25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago. What does it mean and more memories of Chicago.

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Mick O’Dowd… Just a thought. Just played 25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago when they were a great jazz/rock band. Does anybody know what this stands for. It’s always been a fave but never really thought what it meant. Help please!

John Wilde… 250624 pretty sure it was a phone number.

Sarah Harvey… Just found it …. I quote ” Speculation that the song’s lyrics are drug related has been largely dismissed. Lamm himself says that the title is “just a reference to the time of day” and that “the song is about writing a song. It’s not mystical.” The time of day in reference is 3:35 AM (or 3:34 AM), which would then be 25 (or 26) minutes to 4 AM”

Jim Breeds… That’s interesting. So it’s not a song about a visit to the bookies after all!

Mark Randall…

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Mick O’Dowd… Thanx Sarah. Mystery solved. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (Another great track. Perhaps they’ve got something about time). Anymore songs with strange titles with unusual stories behind?

Alan Pepper… Having ‘Musical Tourettes’ I often burst into this classic now and again at work when I notice its 3.35 ish of an afternoon !! Wasn’t does anybody… the B side by the way ? Chicago 2 is a great double ALBUM circa 1970 methinks!

Mick O’Dowd… Does Anybody.. was on the C.T.A album (Chicago Transit Authority their original name) and was their first and in my opinion, best album. I dug it out and surprise, surpise there is a track called Questions 67 &68 on it. Over to you Sarah

Sarah Harvey… Yes Chicago Transit Authority was their original name and of course only made that one album before changing their name to simply Chicago. Its listed as’ one of those albums you must hear before you die’…….Robert Lamm, who was the band’s primary songwriter wrote Questions 67 and 68 and he is said “That was a love song that dealt in terms of questions I was asking myself about a particular relationship that was going down, I wasn’t sure whether it was good or bad.” The title refers to the years 1967 and 1968, which is when the relationship Robert Lamm wrote about took place.

Mick O’Dowd… Thanx again Sarah. Seems you’re our resident Chicago info service. I agree with that about the album you must listen to before you die. I am playing it in the car at present. Don’t much like Free form Purple though.

Eric Cawthraw… Chicago Transit Authority – one of my favourites too. I’m sure there was a radio interview, or perhaps an press review that stated that the band hadn’t got a name at all – CTA was just the name of the album. Later, when they took a name proper – it was just Chicago. The band was never the same without Terry Kath – wasn’t he electricuted on stage? I think I’ll play Poem 58 in tribute!

1 thought on “25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago. What does it mean and more memories of Chicago.”

  1. Having ‘Musical Tourettes’ I often burst into this classic now and again at work when I notice its 3.35 ish of an afternoon !!
    Wasn’t does anybody… the B side by the way ?
    Chicago 2 is a great double ALBUM circa 1970 methinks!

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