Friday, March 2, 2018

A Window Above: Hard to Say I'm Sorry

Song: "Hard to Say I'm Sorry"
Writers: Peter Cetera and David Foster
Band: Chicago
Original Release: May 17, 1982
Album: Chicago 16 (lead single)

1982 was an important year in my musical journey.  That was the summer I first learned about Top 40 radio, listening to DC's Q107 with my older sister.  My sister still loves to tell the story of the time that summer when I asked our mother if she thought I was old enough to listen to rock 'n' roll.  I don't remember the answer but she didn't stop me so I guess it was okay.

As a result, the songs that were popular in 1982 hold a special place in my musical heart: "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, "Don't Talk to Strangers" by Rick Springfield, "Hurts So Good" by John Cougar (born Mellencamp), "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, "Africa" by Toto and on and on.  No song pulls at those particular heartstrings quite like Chicago's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry."



The song was a major comeback hit for the band and it marked the culmination of a gradual departure from the horn-driven, jazzy sound Chicago had championed through the 1970s.  At the time, many critics had judged the band as one whose time had passed.  The transition to an electronic emphasis had been rough.  "Hard to Say I'm Sorry", which soared to #1 on the Billboard charts and camped out in the top five for twelve weeks, was their first top 50 hit in four years.  The song kicked off a new, highly lucrative era for Chicago.  The band is still active today and, thank goodness, they never gave up the horns completely.

In 1996, the R&B group Az Yet released an excellent and commercially successful cover:



The Armchair Squid began life as a tennis blog.  As such, I would be remiss if I didn't include the following, featuring (left to right) Grigor Dimitrov, Tommy Haas, Roger Federer and... a surprise guest.  There is a little bit of musical cred in this video:  that's David Foster himself at the piano.  In addition to being the song's co-writer, he's Tommy Haas's father-in-law.


18 comments:

  1. Of course, the culmination of Chicago's departure from the horn-driven jazzy sound culminated in the departure of Peter Cetera, after which Chicago made its way back to the horn-driven jazzy sound. Those of us who were fans of the band from the start rejoiced.

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    1. As this was my entry point into pop, it wasn’t until a few years later that I learned of Chicago’s earlier work. I know the purists loathe the ‘80s Cetera schlock but I think it says a great deal about the talent in the operation that the band was able to thrive in two completely different musical eras. Chicago is not the Beatles but I think they merit comparison in their capacity for change.

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  2. All the songs you mentioned remind me of my childhood. I loved listening to my radio and fell asleep to the Top 10 at 10 starting in middle school. I listened to a lot of Chicago- and this song brings back lots of memories. :)

    I have to share the last one with a friend who loves Chicago and tennis.
    ~Jess

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  3. 'Eyes of the Tiger' is still one of my all time favourite training songs!

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  4. I had (have?) Chicago 16 and 17 on vinyl.

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    1. Chicago 16 was the first tape I bought from the Columbia House Record Club.

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  5. I love the jazzy horn driven music.
    I remember when you blogged about tennis and every time I watch the Open I think of your blog.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. I like the old Chicago stuff, too.

      I miss tennis blogging sometimes. However, I enjoy exploring other interests, too.

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  6. Eye of the Tiger now makes me think of the show Supernatural. I never was much of a fan of Chicago, sorry.

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    1. I get it. Chicago, especially the aforementioned Cetera schlock, is not for everyone.

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  7. I probably listened to my Chicago 17 cassette from beginning to end at least 50 times. My age was the same as the album number, which was a perfect match for the Cetera schlock. :-) 16 was good, too, and I always was fond of that weird jazzy outro on Hard to Say I'm Sorry.

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    1. Ha! I love it, too! And at the time I thought THAT was the weird part of the song. Little did I know that in truth, that’s the real Chicago.

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