Beginnings (song)
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| “Beginnings” | |||||
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| Single by Chicago from the album The Chicago Transit Authority |
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| B-side | "Poem 58" (original 1969 release) "Colour My World" (1971 re-release) |
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| Released | October 1969, June 1971 |
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| Format | 7" | ||||
| Recorded | January 27/30, 1969 | ||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||
| Length | 7:54 (album version) 2:47 (single version) 6:06 (compilation edit) |
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| Label | Columbia Records | ||||
| Writer(s) | Robert Lamm | ||||
| Producer | James William Guercio | ||||
| Chicago singles chronology | |||||
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| Lowdown (1971) |
Beginnings / Colour My World (1971) |
Questions 67 and 68 / I'm A Man (1971) |
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"Beginnings" is a song written by Robert Lamm for the rock band Chicago and recorded for their debut album The Chicago Transit Authority (1969). Lamm also provided lead vocals. The song was the band's second single but failed to chart on its initial release.
After the band's success with subsequent singles, "Beginnings" was re-released in June 1971, backed with "Colour My World". Both sides became U.S. radio hits, and the combined single climbed to #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. "Beginnings" also reached #1 on the U.S. Adult contemporary chart.
The distinctive rhythm guitar was originally played by Chicago's guitarist Terry Kath. In concert, Lamm has played guitar for the song, though he is the group's keyboard player.
The uncut album version clocked in at 7:54. The original single version was drastically cut to just under three minutes, leaving only a fraction of the climactic second half, and thereby losing much of the song's artistic integrity. A later edit of just over six minutes for subsequent compilation albums restores much of the second half, but it is still far from the original version.
This song is notorious for extended versions amongst high school and college marching bands, who claim that the song is not over until every single drummer has had a solo.
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