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Street Player

Page 26

by Danny Seraphine


  To Rose and Teddy, thank you for your love, tenderness and devotion to me in our years together. Just know that I loved you, no matter what my actions said. I’m still working on that husband thing but can’t seem to master it.

  To my bandmates in California Transit Authority—Peter Fish, Marc Bonilla, Ed Roth, Mick Mahan, Larry Braggs, Eric Redd, and Walter Rodriguez—for being my new musical soul mates and following me on this sometimes perilous journey that we now call the new music business. You’ve all enriched my life more than you will ever know.

  To my former Chicago bandmates: Walt Parazaider, Peter Cetera, Jimmy Pankow, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, Bill Champlin, and Jason Scheff. Thanks for the ride of a lifetime—though it was a bit bumpy toward the end—and the amazing legacy of music we created together. I hope someday we can put all that silliness behind us and once again share some laughter, friendship, and, who knows, maybe even some music.

  Very special thanks to Pete Schivarelli for being such a good godfather to my son and educating me on the ways of the street; to James William Guercio for showing us the way and how to always treat our music; to Howard Kaufman for continuing what James started and passing on your amazing business skills; to Larry Fitzgerald for being the voice of reason in a sometimes insane world; to David “Hawk” Wolinski for being such a generous friend and creative songwriting partner; to Irving Azoff for always taking my calls and being the best in the business; to Coleman Gibson, Bill Cosby, Gavin Christopher, and Grady Tate for teaching me to be color-blind. Also special thanks to Jeff Munger, Howard Asher, and George Jones. To all my Evergreen friends, you know who you are: I can’t thank you enough for embracing me and my family. You were there during some of our toughest times and not only helped us forge a new life but also inspired us to become better human beings.

  To all my friends: Jennifer Mesa, Pete Hayes, Bob Weise, Jerry Vaccarino, Rick Cooper, Mike Unger, Brian Stratton, and John DeChristopher. To my baseball buddies: Tony and Elaine La Russa and Phil and Carol Garner. To my friends at Zildjian, Eric Smith and Auralex Acoustics, Remo Belli, Matt Connors, Steve Smith, and Gregg Bissonette for helping me back into the saddle. To Gwen Riley for helping me keep it together, Scott Prisand (the Hebrew Hammer) for introducing me to Broadway, the Lonely Street Crew—Jay Mohr, John Gerit, and James Brown (the King)—for helping keep Elvis’s memory alive in a positive uplifting movie, and Bruce Lundvall and Phil Ramone for being the classiest men in the record business.

  To Wiley: Thanks to my wonderful editors Tom Miller and Dan Crissman for their hard work and dedication to this project.

  Credits

  Photos

  Pages 89, 90, 91, 92 (bottom left), 93, 94 (top), 95, 96, 98, 102 (top), 218 (bottom), 219, 220, 221 (top), 223 (bottom), 224 (bottom), 225 (top), 227, 228, 229 from Danny Seraphine’s personal collection; page 92 (top) Maurice Seymour; page 92 (bottom right) Colin Underhill; page 94 (bottom) © Ron Werntz 1971 reproduced with permission; pages 97, 222, 223 (top) Patty Buscemi Molloy; pages 99 (top), 221 (bottom), 224 (top) courtesy of Martin Derek; pages 99 (bottom) and 100 (top) Peter Duke © 2010 all rights reserved; pages 100 (bottom), 101, 102 (bottom), 103, 104, 217, 218 (top) courtesy of James William Guercio/Caribou Ranch; pages 225 (bottom) and 226 Teddy Newton Seraphine; page 230 Tim Ellis.

  Lyrics

  TAKE ME BACK TO CHICAGO Written by David Wolinski and Danny Seraphine. Copyright © 1977 BIG ELK MUSIC, HAWKNASH, SPIRIT CATALOG HOLDINGS, S.À.R.L. All Rights for Big Elk Music and Hawknash Controlled and Administered by Spirit Two Music, Inc. (ASCAP). All Rights for Spirit Catalogue Holdings, S.à.r.l. Controlled and Administered by Spirit Two Music, Inc. (ASCAP) in the United States, Canada, UK and Eire. All Rights for Spirit Catalogue Holdings, S.à.r.l Controlled and Administered by Spirit Services Holdings S.à.r.l for the World excluding the United States, Canada, UK and Eire. International Copyright Secured. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved.

