time, do not seem to want to be more than a best of band. Chicago even fits into this.
But Journey seems to be pulled into different directions by it members, and the band is a side project. It seems to me, that Journey will so crash into a heap, unless the band comes together as a band or gets some new blood that will light a fire in them.

They could just stop. No announcement, just dont' do anything more. Like they did 30 years ago. No "Farewell Tour", etc. is needed. Let the music stand for itself, the memories of the fans be their own and everyone go their own way.

[Ehwmatt]

Well, that didn't last too long. Jeff Coffey and Tris Imboden both announced their departures from Chicago. Both blamed the hectic touring schedule. Tris banked 30 years' worth of money from Chicago's tours and is 66. So, I get that. But Coffey must not have been getting paid much to quit this gig so soon. Sad. I really enjoyed the show I saw with Jeff in August 2016. I'm sure this'll please a lot of diehard old school Chicago fans who won't accept anything other than Cetera, but this bums me out.

[tj]

Well, that didn't last too long. Jeff Coffey and Tris Imboden both announced their departures from Chicago. Both blamed the hectic touring schedule. Tris banked 30 years' worth of money from Chicago's tours and is 66. So, I get that. But Coffey must not have been getting paid much to quit this gig so soon. Sad. I really enjoyed the show I saw with Jeff in August 2016. I'm sure this'll please a lot of diehard old school Chicago fans who won't accept anything other than Cetera, but this bums me out.

Wow. Surprised to see that happen. I followed both of those guys on Facebook. They had a page with the guitarist Keith Howland, keyboardist Lou Pardini and percussionist Wally Reyes called Bus2. They did live feeds from the bus on the road after a lot of concerts. They all seemed to get a long really well and had fun together. I sometimes wondered if the original members, on the other bus, would be bothered by the fact that they had a good time together and interacted with the fans. It seems like the 3 remaining original members who still tour are pretty crotchety about anyone other than themselves getting attention about the band. I wondered if that was why Scheffy left as well.

Cetera has been gone for 35 years, Terry Kath for 40. Anyone who hasn't moved on from them by now needs to pull out a lawn chair, smoke another doobie, and wait for Jimi Hendrix, Elvis and JFK to stop by.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Well, that didn't last too long. Jeff Coffey and Tris Imboden both announced their departures from Chicago. Both blamed the hectic touring schedule. Tris banked 30 years' worth of money from Chicago's tours and is 66. So, I get that. But Coffey must not have been getting paid much to quit this gig so soon. Sad. I really enjoyed the show I saw with Jeff in August 2016. I'm sure this'll please a lot of diehard old school Chicago fans who won't accept anything other than Cetera, but this bums me out.

Didn't see that coming. Here's footage of the new guy. Pretty good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... mZRXrHDj7g

[S2M]

Everyone knows Jason's dad was in Elvis' band, right?

[verslibre]

Everyone knows Jason's dad was in Elvis' band, right?

Who's that?

[marco17]

Chicago has appeared to be a train-wreck for a bit now with all the more recent lineup changes and you can only count on Lamm and Loughnane touring consistently. Even Pankow isn't around much...probably at home looking in the mirror telling himself how fabulous he is. He came off as a total d-bag in that Chicago documentary. The Neil guy handle YTI well, but he's just as old as they are. There's a point when you just need to call it a day.

[slucero]

This version of Chicago is pretty damn amazing... and they got Putins brother on vox..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njZHiCdVQN8


(seriously though, this band is fucking amazing)

[RPM]

Everyone knows Jason's dad was in Elvis' band, right?

https://tcbband.elvis.com.au/

[tj]

This version of Chicago is pretty damn amazing... and they got Putins brother on vox..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njZHiCdVQN8


(seriously though, this band is fucking amazing)

These guys are awesome. I enjoy their videos more than the actual band at this point.

[steveo777]

A friend of mine is the guitarist in this Chicago tribute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uydDHKqlH8s

[tj]

Just saw this http://ultimateclassicrock.com/chicago-vi-decades-live/

Chicago is releasing another live album. 5 discs. Some of the songs are on the the album 3 or 4 times, recorded in different years. I can't imagine that there is a market for this.

[yulog]

This version of Chicago is pretty damn amazing... and they got Putins brother on vox..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njZHiCdVQN8





(seriously though, this band is fucking amazing)

These guys are awesome. I enjoy their videos more than the actual band at this point.

Yeah, these guys are fantastic would love to hear them live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRw4kRnay0g

[Abitaman]

I got tired of Chicago concerts because they acted like the cds they release after Cetera left, did not exist. Nothing was ever played live from those cds except in the 80's.

[marco17]

I got tired of Chicago concerts because they acted like the cds they release after Cetera left, did not exist. Nothing was ever played live from those cds except in the 80's.

That was my beef too. My generation heard those songs and then became fans of earlier work. If it weren't for those albums, Chicago would have been retired years ago.