Chicago Get Funky On "Skin Tight"

Not to be confused with the Ohio Players song of the same title, Chicago bring their own brand of brass-driven funk to their underrated track "Skin Tight." This funky jazz/blues/rock workout has a sexy swagger and so much soul. It's probably my favorite Chicago joint. The horns on this track are stone-cold, and drummer Danny Seraphine and bassist Peter Cetera keep the groove at a nice funky stroll. It's a great cut and often has me bobbing my head when I'm not even aware I'm doing it. I was not surprised to learn that trombonist James Pankow penned the song, because the horn section is featured so prominently and really makes the track. Pankow also contributes a funky trombone solo, and the late Terry Kath follows it up with a sweet guitar solo.

Clocking in at 3:19, "Skin Tight" feels like it could have gone on a bit longer. The groove is so good that it seems it should have gone on for another minute or two. This is one of those cuts that really needs a part two like James Brown used to do. "Skin Tight" is the song that really introduced me to Chicago's work. Prior to hearing "Skin Tight," I wasn't much of a Chicago fan. The only song by them that I was familiar with was their pop ballad "If You Leave Me Now." It's a pretty song, but it wasn't enough to compel me to check out their other stuff. But once I heard someone playing "Skin Tight," I was like, "Man, these dudes can get down." And that's when I began checking out their other stuff and found that they are a great band with a badass horn section.

"Skin Tight" is from Chicago's album Chicago X, which was released in 1976. The album was well-received, charting at #3 on the US charts and #21 on the UK charts. The album also contained the chart-topping pop ballad "If You Leave Me Now."



Download Skin Tight at Amazon