“Hold on, stay with me
Fantasies best left behind
Hold on to love and just believe
In love that won’t bind you
Don’t leave me behind
Stay with me, lady love”
Am I the only one who thinks that the deletion of the first bridge from “Please Hold On” on the reissues of 1984’s Chicago 17 is criminal!?
Despite the weird edit, the song, sung by the incomparable Bill Champlin, is the funniest of the David Foster era, and one of my Top 5 Chicago songs.
Champlin doesn’t get to demonstrate his stellar Hammond B-3 organ playing or excellent guitar work, but he does get to use his vocal instrument at a level unheard since his tenure in Chicago began. The funk comes from the drumming of John “JR” Robinson and guitarist Mike Landau (or is that Paul Jackson Jr.?).
Of course, the Moog bass has long replaced Peter Cetera’s Fender at this point. There is very little of Chicago on this song. No Robert Lamm/Champlin keyboards, no Cetera vocals, no Chris Pinnick guitar and absolutely no Danny Seraphine. David Foster provides piano and the song, initially conceived by Foster with co-writer Lionel Richie for his Can’t Slow Down album, is given a new injection of life by Bill Champlin’s lyrics and vocals.
Oh, let’s not overlook the horn charts by James Pankow, which harken back to his earlier glory while moving everything forward. In the end, with or without the original bridge, Chicago’s “Please Hold On” is a Bill Champlin-led gem.
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