Questions 67 and 68

"Questions 67 and 68" is a 1969 song written by Robert Lamm for the rock band Chicago (then known as Chicago Transit Authority) and recorded for their debut album Chicago Transit Authority. It was their first single release. Peter Cetera is the primary lead singer with Lamm also on vocals. In 2015, Dave Swanson, writing for Ultimate Classic Rock, listed the song as ninth in a list of top ten Chicago songs.[1] Writing for Rock Cellar magazine, Frank Mastropolo rated the song as number 11 in a list of "Top 11 Question Songs".[2]

"Questions 67 and 68"
Single by Chicago
from the album Chicago Transit Authority
B-side
ReleasedJuly 1969,
September 1971
RecordedJanuary 27/30, 1969
GenreJazz fusion
Length5:03 (Album version)
4:48 (1969 single version)
3:26 (1971 Single edit)
4:52 (Only the Beginning edit)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Robert Lamm
Producer(s)James William Guercio
Chicago singles chronology
"Questions 67 and 68"
(1969)		 "Beginnings"
(1969)
"Beginnings"
(1971)
""Questions 67 and 68" /
"I'm a Man""
(1971)
"Saturday in the Park"
(1972)

Lyrics and music

The questions in "Questions 67 and 68" relate to the nature of a romantic relationship Lamm had during 1967 and 1968.[3] In 2008, Lamm said, " 'It’s about a girl I knew during those years with a hint of acid imagery and very Beatles influenced.' "[4] The lyrics include the title phrase only as the last words.

With respect to the horn arrangement, James Pankow said in a 2000 Goldmine article, " 'In the old days, however, I used to write horns very harmonically. 'Questions 67 & 68' is probably a very good example of how I used to approach horns. I had no rests. We played from the first bar of the song, which is not very musical anymore. We got away with that then, I guess. Guercio [Chicago's producer then] used to triple, quite often. He'd have three sections, and the one in the middle was me playing pedals, that's why it sounded like Count Basie. It sounded like a big band.' "[5]

Billboard described the single as "a soulful, driving rhythm ballad with big band in strong support," and as a "potent chart item."[6]

Chart performance

Released in July 1969, the song was released as a mono single version with a slightly altered vocal mix. This peaked at No. 71 on the US Billboard Hot 100[7][8] and No. 82 on the Cash Box Top 100.[9] After the band's success with subsequent singles, "Questions 67 and 68" was edited to a more radio-friendly length and was re-released in September 1971,[8] with "I'm a Man" as the B-side. The edited single climbed to No. 24 on Billboard[10][8] and No. 13 on Cash Box.[11]

Weekly charts
Chart (1969) Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles 54
France (IFOP)[12] 79
US Billboard Hot 100[7][8] 71
US Cash Box Top 100 [9] 82
Chart (1971) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[10][8] 24
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 34
US Cash Box Top 100[13] 13

Japanese release

Cetera and Lamm recorded Japanese-language vocals for the song in 1971, and the version of the song with those vocals was released as a single in Japan. Columbia Records released the song only as a radio-only promotional 45 rpm single, with the English version on the other side.[14] This recording was released digitally in 1998 on the Japan-only compilation CD The Heart Of Chicago 1967-1971 Volume II Special Edition (green cover), which also contains "Lowdown" sung in Japanese. The group performed the song live with the Japanese lyrics during tours of Japan in 1972, documented on the Live In Japan album, and again in 1995.[15] The single's duration is incorrectly listed as 3:07, rather than 4:36, and omits the 22 second final sustained note.[16]

Personnel

Cover versions

References
  1. Swanson, Dave (December 17, 2015). "Top 10 Chicago Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  2. Mastropolo, Frank (January 14, 2019). "Top 11 Question Songs". Rock Cellar Magazine. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  3. "Questions 67 And 68 by Chicago Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  4. Lauridsen, Morten (August 2008). "Robert Lamm – 2008". Blue Desert: The World of West Coast Music. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  5. Kruger, Debbie (June 16, 2000). "Chicago's Endurance: 34 Years...and Counting". Goldmine. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  6. "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. July 19, 1969. p. 77. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  7. "Chicago Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  8. Ricci, Charlie (July 2, 2013). "Almost Hits: Chicago, "Questions 67 and 68" (1969)". Something Else!. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  9. "Top 100 1969-08-30". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  10. "Chicago Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
  11. "Chicago Transit Authority Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
  12. "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 70" (in French). InfoDisc. 1969-11-01. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  13. "CASH Box Top 100 Singles". November 27, 1971. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  14. "Chicago (2) - Questions 67 And 68 (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1971. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  16. Everett, Walter (May 2010). "'If you're gonna have a hit': Intratextual mixes and edits of pop recordings". Popular Music. 29 (2): 248. doi:10.1017/S026114301000005X. JSTOR 40926920. S2CID 162240986.
  17. Zaleski, Annie (January 13, 2016). "Panic! At the Disco's fifth LP might be its best yet - Las Vegas Weekly". lasvegasweekly.com. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  18. youtube.com, Leonid and Friends, Questions 67 and 68
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