Peter Cetera (Chicago)- Last Interview, Going Solo (1985) 

I always wished Chicago could have worked it out and Peter would have stayed. You can never replace the voice of Peter Cetera.

Great interview straight questions, answers...both amazingly talented men

Adoro este dúo, gracias por subirlo

Peter is the only guy that can sing like that without hardly opening his mouth.

Peter tried hard after Terry died to keep the family together. But it just did not work without Terry. Terry was the voice of reason and what kept everyone grounded.

Love them both

And the trivia question at the end, the movie that starred 4 Chicago band members was a 1973 movie entitled Electra Glide in Blue produced by their record producer, James William Guercio. It was a fine film.

Thanks CK.... I remember seeing this decades ago and thinking how sad it was but maybe it would spur the band into more of a hard rock vein.... could not have been more wrong about that....

Terry kath was the best guitar player I have heard...i believe Peter cetara should be getting more respect than he has gotten from his band mates. he brought the band out of the slums. Terry would have been happy with Peter cetara taking the lead. I love every single song PC sings

Wow!!!!!!! Lot of sour grapes here for 2 tremendously talented musicians!!!

He knew he was walking away. He was just trying to soften the blow. Ironic Foster didn't produce his next album but co-wrote his first #1 solo hit.

David Foster The Hit Maker and Peter Cetera made great music together.

To the Chicago "fans" that say the band was dead after Peter left... The band would've been dropped by Columbia records after the first few albums if not largely for the songs of Robert Lamm, and other members of the band stated that... They said he carried the band on his back early on with "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?", "Beginnings", "25 or 6 to 4", "Saturday in the Park"... They were all written by the great Robert Lamm. Sure, they were "rejuvenated" in the 80's with Foster & Peters tunes, but this band would've never commercially ever existed without Robert Lamm. He's probably the most essential member of the band for that fact alone.

Peter knew he was leaving Chicago by this point.

Peter comes off like a real tool here!

Foster is an arrogant ego maniac but he certainly has backed it up. He's a genius.

I just make music that I like ....What it's all about...Great Great music ...Legend.

Clearly, at the time of this interview at least, Peter was still anticipating a future with Chicago. He expressed that he wanted to record another solo album and dabble into acting before recording Chicago 18 probably later that fall (i.e., of 1985). That's what he was hoping to do all along, much like Phil Collins/Genesis, but we all know what Chicago's management and Warner Bros. (the record company) did to those hopes. Chicago was never the same after Peter left, and Peter's solo career paled in comparison to his brilliant work with Chicago. In short, both sides were worse off because of the split.

A real mutual admiration society.

David Foster is SO arrogant in the Chicago documentary,”Now More Than Ever.”

Chicago promised Cetera time off after the 17 Tour to work on his solo album. Then they told him, "Nope, back in the studio for 18, then out on the road again to promote it". Then they sent a messenger over with a contract and a "Sign it or Else" letter. He took "or else", and I do not blame him for a second.

Lol “you’re the perspiration”!!! That had to be a joke, right?

This was big news, I remember in 1985. I remember Chicago was having a hard time finding a replacement. They were talking about Richard Page from Mr. Mister on the short list, but Richard didn't want to leave Mr. Mister. Jason Scheff ended up getting the gig, and did all right. He sang well, played bass and even wrote many songs for the band. He helped Chicago keep it rolling for another 4,5 yrs before Chicago ended their chart run.

You're the Persperation, hah! Yeah, very awkward interview. Holy cow.

It seems like yesterdat I was watching the original broadcase of this show in July, 1985. Terry had prefaced it by saying that in the two weeks between the show being taped and aired, Peter announced he was leaving the band. As a huge fan of the band, I was shocked by this news as I watched this show.

Terry David Mulligan is the guy doing the interview. Best known in Canada for hosting Zig Zag in the 70s-80s, and for being a Much Music VJ. He was also in the the movie, Look Who's Talking Too!

The trivia question is in what movie did the members of the band play a role? The answer is Electra Glide in Blue, for a brief scene.

Our rubs lol

Peter Cetera is handsomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !

Substance in musing was his reason for retiring. His children were why he remained.

If you're a singer, go solo. A band is not the place for a great singer/songwriter. Solo artists ARE the boss, and that's the way it should be!

Before I started listening to earlier Chicago music and watching many videos for the last six months, I thought Peter Cetera was Chicago (the early-mid 80s ballads PC did w/Foster writing did indeed keep Chicago relevant and Chicago members admit as much in the 2016 documentary). I loved Lamm's songs Beginnings, 25 or 6 to 4, and Saturday In The Park and Kath was an amazing guitarist and vocalist. Chicago didn't want Peter doing solo albums and Peter also didn't want to travel so much so he decided to leave in late 1985/1986 (or he got kicked out, doesn't really matter). Peter said he was given an ultimatum and decided to leave (from the Manouse InnerVIEWS interview @ 14:04 in the video). The animosity these guys have for each other is sad and unfortunate. In the 2016 documentary, Parazaider (who I recently heard was diagnosed with Alzheimer's) said PC didn't like the horns. PC says in the Manouse interview that Kath and Lamm both wanted out of the band before he he did. Wish PC would have gone to the HOF induction or interviewed on the most recent documentary vocalist/piano Lou Pardini's brother made, which PC called a "mocumentary." but it was expected. Also in this documentary, former band member Bill Champlin declined interview and was quoted/summarizing, "My mother said if you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all." In other Champlin interviews, you can get that feeling he had towards Chicago.

