"Old Days" is a song written by James Pankow for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VIII (1975). It was the second single released from that album, with lead vocals by Peter Cetera.Chicago VIII liner notes.
Background Pankow has said that the song is a nostalgic piece about his childhood: "It touches on key phrases that, although they date me, are pretty right-on in terms of images of my childhood. The Howdy Doody Show on television and collecting baseball cards and comic books."
Pankow told group biographer James William Ruhlmann that the group stopped performing the song live because Cetera refused to sing it, calling the lyrics "corny".
Cash Box praised the "great horn work," "Danny Seraphine's fine drum parts," and Terry Kath's "great guitar licks." Record World said that Chicago's "wall-to-wall sound returns, this time abetted by Pat Williams strings, on a side that's destined to be this year's 'Saturday in the Park.'"
Chart performance "Old Days" reached #5 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #3 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary, and #6 on the US Cash Box Top 100.
Weekly charts Chart (1975)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)80Canada RPM Top Singles6Canada RPM Adult Contemporary6New Zealand22US Billboard Hot 1005US Billboard Adult Contemporary3US Cash Box Top 1006
Year-end charts Chart (1975)RankCanada 74U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual) 107
Personnel Peter Cetera - lead vocals, bass Robert Lamm - piano, Hammond organ, harpsichord, backing vocals Terry Kath - fuzzed wah-wah electric guitars, backing vocals Danny Seraphine - drums Laudir de Oliveira - percussion James Pankow - trombone, backing vocals Lee Loughnane - trumpet Walter Parazaider - tenor saxophone Additional Personnel Patrick Williams - string orchestrations
Use in media
"Old Days" is featured on the soundtrack of the movie Starsky & Hutch (2004).
References