Intro to "Does anyone body know what time it is"?

[Baldwin Funster]

I'm not saying i support thievery but dude, the whole album and 20 live versions are on youtube. Not to mention cover versions, which is what your transcription is akin to. Not to mention that it's Columbia records I believe that probably actually have publishing rights and Richard Lamm may not even have the authority to OK your inquiry. You are in for a long wait for a response. A loooong wait.

[Jazzmammal]

After following this thread I finally had a chance to listen to the original CTA version. All I can say is NOW I remember it, hated it and just skipped to the real tune.

 

You old guys here know what that is right? It's what was known as the stoner album version. Late 60's and 70's long album versions of big hits were fill of crap like this. Like the huge extended and very boring solo in the album version of Light My Fire. Those guys weren't stoners, were they? Naaa...The FM stations played that to death while the AM stations did the 3 minute hit version.

 

I wasn't there, can't cast aspersions and all that rot but he was stoned playing this and and they all had a big laugh about it. Oh, and the playing completely sucks. He was doing whatever and he's just screwing around here. They probably had a couple of needed minutes to complete one side of the album and decided to throw that pos in.

 

This is completely forgettable imho so fuggettaboutit.

 

Bob

[harmonizer]

Jazzmammal, apparently you can cast aspersions, so don't sell yourself short.

[Baldwin Funster]

In reference to my above post, I'm sure a fan transcription is considered fair use. Who on the planet would even be qualified to sift through such a transcription for accuracy? If you left the title off of it nobody but about 6 people on this thread would even know it existed. Yeah, that's going to cost Richard Lamm money. About a buck fifty at most.

[Threadslayer]

 

This is completely forgettable imho so fuggettaboutit.

 

Bob

I just listened to the clip and I had in fact forgotten about it. Precisely because it is so completely forgettable. If you lined up a half dozen other recordings of some numb nuts doodling around on the piano and asked me to identify which one was the intro to that CTA song, I doubt if I'd pick that one.

[harmonizer]

I took my best shot at the piano-only intro from the LP version. It was harder to pick out the inner notes than work I had done before on the horn parts for the Steely Dan song Deacon Blues, which is saying a lot. The rhythms are not right partly because of rubato playing, but I think the notes are pretty close. I only got through the first 25 seconds, but thought I would share it anyway. You should be able to download the PDF from a post on page 2 of this thread:

 

http://www.norduserforum.com/post72301.html#p72301

[skykeys]

To Jazzmammal and Wastrel, you are entitled to your opinions of course. You don't like that piano intro, that's fine; understandable even. Yea, it's definitely wacky. But I don't think the playing sucks. Jazmammal, if you could recreate that intro note for note and write it out, I'd appreciate it, because, I can't do it. I have not been able to decypher the chords that Lamm plays in that intro.

 

So, I happen to like it, and I just want to play it. It resonates with my musical sensibility. I think it's very interesting and creative. It's certainly different and more complex than most modern commercial dross. And, the feeling that the intro invokes in me, relates very well to the concept of the title of the song. Lamm could have been stoned when he played it, but I don't know that for a fact; do you? I mean, I've never seen or heard of any information about the recording of that intro whatsoever.

 

What I perceive about it is, the melody has form and direction, and I think it's too organized to have been done completely from scratch off the top of his head one time. He must have messed around with it in some fashion in advance, even if he never actually wrote it down.

 

The fact that the piece is "demented", as someone called it here - much earlier on this thread, makes for a great intro to the wonderfully creative and multi-time signature'd horn intro, and again, relates to the "who cares about time" concept.

 

The horn intro is great too. Cool complex chord construction with multiple time signatures, and it resolves beautifully into the main song.

[skykeys]

Thanks for the reply, and I'm glad I've helped you. I don't have the song in sheet music form, but I do have it as a MIDI file. And I do think you're right, that Chicago probably couldn't care less about me giving it out, but I don't want to take chances. I'm especially cautious because the band I'm in just produced our first CD. Again, I'll keep you updated. If they don't get back to me within the next few months, I might just go ahead and release it. Or if Robert Lamm dies. I mean, this IS 2016: Death of the Talented Musicians.

 

MusicFox, on the assumption that you will be able to make your midi file public, (or even send it to me in private, ), is there a way to convert that file (directly or indirectly) into sheet music, or otherwise help me to learn how to play it?

