"Feelin' Stronger Every Day" is a song written by Peter Cetera and James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VI (1973). The first single released from that album, it reached #10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.[1]
| "Feelin' Stronger Every Day" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Chicago | ||||
| from the album Chicago VI | ||||
| B-side | "Jenny" | |||
| Released | June 23, 1973 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 4:15 (LP version) | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Peter Cetera, James Pankow | |||
| Producer(s) | James William Guercio | |||
| Chicago singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Development
editThe song was a collaboration between bassist Peter Cetera and trombonist James Pankow. Regarding the composition, drummer Danny Seraphine said, "Peter wrote that song about his marriage falling apart. He'd gone through a real hard time and was starting to feel stronger again."[2]
Cetera himself recalled, "I can remember the exact beginnings of that one... We were at the Akron Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio, an outdoor gig that was delayed a bit because of rain, and so, we got there our normal hour and a half before the gig, and we're sitting around, and we were told we're gonna hold for at least an hour, and I heard Jimmy [Pankow] in the other room playing the actual beginning of that song... and I said, 'What is that?' and he went, 'Oh, I don't know, I'm just messing around.'... I went and got my bass, and we sat there and played around with it, and a few weeks later, after we got off the road, I went to his house, and we wrote 'Feelin' Stronger Every Day'."[3]
Pankow noted that "'Stronger Every Day' was about a relationship but yet, underlying that relationship it's almost like the band is feeling stronger than ever.”[3]
Cetera played bass and sang lead vocals,[4] while keyboardist Robert Lamm played Hohner Pianet as well as acoustic piano.[citation needed]
Reception
editCash Box said that with this song "Chicago undergoes a slight change in musical directions by straying somewhat away from the sharp horn lines that have so successfully represented their sound in the past."[5] Record World said that the "band have outdone themselves on this number produced superbly by Jim Guercio" and that the "last half of the record takes off into the ionosphere."[6]
Personnel
edit- Peter Cetera – lead vocals, bass
- Robert Lamm – keyboards, backing vocals, Hohner Pianet
- Terry Kath – guitar, backing vocals
- Danny Seraphine – drums
- James Pankow – trombone
- Lee Loughnane – trumpet
- Walter Parazaider – tenor saxophone
Chart performance
editReferences
edit- ^ "Chicago Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
- ^ Rosen, Craig (1996). The Billboard Book of Number One Albums. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 163. ISBN 0-8230-7586-9.
- ^ a b Ruhlmann, William James (1991). Chicago Group Portrait (Box Set) (CD booklet archived online) (Media notes). New York City, NY: Columbia Records. p. 6. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ Chicago Group Portrait (Box Set) (Media notes). New York City, NY: Columbia Records. 1991. Archived from the original (CD booklet archived online) on December 29, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ "Cash Box Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 9, 1973. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. June 9, 1973. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
- ^ "Top 100 1973-08-25". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 2012-10-01. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
- ^ Canada, Library and Archives (December 26, 2017). "Image : RPM Weekly".
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1973/Top 100 Songs of 1973". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
- ^ "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1973". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
