2813 – Searchin’ so long with James Pankow
James Pankow
Find the show at NeverNotFunny.com
In studio notes by Garon Cockrell
Editing and additional notes by Darryl Asher
@ChicagoTheBand
00 Hello!
Jimmy’s figuring out which episode! 2813!
Crawlers talk! “long loaf”
Baker’s D.
Happy mother’s day!
I sent a message to Elise and a text to Danielle!
Talking “Moms”
5 – My brother’s name is Kyle!
How fun would it be for a couple cyclists to get on a tandem bike.
Matt talks about his youtube videos he watches, including a cyclist who rode cross country on a cruiser, and one that went on a tandem bike and picked up strangers.
SNL talk.
Jimmy has no issues with Elon Musk’s performance. Matt holds Nancy Kerrigan as the worst host that he has ever seen.
Never Not Funny = Oliver’s Dad and his friends talk about Cobra-Kai for 30 minutes.
Talking covid Mother’s Day gatherings.
Box Brunch from Truxtons! https://truxtonsamericanbistro.com/
20 – Talking about people getting too much praise and support IE Dolly Parton, Betty White, Lavar Burton.
Star Trek was the first show saved by a fan campaign.
25 – Walter Koening did an online convention.
Jimmy and Oliver ate too much bacon. Jimmy talks more about it.
Fish and Beans are the proteins of choice for the Pardo house.
Mail!
Garon Sux!
30 – Josh Tabeck sent something in!
Jimmy watched the rocket crash, Eliot watched Pop Cultured!
Talking the Chinese Rocket.
Bag Eliot a widow/Divorcee.
Josh made us a Star Wars related art print. It’s wonderful.
35 – James Pankow from Chicago is here!!!
We’ll be right back!
We’re back!
Jimmy Pankow is here!!!
Jimmy walks us through what’s going on.
For notes purposes: From here on out Jimmy is Jimmy. JP is Jimmy Pankow.
JP tells his wife not to complain about the music, it pays for the groceries.
Jimmy fills him in on how much he is quoted here.
40 – JP talks about how blessed he is (and we are) to be doing what we love.
He calls it the “Happiness Business.”
JP talks about touring, sound-checks, and that one guy in the audience who yawns.
45 – Jimmy talks about the first time he saw Chicago in 1981.
Jimi Hendrix described Chicago as “having a horn section that sounds like one set of lungs, and a guitar player better than me.” He took them on tour when they were nobody, not even a record released yet .
That Hendrix story is NOT Urban Legend. It really happened. JP talks about Terry Kath and Hendrix.
50 – JP talks about Chicago having a horn section.
Talking about Terry Kath’s guitar playing skills.
Jimmy asks about the band name Chicago and if there are any regrets.
JP talks about all the ways the band name was screwed up on marquees and how the liner notes of the FIRST album said to call them Chicago.
60 – JP talks about the Chicago logo and how it was inspired by the Coca-Cola font.
JP talks about fan interactions and how much he appreciates them.
1h5m – Eliot speaks to the Chicago logo and how on some albums it was integrated into the artwork and not so much just plastered on the covers. JP talks about the albums, the artwork, and the numbering style of the titles.
JP drops that they are currently at work on Chicago 37!
JP talks about missing touring and how comedy is so hard nowadays.
Jimmy shows off the NNF season logo based on the Chicago chocolate bar.
1h10m – Jimmy recounts seeing Chicago at the Rock Hall performance and JP seeing Jimmy and telling him he was so glad he could share it with them. Jimmy also expresses how proud he is to be contributing to the liner notes of the Carnegie Hall release.
Jimmy talks about seeing Chicago at Conan and the famous “I live right up in Calabasas!”
Jimmy talks about Chicago’s reputation and how they are ROCK STARS. JP says if the real stories got out there they might be in prison. He tells a story about how they moved a chair out of the room. Via the window. It was the 35th floor. The chair they threw out crashed through the kitchen and broke the sprinkler.
