Hard Habit to Break
No surprise this song came into my head while I was journaling about breaking bad habits!
One of the things that really makes the song stand out is the co-lead vocals. You have the distinctiveness of Peter Cetera’s high tenor while Bill Champlin adds a richness with his gruffer voice. There's some gorgeous harmony between in the chorus and the counterpoint in the bridge is striking.
Chicago 17, which this song comes off of, was my gateway to Chicago. Yes, it’s David Foster as producer, who usually artistically ruins every artist he touches in the quest for radio dominance. Longtime Chicago fans and even some band members were dismayed by the prominence of the keyboards and the diminishment of the horn section. I get it. But I’m a sucker for keyboard-driven music so this album was catnip to me. And judging by the success of the album, I wasn’t the only one. Discounting greatest hits collections, it’s their best-selling.
In looking that up, it turns out that Canada has been their most successful market after the US. The things you learn. Anyway, enjoy!