Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus
Encyclopedia
Stone of Sisyphus
is a studio album by American rock band Chicago
, released on June 17, 2008, after a nearly 15-year delay.
, Chicago's record company at the time, was displeased with the album, and dismissed Stone of Sisyphus as being "unreleasable." This led to an acrimonious split with the band. The band's failure to issue an official press release regarding the album's mothballing and subsequent departure of guitarist Dawayne Bailey
left fans to years of rampant debate and conjecture about the events surrounding Stone of Sisyphus.
Through its official website, as well as public discussion forums of past and present band members, the band actively worked to quell discussion and debate about Stone of Sisyphus, while sporadically releasing thematic albums. Recent information came to light regarding the actual reason for the album's shelving. The band's management was negotiating with the label regarding a licensing of the extensive Chicago back catalog and when those talks stalled, the label apparently retaliated by scrapping the project.
' Smile and Guns n' Roses
' Chinese Democracy
, Stone of Sisyphus built a legend of its own. Tracks from the unreleased album surfaced on bootleg recording
s, including on the internet, while many of the songs appeared on legitimate compilation releases.
On July 9, 1993, the band included "The Pull" in a concert at the Greek Theatre
in Los Angeles to give the audience a taste of the upcoming album. The title song and "Bigger Than Elvis" were first released in Canada on the 1995 double CD compilation Overtime (Astral Music). A single edit-version of "Let's Take A Lifetime" debuted in Europe on the 1996 Arcade Records compilation called The Very Best Of Chicago (a title which would be reused in North America in 2002).
Five of the 12 tracks were released in Japan between 1997-1998 on the very rare green and gold editions of The Heart of Chicago compilations: "All The Years" (debut), "Bigger Than Elvis", and "Sleeping in the Middle of the Bed Again" (debut) all appear on the green-clad The Heart of Chicago 1967-1981, Volume II (Teichiku, 1997), with "The Pull" and "Here with Me (A Candle for the Dark)" appearing on the gold-clad The Heart of Chicago 1982-1998, Volume II (WEA Japan, 1998).
In 2003, the group finally allowed three tracks from Stone of Sisyphus -- "All the Years", the title song and "Bigger Than Elvis" -- to be officially released in the United States on The Box
by Rhino Records.
Keyboard player and guitarist Bill Champlin recorded "Proud of Our Blindness," which was a slightly different lyrical version of "Cry for the Lost," for his 1995 solo album Through It All, whose liner notes included his stinging criticism of the major record labels inspired by the row Chicago had with Warner Bros. over Stone of Sisyphus.
Bass player Jason Scheff recorded a solo version of "Mah-Jong" for his 1997 solo album Chauncy
.
and The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition
). One of the original songs for the 1994 release of the album, entitled "Get on This" (written by Dawayne Bailey
, Walter Parazaider
's daughter Felicia, and James Pankow
), did not make it on the 2008 release. An official reason for this omission from Chicago or Rhino Records was not given. Frequently bootlegged, the Chicago Sun-Times
notes that "Get on This" is "commonly the most-praised track in online fan discussions."
Sisyphus
In Greek mythology Sisyphus was a king punished by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this throughout eternity...
is a studio album by American rock band Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
, released on June 17, 2008, after a nearly 15-year delay.
History
The album was set to be released as Chicago XXII in the United States on March 22, 1994. However, Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
, Chicago's record company at the time, was displeased with the album, and dismissed Stone of Sisyphus as being "unreleasable." This led to an acrimonious split with the band. The band's failure to issue an official press release regarding the album's mothballing and subsequent departure of guitarist Dawayne Bailey
Dawayne Bailey
Dawayne Bailey is an American guitarist who has toured and recorded with Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band and Chicago.Bailey was born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas. While still attending Manhattan High School in Kansas, he founded the band Rathbone, which developed a strong regional fan base...
left fans to years of rampant debate and conjecture about the events surrounding Stone of Sisyphus.