Security came and Jack from the band blamed it on “crazy fans.” They got away with it.
1h15m – JP talks about the Charter jet pilots that were right out of Vietnam that used to do tricks with the planes while they were flying. INCLUDING pulling zero Gs.
He also talks about taking a helicopter to a show and the pilots being Huey pilots from Nam who flew them all over the city, under bridges, to the statue of liberty (Where the flipped everyone off in the crown) and then off to the show on Long Island.
JP says the band did the drugs and the booze and that Terry Kath’s accident was a wake up call. JP said that his daughter’s birth was the catalyst for him to tone it down. He said he did check in with AA and participated in that for 4 years.
1h20m – Jimmy talks about his sobriety (22 years!) He talks about how not being a drunk makes him a great dad.
JP talks about the last time he touched drugs. He came back from a month tour said hi to his family and went straight to his closet for blow. He disappeared into his studio for 6-7 hours, came back for more blow and his wife confronted him, fully pregnant and ready for birth. He flushed his drugs right then.
He has 4 kids from 19 – almost 40.
1h25m – JP talks about the song he wrote for the recent Christmas album that his daughter helped inspire. He does have a song in consideration for the new album about his son Carter, “Make a Man Out Of Me.”
Jimmy tells JP about a time the family saw them at Hollywood Bowl and how Jimmy ran into some drunk guy mad about not hearing a song he loved called “Roses” which is NOT the title of any Chicago song. He sang the song to Jimmy and it turns out it’s “Old Days.”
Trivia question! (Full results at the end)
1h30m – Category: Food For Thought
Question: Despite this chain having roughly 13476 locations in the US, Mt Pillier, VT is the only state capital without one.
Jimmy asks JP about his recent Lifetime Achievement recognition by the ITA (International Trombone Association) https://www.trombone.net/ and Jimmy wonders why it took so long to recognize him.
JP talks about the recognition and their response to him wondering why him, when there are so many talented players.
1h35m – JP asks Jimmy who his inspirations are. Jimmy talks about Johnny Carson, Richard Lewis, Paul Reiser, Robert Klein.
Quick break!
We’re back!
The legendary Jimmy Pankow!
Round the horn for trivia!
1h40m – JP talks about performing on a Bee Gees album. It was Spirits Having Fun.
My answer Wendy’s.
Eliot answers IHOP
Matt answers McDonald’s
JP says IHOP also!
Trivia Results!
Category: Food For Thought
Question: Despite this chain having roughly 13476 locations in the US, Mt Pillier, VT is the only state capital without one.
Garon: Wendy’s (7 pts)
Eliot: IHOP (19 pts)
Matt: McDonald’s (6 pts)
JP: IHOP (15 pts)
Jimmy: KFC (13 pts)
The answer is: McDonald’s! Matt wins!
Jimmy asks about the transition through videos, peter cetera leaving, and the passing of Terry Kath, and the band remaining successful through all these upheavals.
JP talks about their current singer, Neil Donell, and how amazing he is.
JP talks about a time at the top of the show where he went blank before the show starts and completely forgot his part when he went out. HE copped to it and the audience went nuts. Ice broke, show went on great.
1h50m – JP tells another screw-up story where he stepped on a cable and slipped and did a complete 360 in the air and landed on his feet. His only thought was to protect the horn!
Jimmy talks about how amazing the current line-up of Chicago is.
1h55m – Chicago is getting back on the road this summer! Starting in the east in June/July and then blowing up later in August.
Go see Chicago!
JP talks about last tour where they performed Chicago 2 in its entirety and then did a second set of hits afterwards.
2h – JP talks about Jimmy’s comment of Chicago being the soundtrack of his life and seeing people in the audience react to songs that mean something to them.
Jimmy talks about the Chicago 2 tour.
Exclusive! You’ll hear new stuff on the tour!
We’re done!
My pleasure,
Garon/The Beast/Mush Mouth Shy Guy/The Notekeeper/Lazy Queen/Sloth
