The Band Was Called Chicago Transit Authority. Then the Actual CTA Sent a Letter.
They formed in Chicago in 1967 as the Big Thing — a rock band with a full brass section, which was not common. Terry Kath on guitar, Peter Cetera on bass, Robert Lamm on keyboards, and three horn players: Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, Walt Parazaider. They relocated to Los Angeles, signed with Columbia, and in April 1969 released a self-titled debut double album as Chicago Transit Authority.
The actual Chicago Transit Authority, the public agency that runs the city's trains and buses, objected to the name and threatened legal action. The band shortened it to Chicago for their second album in 1970. The original name lasted one record.
That one record is the one worth knowing. It included "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" and "25 or 6 to 4" — the second title being a literal description of the time of night (25 or 26 minutes before 4 AM) when Robert Lamm was sitting up trying to write. It also included "Prologue, August 29, 1968," a piece about the Democratic National Convention riots that happened blocks from where some of them grew up. The band that made this album was politically engaged and musically ambitious in a way that the later, softer Chicago was not.
Jimi Hendrix said Terry Kath was a better guitarist than he was. Kath died on January 23, 1978, in an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 31. Most people who know Chicago from the radio don't know his name.
This tee is for the first album, the original name, and the version of the band that existed before the letter arrived.
Premium Quality
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Bella + Canvas 3001 — Premium unisex tee, true to size
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Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton — Exceptionally soft from the first wear
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Classic unisex fit — Relaxed, versatile, works for everyone
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Available in Vintage Black, Cardinal, and Navy — Sizes XS–4XL
Made to Order
For environmental and quality reasons, this tee is made specifically for you after you order. Please allow approximately one week for production. Tracking information will be sent as soon as it ships.
