The Bill Champlin/Jason Scheff collaboration “Runaround” seems like an anomaly on 1988’s Chicago 19.
The song employs a shared vocal arrangement which saw some success on 1986’s Chicago 18 with “Will You Still Love Me” and “If She Would Have Been Faithful.” This time, however, Champlin handles the verses and Scheff the chorus.
Perhaps the most significant other difference is the mid-tempo feel, which is supported by Scheff’s distinctive bass playing and straight-forward programmed drumming. Producer Chas Sandford includes a James Pankow/Lee Loughnane horn arrangement, and it’s the strongest one on Chicago 19 but that’s not exactly a massive compliment as the horn charts pale in comparison to those on Chicago 18 or 1991’s Twenty 1. The mix on “Runaround” favors Sandford’s guitar leads, the synthetic drums, and the vocals over anything else.
This is one of five original compositions on 19, which proved they had pop/rock sensibilities but could still sound like Chicago. But what does it mean for the band, however, when three of the big hits from this album were not Chicago originals?
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