Through its official website, as well as public discussion forums of past and present band members, the band actively worked to quell discussion and debate about Stone of Sisyphus, while sporadically releasing thematic albums. Recent information came to light regarding the actual reason for the album's shelving. The band's management was negotiating with the label regarding a licensing of the extensive Chicago back catalog and when those talks stalled, the label apparently retaliated by scrapping the project.
Post-1994
Like The Beach BoysThe Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
' Smile and Guns n' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
' Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released in November 2008 on Geffen Records. It is the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?" , released exactly 15 years before Chinese Democracy, and their first album of original studio...
, Stone of Sisyphus built a legend of its own. Tracks from the unreleased album surfaced on bootleg recording
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
s, including on the internet, while many of the songs appeared on legitimate compilation releases.
On July 9, 1993, the band included "The Pull" in a concert at the Greek Theatre
Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
The Greek Theatre is a 5,700-seat amphitheater, located at Griffith Park, in Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1929, opening on September 29 of that year...
in Los Angeles to give the audience a taste of the upcoming album. The title song and "Bigger Than Elvis" were first released in Canada on the 1995 double CD compilation Overtime (Astral Music). A single edit-version of "Let's Take A Lifetime" debuted in Europe on the 1996 Arcade Records compilation called The Very Best Of Chicago (a title which would be reused in North America in 2002).
Five of the 12 tracks were released in Japan between 1997-1998 on the very rare green and gold editions of The Heart of Chicago compilations: "All The Years" (debut), "Bigger Than Elvis", and "Sleeping in the Middle of the Bed Again" (debut) all appear on the green-clad The Heart of Chicago 1967-1981, Volume II (Teichiku, 1997), with "The Pull" and "Here with Me (A Candle for the Dark)" appearing on the gold-clad The Heart of Chicago 1982-1998, Volume II (WEA Japan, 1998).
In 2003, the group finally allowed three tracks from Stone of Sisyphus -- "All the Years", the title song and "Bigger Than Elvis" -- to be officially released in the United States on The Box
The Box (Chicago)
The Box is a five-CD/one DVD career-spanning box set by popular American group Chicago and was compiled and released through Rhino Records in 2003...
by Rhino Records.
Solo versions
Keyboard player Robert Lamm previously recorded a solo version of "All the Years" in the early 1990s for his 1993 solo album Life Is Good in My Neighborhood (initially released in Japan by Reprise Records in 1993, it was released in 1995 in the USA by Chicago's then label Chicago Records), and a version of "Sleeping in the Middle of the Bed (Again)" for his 1999 album In My Head.Keyboard player and guitarist Bill Champlin recorded "Proud of Our Blindness," which was a slightly different lyrical version of "Cry for the Lost," for his 1995 solo album Through It All, whose liner notes included his stinging criticism of the major record labels inspired by the row Chicago had with Warner Bros. over Stone of Sisyphus.
Bass player Jason Scheff recorded a solo version of "Mah-Jong" for his 1997 solo album Chauncy
Chauncy (album)
Chauncy is the 1996 debut solo album by singer/songwriter/bassist Jason Scheff. Scheff is probably best known as a member of the band Chicago, where he has been the bassist and a lead singer since 1985.-Track listing:# "Standing Here Beside Me"...
.
2008 release
In May 2008, Rhino Records announced that Stone of Sisyphus would be released with four bonus songs. Officially, number "XXXII" in the band's album count (following Chicago XXXChicago XXX
Chicago XXX is an album by the American band Chicago, released on March 21, 2006. Their 30th official album, it is Chicago's first studio release of new and original material since 1991's Twenty 1....
and The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition
The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition
The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary is the two-CD greatest hits and 31st album by American rock band Chicago, released by Rhino Records on October 2, 2007. It consists of two discs containing 30 of Chicago's top 40 singles, similar to The Very Best Of: Only the Beginning, though not quite as...
). One of the original songs for the 1994 release of the album, entitled "Get on This" (written by Dawayne Bailey
Dawayne Bailey
Dawayne Bailey is an American guitarist who has toured and recorded with Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band and Chicago.Bailey was born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas. While still attending Manhattan High School in Kansas, he founded the band Rathbone, which developed a strong regional fan base...