  LITTLE ONE Written by David Wolinski and Danny Seraphine. Copyright © 1977 BIG ELK MUSIC, HAWKNASH, SPIRIT CATALOG HOLDINGS, S.À.R.L. All Rights for Big Elk Music and Hawknash Controlled and Administered by Spirit Two Music, Inc. (ASCAP). All Rights for Spirit Catalogue Holdings, S.à.r.l. Controlled and Administered by Spirit Two Music, Inc. (ASCAP) in the United States, Canada, UK and Eire. All Rights for Spirit Catalogue Holdings, S.à.r.l Controlled and Administered by Spirit Services Holdings S.à.r.l for the World excluding the United States, Canada, UK and Eire. International Copyright Secured. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved.

  GREATEST LOVE ON EARTH Written by David Wolinski and Danny Seraphine. Copyright © 1979 BIG ELK MUSIC, HAWKNASH, SPIRIT CATALOG HOLDINGS, S.À.R.L. All Rights for Big Elk Music and Hawknash Controlled and Administered by Spirit Two Music, Inc. (ASCAP). All Rights for Spirit Catalogue Holdings, S.à.r.l. Controlled and Administered by Spirit Two Music, Inc. (ASCAP) in the United States, Canada, UK and Eire. All Rights for Spirit Catalogue Holdings, S.à.r.l Controlled and Administered by Spirit Services Holdings S.à.r.l for the World excluding the United States, Canada, UK and Eire. International Copyright Secured. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved.

  STREET PLAYER Written by David Wolinski and Danny Seraphine. Copyright © 1979 BIG ELK MUSIC, HAWKNASH, SPIRIT CATALOG HOLDINGS, S.À.R.L. All Rights for Big Elk Music and Hawknash Controlled and Administered by Spirit Two Music, Inc. (ASCAP). All Rights for Spirit Catalogue Holdings, S.à.r.l. Controlled and Administered by Spirit Two Music, Inc. (ASCAP) in the United States, Canada, UK and Eire. All Rights for Spirit Catalogue Holdings, S.à.r.l Controlled and Administered by Spirit Services Holdings S.à.r.l for the World excluding the United States, Canada, UK and Eire. International Copyright Secured. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved.

  Index

  NOTE: Page numbers in italics refer to photos.

  Adler, Lou

  “Aire”

  Alexenburg, Ron

  “Alive Again” (Pankow)

  “Along Comes a Woman”

  American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)

  “Another Rainy Day in New York City” (Lamm)

  Appice, Carmine

  Aragon Ballroom

  “Are Mafia Mobsters Acquiring a Taste for the Sound of Rock?” (Wall Street Journal)

  Arvonio, Angelo

  Arvonio, Ashley

  Asher, Dick

  Atlantic City Pop Festival

  Attic

  Azoff, Irving

  “Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon” (Pankow)

  Barnaby’s

  Basie, William “Count”

  Beach Boys

  Bee Gees

  “Beginnings” (Lamm)

  Bell Park (gang)

  Berry, Chuck

  B.Ginnings

  Big Brother and the Holding Company

  Big Thing

  formation of

  Hollywood move by

  Billboard

  Birch, Bob

  “Birthday Boy” (Seraphine)

  Bissonette, Gregg

  Black, Jimmy Carl

  Black Pearl

  Blood, Sweat and Tears

  “Bomb, The!” (Bucketheads)

  Bombay Dreams (Webber)

  Bonham, John

  Bonilla, Marc

  Bracamontes, John

  Bracamontes, Rick

  Bradshaw, Beverly

  Bradshaw, Kit

  Braggs, Larry

  Braumbauch, Steve

  Brooklyn

  Brown, James

  Bucketheads

  Buckinghams

  California Transit Authority

  “Call on Me” (Chicago)

  Camelia (Kath’s girlfriend)

  Caribou Ranch

  Carnegie Hall

  Cavalcade of Stars

  CBS America

  CBS Records. See also Columbia Records

  CBS Studios

  CBS (television network)

