CHICAGO PUSHES SISYPHUS OVER THE TOP
"Lost" Chicago Studio Album Finally To See Release
June 17 From Rhino Records
LOS ANGELES -- In his book, The Greatest Music Never Sold, author Dan
Leroy writes about the Stone Of Sisyphus, the great lost Chicago album.
Recorded in 1993 and produced by Peter Wolf, Sisyphus became a cult record
immediately after Warner Bros. refused to release it because it wasn't the
Chicago record that was expected. Knowing what they had created and not
willing to compromise, the band left Warner Bros. and took the album with
them.
Now, 15 years later, on June 17, this 11-song album with four bonus tracks
will finally be available from Rhino Records at all physical and digital
outlets, including www.rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $18.98 for
CD and $9.99 for download.
Powered by Chicago's celebrated horn section, the tracks on SISYPHUS have
bite, power and swing, and the "fire in the belly" that one associates
usually with debut albums. The songs touch on a wide range of styles and
moods, including the energetic horn-driven title track, "Stone Of
Sisyphus," the cool funk groove of "Mah-Jong," the anti-corporate rock
broadside "Plaid," the touching emotional lyrics of "The Pull" and Robert
Lamm's rap on "Sleeping In The Middle Of The Bed." "Bigger Than Elvis"
features contributions from musicians who worked with "The King" himself,
including The Jordinaires and Jerry Scheff (father of Chicago bassist Jason
Scheff).
"We wrote songs that were more experimental, songs that were more daring in
terms of musical direction and chord construction, more than anything,"
remembers James Pankow, whose innovative horn charts had been an integral
part of Chicago's distinctive sound from the start. "We got into really
feeling our oats in terms of being the voice of Chicago again. It had been
a long time since we had made a record like that."
Looking back, the band members wish they had found a way to release
SISYPHUS sooner, but there is intense pride in having stood up for their
creative integrity -- a Chicago trademark. While Sisyphus became an
underground classic, widely bootlegged by fans, Chicago continued to defy
music business conventions by forming their own record company, and
recording hugely successful big band and holiday records before it was the
fashion.
To date, Chicago's remarkable achievements include a Grammy" Award, record
sales that exceed 100,000,000, including 21 Top 10 singles, five
consecutive 1 albums, five 1 singles, 13 platinum albums and five gold
singles. An incredible 25 of their 30 albums have been certified platinum,
and Chicago is the first American band to chart Top 40 albums in five
decades.
CHICAGO: STONE OF SISYPHUS (XXXII)
Track Listing
1. "Stone Of Sisyphus"
2. "Bigger Than Elvis"
3. "All The Years"
4. "Mah-Jong"
5. "Sleeping In The Middle Of The Bed"
6. "Let's Take A Lifetime"
7. "The Pull"
8. "Here With Me (A Candle For The Dark)"
9. "Plaid"
10. "Cry For The Lost"
11. "The Show Must Go On"
Bonus Tracks
12. Love Is Forever (Demo)
13. Mah-Jong (Demo)
14. Let's Take A Lifetime (Demo)
15. Stone Of Sisyphus (No Rhythm Loop)