Look Away (original) (raw)

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1988 single by Chicago

"Look Away"
Single by Chicago
from the album Chicago 19
B-side "Come in from the Night"
Released September 9, 1988 (1988-9-9)
Genre Rock[1]
Length 4:02
Label Reprise, Full Moon
Songwriter(s) Diane Warren
Producer(s) Ron Nevison
Chicago singles chronology
"I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" (1988) "Look Away" (1988) "You're Not Alone" (1989)

"Look Away" is a song by American rock band Chicago. Written by Diane Warren and produced by Ron Nevison, the ballad is the second single from the band's 1988 album Chicago 19. "Look Away" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in December 1988, becoming the group's third and final No. 1 hit and ending 1989 at No. 1 on the Hot 100 year-end chart. Worldwide, it peaked at No. 1 in Canada and entered the top 20 in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

According to drummer Danny Seraphine, Chicago's manager Howard Kaufman suggested that the band bring in outside songwriting help. Kaufman recommended Diane Warren, who also composed the band's single "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love," and producer Ron Nevison, who had worked with Heart on the No. 1 hits "These Dreams" and "Alone."[2]

Warren wrote "Look Away" from the man's perspective and submitted a demo to Chicago's management company. "Diane's demos always sound really good," Nevison said. "Her demos are always very simple, but they always have great vocal performances."[3] Bassist Jason Scheff remarked, "The songs that last for me are the ones I don't get at first," and added, "I remember hearing 'Look Away' and thinking it's okay, but not great. Thank God I'm not an A&R man."[3]

Before being submitted to Chicago, the song was one of two ballads offered by Epic Records to Cheap Trick, who chose "The Flame" instead.[4] The track was also offered to Europe, but was turned down due to frontman Joey Tempest's refusal to record material written by outside writers.[5]

The song featured Bill Champlin on lead vocals and furthered Chicago's shift towards de-emphasizing the band's brass section compared to their earlier years.[6] Scheff noted that with Peter Cetera having left the group and "making his own records, it was good for us to release some songs with a different sound (like) Bill's voice. Then we wouldn't be saturating radio with Chicago-sounding songs."[3]

25-second sample of Chicago's "Look Away".

"Look Away" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in September 1988 and reached No. 1, where it spent two weeks in December.[3][6] Champlin said he was unaware of the feat at the time. "Everybody said, 'I hear your song every day,'" he recalled. "I go, 'What song?' I was kind of oblivious to the whole thing, busy working on new stuff. That's what happens. As everybody else gets aware of what you're doing, you're usually about five or six tunes past it."[7] The single was certified gold in January 1989 and was 1989's most successful song on the Hot 100.[8][9] It also reached No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[10] Outside the US, "Look Away" peaked at No. 1 in Canada, No. 9 in the Netherlands, No. 15 in Sweden, and No. 20 in Belgium.[11][12][13]

In 2018, a British man claimed he is the author of the song and launched legal proceedings.[1]

7-inch vinyl and cassette

  1. ^ a b Burgess, Sanya (June 6, 2018). "Yorkshire man sues for $20m over 30-year-old US rock song". Sky News. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  2. ^ Seraphine, Danny (2010). Street Player: My Chicago Story. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. pp. 242–3. ISBN 978-0470416839.
  3. ^ a b c d Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th ed.). New York: Billboard Books. p. 716. ISBN 978-0823076772.
  4. ^ Galipault, Garry (May 11, 1998). "Cheap Trick Wants You to Want Them Again | Pause & Play CD and Music Site". Pause and Play. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  5. ^ "Kee Marcello recalls Europe turning down recording song "Look Away" which became #1 single for Chicago". Sleaze Roxx. April 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Hogan, Ed. "'Look Away' - Song Review". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  7. ^ Pickle, Betsy (February 21, 1989). "Chicago keeps churning out hits". The Telegraph. Scripps. p. 23.
  8. ^ a b c "American single certifications – Chicago – Look Away (Come in from the Night)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Billboard Top 100 – 1989". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  10. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 54.
  11. ^ a b "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. December 24, 1988. p. 6.
  12. ^ a b "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 10, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Chicago – Look Away" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  14. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  15. ^ "Chicago – Look Away" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  16. ^ "Chicago – Look Away". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  17. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  18. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. December 10, 1988. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  19. ^ "Adult Contemporary". Billboard. December 3, 1988. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  20. ^ "Top 100 Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. December 24, 1988. p. 9. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  21. ^ "1989 The Year in Music: Top Adult Contemporary Singles". Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 51. December 23, 1989. p. Y-42.
  22. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  23. ^ "シカゴ | ルック・アウェイ" [Chicago | Look Away] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  24. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. December 10, 1988. p. 32.