, Walter Parazaider
Walter Parazaider
Walter Parazaider is best known for being a founding member and saxophone player for the rock band Chicago. He also plays the flute and other woodwind instruments in the band, including clarinet. On the hit "You're Not Alone," he played backing rhythm guitar.Parazaider began playing the clarinet...
's daughter Felicia, and James Pankow
James Pankow
James Carter "Jimmy" Pankow is an American trombone player, songwriter and brass instrument arranger best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago.-Early life:...
), did not make it on the 2008 release. An official reason for this omission from Chicago or Rhino Records was not given. Frequently bootlegged, the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
notes that "Get on This" is "commonly the most-praised track in online fan discussions."
Track listing
- "Stone of Sisyphus" (Dawayne BaileyDawayne BaileyDawayne Bailey is an American guitarist who has toured and recorded with Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band and Chicago.Bailey was born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas. While still attending Manhattan High School in Kansas, he founded the band Rathbone, which developed a strong regional fan base...
, Lee LoughnaneLee LoughnaneLee Loughnane , born 21 October 1946 in Elmwood Park, Illinois to Juanita Wall and Philip Louis Loughnane, is an American trumpeter, flugelhorn player, vocalist, and songwriter, best known for being a founding member of the rock band Chicago.- Biography :...
) – 4:11 - "Bigger Than Elvis" (Jason ScheffJason ScheffJason Randolph Scheff is an American bassist, singer and songwriter. Since 1985 he has been the bassist and singer for the veteran pop-rock band Chicago. He is the oldest son of well-known session bassist Jerry Scheff, who toured for several years with Elvis Presley...
, Peter WolfPeter Wolf (producer)Peter F. Wolf is a composer, producer, songwriter and arranger. He was awarded the highest honor for artists from his birth country of Austria, the Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst .- Early years :Wolf studied classical piano at Vienna’s Conservatory of Music...
, Ina Wolf) – 4:31 - "All the Years" (Robert LammRobert LammRobert William Lamm is an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter who came to fame as a founding member of the pop rock band Chicago...
, Bruce Gaitsch) – 4:16 - "Mah-Jong" (Scheff, Brock Walsh, Aaron Zigman) – 4:42
- "Sleeping in the Middle of the Bed" (Lamm, John McCurry) – 4:45
- "Let's Take a Lifetime" (Scheff, Walsh, Zigman) – 4:56
- "The Pull" (Lamm, Scheff, P. Wolf) – 4:17
- "Here with Me (Candle for the Dark)" (James PankowJames PankowJames Carter "Jimmy" Pankow is an American trombone player, songwriter and brass instrument arranger best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago.-Early life:...
, Lamm, Greg O'Connor) – 4:11 - "Plaid" (Bill ChamplinBill ChamplinWilliam Bradford "Bill" Champlin is an American singer, guitarist, keyboard player, arranger, producer, and songwriter. His performance work is principally associated with the bands Chicago and the Sons of Champlin...
, Lamm, Greg Mathieson) – 4:59 - "Cry for the Lost" (Champlin, Dennis Matkowsky) – 5:18
- "The Show Must Go On" (Champlin, Gaitsch) – 5:25
Bonus tracks
- "Love Is Forever" (Demo) (Pankow, Lamm) – 4:14
- "Mah-Jong" (Demo) (Scheff, Walsh, Zigman) – 4:59
- "Let's Take a Lifetime" (Demo) (Scheff, Walsh, Zigman) – 4:15
- "Stone of Sisyphus" (No Rhythm Loop) (Bailey,Loughnane ) – 4:35
Chicago
- Robert LammRobert LammRobert William Lamm is an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter who came to fame as a founding member of the pop rock band Chicago...
- keyboards, lead & backing vocals - Walter ParazaiderWalter ParazaiderWalter Parazaider is best known for being a founding member and saxophone player for the rock band Chicago. He also plays the flute and other woodwind instruments in the band, including clarinet. On the hit "You're Not Alone," he played backing rhythm guitar.Parazaider began playing the clarinet...