[skykeys]

I took my best shot at the piano-only intro from the LP version. It was harder to pick out the inner notes than work I had done before on the horn parts for the Steely Dan song Deacon Blues, which is saying a lot. The rhythms are not right partly because of rubato playing, but I think the notes are pretty close. I only got through the first 25 seconds, but thought I would share it anyway. You should be able to download the PDF from a post on page 2 of this thread:

 

 

http://www.norduserforum.com/post72301.html#p72301

 

Hey Harmonizer, thanks for the file! Very cool of you to have attempted to write it out. I will print it out and work on it. I'll get back to you about it when I've gone over it.

[MusicFox]

Sorry for the delayed response.

 

I wasn't aware of all the copyright stuff. I thought as long as the original author gave me permission it's okay. By the way, it's Robert Lamm, not Richard Lamm.

 

I guess worse case scenario, it will be the Amish Paradise scenario. I can't say I didn't try to get Chicago's permission.

 

I still need to convert the MIDI file to sheet music. I want to do it with the right time signatures. The guy who transcribed the Transcribed Scores book got back to me and said he could probably do the engraving for me, but he has a lot of stuff to work on. I told him I didn't want to pressure him into doing it, and I never heard back from him since. However, that was earlier this month, and since he's busy, he probably hasn't had time to see my message.

 

So if I don't hear back from Chicago/the transcriber by the end of this month, I think I'll just upload the sheet music. I do however, want to make sure I get credit for it. Usually it's not that big of a deal to me, but this took a long time to do and was very hard to transcribe.

 

I also have no idea which parts go to the left and right hand, so if I were to convert it to sheet music, it would all be on a single staff line. Sibelius does have the ability to import MIDIs. I just haven't tried it yet.

[Steve C.]

One important reason I joined this forum was to engage this thread. I, like apparently so many others, have an interest in a transcribed score for Robert Lamm's jazzy piano intro to DARKWTII (I like the acronym, easier than typing it out, although by now I could have). I visited the norduserforum and downloaded what was there. Many thanks to harmonizer for the great work.

But it's gotten quiet on this thread so I'm bumping it.

Personally I don't possess near enough talent to play such a piece but it's something I aspire to. Currently I play 1 benefit gig a year with a company sponsored all employee band. We have fun and have done a Chicago tune (not that one).

the rest of the time I take lessons and play for my own edification. Still...

So thanks to all who have contributed to this, with the hopes that eventually all 1:15 of the piece will become available.

Regards,

Steve C.

[Outkaster]

Lamm is no slouch that is for sure but he plays a lot less live now.

[PianoManChuck]

 

[Bobadohshe]

 

A couple problems:

 

1) Not quite accurate in a few places

 

2) This isn't what the OP is asking for anyway. The OP wants the long jazzy solo piano intro BEFORE this part.

 

Harmonizer posted that part here:

 

I took my best shot at the piano-only intro from the LP version. It was harder to pick out the inner notes than work I had done before on the horn parts for the Steely Dan song Deacon Blues, which is saying a lot. The rhythms are not right partly because of rubato playing, but I think the notes are pretty close. I only got through the first 25 seconds, but thought I would share it anyway. You should be able to download the PDF from a post on page 2 of this thread:

 

http://www.norduserforum.com/post72301.html#p72301

 

[PianoManChuck]

 

A couple problems:

 

1) Not quite accurate in a few places

 

2) This isn't what the OP is asking for anyway. The OP wants the long jazzy solo piano intro BEFORE this part.

 

Harmonizer posted that part here:

 

I took my best shot at the piano-only intro from the LP version. It was harder to pick out the inner notes than work I had done before on the horn parts for the Steely Dan song Deacon Blues, which is saying a lot. The rhythms are not right partly because of rubato playing, but I think the notes are pretty close. I only got through the first 25 seconds, but thought I would share it anyway. You should be able to download the PDF from a post on page 2 of this thread:

 

http://www.norduserforum.com/post72301.html#p72301

 

Ahhhh.... now I know what you're talking about... its that piano solo (that most people never heard) that precedes the horns, right? I think I've only heard that portion once or twice in the past.

In that case, disregard my link (which was my rendition of the main song... not what you were looking for).

[Steve C.]