  Cetera, Janice

  Cetera, Peter

  Big Thing joined by<
br />
  Chicago 19 (Chicago) and

  on Chicago departure

  Dacus firing and

  in Exceptions

  jaw injury of

  Kath and

  lifestyle of, on the road

  marriage to Janice

  move to Hollywood by

  Seraphine reunion with

  solo career of

  songwriting by

  vocals by

  Chambers Brothers

  Champlin, Bill

  Charles, Bobby. See also Lamm, Robert “Bobby”

  Cheap Trick

  Cheetah

  Chicago

  Cetera’s departure and

  Champlin and

  Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) name change to

  Columbia Records contract

  Dacus and

  disco and

  drug use by band members (See individual names of band members)

  early international tours of

  finances of

  firing of Seraphine

  Grammy Awards and

  image of

  joined by Scheff

  Kath’s death and

  Pinnick and

  record sales of

  Seraphine’s lawsuit against

  songwriting for

  on tour with Beach Boys

  travel by

  See also Chicago Transit Authority (CTA); individual names of albums; individual names of members; individual names of songs

  Chicago II (Chicago)

  Chicago III (Chicago)

  Chicago IV (Chicago)

  Chicago V (Chicago)

  Chicago VI (Chicago)

  Chicago VII (Chicago)

  Chicago X (Chicago)

  Chicago XI (Chicago)

  Chicago 13 (Chicago)

  Chicago XIV (Chicago)

  Chicago 16 (Chicago)

  Chicago 17 (Chicago)

  Chicago 18 (Chicago)

  Chicago 19 (Chicago)

  Chicago (city)

  band’s performances in

  keys to the city

  Chicago in the Rockies (CBS)

  Chicago’s Greatest Hits Volume II (Chicago XV) (Chicago)

  Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)

  Chicago Transit Authority

  Columbia Records contract

  early shows of

  Hollywood house of

  name change

  naming of

  See also Big Thing

  Christie, Lou

  Clapton, Eric

  Clark, Dick

  cocaine

  “Colour My World” (Pankow)

  Colucci, Denny

  Columbia Records

  Chicago contract with

  Chicago XIV as last album with

  Dacus firing and

  See also individual names of songs and albums

  Colomby, Bobby

  Conti, Bill

  Cooper, Jay

  Cosby, Bill

  Criteria Studios

  Curb, Mike

  Dacus, Donnie

  Dance Track of the Year Award (ASCAP)

  Davis, Clive

  DeCarlo, Al

  De Francisco, Joe

  Demon Dogs

  Denton, Bill

  de Oliveira, Laudir

  DePaul University

  Derek, Marty

  “Devil’s Sweet”

  “Dialogue (Part I & II)” (Lamm)

  Dick Clark Productions

  “Disco Sucks”

  “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” (Lamm)

  Donny (keyboard technician)

  Doobie Brothers

  Dowd, Tom

  Duca, Rosario

  Duke Ellington . . . We Love You Madly (CBS)

  Duryea, Dick

  Elsie (Seraphine’s teenage girlfriend)

  Endless Summer (Beach Boys)

  English, Chuckie

  Epic Records

  Evans, John

  Exceptions

  fans

  groupies

  international audiences and

  FBI

  “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” 133, 136

  Fillmore West (San Francisco)

  Fish, Peter

  Fitzgerald, Larry

  Flores, Chuck

  Ford, Jimmy

  Foster, David

  Four Seasons

  Foxx, Redd

  Franklin Park (gang)

  Freak Out! (Zappa)

  Full Circle (California Transit Authority)

  Full Moon Records

  Garibaldi, David

  Giancana, Sam

  Gibb, Barry

  Gibb, Maurice

  “Glory of Love” (Cetera)

  Gorski, Ken

  Goudie, Jack

  Graham, Bill

  Granite, Arny

  “Greatest Love on Earth, The” (Seraphine, Wolinski)

  Grebb, Marty

  Greene, Marc

  Greetings from Asbury Park N.J.(Springsteen)

  Guercio, Jim, Sr.

