Christmas: What's It Gonna Be, Santa?

Performer: Chicago
Artist: Luis Conte
Engineer: Ed Thacker
Producer: Phil Ramone; Roy Bittan; Chicago (Reissue); David McLees (Reissue)
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Chicago: Bill Champlin (vocals, acoustic guitar, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, programming); Keith Howland (vocals, guitar); Lee Loughnane (vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn); Robert Lamm (vocals, piano, electric piano, Clavinet, vibraphone); Jason Scheff (vocals, keyboards, bass, programming); Walt Parazaider (flute, alto flute, alto & tenor saxophones); James Pankow (trombone, synthesizer); Tris Imboden (drums). Additional personnel includes: Luis Conte (percussion). Principally recorded at A & M, Hollywood, California; Rumbo, Canoga Park, California and Gold Mine Studios, Woodland Hills, California in 1998. Originally released on Columbia (3035). Includes liner notes by David Millman. Personnel: Bill Champlin (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, electric piano, organ, synthesizer, bass synthesizer, programming, background vocals); Keith Howland (vocals, guitar, keyboards, background vocals); Lee Loughnane (vocals, trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flugelhorn, background vocals); Robert Lamm (vocals, piano, electric piano, Clavinet, vibraphone, background vocals); Jason Scheff (vocals, keyboards, electric bass, fretless bass, programming, background vocals); Tim Pierce (guitar, acoustic guitar); Walter Parazaider (flute, alto flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Roy Bittan (accordion, piano, organ, keyboards); Larry Klimas (baritone saxophone); James Pankow (trombone, synthesizer); Johnny Durrill (synthesizer); Tris Imboden (drums); Luis Conte (percussion); George Black (programming); Carmen Twillie (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Ed Thacker. Audio Remasterer: David Donnelly. Liner Note Author: David Millman. Recording information: A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA (1998-2003); Glenwood Place Recording Studios, Burbank, CA (1998-2003); Gold Mine Studio, Woodland Hills, CA (1998-2003); Rumbo Recorders, Canoga Park, CA (1998-2003). Arrangers: Donny Hathaway; Keith Howland; James Pankow; Jason Scheff; Johnny Durrill; Lee Loughnane; Robert Lamm; Tris Imboden; Bill Champlin; Lance Morrison. The 2003 edition of Chicago's Christmas album (now subtitled WHAT'S IT GONNA BE SANTA?) includes the entirety of the band's 1998 Christmas release CHICAGO 25: CHRISTMAS, and adds no less than six newly recorded tracks. Produced by the legendary Phil Ramone (the original sessions featured E Street band keyboardist Roy Bittan at the helm), the new tracks feature more of the group's unique interpretations of holiday chestnuts. Rather than tired re-treads of the same old songs, the versions on this album generally benefit from radically reconfigured arrangements that often make the songs unrecognizable until the lyrics come in. This approach works splendidly, breathing new life and excitement into the well-worn genre of December-themed tunes. Throughout, Chicago seamlessly weaves a Yuletide tapestry of its trademark horns, vocal harmonies, and jazzy chord changes, which allows this album to rank with the group's best work.

Chicago was the longest-running and most commercially successful of the hordes of jazz-rock bands with horn sections that sprang up in the late-1960s wake of Blood, Sweat & Tears. After myriad personnel changes (including the death of founding guitarist Terry Kath due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound), Chicago eventually mutated into a more conventional pop group that was able to score hit after hit well into the '80s, usually with romantic ballads. They remain among the best-selling American bands of all time. In the mid 1990s they briefly returned to their roots with an album of big band-era standards given the Chicago treatment.

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