What's disconcerting is that harmonizer posted that effort almost a year ago. Musicfox had something going as well about the same time frame. I was hoping by now there'd be more. Hoping...

Thanks again everyone!

Steve C.

[Mark Schmieder]

I have the sheet music to the intro, as I co-led a Chicago tribute band back in the mid-to-late 80's and we did this tune in full.

 

This is a zombie thread though, and I haven't the time to read all three pages to ascertain the status of the request or the trajectory of the discussion.

 

Just letting people know the sheet music does exist and that I have it, even if it might have by now been out of print for over 30 years.

[Steve C.]

Thanks Mark. Yes, this is an old thread, but it surfaced during one of my searches and I noticed that it made some progress, then had gone quiet. So I stirred it up. My interest is current, can't speak for the others that started this thread.

So I'm interested in getting a copy of that sheet music. Are you willing give or sell a copy of it to me?

Thanks in advance.

Steve

[3dog]

What makes that song great is the arrangement and just playing it on a piano or a single instrument takes away from its appeal. There is a score and a sound file at https://www.jwpepper.com/2340123.item#/. Could be used as a framework. Doesn't sound too bookie even if is for a marching band. How about, four rights make a point?

[Steve C.]

3dog,

There is a minute:thirty or so piano only intro to this song that many people don't remember or know about. What's familiar to most is the mainstream full on brass etc. version as demonstrated by the JW Pepper audio file. Lots of sources for the sheet music to the main stuff. I already have that. The piano "improv" that is loved or hated, depending on who you ask, is hard to find a score for. I'm hoping Mark Schmieder (above) will part with a copy.

Best regards,

Steve

[Mark Schmieder]

I will search for it shortly, as I'm pretty sure I know which pile that sheet music is in.

[3dog]

I just listened to it. Sounds like Harry Conick when he plays a lot of dischord. I can see why it is out of print. I just rembered picking up the arm and moving the needle past that part in my dorm room. Funny how time flys.

[Mark Schmieder]

I found the sheet music, but unfortunately my copy doesn't have the intro as only the pianist needed that.

 

I do have a ton of Chicago sheet music, official and hand-written, if it helps anyone else (it's all out of print, and the hand-transcribed stuff for bass might be hard to reproduce from scratch).

 

I heard from another former band-member that the keyboardist moved back to the west coast a number of years ago, but none of us ever successfully tracked him down. The trumpet player in the band is the inventor of the MusicXML format. I might check with him as he's visible.

 

I can give out the name of the keyboardist to anyone who thinks they might know him but wouldn't feel comfortable posting it here otherwise; just in private emails. It's quite likely Dave Bryce knows him, for one.

[MathOfInsects]

The mistake(s) in the title of this thread make my eye twitch.

[RABid]

(sigh) This thread is a missed opportunity. The title could have been "Does anybody know Does Anybody Know What Time It Is."

[3dog]

(sigh) This thread is a missed opportunity. The title could have been "Does anybody know Does Anybody Know What Time It Is."

Does anybody really care? Couldn't resist.

[3dog]

I can give out the name of the keyboardist to anyone who thinks they might know him but wouldn't feel comfortable posting it here otherwise; just in private emails. It's quite likely Dave Bryce knows him, for one.

 

According to Wikipedia "The original uncut album version opens with a brief "free form" piano solo performed by Lamm. A spoken verse by Lamm is mixed into the sung final verse of the album version. The single version does not include the "free form" intro or the spoken verse, and was originally mixed and issued in mono. A stereo re-edit (beginning from the point where the "free form" intro leaves off) was issued on the group's Only the Beginning greatest hits CD set."

[Mark Schmieder]

Yeah, it was free form, but our keyboardist transcribed it, just as I painstakingly did with almost every Peter Cetera bass line on the first four studio albums (CTA, II, III, and V -- Carnegie Hall Live was IV).

[Steve C.]

Thank you Mark. You've represented the best hope so far on getting a line on this music. Some on here, including you, have said that the music is "out of print" but really, it was never in print, right? It's only ever existed thanks to talented people who transcribed it for their own use. And I hear you saying that talent went to California. I'm a native Upstate New Yorker and don't know anyone on the Left Coast.

So unless harmonizer or Musicfox finish what they started I guess I'm out of luck.

Best regards to all!

Steve

[Outkaster]

Steve where in NY are you?