  Guercio, Jimmy

  Beach Boys and

  Big Thing and

  Blood, Sweat and Tears and

  Caribou Ranch and

  Chicago-Columbia contract and

  Chicago II recording and

  Chicago Transit Authority and

  Guercio, Lucy

  “Happy Man” (Chicago)

  “Hard Habit to Break”

  “Hard to Say I’m Sorry”

  Hendrix, Jimi

  Hot Streets (Chicago)

  naming of

  recording of

  release of

  House of Igor

  “I Don’t Want to Live Without Your Love” (Warren)

  “If You Leave Me Now” (Cetera)

  Illinois Speed Press

  “Introduction” (Chicago Transit Authority)

  IRS

  Isle of Wight Festival (1970)

  “It Better End Soon” (Lamm)

  J., Jimmy

  Jam Productions

  Jans, Tom

  Jardine, Al

  Jerry-Kelly Band

  Jimmy Ford and the Executives

  “Johnny B. Goode” (Berry)

  Jones, Jo

  Jones, Quincy

  Joplin, Janis

  JPs (gang)

  “Just You ’N’ Me”

  Kalb, Dwight

  Kath, Michelle

  Kath, Pam

  Kath, Terry

  in Big Thing

  British press publicity and

  Cetera and

  daughter of

  death of

  drug use by

  guitar playing by

  guns of

  Hendrix and

  in Jimmy Ford and the Executives

  marriage to Pam

  in Missing Links

  move to Hollywood by

  Pignose Amplifiers owned by

  songwriting by

  Kaufman, Howard

  Azoff and

  Goudie and

  Schivarelli and

  on Seraphine’s business investments

  Seraphine’s firing and

  Kaufman, Lester

  Keane, John

  Khan, Chaka

  “Kind of a Drag” (Buckinghams)

  Kleinberg, Ken

  Lamm, Karen

  Lamm, Robert “Bobby”

  “Beginnings”

  in Big Thing

  drug use by

  Goudie and

  homes of

  lifestyle of, on the road

  marriage to Karen

  move to Hollywood by

  Seraphine’s firing and

  songwriting by (See also individual names of songs)

  vocals by

  Zazou owned by

  See also individual names of songs

  Led Zeppelin

  Lee, Albert

  Leonard, Pat

  Leonetti, Jimmy

  “Lightnin’ Strikes” (Christie) />
  Little Anthony and the Imperials

  Little Artie and the Pharaohs

  “Little One” (Seraphine, Wolinski)

  Lombardi, Don

  Lombardo, Joey

  “Look Away” (Warren)

  Loughnane, Lee

  backup vocals for Bee Gees by

  in Big Thing

  Goudie and

  health issues of

  move to Hollywood by

  Seraphine’s firing and

  Love

  “Love Me Tomorrow”

  “Lowdown” (Cetera, Seraphine)

  LSD

  Luccketta, Troy

  Lukather, Steve

  Lundvall, Bruce

  Madden, “Buffalo” Bob

  Madden, Chuck

  Madura

  Maglieri, Mario

  Mahan, Mick

  “Make Me Smile” (Pankow)

  Mann, Bart

  MCs (gang)

  Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch (CBS)

  Mellow Mel

  Mickelson, Jerry

  Missing Links

  Mitchell, Mitch

  Mob

  Modern Drummer Festival (2006)

  Money Tree

  “Mongonucleosis” (Chicago)

  Moore, Sister

  Mothers of Invention

  “Motorboat to Mars”

  Murphy, Mike

  Near Loop (brothel)

  Nevison, Ron

  Nicholson, Jack

  “Old Days” (Chicago)

  “Once or Twice” (Kath)

  On the Rocks

  Oscar Brown Junior and Friends

  Ostin, Mo

  “Outfit” (Mafia of Chicago)

  Padula, Tom

  Page, Freddy

  Page, Richard

  Paich, David

  Pankow, Jimmy

  in Big Thing

  Joplin and

  move to Hollywood by

  on release of singles

  Seraphine’s firing and

  songwriting by (See also individual names of songs)

  Wall Street Journal story and

  See also individual names of songs

  “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” (Brown)

  Parazaider, Jackie

  Parazaider, Ruth (mother)

  Parazaider, Walt

  backup vocals for Bee Gees by

  in Big Thing

 

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