What an awkward interview.

Were they registered at Macy's?

BTW..... Its called 'easy listening' for a reason. It is easy to listen to. It takes little if any imagination to listen. Its not like Eric Dolphy or John Coltrane. Its not even like Chicago lll.

the problem that plagues many creative people…. differences of opinion

With Terry Kath and Peter Cetera gone Chicago is no longer relevant to me

... well... everybody needs a holiday... far away... from each other.

You're the Perspiration. Lol 😆 Hey Weird Al you out there? What do you think?

He went Solo, So low you barely heard from him again apart from that Karate Kid theme song Glory of Love, A real stinker imo, He probably made the right decision, Chicago do alot of touring which would suck after a while.

Where did the acting go?

A few good songs came off those albums. But if I want to listen to Chicago ballads I would rather hear colour my world, wish you were here, if you leave me now, etc any day over “you’re the inspiration”. Also a lot of crap songs on those two albums.

Chicago after Terry Kath became middle-of-the-road, adult contemporary, elevator music.

Translated, options are revealed after the first recording. Chicago was deemed, a one hit wonder, not a hit on the first take.....Cetera was the committer.

You're the PERSPERATION..

Think cetera and foster are special friends.😂

To all YOU people saying cetera has a ego no foster has ,also in the documentary film on Kath it said he was doing a solo album ,why then is it ok for him and not for cetera he still wanted to be with them read up

Whats the Answer to that Trivia Question

Odd interview. Robert Lamm should have been there. Would have been interesting then

This interview gives you a glimpse into the giant egos of Cetera and Foster. Easy to see why the band broke up. I can't imagine dealing with these two for any length of time.

Great artists make for terrible interviews.

Peter showed his acting skills during this interview! Too bad he left one of the greatest rock bands of all time! His solo career paled in comparison.

So PC is talking about a future Chicago album that he knows he won't be a part of.

Honestly I’m glad Peter Cetera left, Chicago not rightfully giving him the credit he deserved. Peter should’ve went Solo since 1969, loved his solo albums! 😌☺️💜

Great talent but Cetera wo Chicago would be a nobody today.

The fact of the matter is that he carried the band Chicago all through the 70s. Hit after hit is the evidence

I really do not think he had that great of a solo career.....I am surprised though that the FAKE Rock and Roll Hall of Fame kept out Chicago for as long as they did. Example...Cheap Trick had like 3 songs in the Top 40, Chicago had about 60 songs, yet Cheap Trick got in way ahead of them......Chicago had more hits than almost anyone except the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. Cetera and Chicago seem to be egomaniacs without a reasonable person to steer them in the right direction. Maybe that was the late Terry Kath. Bono keeps people in line and the great leaders of a group do that. I don't think Chicago had anyone like that. At least they never were cut-throats and dysfunctional like CCR. Example two...Isaac Hays had one hit and was in the RR Hall of Fame about 10 years before Chicago. Like Johnny Rivers and Boston, Chicago's greatness was taken for granted. None of these solo guys ever do that well alone.

Very coked up. Yes?

How many gay references can they include in one interview?

Their both odd balls.love cetera,s voice,but he,s always been creepy since the late 60,s.watch his mannerisms you,ll see he,s always been a different bird.

Wow. Is it just me or is this one of the gayest interviews EVER?

Does Anybody Know What Time It Is? Saturday in the Park. compare that to bubble gum Cetera lives. no comparison. Foster is an arrogant SOB. he has one sound. also a womanizer

hey chicago kid,,dont know if u know this,,but cetera got an ego toward the end of his days with the band,,and david foster was a big influence in it. david foster was rather 2 faced,,he wanted to manage bolth chicago and cetera. i just seen a mini documentary on all this. Dacus was fired, and was replaced with other guitarists. then chris pinnick came along,,with lyricist/singer/songwriter bill chapman,,who penned most of the hits on "17". danny seraphine tried to take over as a manager of the band,,to witch he was IMMEDIATELY kicked out of the band for. then they hired Jason Cheff to replace cetera. they endured alot of termoil from 1983-1988. then they released 18,,to witch the record company flipped out,,calling it junk,,lousy,,and the band thought highly of it. these guys went thru hell,,but came out in heaven. but to me,,without Kath and Cetera,,the soul of the band has died off.

I’ve never understood Cetera’s ego, really. He acted like he was Chicago when, in fact, if Foster hadn’t come in, Cetera’s songs still would have sucked as badly as those on 13 and 14. James Pankow, Robert Lamm, and Terry Kath spent a decade writing the bulk of their hits.

Terry Kath was the voice of Chicago and the most talented of all the other musicians. Peter Cetera and David Foster screwed Chicago over. Chicago kicked Cetera out. He became bubble gum music.

Hate David Foster. Dislike Peter Cetera.

Foster convinced Cetera to leave Chicago, which was probably for the better, as Cetera's ego was now so big, it had no room for any of the other members!.Cetera had a little success as a solo artist, but nowhere near as he did with Chicago!