- woodwinds, backing vocals - Lee LoughnaneLee LoughnaneLee Loughnane , born 21 October 1946 in Elmwood Park, Illinois to Juanita Wall and Philip Louis Loughnane, is an American trumpeter, flugelhorn player, vocalist, and songwriter, best known for being a founding member of the rock band Chicago.- Biography :...
- trumpet, flugelhorn, backing vocals - James PankowJames PankowJames Carter "Jimmy" Pankow is an American trombone player, songwriter and brass instrument arranger best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago.-Early life:...
- trombone, backing vocals, horn arrangements, horn co-arrangement on "Stone of Sisyphus" - Bill ChamplinBill ChamplinWilliam Bradford "Bill" Champlin is an American singer, guitarist, keyboard player, arranger, producer, and songwriter. His performance work is principally associated with the bands Chicago and the Sons of Champlin...
- keyboards, rhythm guitars, lead & backing vocals - Jason ScheffJason ScheffJason Randolph Scheff is an American bassist, singer and songwriter. Since 1985 he has been the bassist and singer for the veteran pop-rock band Chicago. He is the oldest son of well-known session bassist Jerry Scheff, who toured for several years with Elvis Presley...
- bass, lead & backing vocals - Dawayne BaileyDawayne BaileyDawayne Bailey is an American guitarist who has toured and recorded with Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band and Chicago.Bailey was born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas. While still attending Manhattan High School in Kansas, he founded the band Rathbone, which developed a strong regional fan base...
- rhythm guitar, lead guitar ("Bigger Than Elvis", "Stone of Sisyphus", "Love Is Forever"), lead & backing vocals, horn co-arrangement on "Stone of Sisyphus" - Tris ImbodenTris ImbodenTris Imboden is the current drummer with Chicago. He replaced their original drummer Danny Seraphine following his dismissal in 1990. Prior to joining Chicago, as well as during his tenure with the band, Imboden has had a career as a studio session player...
- drums, percussion, harmonica
Additional musicians
- Bruce Gaitsch - guitar
- The JordanairesThe JordanairesThe Jordanaires are an American vocal quartet, which formed as a gospel group in 1948. They are best known for providing vocal background for Elvis Presley, in live appearances and recordings from 1956 to 1972...
- backing vocals on "Bigger Than Elvis" - Sheldon ReynoldsSheldon Reynolds (guitarist)Sheldon Reynolds is a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.-Biography:At the age of 8, Reynolds picked up the guitar. In 1977, Sheldon graduated from Mount Healthy High School where he was active in the music program...
- guitar - Jerry ScheffJerry ScheffJerry Obern Scheff is an American bassist, perhaps best known for his work with Elvis Presley in the early 1970s as a member of his TCB Band and his work on The Doors' final recordings....
- bass on "Bigger Than Elvis" - Joseph Williams - backing vocals on "Let's Take A Lifetime"
- Peter WolfPeter Wolf (producer)Peter F. Wolf is a composer, producer, songwriter and arranger. He was awarded the highest honor for artists from his birth country of Austria, the Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst .- Early years :Wolf studied classical piano at Vienna’s Conservatory of Music...
- arranger, keyboard bass, keyboards
Production
- Produced by Peter Wolf
- Engineered by Peter Wolf & Paul Ericksen
- Mixed by Tom Lord-AlgeTom Lord-AlgeTom Lord-Alge is a four-time Grammy Award–winning record producer and mixer. He is the youngest of Vivian Lord's five children, Mark Lord-Alge, Lisa Lord-Alge, Chris Lord-Alge, Jeff Lord-Alge and Tom Lord-Alge...
at Encore Studios, BurbankBurbank, CaliforniaBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1993 and 1994
- Recorded at Embassy Studios in Simi ValleySimi ValleySimi Valley is a synclinal valley in Southern California in the United States. It is an enclosed or hidden valley surrounded by mountains and hills. It is connected to the San Fernando Valley to the east by the Santa Susana Pass & 118 freeway, and in the west the narrows of the Arroyo Simi and 118...
, California 1993 - The Jordanaires recorded in NashvilleNashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, TennesseeTennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in 1993
Chart positions
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. The Billboard 200 | 122 |