Chicago - Streetplayer

**RetroRuss** · February 11th, 2006, 06:59 PM

I was going through some boxes that have been in my loft for ages - lots of records that probably I felt were either too eclectic or were 'Rock'...anyway, I came across this Chicago track...
http://www.discomusic.com/records-more/3753_0_2_0_C/

which once blasting in my ears I remember from BITD. What a tune!! It seems that so many elements of it has been sampled by others, certainly the beginning and I'm sure the middle section too....but what struck me was that a 'rock band' that made one of the most schmultzy love tunes ever could create such an up tempo Disco tune like that!! Amazing!!

**Disco Funk** · February 11th, 2006, 10:55 PM

Chicago was more of a jazz rock group when they started, kind of like Blood Sweat & Tears, but shifted more to rock and middle of the road by the mid 70s. So doing R&B tinged music wasn't completely foreign to them. I would have to say that Streetplayer is an average sounding dance song, but the percussion breakdown certainly made it more interesting. Unfortunately, it seems to drag on for too long and goes nowhere. I like the Bucketheads 'version'. I thought they did a better job of isolating the best parts of the song and making it work, like the horn hook at the beginning of Streetplayer, which is the only time its played in the original!

Disco Funk

**discotom73** · February 12th, 2006, 12:10 AM

This song is not considered one of their best and actually came at a time when the group was struggling to make their album "Chicago XIII" in 1979. It's a nice song and is worth listening to at least once. The other notable dance song they had was back in the early 1970s called "I'm A Man", a nine minute version. The song has a lot more jazzy feel than disco, but it is fast paced enough to dance to it.

**RetroRuss** · February 12th, 2006, 03:05 AM

Originally Written by discotom73

This song is not considered one of their best and actually came at a time when the group was struggling to make their album "Chicago XIII" in 1979. It's a nice song and is worth listening to at least once. The other notable dance song they had was back in the early 1970s called "I'm A Man", a nine minute version. The song has a lot more jazzy feel than disco, but it is fast paced enough to dance to it.

Out of interest is this the same track covered by Macho....?

**Disco Funk** · February 12th, 2006, 08:42 PM

I'm A Man was recorded by Steve Winwood's Spencer Davis Group, and was later recorded by Chicago and then by Macho. The original Spencer Davis Group version has some great percussion overdubs not typical of 60s song, but would be prevalent in dance songs of the 70s.

Disco Funk

**darrens** · February 13th, 2006, 10:10 AM

Probably like many people, I first heard Bucketheads' "The bomb" before I knew of Street Player. It was one of the biggest dance hits of 1995, reaching number 5 in the pop charts and hanging about for a reasonable length of time.

It wasn't long until I did hear the original though, because Joey Negro had a 2-hour long show on the radio to promote the forthcoming release of "Classic Disco Mastercuts Vol. 1", and he played the 12 inch version of Streetplayer, along with many other excellent cuts. For me this was actually a turning point when I started seeking out the more underground disco songs.