James William Guercio

James William Guercio (born in 1945 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American music producer, musician and songwriter (occasionally credited as "Jim Guercio"), and is probably best known for his work as the producer of Chicago's early albums. He also has worked briefly in the motion picture industry as a producer and director.

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1945 - Chicago, Illinois - American - Music producer - Songwriter - Chicago

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Guercio moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s and began working as a session musician and songwriter. He played on several recordings, wrote Chad and Jeremy's 1966 Top 30 pop hit "Distant Shores," and is listed as a "contributor" to Frank Zappa's 1966 debut album Freak Out!. Hired by CBS Records as a staff producer, Guercio began working with The Buckinghams and helped them create four Top 10 records in 1967: "Don't You Care," "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," "Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)," and "Susan."

Related Topics:
Session musician - Chad and Jeremy - 1966 - Frank Zappa - Freak Out! - CBS Records - The Buckinghams - 1967

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During his college years in Chicago, Guercio had become friends with a saxophonist named Walter Parazaider. Parazaider invited Guercio to hear his new band, "The Big Thing," and Guercio was impressed enough to offer to manage and produce them. He relocated the band to Los Angeles in 1968, convinced them to change their name to "The Chicago Transit Authority," and arranged for them to appear in local clubs where they quickly became popular. While recording their first album for CBS/Columbia, Guercio was also approached about producing a second album for Blood, Sweat & Tears. Both of these highly-successful albums were released in 1969), and Blood, Sweat & Tears won Guercio an Album of the Year Grammy Award.

Related Topics:
Walter Parazaider - 1968 - Blood, Sweat & Tears - 1969 - Grammy Award

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In 1970, threatened with legal action by the "real" Chicago Transit Authority, Guercio shortened the band's name to Chicago and worked with them on a second album, Chicago II. Both this album and the original The Chicago Transit Authority featured long recordings which were moderately popular on FM stations, but when Guercio edited several tracks down to a radio-friendly 3-minute length -- including single versions of "Make Me Smile," "25 or 6 to 4," and "Beginnings" -- Chicago became a huge commercial success. Guercio would ultimately produce a total of eleven albums for the band (including five straight number 1 pop albums, starting with Chicago V) and 17 Top 25 singles. The Chicago X album yielded the band's first number 1 single, "If You Leave Me Now," which also earned two Grammy Awards (best pop performance for the band, and best arrangement for Guercio). However, Guercio and the band members found themselves increasingly at odds over creative decisions, tour schedules, and finances, and they parted ways soon after completing an eleventh album in late 1977.

Related Topics:
1970 - Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago - Chicago II - The Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago V - Chicago X - 1977

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Guercio became interested in motion picture production, and he was given the opportunity to produce and direct the 1973 film Electra Glide in Blue; he also wrote and produced the film's musical soundtrack. The film starred Robert Blake and featured Peter Cetera and other members of Chicago in bit parts. Although the film was well received by critics and has subsequently become a cult classic, it saw only modest commercial success. Guercio produced one other Robert Blake film, Second-Hand Hearts, which was released in 1981.

Related Topics:
1973 - Electra Glide in Blue - Robert Blake - Peter Cetera - Second-Hand Hearts - 1981

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Guercio was the founder of Caribou Ranch, a popular recording studio in Colarado's Rocky Mountains. The first music recorded at Caribou was Joe Walsh's Rocky Mountain Way. In addition to Chicago (starting with Chicago VI), the studio has been used by numerous other artists: Elton John (for his Caribou album), Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Carole King, Stephen Stills, Waylon Jennings and Supertramp. Unfortunately, the studio complex was shut down and never used again after a March 1985 fire destroyed the control room and caused about $3 million in damage.

Related Topics:
Joe Walsh - Chicago VI - Elton John - Caribou - Billy Joel - Rod Stewart - Carole King - Stephen Stills - Waylon Jennings - Supertramp - 1985

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After the split-up with Chicago and the Caribou Ranch fire, Guercio became disenchanted with the recording industry and shifted gears, pursuing a successful career in large-scale cattle ranching, property development, and oil and gas exploration, drilling and production, particularly coalbed methane wells. In the late 1980s, Guercio formed the Country Music Television (CMT) channel. In one of his more well-publicized transactions, in the early 1990s he sold CMT to media tycoon Ed Gaylord and Westinghouse Broadcasting.

Related Topics:
1980s - Country Music Television - 1990s - Westinghouse

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