Editing Chicago (band) (section)

=== Chicago Transit Authority and early success ===
[[File:Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago) circa 1969.jpg|thumb|Chicago Transit Authority circa 1969]]
While gaining some success as a cover band, the group began working on original songs. In June 1968, at manager [[James William Guercio]]'s request, the Big Thing moved to [[Los Angeles]], [[California]],<ref>{{Cite book|title=Street Player: My Chicago Story|last=Seraphine|first=Danny|publisher=John Wiley & Sons Inc.|year=2011|isbn=9780470416839|page=65}}</ref> where they signed with [[Columbia Records]] and changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority.<ref name="allmusic" /> While performing on a regular basis at the [[Whisky a Go Go]] nightclub in [[West Hollywood, California|West Hollywood]], the band got exposure to more famous musical artists of the time,<ref>{{Cite book|title=Street Player: My Chicago Story|last=Seraphine|first=Danny|publisher=John Wiley & Sons Inc.|year=2011|isbn=9780470416839|page=77}}</ref> subsequently opening for [[Janis Joplin]] and [[Jimi Hendrix]].<ref name="Seraphine">{{Cite book|last=Seraphine|first=Danny|year=2011|title=Street Player: My Chicago Story|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc.|isbn=978-0-470-41683-9}}</ref>{{rp|77–78,106–107}}<ref name="Ruhlmannp3">{{cite AV media notes|title= Chicago Group Portrait (Box Set)|year= 1991|url= http://aln3.albumlinernotes.com/Chicago_Box_Set_-_Page_3.html|page= 3|access-date= January 29, 2016|first= William James|last= Ruhlmann|format= CD booklet archived online|publisher= Columbia Records|location= New York City, NY|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160213201745/http://aln3.albumlinernotes.com/Chicago_Box_Set_-_Page_3.html|archive-date= February 13, 2016|url-status=live|df= mdy-all}}</ref> Group biographer William James Ruhlmann recorded Walt Parazaider as saying that Jimi Hendrix once told him: {{" '}}Jeez, your horn players are like one set of lungs and your guitar player is better than me.{{' "}}<ref name="Ruhlmannp3" />

Their first record (April 1969), ''[[Chicago Transit Authority (album)|Chicago Transit Authority]]'', is a double album, a rarity for a band's initial studio release. The album made it to No. 17 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] album chart,<ref name= "Chicago Billboard 200" /> sold over one million copies by 1970, and was awarded a [[music recording sales certification|platinum disc]].<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1978|title=The Book of Golden Discs|edition=2nd|publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd|location=London|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/255 255–256]|isbn=0-214-20512-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/255|access-date=December 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215064643/https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/255|archive-date=December 15, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The album included a number of pop-rock songs – "[[Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?]]", "[[Beginnings (Chicago song)|Beginnings]]", "[[Questions 67 and 68]]", and "[[I'm a Man (The Spencer Davis Group song)|I'm a Man]]" – which were later released as singles. For this inaugural recording effort the group was nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] for 1969 [[Grammy Award for Best New Artist|Best New Artist of the Year]].<ref name="grammy awards Chicago">{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/chicago|title=Grammy Awards: Chicago|publisher=The Recording Academy|access-date=September 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320024210/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/chicago|archive-date=March 20, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2025, the Library of Congress selected ''Chicago Transit Authority'' for inclusion as an album in the National Recording Registry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Recording Registry Inducts Sounds of Elton John, Chicago, Broadway's 'Hamilton,' Mary J. Blige, Amy Winehouse, Minecraft and Microsoft |url=https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/national-recording-registry-inducts-sounds-of-elton-john--chicago--broadway-s--hamilton---mary-j.-bl/s/986b2312-27dd-4b66-bd41-3113e0cb2e57 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Library of Congress - News and Content for Media |language=en}}</ref>

According to Cetera, the band was booked to perform at [[Woodstock]] in 1969, but promoter [[Bill Graham (promoter)|Bill Graham]], with whom they had a contract, exercised his right to reschedule them to play at the [[Fillmore West]] on a date of his choosing, and he scheduled them for the Woodstock dates. [[Santana (band)|Santana]], which Graham also managed, took Chicago's place at Woodstock,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/sep/21/cetera-lends-voice-to-superpops-opener/|title=Cetera lends voice to SuperPops opener|last=Kershner|first=Jim|date=September 21, 2008|work=The Spokesman-Review|access-date=November 2, 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107010527/http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/sep/21/cetera-lends-voice-to-superpops-opener/|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and that performance is considered to be Santana's "breakthrough" gig.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://somethingelsereviews.com/2015/08/15/santana-woodstock-gregg-rolie/|title=Gregg Rolie remembers Santana breakthrough at Woodstock|last=Deriso|first=Nick|date=August 15, 2015|work=Something Else!|access-date=November 2, 2017|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107005918/http://somethingelsereviews.com/2015/08/15/santana-woodstock-gregg-rolie/|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> A year later, when he needed to replace headliner Joe Cocker, and then Cocker's intended replacement, Jimi Hendrix, Graham booked Chicago to perform at [[Tanglewood]], which has been called a "pinnacle" performance by Concert Vault.<ref>{{Cite press release|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Concert Vault Restores Pinnacle Moment In Rock History|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/concert-vault-restores-pinnacle-moment-in-rock-history-193586011.html|date=February 27, 2013|publisher=Concert Vault|agency=PR Newswire|language=en|access-date=November 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107021220/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/concert-vault-restores-pinnacle-moment-in-rock-history-193586011.html|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the release of their first album, the band's name was shortened to Chicago to avoid legal action being threatened by the [[Chicago Transit Authority|actual mass-transit company of the same name]].<ref name= Ruhlmannp3/>