Chris has around 20 releases since 1991, mostly under his own name, while moonlighting as a metal guy and otherwise collaborating.



We discuss “She Looks Good in Black” from Obsolete Path (2025), “Intransitive Proverb” from Limitations of the Source Tape (2017), and “Angel Be Mine” from Your Own Chosen Speed (2001). End song: “Sisiphus” by Däng from Tartarus: The Darkest Realm (2014). Intro: “Every Time” by Flat Earth from Prefacipice (1991). More at chrischurch1.bandcamp.com and bigstirrecords.com/chris-church.



Hear all of “Every Time,” and watch Flat Earth play it live back in the day. Watch the video from “She Looks Good in Black.” That song (and video) features my former guest Lindsay Murray. There are many more videos of his tunes at youtube.com/@ChrisChurchMusic, including this nice one we refer to at the very end of Chris playing beardless with several musicians in an acoustic setting at a church.



Watch Däng live in 2012. Hear both of their albums in full. Hear Chris backing his wife Lori as Lady Darkevyl. Here’s Chris live in the supergroup The Long Players (with my former guest Bill Lloyd). Here he is playing live with Junkflower.



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Bill started in the mid-60s with Sons of Champlin and released 8 albums with them between 1969-1977, moved to LA to become a session singer, wrote some Grammy-winning tunes, and released two solo albums before joining Chicago in 1981 as their growling soul singer through their most famous period, releasing six more solo albums during and after his tenure with them (which ended in 2009) in addition to numerous collaborations.



We discuss “Alone” from Livin’ for Love (2021), the title track from He Started to Sing (1995) (with music by Bruce Gaitsch and Janie Clewer), and “Right On” by Sons of Champlin from Welcome to the Dance (1973). End song: “Plaid” by Chicago from Stone of Sisyphus (recorded 1992, released 2008). Intro: “Please Hold On” from Chicago 17 (1984) (co-written with Lionel Richie and David Foster). Learn more at billchamplin.com.



Bill’s early Grammy co-writes were Earth, Wind & Fire’s “After the Love Has Gone” (1979) (see Bill playing it live in 2023), and George Benson’s “Turn Your Love Around” (1981) (see Bill playing it live in 1993). Watch Sons of Champlin live in 1973. Hear the 2003 live version of the Sons of Champlin playing “Right On.” Bill brings up their earlier tune “Rooftop” as a statement of their ’60s politics. (They got very disco by the end of the ’70s.)



The excluded (now bonus) track for Chicago 16 that Bill wrote solo that I refer to was “Daddy’s Favorite Fool.” Any fan of that album should check out the album Bill recorded immediately prior, Runaway, which likewise features collaborations with David Foster, Toto, and also Kenny Loggins and others. Another Chicago tune that we reference from Chicago 17 is “We Can Stop the Hurtin‘,” which Bill arranged the vocals for. Watch Bill singing the classic early Chicago tune “Make Me Smile” (which he did not write, of course), and probably the Chicago tune you recognize him from, i.e. the Dianne Warren-penned “Look Away” (as sick as Bill became playing this song, he created his own acoustic arrangement of it). Another ’80s moment of singing fame was with “In the Heat of the Night.”



One for Chicago that Bill did write (more or less according to their ballad formula is “I Believe” from Chicago 18. This is by contrast to his much more harmonically adventurous solo tune “Party Time in DC.”



Recently, Bill recorded three albums as Champlin Williams Friestedt; here they are live (featuring Bill’s wife Tamara). Show more...